Archive for month: December, 2022

Following seven highly successful seasons in the 305 sprint car ranks, Zach Newlin moved into the 358 sprint car ranks in 2020.  He found victory lane at Williams Grove Speedway in that rookie season in his family owned Newlin Racing 11z.

The resume Newlin was building turned heads and, over the course of the past two and a half seasons, brought a few opportunities to fill the seat of a few 410 sprint cars.  While the Millerstown, PA resident greatly appreciated those opportunities, none of them blossomed into a long term situation.

Newlin had a few notable highlights in his limited 410 sprint car races, including qualifying for his first World of Outlaws A-main in October of 2021, and back-t0-back hard charger awards at Port Royal Speedway’s Labor Day Classic in 2020 and 2021.

Meanwhile, Newlin also kept one foot in the door of the 358 division, piloting the Mansberger Motorsports 21m in Central Pennsylvania.  He will continue wheeling that car in 2023, primarily at Williams Grove Speedway, however the team will likely look to expand their schedule a little over recent years.

Before the 2022 season had even wrapped up, Newlin had started shaping plans to resurrect his own familiar 11z, but this time with 410 cubic inch power plant under the hood.  Fans will definitely remember the unique ‘Zach Daddy’ green that Newlin made so recognizable in the 305 sprint car division, then in the 358 division as well.  While the final design is not in place yet, the green will make it’s return in 2023.

Newlin got started by purchasing a used engine that was in need of a rebuild.  It wasn’t ideal, but it was within his budget.  Small teams like Newlin’s need to keep costs down and spread their expenses out to keep going.

Invitations to get behind the wheel of someone’s 410 sprint car are not plentiful to say the least, plus having control of one’s own destiny to allow time to hone skills and grow knowledge is a positive of putting together your own deal.

“Ever since we decided we were going down this path, we have been chipping away at trying to get the things we need.  We didn’t have much of anything remaining from the 2020 car that we could use.  We knew it wouldn’t be easy with limited funds and it might even take us a year, but we felt it was our best option…maybe our only option…if we wanted to continue racing 410’s.  I definitely didn’t want to give up on that goal.“, Newlin shared.

Newlin’s goal for the upcoming season is realistic.  He wants to have enough resources to get to the track at least a dozen times, so the team can make laps and learn.  The engine rebuild is progressing slowly but should be ready in time to meet Newlin’s April goal.  When his season does start, he will have one car, one engine and he won’t have a lot of spare parts, so the team will race smart to make sure they can keep racing and improving.

“We’re making some progress, but we still have a long way to go.  I’m hoping to have the bare minimum of what I need to get to the track by the end of April.  Bringing a partner into our team would help move things along a little faster and help us be more prepared.”, Newlin said.

While his new 410 team may not find victory lane right away, Newlin has a lot to offer potential marketing partners.  He has amassed a sizeable and very supportive following over his years behind the wheel, and his future in the sport holds a lot of promising potential.