Harrisburg, PA – October 26, 2020 – By Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management
The Burke Motorsports #54 of Zach Newlin (photo credit: Mike Leone)
The beautiful Central Pennsylvania autumn weather lured 38 cars to BAPS Motor Speedway on Saturday, October 24th for the Wintermyer’s Auto Salvage Night. Among them was the sharp looking Grove Financial & Associates, Dillman Hauling, LLC., Kriner Racing Engines, Sander Engineering, DMI, Maxim Chassis, Walker Performance Filtration, Burke Motorsports #54 piloted by Zach Newlin.
The field was divided into four 10-lap heat races via random pill draw. The format for this show would only advance the top 4 finishers to the A-main, while the non-qualifiers would take part in one of two B-mains, from which the top 4 would fill out the starting field for the main event.
Maybe the way Newlin’s day started should’ve been a sign. His draw placed him 8th in the starting lineup for heat two. As close as the competition is in the 410 sprint car division, passing four cars in a heat race can be quite a challenge. Zach’s Kriner powered Maxim was quick though and he managed to move forward in the race. He finished 6th, which may not have put him in the feature event but it did improve his starting spot in the 10-lap B-main he would now have to run.
Be sure to check out all the photos below from this week’s featured photographer, Caleb Newlin!
As is common when a team must compete in a B-main, the turn-around time to prepare the car isn’t as much as they would like to have. The car was pretty good in the heat but the Burke Motorsports/Newlin team still made adjustments to keep up with the ever-changing track surface. Newlin rolled off 4th for his final shot to put his team in the show.
The good news is the adjustments were enough for Newlin to hold off Kody Lehman for the final transfer spot into the show. The bad news is the team discovered a water pump bolt had broken during the consolation event and the failure was not something they could repair at the track in the time available.
It was a day with bad luck bookends. First the pill draw, now a part failure. A failure that was going to take away the opportunity to race in the event they had worked hard to qualify for. Not to mention valuable seat time for the 410 rookie. To reap what reward they could for their efforts, the team would need to take the green flag in the feature event, so the only option was to ‘start and park’.
Newlin could do nothing but shake his head and shrug. He summarized the day with two brief thoughts: “We were fast. My pill draw ability sucks.” Part failures happen. He has been racing long enough to know you just have to smile and focus on what you can control. It went in the books as a 24th place finish but that’s not what bothered Zach and the team. What disappointed them was not having the chance to get more seat time, learn more together and prove they could move forward.
There will be another chance down the road. Sure is ironic that a sport with sprint in the name actually requires a lot of patience over the long haul.
(left to right) Lance Newlin, Zach Newlin and Austin Burke prior to action at BAPS Motor Speedway on 10/24/2020. (photo credit: Caleb Newlin)
Making adjustments. (photo credit: Caleb Newlin)
Thanks Chaz & Derek at GF&A! (photo credit: Caleb Newlin)
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]
Zach Newlin has had plenty of reasons to smile in 2020. (photo credit: Caleb Newlin)
https://addicted2dirtpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2021-LOGO-e1708004122153.jpg00mraddicted2dirthttps://addicted2dirtpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2021-LOGO-e1708004122153.jpgmraddicted2dirt2020-10-27 02:19:002022-01-28 18:56:02Newlin’s Day Cut Short by Part Failure
Reaches B-Main in Outlaw Competition at Port Royal
Port Royal, PA – October 12, 2020 – By Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management
Newlin contemplates the night ahead at Port Royal (photo credit: A2D)
Burke Motorsports and Zach Newlin sure don’t take the easy path. In the past three weeks they have competed in two All Star Circuit of Champions events and four World of Outlaws events. For a new team, that’s a tall order. For that matter, it’s quite a challenge for an established team.
None of that seems to matter to this driver and team who are both new to the 410 sprint car ranks. They’re not intimidated. They have the ‘stuff’, they just need to learn and build their combined knowledge, in the pits and in the seat, to be able to compete at the front of the field. That’s why they are here competing against the best. “There’s no better way to learn“, said car owner Shawn Burke with a very matter of fact delivery.
Their plan must be a good one because, for the second week in a row, Newlin had the legendary Johnny Gibson talking about him on DirtVision, the Outlaws live broadcast viewed by thousands around the world.
Newlin waits for his turn in time trials at Port Royal’s WoO Show on 10-9-2020 (photo credit: A2D)
Friday, October 9th Recap
The Grove Financial & Associates, Dillman Hauling, LLC., Kriner Racing Engines, Sander Engineering, Diversified Machine, Inc., Maxim Chassis, Walker Performance Filtration, Burke Motorsports #54 was one of 48 cars signed in for night one of the Nittany Showdown. The format for that car count called for time trials (2 flights of 24 cars each), 4 heat races, a C-main, B-main and A-main.
Prior to the event Newlin was asked what he focused on coming into an event like this. “Mostly it’s like any other night to me but the focus is definitely on time trials. They can make or break your entire night“, he shared. Zach was the third car to take time in Flight 2. He registered the 18th quickest time in his group. Certainly not a bad time at all for his first time qualifying under the clock at Port Royal Speedway. Each of the four heat races would start 12 cars and Newlin’s time earned him the 9th starting spot in the fourth heat.
A top five finish the heat race would provide a direct transfer to the A-main but that was probably a stretch to wish for against this field. A realistic goal was to hang on to his position or move forward a couple spots which would put him in the B-main, but the 8-lap heat race didn’t go as planned. He slid backward in the running order and finished 11th. The setup wasn’t what the car needed and the motor didn’t respond the way Newlin asked it to with his right foot.
Having run the fourth heat and now needing to run the C-main, the team had only a few minutes to discuss the situation, decide what to change and execute the changes. It was the first time the team had been put in this kind of situation. While everything didn’t go perfectly and there were lessons taken from those few minutes, the team managed to accomplish a lot under a great deal of pressure. Fuel nozzles were changed in hopes of curing the motor’s responsiveness, the wickerbill was changed to hopefully get a little more grip, a few twists of the suspension bolts were completed to get more balance and enough fuel was added to get through the upcoming 10-lap race.
Only the top two finishers would advance to the B-main, which would be quite an accomplishment from Newlin’s 8th starting spot. While he didn’t make the transfer spots and their night came to an end, there certainly was something positive to talk about as the team packed up. The car was much better and Zach was able to steadily move forward and finish 5th in the non-stop event. As a matter of fact, had there been even a single caution, he was good enough to have at least reached 4th and possibly 3rd.
Saturday, October 10th Recap
Night two of the final World of Outlaws venture into Pennsylvania for 2020 saw 51 cars sign in to go after the $15,000 winner’s prize. Under Outlaw rules, this car count meant a different, slightly more challenging format would be employed for the event. Once again the field would be divided into two flights of qualifying but after that things would be different. Unlike the night before when all cars ran heat races, tonight only the top 20 from each flight would go directly to heat races, while the remaining 11 cars would compete in a non-qualifiers race. The top four finishers from the non-qualifiers race would advance to the heat races and the remaining 7 cars would tag the back of the C-main starting lineup behind the eventual 10th and 11th places finishers from each heat race. Simply put, not transferring to a heat race would mean quite an uphill battle.
Newlin’s evening didn’t get off to a great start. He drew a pill that meant he would be the 15th car to take time out of a total of 25 in flight 2. The later a car goes onto the track, the more the track has changed and typically the slower times become. Zach timed 23rd in his group, relegating him to the non-qualifiers race. The team made some minor changes in the short turnaround time but things didn’t get any better. He started and finished 6th in that 8-lap event.
Saturday night’s event included a support division, the 305 RaceSaver sprint series, which allowed the 410 sprint car teams a little more time to work on their machines between events. The team huddled, Newlin shared his feedback and the team exchanged ideas about how to improve the car. Given how the track had changed throughout the night, they decided to try some things that had brought them success on the daytime surface one month earlier. It was a ‘big swing’ and maybe a little risky but what did they have to lose at this point.
Newlin was scheduled to start 8th in the 10-lap C-main with only the top two finishers transferring to the B-main. Once again, a steep hill to climb. A little luck fell his way before the green flag had dropped on the race. Two of the teams scheduled to start in front of Newlin’s Burke Motorsports entry had retired for the night due to issues. As a result, Zach took the green from the 6th position, immediately jumped to the top groove and drove all the way to 3rd position by the time lap one was in the books. He then proceeded to chip away at the gap in front of him and claim 2nd on lap 6. He held that spot, pulling away over the final four circuits and advanced to the B-main. It was during that C-main drive that Johnny Gibson focused on Newlin for nearly the entire event. His run to the front included five laps of exciting side by side racing with Kody Lehman for the transfer spot, during which the pair raced so close they nearly touched on a couple occasions. “Zach Daddy” had provided one of the most memorable battles of the night and earned quite a bit of broadcast time for it.
Newlin started 19th in the B-main, from which the top four would transfer to the night’s A-main. It was a typical Port Royal surface. It was wide and slick with multiple grooves but the fast way around turns one and two was on the wall. Zach was figuring out the nighttime surface at The Speed Palace and getting more and more comfortable. He raced the high groove through the east end of the speedway, inches from the wall, then dove to the low side where the moisture was at west end of the big half mile. Despite losing the brakes with five laps remaining due to a cut brake line, Zach was able to complete a couple quality passes and bring it home 17th to end the night.
Wrap Up
A week earlier at Williams Grove Speedway the team set the bar at the C-main, their highest achievement in their inaugural Outlaw weekend. In just their second Outlaw weekend, against a deep field, they raised the bar to the B-main. Let’s not forget this team has only put this combination on the track 9 times and has only been together for less than 7 weeks.
Newlin in line for time trials at Port Royal’s WoO Show on 10-10-2020 (photo credit: A2D)
When asked to reflect on the team’s weekend, Zach Newlin was brief. “Learning and building“, he said. Brief for sure but accurate too. The evidence supports it.
The team is building a notebook. Newlin is learning what to expect from the feel of a 410 sprint car. They are all learning how to communicate with each other.
The last 48 days have been a solid jump start for the future. Stay tuned.
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]
https://addicted2dirtpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2021-LOGO-e1708004122153.jpg00mraddicted2dirthttps://addicted2dirtpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2021-LOGO-e1708004122153.jpgmraddicted2dirt2020-10-13 01:35:472022-01-28 18:56:27Newlin Grabs Broadcast Time and Attention Again
Mechanicsburg, PA – October 5, 2020 – By Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management
When Johnny Gibson, the long-time voice of the World of Outlaws (WoO), exclaims things like “…you don’t see that very often at Williams Grove!” with that recognizable elevated level of excitement in his voice as he describes a pass you just made on a veteran driver, you know you’re doing something right. Gibson and his co-broadcaster, the legendary writer and announcer, Bruce Ellis, both called Newlin’s name multiple times, noting moves that didn’t appear rookie-like. No, the results from the weekend won’t make the headlines in the racing papers, but Zach Newlin was clearly doing something right during the 58th Annual Champion Oil National Open on October 2nd-3rd in Mechanicsburg, PA.
Zach Newlin gets in the zone prior to World of Outlaws qualifying
41 days. That’s how long ago Zach Newlin strapped himself into a winged 410 sprint car for the first time ever. Already he had a few PA races and a few All Star Circuit of Champions races under his belt, now he found himself about to strap in for Williams Grove’s famous National Open and compete in his first World of Outlaws races. It was a life-long dream suddenly coming true for Newlin, his brother and the entire family. What a whirlwind 6 weeks. He possesses a racing career that has spanned over 20 years but he had only moved into 358 sprints earlier in this pandemic-shortened season. Burke Motorsports also has a long history competing successfully at various levels of open wheel motorsports. Both parties have recorded a lot of success over those years, but this weekend would be a new and memorable challenge for all.
Night one of the National Open was Newlin’s 6th career 410 sprint car start and only his 2nd at Williams Grove Speedway. The Burke Motorsports team did not have much 410 competition under their belt either prior to joining forces with Newlin a couple months ago, so team expectations were realistic coming into their first Outlaw competition. To add to the challenge, they would be racing against the toughest competition in the country with a new motor and new shock package that they had not had an opportunity to shake down yet.
Friday, October 2ndRecap
Friday night saw 57 cars sign in and it was evident early that the track was very fast, which would make passing difficult, unless the surface somehow managed to dry out and widen out by the latter part of the night. Time trials are always important in WoO competition but tonight they would likely be even more so. Zach was the 5th car to take time in flight 2. He ended up 28th in his flight but to put that in perspective, only 0.93 seconds separated him from a top ten time. Like I said, tough competition. There is zero room for error behind the wheel or when making setup decisions.
The qualifying result meant Newlin would need to run the non-qualifiers race. Under WoO rules for a car count of this number, the top 40 overall qualifiers transfer directly to the heat races, while the remaining teams must run a non-qualifiers race. The top 4 finishers from that event are then added to the heat races (1 to each of the 4 heats), while the remaining finishers transfer to the D-main.
Only having had a few hot laps and 2 qualifying laps under their belt in the orange #54 Grove Financial & Associates, Dillman Hauling, LLC., Kriner Racing Engines, Sander Engineering, DMI, Burke Motorsports, Maxim Chassis, it was hard to know what adjustments to make. The team made their best educated guess at improvements and Newlin rolled off 14th. He managed to move forward and finish 10th in the 8-lap event. It wasn’t enough to advance to a heat race of course, but it was a positive result for driver and team. Given his lack of laps in a 410 sprint car, it’s still hard to tell when the car needs changes or when he needs to adjust his style.
Next up was the 8-lap D-main from which only the top two finishers would advance to the back of the C-main starting lineup. Zach started and finished 6th in the event, bringing an end to the on track activities for the team Friday night. Back in the pits though, there was still plenty of activity. Shawn & Austin Burke, along with Zach Newlin, brother Lance and the rest of the crew discussed and analyzed the night, making notes and decisions they could leverage the following night.
Zach Newlin throws it hard into turn 3 at The Grove (photo credit: Dan DeMarco)
Saturday, October 3rdRecap
Night number two of the highest paying sprint car race in the nation in 2020 started off with a similar circumstance for Newlin and the Burke Motorsports team. 54 cars entered competition and Newlin was slated to take his timed qualifying laps 3rd in flight 2. That’s where the similarities ended though. On this night, he recorded the 22nd quickest lap in his group, with a lap that was only 0.575 seconds off of a top ten time and only 0.863 seconds behind the fastest car in flight 2. It was a significant improvement from the prior night and a promising sign.
Still just outside the cutoff for the heat races despite the improvement, Zach lined up 4th for the 8-lap non-qualifiers race. Once again tonight, the top 4 finishers would advance to the heat race lineups. Newlin held that final transfer spot for a few laps, capturing the attention of the broadcast crew with strong moves and smart choices. Finally, Brian Montieth slipped by him and soon after Kyle Moody followed. With two laps remaining, the caution lights flashed on, giving Newlin a chance to collect himself and regroup. The ensuing restart is when the rookie 410 driver really grabbed the attention of Johnny Gibson and Bruce Ellis as they called the action. Zach powered around the high side of turns 1 and 2, overtaking Moody and Montieth and reclaiming the final transfer spot. One lap later the trio went three-wide off turn 2 in a heated battle to advance to a heat race. Ultimately Newlin lost the spot, blaming himself for a couple bad choices during the battle.
Newlin was determined to make the most of his 2nd starting spot in the 8-lap D-main. It had been a better night thus far for the team and it would only be right if the end result reflected it. He held the position throughout the event, never allowing Montieth to get close enough to challenge for the position, and transferred into the C-main. Newlin would start 13th in the C-main. It was another chance to test himself. That’s all he could ask for against such a tough field. It was another 10 laps of learning. Zach brought it home 12th, ending his night with a much more confident feeling than 24 hours earlier.
There were plenty of smiles around the Burke Motorsports pit when the weekend concluded. “Tonight was definitely a turn around. I just need to keep learning“, Newlin said. “We had a new shock package on the car this weekend, so we were learning that. We made changes to that program based on what we experienced last night. After hot laps tonight, my confidence was back. We still have to change some things on the car, but we will get there“, he concluded.
Wrap Up
By the time the 58th Annual Champion Oil National Open weekend had come to a close, two important things had happened. Number one: Zach Daddy had learned a lot in a short period of time by racing in an environment of elevated competition. Number two: fans had taken notice of Newlin. Sprint car fans are passionate and knowledgeable about their sport, especially those in Central PA, and they are seasoned enough to look beyond results to see things. Those fans saw something in Newlin. Social media contained comments like “Zach Newlin will be he next young driver to develop into a good 410 driver in a year or two“. Will the predictions come true? I suggest you follow along and find out.
Zach Newlin’s 20+ Years in Racing are Full of Milestone Achievements
Millerstown, PA – September 30, 2020 – By Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management
Zach Newlin may be the guy you’ve never heard of, but should have. He has amassed quite a resume of success in his racing career as he has steadily conquered one milestone after another through the racing ranks. He started racing go-karts in 1998 at the age of 10, stepped up to 600 micro sprints in 2005 and moved into 305 sprint cars in 2013. Zach enjoyed success at each level, including being nationally ranked in the IMCA RACEsaver 305 series for several years. It’s always easiest to stay where you are successful and comfortable, but for Newlin, as the calendar turned to 2020, it was time for a new challenge.
Sure, being able to field a 410 sprint car would’ve been great. That’s every sprint car driver’s holy grail. That just wasn’t in the cards though. So, the team’s focus turned to putting a 358 sprint car on the track. That goal was still going to require some things to align to achieve it. Good fortune was on their side and the pieces came together to move the family team, Newlin Racing, up another rung on the ladder, into the 358 sprint car ranks. Little did they know how quickly that small step would pay dividends and lead to a big step.
Despite a two-month racing hiatus earlier in 2020 due to the pandemic, by late summer Newlin had registered solid runs and showed his talent in the 358. In August, Shawn and Austin Burke came calling with an offer to drive their Burke Motorsports 410 sprint car at BAPS Motor Speedway on a Sunday night. It was just a chance to try it out, with no promises beyond that night. Newlin had been on their radar for a while but they were waiting for the right time. This seemed like it.
The night at BAPS went well for the Burke/Newlin combination. They made the show and enjoyed racing together, so they tried it again on Labor Day at Port Royal. Again things went well, with Zach making the show and earning the Hard Charger Award by advancing 10 positions on the tough daytime surface. By this time, the appetite for more had been established. The team decided to enter a few more events in mid-September, including three consecutive nights, with the latter two being All Star Circuit of Champions events.
Those nights in the Burke Motorsports entry not only seemed to be accomplishing the goal of gaining experience in a 410 sprint car but they were also building Newlin’s confidence and accumulating knowledge he could apply in the seat of his 358 sprint car. During 2020, Zach Newlin has conquered several more career milestones. Some he had hoped to achieve this season and some he couldn’t have imagined would happen, at least not this year. Newlin recorded his first career 358 sprint car victory, which was also his first career win at the famous Williams Grove Speedway, something that had been a goal for a long time. The achievements didn’t stop there. He was awarded the 358 sprint car Rookie of the Year at ‘The Grove’, competed in his first 410 sprint car race and competed in his first All Star Circuit of Champions events.
photo credit: Racer X Media
This weekend, the sprint car chauffer nicknamed “Zach Daddy” will reach another career milestone. He will strap himself into the orange #54 Grove Financial & Associates, Dillman Hauling, LLC., Kriner Racing Engines, Sander Engineering, DMI, Burke Motorsports, Maxim Chassis, 410 sprint car and go into battle as a rookie member of the PA Posse against the best in the world, the World of Outlaws, in the 58th Champion Racing Oil Williams Grove National Open.
2020 has been quite a year for Zach to say the least. You never know when opportunity will knock. You just have to keep working hard and be ready to make the most of it when it happens. It seems he has done that. What is Newlin thinking as his first Outlaw competition approaches? He had a very honest answer to that question. “Don’t suck!“, he replied with a laugh. Humor is never very far away during any conversation with Newlin, but he takes his racing seriously. His response only demonstrates he’s relaxed and ready for whatever the experience brings. His expectations are realistic but that doesn’t mean his goals aren’t high.
It’s been a long road to this milestone and there are no doubt more on the horizon. Below is a photo gallery that will give you a glimpse into Zach’s 20+ years in racing that led to his opportunity to compete against the top professional drivers in the world. Behind every photo are countless hours of work, numerous tough nights at the track, long hours at the shop and many great memories. All of them were necessary to get to this point. To see his full list of accomplishments and bio, click here to visit Zach’s driver page on Addicted2DirtPR.com
Given how 2020 unfolded in such an unpredictable fashion for Zach Newlin, what milestones might 2021 and beyond bring for the talented wheelman? Nobody knows for sure, but I would suggest you pay attention. It’s bound to be an interesting, entertaining and successful ride.
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]
Zach Newlin’s second outing in a 410 sprint car earned him the Hard Charger Award in the 69th Annual Labor Day Classic at Port Royal Speedway.
https://addicted2dirtpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/zach1.jpg13902048mraddicted2dirthttps://addicted2dirtpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2021-LOGO-e1708004122153.jpgmraddicted2dirt2020-10-01 02:05:112022-01-28 18:56:38“Zach Daddy” Will Make First World of Outlaws Start This Week
