BEN CHARGES TO 3RD IN FALL CLASSIC FINALE

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Bob Stephens

(Hattiesburg, MS) Ben closed out local area racing Saturday night at Whynot Motorsports Park with strong run to a third place finish in the 17th Annual Fall Classic. Thirty-five modifieds were on hand for the $2,000 to win event on a cool but spectacular weekend. Friday night Ben started 5th in his heat race and made a high-side charge to the lead by the mid-race mark. A caution flag just as he assumed the lead negated his efforts and he restarted 3rd. On the restart the second place car liked Ben’s high line so much he edged Ben to the berm and it took Ben several laps to regain second. By that time the leader and opened up a wide margin and the checkers flew with Ben closing fast. 

Passing points determined Saturday night’s lineup and Ben would once again start 5th, inside the third row. “Our real challenge for the evening was trying to determine what chassis changes we would need on a race track that had just accommodated a 100 lap Super Late Model race,” Ben stated. “My track condition crystal ball was a little out of focus so we assumed the track would be pretty slick and made the corresponding adjustments. As soon as the race started I realized the track still had more bite in it than after previous 100 lap events,” Ben added. 

Early in the race Ben dropped back to 8th as he searched low and high to find a line and corner entry to maximize his chassis setup. Several cautions kept the field relatively close and just past mid-way of the 25-lap event, Ben started making forward progress. When the last of five cautions waved Ben was in 5th and there were ten laps remaining. On the restart Ben returned to the high-side next to what little berm was left and started marching to the front. Ben cleared the 4th place car and kept his momentum up. With two laps remaining he assumed 3rd place and was making a run on the second place car that was running the bottom groove. As the checkers flew Ben was nosed out at the finish line for second and returned to the pits with a well-deserved 3rd place finish.

 “The car was really too tight from the middle of the corner off and I tried to heat up the right rear tire to create more stagger across the rear and hopefully loosen the car up,” Ben commented to his crew and friends after the race. “I’ve never seen this track have this much bite left in it so I just kept driving in harder and harder, happy that it stuck. It was a lot of work but it was very rewarding to take a less-than-perfect race car and finish the way we did tonight.”

 Ben will close out the 2011 season with a three-day visit to Royal Purple Raceway, November 17-19 in Baytown, Texas as he battles the traveling professionals of the USMTS circuit. Ben’s 5 wins, 18 top 5 finishes and 18 top 10’s would not have been possible without the support of his loyal sponsors. “We really appreciate their trust and support in us and we look forward to working with everyone in 2012,” Ben noted.

Thanks to all of our sponsors who help make our racing program possible.