(Photo by Pole Position Photo)
Inside Line Promotions – LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Oct. 29, 2013) – Josh Baughman admits that his program is in the learning stages as the 2013 season is ending.
“Every time we are on the track we are learning something,” he said. “That’s what we’re doing now in our whole program.”
Last weekend was the latest example with several lessons learned during the 26th annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals Presented by Hoosier Tires at I-30 Speedway.
“It was a tough weekend,” he said. “That place is tough anyway with the competition there. We got better as the week went on, but we’re not real good when it’s hammer down like that. Our cars don’t like it when they are locked down like that. We had to run a lot more stagger than I’m used to running.”
The week began at the bullring on Wednesday for the inaugural Short Track Nationals Open. Baughman finished seventh after starting sixth, which lined him up fourth in a C Main. Baughman picked up a position to finish third – one spot out of transferring to a B Main.
“We couldn’t get the car to rotate,” he said. “I couldn’t get any movement out of my car. We had some issues with our shocks and Wayne Priddy took them and redid my whole shock program for Friday night and it seemed to go better. The car felt 10 times better.”
Baughman returned to I-30 Speedway on Friday for his preliminary night, which started with him on the pole of his heat race.
“(The outside polesitter) squeezed me down to the bottom,” Baughman said of the start. “I just nosed over on the right front and had nowhere to go. When he squeezed me down it was either do what I did or try to go through it and take us both out, and I wasn’t going to do that.”
Baughman ended sixth in his heat race and placed sixth in his qualifier. He then finished where he started – sixth – in a B Main to end preliminary action.
Based on preliminary points, Baughman lined up fifth in a D Main. He rallied to finish third and earn a transfer to the C Main. However, a rain storm hit the track before the C Main and the team decided to call it a weekend.
“We fought back and ended up transferring out of the D Main and that rain came,” he said. “So we loaded up and came home.”
Baughman will compete with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour on Friday at El Paso Speedway Park in El Paso, Texas, and on Saturday at Southern New Mexico Speedway in Las Cruces, N.M.
“I’ve won some races in El Paso and always ran good in Las Cruces,” he said. “I don’t see any reason why we can’t make the show both nights. With the caliber of the talent at these shows, for our program just to make the show is good.”
QUICK RESULTS –
Oct. 23 – I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. – Heat race: 7 (6); C Main: 3 (4).
Oct. 25 – I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. – Heat race: 6 (1); Qualifier: 6 (9); B Main: 6 (6).
Oct. 26 – I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. – D Main: 3 (5); C Main: DNS (14).
SEASON STATS –
36 races, 1 win, 3 top fives, 9 top 10s, 12 top 15s, 17 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Friday at El Paso Speedway Park in El Paso, Texas, and Saturday at Southern New Mexico Speedway in Las Cruces, N.M., with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.JoshBaughman.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/josh_baughman17
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshbaughmanracing
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Factory Kahne
Factory Kahne is a leading shock manufacturer. For more information, visit http://www.FactoryKahne.com.
“As far as I’m concerned Factory Kahne is the best shock on the market,” Baughman said. “They are always trying something different to improve what they are doing.”
Baughman would also like to thank Hollywood Blasting and Coating, GF1 Chassis, Ti22 Performance, Roush Yates Racing Engines, Hinchman Racewear and Keizer Aluminum Wheels for their continued support.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations, media management and merchandising services for sprint car teams. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and your sponsors’ return on investment.
To meet the media relations needs of your team, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or sprintcarreporter@yahoo.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.insidelinepromotions.com.
- Shawn Miller on Nov 11, 2013
- Article Date: 10/29/2013 by Inside Line Promotions