| |
Sam has pretty good Speedweeks but luck wasn’t on his side
Sam kicked off Speedweeks on Friday February 6th by qualifying 6th and starting in 8th. He ran a very patient race and managed to come home 3rd, but after going through tech he was found to be light on weight and was disqualified, even though he was fine when he went through pre-race tech. Later that night Sam raced the Limited Late Model. Unable to qualify, he started at the rear of the pack and managed to work his way into 3rd at the checkered flag. It was a great race.
Saturday night proved to be a challenge. Problems during the practice session prevented the #73 super late model from qualifying, so Sam ran practice laps during that race. Later in the evening, the limited car ran well again with another 3rd place.
Sunday night was another good night for Sam and the #73 car. He ran another solid race and finished 4th. The limited didn't fare too well and ended up against the wall, finishing the night for the #51 car.
Racing resumed on Tuesday after a Monday night off. Sam started in the middle of the pack and was quickly gaining spots, but nearly halfway through the race the back of the car swung out and tapped the wall while coming off turn 4, causing the night to end early for Sam.
The team managed to repair the car in time for Wednesday night's race. Unfortunately, Sam did not qualify but he was able to finish in 10th after starting from the rear.
Thursday night proved to be another challenge during qualifying for Sam, but overall the race went well and he finished in 8th position. Afterward, he took a well-earned rest on Friday in preparation for the big event on Saturday.
Sam had a good test session for the 100-lap Pete Orr Memorial on Saturday. The race started with Sam in 13th, running in the middle of the pack. His brakes were causing him problems but he seemed ok, although his rotors were hot and glowing. Sam had worked his way into the 8th spot by lap 74, when suddenly he lost all use of his brakes. He came into the pits with the left front rotor in flames! He was very upset about it, but brake failure could have easily resulted in something much worse, such as a collision with the wall or another driver.
The week ended on a low for Sam, with some repairs needed on the car in time for the next race.
|
|
)
