Inside Line Promotions – MESQUITE, Texas (May 19, 2014) – Things are starting to align for Graves Motorsports, which has picked up four consecutive top 10s.
Driver Kolt Walker guided the team to its first podium of the season last weekend and after a pair of top-eight results with the ASCS Lone Star Region, Graves Motorsports is third in the championship standings and only 43 points out of the lead.
“This chassis has been a night and day difference,” Walker said. “It really fits me. We’re just trying to figure out exactly what it wants, but so far it’s been really good. The car itself is great. The shocks are great. Confidence is up and I think we’re going to be pretty good.”
The weekend began last Friday at Boyd Raceway in Boyd, Texas, where Walker charged from seventh to a runner-up result in his heat race. That gave him the most points during heat race competition to advance to the feature redraw.
“I made a move for the lead on the last lap, but I didn’t know if it would stick or not so I gave (the leader) plenty of room,” he said. “I knew going seventh to second was high points so there was no need to force the issue.”
Walker then pulled the No. 2 in the random redraw, which started the Graves Motorsports entry on the outside of the front row for the 25-lap feature.
“We set up for dry slick,” Walker said. “That track can take rubber, but not very often when we’ve been there does it takes rubber. We decided to tighten up, which was a good choice. If it would have stayed dry slick I feel like we could have won.”
Walker battled with polesitter Aaron Reutzel for the top spot throughout the first half of the race before the track began to take rubber.
“We were playing slide jobs with Aaron,” Walker said. “Once it took rubber I didn’t get there soon enough. We should have moved down.”
Walker dropped to fourth place before picking up a position on a green-white-checkered finish. His third-place result was the team’s best of the season.
On Saturday, Walker tackled Devil’s Bowl Speedway, where he rallied from fourth to win his heat race despite battling a sticking throttle.
The team looked things over but couldn’t find the reason before Walker started fifth in the main event.
“We went from fifth to third early on,” he said. “I went into turn one and the throttle was wide open and I lost a spot. It happened about three or four times. It kept getting out of the groove and it let cars get by me.”
As Walker fought the throttle problem throughout the main event he dropped to 10th before rebounding for an eighth-place result.
Graves Motorsports is scheduled to take this weekend off before returning to action with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour on May 30 at Salina Speedway in Salina, Kan., and on May 31 at Eagle Raceway in Eagle, Neb., for the Hinchman Racewear Eagle Nationals.
QUICK RESULTS –
May 16 – Boyd Raceway in Boyd, Texas – Heat race: 2 (7); Feature: 3 (2).
May 17 – Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas – Heat race: 1 (4); Feature: 8 (5).
SEASON STATS –
7 races, 0 wins, 2 top fives, 5 top 10s, 6 top 15s, 6 top 20s
UP NEXT –
May 30 at Salina Speedway in Salina, Kan., and May 31 at Eagle Raceway in Eagle, Neb., for the Hinchman Racewear Eagle Nationals with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.KoltWalkerRacing.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kolt.Walker?fref=ts
APPAREL –
Graves Motorsports has t-shirts for sale at their race trailer during every event they compete at this season.
PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES –
Graves Motorsports is searching for additional partners to be able to compete for the ASCS Lone Star Region championship in 2014. For more information about supporting the team, e-mail Kolt at KoltWalker@gmail.com.
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Winters Performance Products
Winters Performance Products manufactures high performance auto parts, including rear ends, bubs, differentials, axles, transmissions, shifters and gears. For more information, visit http://www.WintersPerformance.com.
“Winters Performance Products are very reliable parts that you never have to worry about,” Walker said. “I want to thank Beaver and the team at Winters Performance Products for a good, solid and reliable product and for the support.”
Graves Motorsports would also like to thank A-Rock Materials, Advantage Homes, Briley Trucking, John and Stefanie Haley, Greg and Samantha Boyle, Two Hands Down Massage Therapies King Racing Products, BR Motorsports, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Vortex Wings, Wilwood Brakes, Astro Titanium, FK Rod Ends, Vortex Wings, KSE Racing Products, Day Motorsports, A.R.T. Speed Equipment, Factory Kahne, Shell Shock, Sparco, A-Line Auto Parts, KRS Fabrications, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions and Precision Body Works Inc. for their continued support.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program and to join Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or InsideLinePromotions@gmail.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
- Shawn Miller on May 19, 2014
- Article Date: 5/19/2014 by Inside Line Promotions