Tag Archive for: #J&Jautoracing

Logs Another Top 10 Run in Williams Grove 2020 Finale

Mechanicsburg, PA – September 27, 2020 – By Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management

Coming into the final race of the season at Williams Grove Speedway for the 358 sprint cars on September 25th, Zach Newlin and team must have wished there was more racing left at the famous half-mile in 2020. They had just recently started hitting their stride. After some early season nights where it seemed defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory, they had recently registered a top 5 and a victory.

A couple key DNF’s from early in the summer stood out in their mind. They had broken while leading on one occasion and then had a part failure after going 17th to 7th in the first 23 laps of a 25 lap feature event. The sting of those nights was long gone though as a result of their recent successes.

In reality, the season as a whole thus far had been a success for Newlin. As evidence of that, prior to action Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway, an official approached the Newlin Racing pits with a package in hand. As he spoke with the driver from Millerstown, PA, he pulled out a plaque and explained to Newlin that he had already clinched the 358 sprint car Rookie of the Year Award. His eyes widened and a smile quickly emerged. After a few quick photos though, his attention quickly turned toward the night at hand and continuing the team’s recent momentum.

The Smith Concrete & Construction / Heather Sims, Realtor / J.W. Smith Auto Body / T&M Homebuilders, Inc. / Ron’s RV Sales / Kirby Kitner Excavating / Hammaker Racing Engines / The Podium Awards / Advanced Septic Services / Walker Performance Filtration #11z was one of 28 cards signed in. The field would be divided into three 8-lap heats, with the top six from each transferring directly to the A-main. The remainder would run the B-main to vie for the final six qualifying spots in the feature event’s 24 car field. All qualifiers would start straight up in the feature based on their finishing position in the heat races.

Williams Grove used a handicapping system based on season earnings to line up the heat races, which meant Zach would line up 9th in the first heat. He would have his work cut out for him to not only qualify for the feature event but also improve his starting position in that event as much as possible. He was up to the task. He used the low groove during the first half of the heat race to advance to the 5th position. When that seemed to no longer reap any rewards, he switched to the high line in an attempt to garner more. He nearly accomplished it, getting alongside the 4th place car in the final corners, but he ultimately settled for 5th by a mere half car length.

The qualifying effort meant Newlin would start 13th in the feature event. As is always the case when trying to improve the car and keep up with the ever-changing conditions of a dirt track, the team discussed options and made decisions about the changes they felt the car would need to move toward the front. During the opening laps of the A-main, it appeared they had made the correct choices. Zach again used the low line to move forward into 12th by lap 2. After narrowly avoiding becoming part of a multi-car crash on lap 2, he picked up where he left off on the restart. By the completion of lap 4 he had moved into 10th. The newly-crowned 2020 358 sprint car Rookie of the Year continued to work the low groove over next dozen laps, with the brief exception of a 2-lap experiment in the high groove that quickly showed it wasn’t a quicker way around for him when the 11th place car showed his nose underneath Newlin.

When the field reached lap 17, Zach still found himself in 10th and not gaining any ground, so he tried the high line once again in hopes it had blown off more by now and would prove to be the quicker way around the legendary paper-clip shaped half-mile. Unfortunately the handling just wasn’t where it needed to be for the 11z and Newlin rode home in 10th.

After climbing from the car and having some time to digest the night, his assessment in a word was: “Disappointing”. Unsure what else to say at the moment, he paused for a minute. His expression said it all though. They were so close…but they had just missed the setup they really needed to achieve another top 5. Newlin finally added, “It really ran well on the straights. It had plenty of grip there. We just couldn’t get through the middle and off the corners the way we needed to.” The entire time he spoke it was clear the wheels were still turning in his head about how to be better next time. That’s the drive of a successful racer.

The 2020 season may not be entirely over for Newlin. There is another 358 show at the Lincoln Speedway in October that could find its way onto the team’s schedule or maybe if things work out he will get the opportunity to race another night or two in the 410 he recently dabbled in. Time will tell.

Be sure to check out the photo gallery below from Friday night!

Zach’s parents Jeff and Kelly Newlin reflected on the team’s 358 sprint car season. “We wrapped up the season with another top 10 and put it in the trailer in one piece, so we’re happy”, Kelly shared. She continued, ” A win, an 8th place finish in the points and Rookie of the Year at ‘The Grove’ in his first 358 season is incredible.”

Jeff, Kelly and the entire team also wanted to express their thanks to the many sponsors and partners who support the team. This wouldn’t be possible without those businesses and individuals. 2020 has been a challenging year for many of the small businesses who sponsor and support teams like Newlin Racing and several of them had to find creative ways to help the team this season. The team greatly appreciates all the help they received this season, no matter what the form. Please take time to read the list of those businesses below and patronize them if you are able.

You can also find links to many of them in the Sponsors and Partners section on this page: #Team A2D Driver Zach Newlin

Smith Concrete and Construction
Heather Sims, Realtor
J.W. Smith Auto Body
T&M Homebuilders, Inc.
Ron’s RV Sales
Kirby Kitner Excavating
Hammaker Racing Engines
The Podium Awards
Advanced Septic Services
Walker Performance Filtration
Strange Oval
Morgan Paving
Engler Injection
BDR Racing Products
River Bend Hop Farm & Brewery
Newport American Legion Post 177
HRF Heishman Racing Fuels
Safety-Kleen
34 Motorsports
Newlin Bar Service
Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management

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]

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]

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]

Getting back on track…literally and figuratively

Mechanicsburg, PA – July 17, 2020 – By Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management

After two disappointing outings due to motor issues, followed by two weeks on the sideline while the motor was repaired, Newlin Racing’s goal for their return was pretty simple: Finish.

Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway the 358 sprint cars joined the All Star Circuit of Champions 410’s for the Tommy Hinnershitz Classic. 28 cars signed in and lineups were set for three 8-lap heats for the 358’s. 6 would qualify from each, with the top 4 going to the redraw.

A good draw placed the Smith Concrete & Construction / J.W. Smith Auto Body / T&M Homebuilders, Inc. / Heather Sims, Realtor / Walker Performance Filtration / Newlin Bar Service #11z of Zach Newlin on the outside of the front row for heat 1. Polesitter Steve Owings rode the high side to an early lead, while Zach settled into second and pursued Owings. Following a lap 6 restart, Newlin pulled even with Owings entering turn 3 and continued to race side by side for the next lap. Newlin put himself in front by about a half car length entering turn 3 on the final lap but Owings was able to regain the lead coming off turn 4 to win by a car length at the line. The finish was still good enough to put the 11z of Newlin in the redraw.

The motor that had spent over a week in the care of Hammaker Racing Engines was doing its job. The team just needed to monitor track conditions during the 410 A-main and make the right decisions to give Zach the chance to move forward from his 10th starting spot in the 358 feature event.

The feature event saw very limited passing. Newlin was able to run just inside the top 10 for the entire race, withstanding multiple restarts that bunched the field. The track surface was very slick, causing most of the field to cling to the bottom groove where a small amount of moisture remained in the surface. That made passing possible only when someone slipped up out of the groove. Zach was able to keep his J&J Chassis in that groove and execute a pass on a lap 14 restart to record a 9th place finish.

It wasn’t a podium finish but it was a solid night and the team had the opportunity to learn what worked and what didn’t for the conditions. You can’t do that from the sidelines, so they were happy to be back in the game. On to the next race, which as of now is set for July 31st at Williams Grove.

Zach’s assessment of the night: “We finished!”, he said with a grin. Mission accomplished.

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
Beyea Headers
Engler
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]

Motor Issues Continue to Plague Team

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

Just five nights earlier an apparent fuel issue ended Zach Newlin’s night while leading at Williams Grove. Over the ensuing few days, the team discovered another piece to the puzzle that ended that potential winning run Friday night. With that issue addressed, the team unloaded at Port Royal Wednesday night and performed final preparation to take on the URC cars.

The Smith Concrete & Construction / J.W. Smith Auto Body / T&M Homebuilders, Inc. / Heather Sims, Realtor / Walker Performance Filtration / Newlin Bar Service #11z was quick and handling well on the opening circuit or two of hot laps, but suddenly motor issues surfaced again. Not wanting to risk losing the motor completely, Newlin quickly exited the speedway and shut the car down. Unable to identify and resolve the issue at the track, the team had to make the smart choice and withdraw from the evening’s competition rather than risk being out of action for much longer.

Efforts are already underway to get to the bottom of the issue and get back in action very soon. Overcoming these challenges will only make the reward sweeter when the team eventually parks it in victory lane.

Stay tuned to the A2D website or the social media channels listed below for updates from Newlin Racing, including when and where they will hit the track next!

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
Beyea Headers
Engler
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]