(Photo by Malcolm White Photography)
Inside Line Promotions – SELINSGROVE, Pa. (July 8, 2014) – Austen Wheatley gave himself a passing grade for his performance during his inaugural PA Speedweek.
“I’d say a B minus,” he said. “I think in qualifying and the heat races I did fine, but that’s not where the money is at.”
Wheatley advanced into the main event during each of the final five Speedweek races as he made his debut at all but one track.
After being involved in a crash during the B Main at Path Valley Speedway Park in Spring Run, Pa., on June 29, Wheatley started last week by qualifying seventh quickest at Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pa., on Tuesday. He then picked up his first career heat race win in Pennsylvania to earn the sixth-starting position for the main event.
“It makes the night a lot easier when you can start up front in the heat races,” he said. “I had a lot of fun. The top was there earlier. We were really free and the top went away in the feature. I stayed up there a little too long and the bottom came in so we got passed by a few guys.”
Wheatley ended with an 11th-place result, which was his best of the week.
His team tackled Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, Md., on Wednesday. Wheatley qualified 21st quickest, finished sixth in his heat race and advanced to second in the B Main before he exited the race in the opening laps of the feature with a 23rd-place finish.
“It was around the top the whole night,” he said. “There was no passing at all. The cushion was too good and to hit the bottom you had to slow down so much. I pulled off on Lap 3.”
Following Thursday’s rain out at Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal, Pa., Wheatley headed to Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa., for a race on Friday. He timed in 15th quickest and led the first half of his heat race before ending third. That locked him into the feature, which he started 14th.
“I wasn’t aggressive enough,” he said. “When the track gets slick you can’t enter (into the corners) too hot, but you have to enter hot enough where those guys can’t slide you. I just didn’t have enough entrance speed and wasn’t that comfortable.”
Wheatley capped the night with a 20th-place result.
His debut at Port Royal Speedway came on Saturday, when he qualified 12th quickest and finished second in his heat race. Wheatley struggled to an 18th-place finish in the feature after starting on the inside of the eighth row.
“We were really, really tight the whole night,” he said. “I was being patient on the bottom. Half miles are tricky because it’s about lane choice. The top is so much further around so the bottom has to be so much slower to hit the top.”
The Speedweek concluded on Sunday at Selinsgrove Speedway, where Wheatley qualified 13th quickest to miss the heat race inversion by only one position. He then finished fifth in his heat to start the main event 15th.
“We just weren’t that good,” he said. “The track started taking rubber and we kept backing up. We were really, really free even with the wing all the way back.”
Wheatley pulled off the track with approximately 10 laps to go and he was credited with a 22nd-place result.
He is scheduled to compete with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series during several marquee events this week, beginning on Wednesday at Limaland Motorsports Park in Lima, Ohio, for the 26th annual Brad Doty Classic. He will wrap up the weekend on Friday and Saturday at Eldora Speedway near Rossburg, Ohio, for the 31st annual Kings Royal.
QUICK RESULTS –
July 1 – Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pa. – Qualifying: 7; Heat race: 1 (2); Feature: 11 (6).
July 2 – Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, Md. – Qualifying: 21; Heat race: 6 (6); B Main: 2 (4); Feature: 23 (22).
July 4 – Williams Grove Speedway in Williams Grove, Pa. – Qualifying: 15; Heat race: 3 (1); Feature: 20 (14).
July 5 – Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal, Pa. – Qualifying: 12; Heat race: 2 (2); Feature: 18 (15).
July 6 – Selinsgrove Speedway in Selinsgrove, Pa. – Qualifying: 13; Heat race: 5 (5); Feature: 22 (15).
SEASON STATS –
27 races, 1 win, 4 top fives, 6 top 10s, 7 top 15s, 10 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Wednesday at Limaland Motorsports Park in Lima, Ohio, for the 26th annual Brad Doty Classic and Friday and Saturday at Eldora Speedway near Rossburg, Ohio, for the 31st annual Kings Royal with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.AustenWheatley.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AustenWheatley
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DownForceDesigns?fref=ts
APPAREL –
Wheatley will have t-shirts and hoodies for sale at every race he competes at this season. For his schedule of races, visit http://www.AustenWheatley.com.
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Downforce Designs
Downforce Designs is an apparel company established and operated by Austen Wheatley. For information on apparel options, prices, clientele and more, visit http://www.DownforceDesigns.com.
“It’s good to have a fresh take on apparel in the sport,” Wheatley said. “My goal is to provide something unique and diverse, and I think I know what a driver wants to see on his or her apparel. It’s a racer helping racers.”
Wheatley would also like to thank Redlined Welding & Construction, Astro Titanium, The Oil Medics, Fire-Down Graphics, SpeedMart, Bell and King Racing Products 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 Jul 08, 2014
- Article Date: 7/8/2014 by Inside Line Promotions