Archive for category: Ashley Cappetta

Ashley Cappetta put together a solid night at Lincoln for the Steve Smith Tribute Race on Saturday despite battling severe pain in her hand. The Steve Smith race is a special one for Cappetta and the team as Ashley’s dad worked for Smith during his Hall of Fame career.

Cappetta lined up third for her heat race, “the car was ok in the heat race. I could have been tighter to be a little more comfortable.” Despite not being 100% Ashley finished second in the heat, putting her in the redraw, “There wasn’t much passing in the heat race and as soon as everyone got settled after the start it pretty much stayed that way. I did start to feel a little better after I moved the wing back. I probably could have gotten up on the wheel more but by lap 3 my hand started to cramp and I knew I was in a redraw spot and wasn’t going to do anything crazy.”

Unfortunately, Ashley had been experiencing pain in her hand for a few weeks which did not make wheeling a race car an easy task.

The redraw led to a twelfth-place starting spot for the feature, which was the worst starting spot in the redraw but with a new outlook on things Cappetta said, “Pill draws happen for a reason.” Starting a little further back ended up not being a bad thing as it allowed Cappetta to avoid some incidents early in the race.

Around lap five of the 20-lap feature, Cappetta’s hand started to cramp again, “With my hand in the condition it was, I felt like I did the best we could. I moved around on the track until I felt comfortable. The cautions helped with my hand, but I could hear someone behind me.”

Ashley crossed the line seventh, her second seventh-place run of the season, “I’m ok with seventh. Going out there to do my best and moving forward is obviously a positive.” Overall Cappetta and the team are heading in the right direction, “I feel like we’re getting close, we’re about 80% there with just a few things to work on to get 100% comfortable.”

Positive Outlook

A lot can change in a year, and that is definitely the case for Ashley Cappetta and the Cappetta Racing Team, “We’re already three races in and rolling off better than our entire season last year. It’s a lot easier going to the track now after constantly struggling all last season. We definitely have more of a positive outlook.”

Another aspect that has changed this season is Cappetta’s approach to pill draw, “This season I’m not letting the pill draw deter me like I did last year. The first race of the year helped with that. Coaching softball has helped with that too, I’ve been preaching to the girls about making your own luck and to look at things more positively.”

Up Next

Lincoln Speedway, Elijah Hawkins Memorial, Saturday, June 8 at 7 PM

Season Stats

3 races, 0 wins, 0 top 5’s, 2 top 10, 1 top 15’s 

Ashely Cappetta started off her 2024 season at Lincoln Speedway on Saturday night. Cappetta and the team put together a solid night at the track, but the night almost didn’t happen. Racing on Saturday was a game-time decision as Cappetta had fallen ill Friday night and still wasn’t feeling well on Saturday morning. Ashley ultimately decided to give it a go at 3:30 PM, “I was willing to take the risk and race, especially considering it was the first race of the year and I have a lot of new sponsor support. I would have felt worse if I hadn’t put in the effort to try and race.” Cappetta did a self-assessment after hot laps and felt good enough to continue and finish out the night. 

Things picked up right where they left off to start the night with pill draw, “Honestly I wasn’t that upset with the pill draw. The combination of not feeling well and it being the first race of the year, starting in the rear for the heat race wasn’t a bad way to start the night.” Cappetta put on a clinic in the heat race, driving from seventh to third, putting her in the redraw for the feature line-up, “The car was really going and the late caution helped.” The impressive heat race run was a positive start to the season, “I’m happy with the heat race, especially considering I wasn’t feeling well. It definitely gave us something to work off of.”

Cappetta lined up ninth for the first feature start of the season, “I made a mistake early and then other people were having issues and it put me in a situation where I chose not to destroy a car in the first race of the season.” Ashley finished the 20-lap feature in 12th place, “Overall, I’m more frustrated than upset with the feature results, as soon as I got a rhythm going the caution would come out.” 

Moving forward Cappetta plans to have her merchandise van set up in turn 4 for fans to stop by and buy ACR gear and swag.