Author Archive for: MrAddicted2Dirt

Tyler Ross has found his rhythm in race trim over the past two weeks, picking up three straight top-ten finishes and four in his last five outings across stops at Lincoln Speedway and Selinsgrove Speedway. 

The team has passed a combined 21 cars in A-main competition over that stretch — including a run from 20th to 10th at Lincoln Speedway — proof the speed is there. 

The one piece still nagging at Tyler: qualifying.

A Quick Trip Back to a 410 Pays Off at Selinsgrove

Tyler had been looking forward to getting back into a 410 at Selinsgrove Speedway, and the August 30th visit didn’t disappoint. Leaning on notes from a previous run there in the No. 75 car, Tyler qualified 3rd overall, started 4th and finished 5th in his heat, then started 4th and drove to a 3rd-place finish in the A-main.

“We timed good, managed through the heat race, and missed the setup a little for the A-main,” Tyler said.

“We got a little help with the crash that took out two of the leaders, but I was able to pass a couple cars under green. The open red helped, and we made some adjustments and got better.”

Tyler noted Selinsgrove demands running up against the fence to find speed, and it took him a few laps to readjust to that style.

“We were pretty good this time, but I’m looking forward to coming back, because now we know what we need to be really good,” he said.

The team expects to return to Selinsgrove in October.

A Familiar Story at Lincoln Speedway

Tyler made three trips to Lincoln Speedway during the stretch — August 29th, September 5th, and September 6th — and the same story played out each time. Qualifying never put him better than 10th, and one night he rolled off 20th of 30 cars, but Tyler and the team quietly went to work from there. 

Strong runs through the heats set up a starting spot in the A-main, and from there Tyler methodically sliced through the field each night, closing out with a 10th, a 10th, and an 11th — three straight top-ten-caliber runs built on nothing but hard-earned forward progress.

“To be honest, we suck early in the nights,” Tyler said with a laugh.

“We had a midseason lull where we couldn’t pass anyone, but now we’ve got our race trim back to where it was earlier in the year.“

The Qualifying Question

Starting further back has become the recurring theme of Tyler’s season, and he’s the first to admit it.

“I time-trial good at Selinsgrove, but historically I’ve struggled in qualifying, even back to my start in smaller cars,” he said.

“We’re working hard to figure it out, but I think it might mostly be my — our — mentality. We lost confidence in our qualifying program. We have speed, and the car races well. If we can qualify better and start closer to the front, we know we can run up there and contend for wins.”

As a driver, Tyler said he actually relishes the challenge of time trials — chasing every tenth of a second the car has to give.  He isn’t worried about making bold changes to the qualifying setup at the expense of his race-night speed.

“It’s possible to take big swings at the qualifying setup and go back to our known race trim. That isn’t an issue, but we have to find the right changes to make for qualifying.”

The bigger challenge, he said, is translating notes from track to track.

“We’re not making speed down the straightaways. It could be a motor tuning thing, could be our corner exit setup, could be our corner entry setup, could be my driving style on entry or exit.”

“When the track slows down, our straightaway speed improves. It’s tough when you’re really close — I’d rather be a full second off quick time than one-tenth of a second. It’s easier to make big adjustments to find a second than it is to figure out how to gain one tenth. That could be the car, or it might just be a small adjustment by the driver, like when I lift or when I get back on the gas in the corner.”

Why the Top Tens Matter

Beyond the standings, Tyler pointed to the practical side of consistent finishes.

“We have great partners who make this possible, but getting top tens helps keep the team going — it helps pay the weekly expenses,” he said.

“I respect everyone who is out there racing.  It’s a tough deal all around but especially financially.  I’m not sure how teams keep racing these days if they’re finishing at the back, because everything is expensive right now. The fuel to get to and from the track, our tires and parts — everything is up.”

Looking Ahead

Tyler and the team are taking this weekend off before returning to action September 18th at Williams Grove Speedway and September 19th at BAPS Motor Speedway.

It’s been a busy three weeks for Tyler Ross, filled with rainouts, a sponsor appearance, a top-five finish, and a tough night that he isn’t afraid to own up to.

Pabst Light Takes Center Stage at Valley Green Beverage

On August 15th, Tyler and the entire race team spent three hours at Valley Green Beverage for a Pabst Light and Ace Distributing appearance, bringing the race car along for fans to see up close. Tyler and his crew met and greeted fans throughout the event, signed autographs, handed out hero cards, and took photos with fans — including plenty of kids who left with a hero card in hand. Tyler’s new line of Pabst Light T-shirts also made their debut, with several selling on-site. Tyler and the team said meeting fans and connecting with the community remains one of their favorite parts of the sport, and they’re grateful to Pabst Light and Ace Distributing for making it happen.

Heat Race Win Sets Up Top-Five Run at Clinton County

Hours after wrapping up the Valley Green Beverage appearance, Tyler was back behind the wheel that night at Clinton County Speedway in Mill Hall, PA — a track he’s raced only a handful of times, and just once before in his own car. With 36 cars on hand split into two qualifying flights, Tyler timed in 5th quickest in Flight A.

Starting 2nd in his 10-lap heat race, Tyler took the point with three laps remaining and drove to the win. In the 35-lap A-main, he started 6th and worked forward steadily to a 4th-place finish.

The team made the trip to Clinton County looking to log laps, and Tyler said the result reflected a strong overall night for the crew.

“I probably had a top-three car, but I was pretty conservative with the car and my driving style,” Tyler said.

“I just wanted to take the solid finish and roll it in the box in one piece.”

A Tough Night at Williams Grove

Not every night goes to plan, and Tyler isn’t sugarcoating what happened last Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway. With 35 cars entered and split into two qualifying flights, Tyler timed in 16th in Flight B. He started 8th and finished 6th in his heat, missing the transfer to the A-main, then rallied from 6th to 4th in the B-main to punch his ticket into the feature. Tyler started 24th in the 30-lap A-main, but pulled pitside after 12 laps and was scored 23rd in the final rundown.

“We flat-out sucked in qualifying. We were off, and it’s a bit embarrassing,” Tyler said candidly.

“We made changes and earned our way into the show.  I think a lot of the improvement might have been that I just got up on the wheel a bit more.  I don’t have a lot of laps at Williams Grove compared to other tracks, so I feel like I’m still figuring out how to approach laps there.  I probably need to push the car a little harder.”

Tyler also pointed to a bigger-picture challenge that’s been shadowing the team over the past six weeks — a stretch marked by rainouts and gaps in the schedule that have made it tough to find and maintain a rhythm.

“It’s not an excuse,” he said. “I’ve been doing this a long time and should be able to manage that, but drivers are human, and the mental side of the sport is different for everyone.”

A Shoutout to Williams Grove Speedway

Ross Racing wants to publicly thank Williams Grove Speedway for stepping up and covering damages the team incurred during a push truck incident last month at the World of Outlaws event — a gesture the team says didn’t go unnoticed.

“Justin (Loh, General Manager) came to our pit right away that night after it happened and said they would take care of it, and they did.  We appreciate them for doing the right thing.  Not all organizations will step up like that.”

Looking Ahead

Tyler and the team are back at it this weekend with a doubleheader, racing August 29th at Lincoln Speedway and August 30th at Selinsgrove Speedway in the Bush Auto Group, Fastrak Express, Stateline Truck & Trailer, Stolzfus Farm Service,  Pabst Light, Betts Garage No.5.  Tyler is looking forward to the trip to Selinsgrove — a track he enjoys racing but hasn’t visited in a 410 in some time.

Ross Racing driver Tyler Ross says the team has identified key reasons results have been inconsistent over the past several weeks, and the immediate focus is on returning the racecar to its “happy” place.

Moving Target

Ross explained that the recent stretch included multiple challenges that went beyond typical race-to-race adjustments. The problems started after a June 20th incident at Lincoln Speedway, when Ross got upside down. The team made the decision to skip Path Valley Speedway on June 21st so they could focus on necessary repairs and prepare for Speedweek. During Speedweek, Ross was involved in another incident at Grandview Speedway, and the cumulative effect of those events ultimately changed how the car responded to setup adjustments.

“When the chassis flexes in an incident, it can change things more than most people realize,” Ross said. “It’s still straight, but we are finding we do have to do some things a little different with it to make it happy. A happy car means a fast car.”

Setup, Components, Confidence

Ross noted the team tore the car down after the incidents and had it checked to ensure everything critical was true. While the chassis remained straight, the team found that the flex the frame had experienced was going to require them to make setup adjustments.

During the tear down and rebuild, the team found component-specific issues such as a bent torque tube, and they have continued to work to eliminate possible weaknesses, including freshening up their shock program.

Another Variable Added

When the team went back to racing with the car, Ross said there was an additional variable to manage: the World of Outlaws events at BAPS Motor Speedway (July 29th) and Williams Grove Speedway (July 31st) were the first times at those tracks with the current motor program. 

While Ross didn’t elaborate on exactly what differences his new motor brings to the table, we can generally explain the impact a motor can have on setup.  Numerous performance ‘behaviors’ of a motor, such as whether it emphasizes low-end speed, which helps acceleration off the corner, or top-end speed for the end of the straightaway, cause the chassis and suspension to react differently. This requires specific setup adjustments to optimize handling for the new power characteristics.

Bright Spots Along the Way

Despite the recent challenges, Ross highlighted key moments that validated the team’s ongoing development. A strong 20th-to-7th run at Lincoln Speedway on June 22nd served as a testament to the team’s ability to overcome obstacles, while a 15th-place finish at BAPS Motor Speedway against the World of Outlaws on June 29th underscored their competitiveness in high-level fields. These performances provided both data for the team’s technical notes and a morale boost for everyone involved.

“Runs like that remind us that our team is capable, and we just need to keep battling,” Ross said. “Even if things don’t go right early in the night, it’s possible to bounce back and finish the night strong.”

Mindset Forward

Despite the ups and downs, Ross highlighted that the team is continuing to build momentum and keep Tyler sharp behind the wheel. Following the Speedweek stretch, Ross and the team returned to action at Lincoln Speedway on July 11th and July 22nd.

Additionally, Tyler gained valuable seat time and a boost in confidence through strong runs in the McGough No. 669 URC 360 sprint car at Port Royal Speedway (July 1st) and Selinsgrove Speedway (July 10th).

While confidence has taken a hit during the inconsistent stretch, Ross emphasized the team’s mindset remains firmly forward.

“Confidence is down, but determination isn’t,” Ross said. “We are rebuilding and going over the car again before Lincoln on August 8th. There’s a lot of racing left, and we will bounce back.”

Fans Invited: Upcoming Pabst Light Appearance

Ross Racing is also excited to welcome fans to an upcoming promotional appearance featuring new partner Pabst Light and Ace Distributing. Tyler Ross and the Ross Racing No. 5 car will be at Valley Green Beverage, located in Newberry Commons in Etters, PA, on August 15th from 11:00 AM–2:00 PM. Tyler will have hero cards to hand out and will be happy to greet fans for autographs and photos.