ABR Lucas Oil Weekend Recap

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A singer once sang, “Sometime’s You’re the Windshield, Sometimes You’re the Bug”

Port Royal, PA – August 31, 2020 – By Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management

Mary Chapin Carpenter’s 1992 hit must have been playing somewhere. The song begins appropriately.

Well it’s a strange old game, you learn it slow
One step forward and it’s back you go
You’re standing on the throttle
You’re standing on the brake
In the groove ’til you make a mistake

The chorus gets right to the point.

Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug

Those lyrics pretty much sum up Austin Berry Racing’s 3-day foray with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at Port Royal Speedway. ABR came into the event as prepared as they could be and were coming off a top 10 qualifying run in the last super late model event held at The Speed Palace. Despite that positive momentum, by the time the Lucas Oil sanctioned event was over, the team had struggled through nightly challenges and did not make the field for the two feature events that were able to be completed.

Nobody’s making excuses. The 3-day show August 27-29 brought a range of challenges: rain delays, less than optimal pill draws, mechanical issues and conditions that were hard on equipment. Sometimes there was only time for repairs instead of setup adjustments. A team can put in an effort that goes above and beyond but sometimes it just doesn’t all come together to equal the results that would seem to be fair payback.

What do you do when you face challenges like that? You try to move past the frustration as quickly as you can. You pay attention so you can learn. You remain positive. You continue working hard to apply that knowledge. You continue to believe in yourself and the team. You remember to give back to the fans. You thank the people who get you to the track. You keep smiling.

Austin Berry and the ABR team are doing all of the above and will bring their Rocket Chassis XR1, Swift Springs, MS Shock Therapy, Hershey Racing Engines, Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter, Nathan Berry Beef Farm #86 back at Port Royal Speedwayon Saturday, September 5th to compete in the the ULMS sanctioned Butch Renninger Memorial, as well as the ULMS makeup feature from August 8th.

Thursday, August 27th Gallery

Friday, August 28th Gallery

Saturday, August 28th Gallery

SPECIAL THANKS:

As always, thank you to all our sponsors and partners, including our silent partners who do everything they can to help but ask for nothing in return!

Swift Springs
Rocket Chassis
Ontime Body & Graphic
Hershey Racing Engines
MS Shock Therapy
Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter
Nathan Berry Beef Farm

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Fans can follow Austin Berry Racing during the 2020 season on:
(Facebook) www.facebook.com/AustinBerryRacing
(Twitter) @AustinBerryRacn

PUBLIC RELATIONS:

Follow or contact Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management at:
(Twitter) @Addicted2DirtPR #TeamA2D
(Facebook) http://www.facebook.com/Addicted2DirtPR
(Website) Addicted2DirtPR.com
(Email) [email protected]

Zach Newlin Quietly Makes 410 Sprint Car Debut

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Back in the 358 Sprint Car This Weekend at BAPS Motor Speedway

Millerstown, PA – August 27, 2020 – By Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management

You never know when opportunity will knock. Sometimes it doesn’t give you much notice. You just have to be ready anytime. Such was the case for Zach Newlin last week when the phone rang and it was Burke Motorsports on the other end.

The Burke Motorsports 410 sprint car had been sitting idle for a while and the team was ready to get back to the track. Newlin had been on their radar for some time and given his recent 358 experience, they felt the time was right to give it a shot. The pairing prepared in a just a few days and quietly rolled into BAPS Motor Speedway last Sunday night, August 23rd with no advance notice.

Zach Newlin pushes off for his first ever 410 sprint car feature. Photo Credit: A2D

The Kriner Racing Engines, DMI, Sander Engineering, Maxim Chassis #54 Zach would be piloting was one of 25 cars entered Sunday night. The field was divided into 3 heats, with 6 cars qualifying for the A-main from each.

Newlin and Burke Motorsports both knew this would be a learning night. The main objective would simply be to work together to get to know each other and figure out what combination would help them make progress and walk away with a productive night. They got started on that right away, making significant changes following hot laps in order to make Zach more comfortable in the car.

Newlin started 3rd in heat two and was unhappy with himself for losing the handle of the #54 on lap one, forcing him to restart at the rear of the field. On the positive side, he was able to use the remainder of the heat race to make laps, get more comfortable and figure out what might help the car and himself work better together in the B-main they would have to run as a result of his 8th place finish in the heat race.

The combination of Shawn and Austin Burke along with Zach and brother Lance Newlin, huddled and decided what changes to make to continue to help Zach get more comfortable and hopefully put the car in the show through consolation event. Through that event, the final six cars would qualify for the night’s feature event. Zach started 5th and was clearly more comfortable, establishing a rhythm and closing in on 4th place, which he claimed coming to the white flag.

In his first ever 410 sprint car A-main, Newlin rolled off 22nd. At various times he experimented with the high side, then the low side, then the middle….searching, learning. Each lap brought more knowledge about handling the 850+ horsepower, 1400 pound beast they call a winged 410 sprint car. He passed some cars and gained a lot of confidence as he kept pace with the leaders after they moved past him late in the race. Ultimately Zach would bring the Burke Motorsports entry home 19th.

Overall the night was positive for all involved. They got better and they had some fun together. There are no firm plans for the future at this point but both parties agreed it wasn’t a one time deal. They will do it again and hopefully the right pieces will come together to be able to do it more often. In this sport, it’s hard to predict or promise anything, but what we do know is Newlin has that first 410 race behind him and by the end of the night it sure looked like there should be more of this in his future. Maybe someone will take notice. That’s all a team and driver can hope in today’s sprint car world.

This Saturday night August 29th, Zach will be back behind the wheel of the #11z Newlin Racing 358 sprint car at BAPS Motor Speedway for the Engler Machine & Tool Night 358/360 URC Challenge Race.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Fans can follow Newlin Racing the 2020 season at:
(Facebook) www.facebook.com/NewlinRacing
(Twitter) @NewlinRacing

PUBLIC RELATIONS:

Follow or contact Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management at:
(Twitter) @Addicted2DirtPR #TeamA2D
(Facebook) http://www.facebook.com/Addicted2DirtPR
(Website) Addicted2DirtPR.com
(Email) [email protected]

ABR Ready to Take On the Lucas Oil Dirt Series in Rumble By the River

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Three Consecutive Nights at Port Royal Speedway Starts Thursday

Mifflin, PA – August 27, 2020 – By Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management

A large, highly competitive field of super late models is expected for the lucrative 3-day show at Port Royal Speedway featuring the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.

Thursday’s feature will be 30 laps and pay $10,000 to win and $800 to start. Friday night will conclude with a 40-lap A-main and will pay $12,000 to the winner and $1000 to start. Saturday night’s finale will cover 50-laps in distance, paying $15,000 to the winner and $1000 to start.

Austin Berry will pilot the ABR Rocket Chassis XR1, Swift Springs, MS Shock Therapy, Hershey Racing Engines, Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter, Nathan Berry Beef Farm #86 against the expected stout field. Berry knows how difficult it can be to qualify for shows like this with such a high quality field from across the USA and more than twice as many cars in the pits as there are starting spots in the feature each night, so the main goal each night will be to make the show. The good news is the last time he hit the track, the car was the best it had been all season. They were quick and competitive, so the team enters this week’s action with a positive mindset.

The anticipation for the event is building rapidly. The campground started filling up early Wednesday morning and as of Thursday morning more than 200 campers were on site and 25 late model teams had already entered the pits to prepare. That number is predicted to double by the time teams hit the track Thursday evening.

For more information on gate times, admission prices and format for the event, go to PortRoyalSpeedway.com. Fans with a yearly subscription to LucasOilRacing.tv will be able to watch the action live via the website or app at 6:30pm Eastern each night.

SPECIAL THANKS:

As always, thank you to all our sponsors and partners, including our silent partners who do everything they can to help but ask for nothing in return!

Swift Springs
Rocket Chassis
Ontime Body & Graphic
Hershey Racing Engines
MS Shock Therapy
Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter
Nathan Berry Beef Farm

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Fans can follow Austin Berry Racing during the 2020 season on:
(Facebook) www.facebook.com/AustinBerryRacing
(Twitter) @AustinBerryRacn

PUBLIC RELATIONS:

Follow or contact Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management at:
(Twitter) @Addicted2DirtPR #TeamA2D
(Facebook) http://www.facebook.com/Addicted2DirtPR
(Website) Addicted2DirtPR.com
(Email) [email protected]

Newlin Racing Scores Top 5 at Williams Grove

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Team Showing Consistency and Gaining Confidence

Mechanicsburg, PA – August 15, 2020 – By Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management

If you only glanced at the feature results the last two weeks, you might think the team has been struggling. However, let’s look a little closer because that is certainly not the case.

A couple weeks ago, Zach went from 17th to 7th in the first 22 laps of the feature at William Grove before a part failure relegated him to a 17th place finish. The following week, he drove from 16th to 10th in the 20 lap feature at Lincoln before a penalty resulting from contact with the restart cone dropped him 2 spots for a 12th place finish. 16 cars passed in 42 laps raced but nothing to show for it. The common denominators on both nights: unlucky pill draws (to start the night or in the redraw) but a very balanced, maneuverable and competitive Smith Concrete & Construction / J.W. Smith Auto Body / T&M Homebuilders, Inc. / Heather Sims, Realtor / Walker Performance Filtration / Newlin Bar Service #11z.

Friday night August 14th at Williams Grove, 27 358 sprint cars signed in and were divided into three 8-lap qualifying heats by pill draw. Newlin’s draw placed the 11z in the 6th starting spot in the second heat. Six cars would qualify from each heat, with the top 4 going to the redraw.

At the start of heat 2, Zach made a power move to the high side in turn one to move quickly into 4th as the field exited turn two down the backstretch. Newlin held that position for just over a lap before the 00 of Chris Frank challenged and reclaimed the position. Frank and Newlin conducted a heated, side-by-side battle for the 4th and final redraw spot over the final 6 circuits, with the 11z pulling ahead off turn 2 each time around, while the 00 reclaimed an edge exiting turn 4 each lap. Ultimately Newlin was able to power the 11z into 4th on the final lap and hold on to the position as he raced under the checkered flag.

After fighting his way into the mix of the redraw, hopes were high for a starting spot in the front few rows but once again the pill draw was not friendly and the team picked the 11th starting spot for the feature event. It would be yet another hill to climb.

In the early laps of the feature event, Zach advanced one spot to 10th before the caution lights flashed on for a 4-car incident in turn two with three laps in the books. The incident involved cars running in the top 10, so Newlin lined up 9th for the restart. Another caution flag waved for a top 10 car before another lap could be completed. Newlin would line up 8th for the second restart attempt.

A long green flag run ensued and the 11z showed it’s strength. Running mostly the low side and middle of a very racy surface, with an occasional use of the high line when needed, Zach advanced to 6th over the next dozen laps before the third caution appeared on lap 17. On the final restart, he claimed 5th and looked for more in the closing laps. Newlin settled for 5th, finally completing a night without any major setbacks.

It was a night that finally reflected the overall effort, consistency and momentum the team has showed. The Newlin Racing pit was a happy place after the event. “Comfort and confidence were huge things tonight!“, Zach shared. “Just a little bit of fine tuning yet and I think we will be better.“, he concluded. The team has definitely learned how to harness their equipment and found the balance in the car Zach was looking for. As a result, he is gaining a lot of confidence behind the wheel.

A confident Newlin could spell trouble for the rest of the 358 ranks down the home stretch of the 2020 season.

SPECIAL THANKS:

We want to express our sincere appreciation to our sponsors and marketing partners!

Smith Concrete and Construction
J.W. Smith Auto Body
T&M Homebuilders, Inc.
Heather Sims, Realtor
Walker Performance Filtration
Newlin Bar Service
Advanced Septic Services
Hershman Racing Fuels
Morgan Paving
Kirby Kitner Excavating
BAPS Auto Paints & Supply
Beyea Headers
Engler Machine & Tool
AL Driveline
Safety-Kleen
River Bend Hop Farm & Brewery
BR Motorsports Ignitioneering
Strange Oval
Tamayo Contracting
American Legion Post 177 Newport
The Podium Awards
Fastner Specialties Motorsports

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Fans can follow Newlin Racing during the 2020 season at:
(Facebook) www.facebook.com/NewlinRacing
(Twitter) @NewlinRacing

PUBLIC RELATIONS:

Follow or contact Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management at:
(Twitter) @Addicted2DirtPR #TeamA2D
(Facebook) http://www.facebook.com/Addicted2DirtPR
(Website) Addicted2DirtPR.com
(Email) [email protected]

Newlin Racing Just Needed a Little Luck

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Solid Performance Not Quite Able to Overcome Pill Draw

Abbottstown, PA – August 8, 2020 – By Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management

In racing you only control certain elements of your team’s performance and results. There is an ever-present and necessary component of luck that every racer must depend on. You can’t complain about it. You can’t expect it. You can only hope it falls your way.

At registration, each team participates in a random pill draw to set the heat lineups for the evening. That is the point where luck first enters the picture each night. 37 cars were signed in at Lincoln Speedway Saturday night for the 358 sprint car portion of the Hank Gentzler Memorial event. The field would be divided into four 8-lap heats, with five cars to qualify for the main event from each, including the top 3 advancing to the redraw for the top 12 starting spots. Unfortunately, Lady Luck did not show up to assist Newlin Racing with their draw and the result placed Zach in the 9th and final starting spot in the fourth heat.

What the team can control is their preparation and they had done that. The driveline and torque tube issue that occurred the previous week had been repaired, routine maintenance was completed and the car was set up by combining notes and knowledge. They were ready and it showed. Zach was able to drive the Smith Concrete & Construction / J.W. Smith Auto Body / T&M Homebuilders, Inc. / Heather Sims, Realtor / Walker Performance Filtration / Newlin Bar Service #11z from 9th to 4th in the heat race and transfer to the A-main. A little luck in the form of a caution flag in the final laps of the heat would have been helpful as Newlin was fast and closing on 3rd place. Getting into the top three would have put him in the redraw, but again luck didn’t show itself.

The qualifying result translated to a 16th starting spot for the feature event. By the time a caution flag flew on lap 4, Zach was plus 3, running in 13th. The second caution flag of the event waved on lap 10th just after Newlin had advanced another 3 positions to 10th. While he lost a couple spots on the ensuing restart, Newlin was able to get one of them back by lap 14. As the race drew to its conclusion, he was able to make the pass to move back into 10th position before the checkered flag flew on the 20 lap main event.

Unfortunately the team learned after the event that there would be a 2-position penalty for contact with the orange cone on the final restart. Officially it was a 12th place finish for the team. The contact with the cone occurred when cars bunched up, causing a few cars in the back half of the top 10 to get on and off the throttle a few times as they approached the cone. When Newlin, along with the car in front of him, finally got back on the throttle, the acceleration pulled both cars down on the straightaway, with the car in front just missing the cone. Unfortunately the 11z clipped the cone, thus causing the officials to apply the rule and penalize the team. From the Lincoln Speedway rule book: “On single file restarts, all cars must pass between the cone and the outside wall in single file order. Any car that passes another car before the cone, knocks the cone over or goes to the inside of the cone will be penalized two (2) positions at the next restart or at the end of the race if there are no restarts.”

Regardless of that incident, Newlin was seeing the positives in the night. “We were better. A better starting position would have helped tremendously. We were way better in the closing laps of the feature. The car was much more stable. I am really looking forward to building on the setup for Friday.”, he shared.

What would have happened if he would have gotten his wish for a better starting spot in the heat by way of a better pill draw? What would have happened if the caution had come out on lap 6 of his heat? What if he had made the redraw and pulled a front row starting spot for the feature? The car was good but would that little bit of luck been the difference between 12th and victory lane? We’ll never know. That’s just how racing is. You play the hand you are dealt and measure your performance in ways other than just the finishing position. You build on that, keep working hard and remember the famous quote, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”.

That opportunity might be at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday, August 14th when the team next hits the track.

SPECIAL THANKS:

As always, we want to express our sincere appreciation to our sponsors and marketing partners!

Smith Concrete and Construction
J.W. Smith Auto Body
T&M Homebuilders, Inc.
Heather Sims, Realtor
Walker Performance Filtration
Newlin Bar Service
Advanced Septic Services
Hershman Racing Fuels
Morgan Paving
Kirby Kitner Excavating
BAPS Auto Paints & Supply
Beyea Headers
Engler Machine & Tool
AL Driveline
Safety-Kleen
River Bend Hop Farm & Brewery
BR Motorsports Ignitioneering
Strange Oval
Tamayo Contracting
American Legion Post 177 Newport
The Podium Awards
Fastner Specialties Motorsports

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Fans can follow Newlin Racing during the 2020 season at:
(Facebook) www.facebook.com/NewlinRacing
(Twitter) @NewlinRacing

PUBLIC RELATIONS:

Follow or contact Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management at:
(Twitter) @Addicted2DirtPR #TeamA2D
(Facebook) http://www.facebook.com/Addicted2DirtPR
(Website) Addicted2DirtPR.com
(Email) [email protected]

BREAKING NEWS: ABR Heading to Williams Grove and Hagerstown in August

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Schedule Released for Balance of 2020 Season

Mifflin, PA – Aug 4, 2020 – By Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management

ABR has announced their plans for the remainder of the 2020 season.

The team will take their Rocket Chassis XR1, Swift Springs, MS Shock Therapy, Hershey Racing Engines, Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter, Nathan Berry Beef Farm #86 to Williams Grove this Friday, August 7th to compete in the Civil War Late Model Series event.

They will sit out Saturday, August 8th for a family commitment but will return to Hagerstown Speedway the following weekend on Sunday, August 16th for the Frank Sagi Tribute race. ABR last visited Hagerstown on May 30th of this year when they ran firmly inside the top 10 most of the event and recorded an 11th place finish after a late race restart.

After a weekend off, Austin Berry and team will return to Port Royal Speedway for the lucrative 3-day Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series shows Thursday-Saturday, August 27-29 that will pay $10,000, $12,000 and $15,000 to win respectively.

ABR will wrap up 2020 with two nights at Port Royal Speedway in September. The Butch Renninger Memorial will highlight opening night of the 166th Juniata County Fair, plus the night will also include the makeup feature from August 1st, in which Berry is scheduled to start 10th. Finally, the super late models will wrap up their season at the Speed Palace on September 11th as part of the Night Before the 50 program.

Remaining 2020 Schedule

8/7 – Williams Grove Speedway (Civil War Super Late Model Series)
8/16 – Hagerstown Speedway (Frank Sagi Tribute)
8/27 – Port Royal Speedway (Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series)
8/28 – Port Royal Speedway (Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series)
8/29 – Port Royal Speedway (Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series)
9/5 – Port Royal Speedway (Butch Renninger Memorial + Aug 1st makeup feature)
9/11 – Port Royal Speedway (Night Before the 50)
Schedule subject to change

SPECIAL THANKS:

As always, thank you to all our sponsors and partners, including our silent partners who do everything they can to help but ask for nothing in return!

Swift Springs
Rocket Chassis
Ontime Body & Graphic
Hershey Racing Engines
MS Shock Therapy
Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter
Nathan Berry Beef Farm

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Fans can follow Austin Berry Racing during the 2020 season on:
(Facebook) www.facebook.com/AustinBerryRacing
(Twitter) @AustinBerryRacn

PUBLIC RELATIONS:

Follow or contact Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management at:
(Twitter) @Addicted2DirtPR #TeamA2D
(Facebook) http://www.facebook.com/Addicted2DirtPR
(Website) Addicted2DirtPR.com
(Email) [email protected]

Mother Nature Halts Promising Night for Austin Berry

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ABR Finds the Handling They Have Been Missing

Port Royal, PA – August 1, 2020 – By Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management

Despite the rain that began to fall just before the night’s features were about to roll off, forcing ABR to load up and find cover, Austin Berry still had something to smile about at Port Royal Speedway Saturday night. All the hard work and long hours in the shop analyzing team notes from past races and a recent mid-week test session are beginning to pay off.

“That’s the best the car has felt this season”, Berry said while waiting to see if the weather was going to officially end their night. He added, “I could move around, change lanes and run just about anywhere I wanted…and the car still felt balanced, which is something we’ve been missing this year.”

The evidence collected earlier that evening certainly seemed to support that claim. 34 Super Late Models were signed in for the ULMS show that would pay $3,000 to the victor. In Group 1 qualifying, Berry logged the 8th quickest time of the 17 cars in his group. The division is ultra competitive and the slightest mistake on a lap can drastically change your night. As proof, consider this stat from Saturday night: only 0.762 seconds separated 1st from 10th in his group and Berry missed 7th by a mere 0.009 seconds.

A big reason ABR was able be ready to compete in the ULMS event Saturday night was the tremendous effort by and support from Joey Hershey of Hershey Racing Engines, who made sure the team’s primary motor was repaired in a short span of time from the failure that occurred in their previous outing. Both car owner Ken Berry and driver Austin Berry expressed their sincere thanks to Joey and Hershey Racing Engines (HRE) for their continued support. ABR has had a great relationship with HRE for several years, especially through Joey’s father Curtis, who recently passed away. Curtis was always available and came through for the team when they needed him. It’s clear Joey is cut from the same cloth and will continue that tradition.

The solid qualifying run for the ABR Rocket Chassis XR1, Swift Springs, MS Shock Therapy, Hershey Racing Engines, Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter, Nathan Berry Beef Farm #86 meant they would line up outside row 2 in the 4th position for heat two. Austin launched around the high side of turns 1 and 2 on the opening lap to charge into 2nd place. He settled in there to pursue leader Max Blair. Bryan Bernheisel wasn’t ready to concede the final redraw spot though and challenged Berry, recapturing 2nd place a couple laps later. The pair went back and forth multiple times, including exchanging the spot twice on the final lap, with Berry ultimately missing a redraw spot by a slim 0.21 seconds but his 3rd place finish was good enough to transfer to the feature event.

Berry was slated to line up outside row 5 in the 10th starting spot for the main event but unfortunately they will have to wait until September 5th to run that finale because Mother Nature intervened and ended the night before any of the feature events could turn a lap.

SPECIAL THANKS:

As always, thank you to all our sponsors and partners, including our silent partners who do everything they can to help but ask for nothing in return!

Swift Springs
Rocket Chassis
Ontime Body & Graphic
Hershey Racing Engines
MS Shock Therapy
Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter
Nathan Berry Beef Farm

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Fans can follow Austin Berry Racing during the 2020 season on:
(Facebook) www.facebook.com/AustinBerryRacing
(Twitter) @AustinBerryRacn

PUBLIC RELATIONS:

Follow or contact Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management at:
(Twitter) @Addicted2DirtPR #TeamA2D
(Facebook) http://www.facebook.com/Addicted2DirtPR
(Website) Addicted2DirtPR.com
(Email) [email protected]

Part Failure Ends Solid Night Prematurely for Newlin

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Team’s Recovery from Early Evening Struggles Spoiled Late

Mechanicsburg, PA – July 31, 2020 – By Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management

A roller-coaster.

That must be what Zach Newlin and team felt like they had ridden last night at Williams Grove, because it was certainly an evening full of ups and downs.

The past week had finally been a normal week at the shop. No motor issues to worry about. Nothing broken to repair. The week allowed the team to catch up on the little things they needed to do to the car. When they pulled into Williams Grove Speedway Friday night and unloaded the Smith Concrete & Construction / J.W. Smith Auto Body / T&M Homebuilders, Inc. / Heather Sims, Realtor / Walker Performance Filtration / Newlin Bar Service #11z, all they wanted to do was put a solid night in their notebook.

Zach lined up 6th in the second of three heats for the 27 registered 358 sprint cars. Six cars would qualify from each heat, with the top 4 going to the redraw. The initial start of the heat race saw Newlin get a tremendous run down the backstretch and move into 5th heading into turn 3 but the momentum was lost when he had to get out of the throttle to avoid another car that had jumped the cushion. As a result, he crossed the line to complete lap 1 in 7th place. On lap 5, Newlin used the low side in turn 1 to advance into 6th. Despite a heated battle on the final lap, he held on to 6th to qualify. Missing the redraw meant Zach would line up 17th in the feature event later in the evening.

The handling was off in the heat race, so the team spent every minute of their available time prior to the A-main discussing adjustment options to improve the car, keep up with the racing surface and regain the balance the car had in earlier outings.

The 11z of Newlin lined up inside row 9 for the 25 lap feature event. The event saw 4 attempts (3 cautions and 1 red flag) before a lap was completed. Zach took the green on that 4th attempt from inside row 8 due to the pole-sitter being involved in one of the incidents, which moved his row up. When the first green flag lap was completed, he had already advanced to the 12th position.

Newlin remained in 12th for a lap 10 restart after a caution. Completing another lap would take multiple attempts that involved some attrition in the top 10, resulting in the 11z restarting in 10th position on the next attempt. The race remained green until a lap 22 caution with Newlin in 9th. The incident involved a top 5 car, which put Zach in 8th for the subsequent restart. Yet again there was an immediate caution when the 2nd place competitor coasted to a stop. That would move Newlin to 7th place for the eventual third attempt at a lap 22 restart.

Unfortunately, as that final caution waived, a torque tube issue had developed in the 11z. At this point the field had reached their lap limit and the red lights flickered on for a fuel stop. While the team refueled the car, crew members attempted to make temporary repairs to enable Zach to complete the final 3 circuits and salvage a top 10. It wasn’t meant to be though as the 11z coasted to a stop shortly after pushing off for the restart. What looked to be a 17th to 7th run for a top 10, ironically turned into a 17th place finish.

It certainly was an evening of ups and downs but in the end they did accomplish the primary goal of making a lot of laps and building their notebook, capturing good information about how the car is reacting to setup choices.

Given the work that lie ahead, the team opted to not compete at Lincoln Speedway on Saturday, August 1st and instead will target Saturday, August 8th at Lincoln as their next race.

SPECIAL THANKS:

We want to express our sincere appreciation to our sponsors and marketing partners!

Smith Concrete and Construction
J.W. Smith Auto Body
T&M Homebuilders, Inc.
Heather Sims, Realtor
Walker Performance Filtration
Newlin Bar Service
Advanced Septic Services
Hershman Racing Fuels
Morgan Paving
Kirby Kitner Excavating
BAPS Auto Paints & Supply
Beyea Headers
Engler Machine & Tool
AL Driveline
Safety-Kleen
River Bend Hop Farm & Brewery
BR Motorsports Ignitioneering
Strange Oval
Tamayo Contracting
American Legion Post 177 Newport
The Podium Awards
Fastner Specialties Motorsports

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Fans can follow Newlin Racing during the 2020 season at:
(Facebook) www.facebook.com/NewlinRacing
(Twitter) @NewlinRacing

PUBLIC RELATIONS:

Follow or contact Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management at:
(Twitter) @Addicted2DirtPR #TeamA2D
(Facebook) http://www.facebook.com/Addicted2DirtPR
(Website) Addicted2DirtPR.com
(Email) [email protected]