(Photo by DB3 Imaging)
Inside Line Promotions – SELINSGROVE, Pa. (July 12, 2017) – Trey Starks had a standout performance during his first attempt at the famed Pennsylvania Speedweek.
Starks and the Gobrecht Motorsports team set quick time twice and qualified in the top five during five races before finishing with one marquee feature victory, three top fives and six top 10s in eight races.
“I think Speedweek went really, really well,” Starks said. “We had some bad luck right at the end, but picking up the win at Williams Grove was the biggest win of my career. We are really happy with how Speedweek went. We ended up sixth in points even missing a night.”
Starks kicked off the second half of Speedweek a week ago Wednesday at Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, Md., where he qualified 12th quickest. He then won a heat race to make the feature inversion, but the inversion number wasn’t high enough and Starks started the main event eighth.
“We struggled in the main event,” he said. “We were pretty tight with the fuel load on. Toward the end it got better, but the track moved to the bottom and there wasn’t a ton of passing.”
Starks held on for a 10th-place finish.
His biggest Speedweek moment came the night after Thursday’s event at Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal, Pa., rained out. Starks ventured to Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa., on Friday for the $10,000-to-win Mitch Smith Memorial. He timed in fourth quickest before ending fourth in a heat race to again make the feature inversion. This time he started the main event on the inside of the second row.
“On the initial start we were challenging for the lead and they called the start back,” he said. “I felt pretty confident. To add to it we got moved up to the front row. We got a really good start and we had a really good car. The track was pretty fast and a little choppy so it got sketchy at times in traffic, but I ended up being able to navigate it correctly. I was focused on getting through as fast as I could and as clean as I could.”
Starks led the distance to garner his first career win at Williams Grove Speedway and his first career Pennsylvania Speedweek triumph. The $10,000 top prize was the most he’s won in a single race.
“It was a really big race and that meant a lot,” he said. “We had been battling Williams Grove. I didn’t really care what race it was, that we got the monkey off our back and beat everyone at Williams Grove was cool. The fact that it was a big paying Speedweek race made it that much better.”
Starks returned to Port Royal Speedway on Saturday, when he qualified second quickest, ended third in a heat race and placed fourth in the main event.
“We were good enough to hold our own,” he said. “We rode around in fourth the whole race. We put down some solid laps. We weren’t as good as we could have been, but we helped build our notebook. It was another solid night.”
Speedweek wrapped up on Sunday at Selinsgrove Speedway, where Starks established quick time during qualifying. He finished fourth in a heat race, but an eight-car inversion lined him up eighth for the main event.
“We were riding in seventh throughout the first stage,” he said. “We were real good to start the race and then about Lap 5 I felt like something was off. The car wasn’t quite stuck as well as it should have been. We discovered during a red flag around Lap 15 the left side board on the top wing was separating from the center section. I tried to salvage what I could, but we ended up fading to 14th.”
Starks and Gobrecht Motorsports will take the momentum from Speedweek to the famed Kings Royal this Thursday through Saturday at Eldora Speedway near Rossburg, Ohio, with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series.
QUICK RESULTS –
July 5 – Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, Md. – Qualifying: 12; Heat race: 1 (2); Feature: 10 (8).
July 7 – Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa. – Qualifying: 4; Heat race: 4 (4); Feature: 1 (3).
July 8 – Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal, Pa. – Qualifying: 2; Heat race: 3 (4); Feature: 4 (3).
July 9 – Selinsgrove Speedway in Selinsgrove, Pa. – Qualifying: 1; Heat race: 4 (4); Feature: 14 (8).
SEASON STATS –
31 races, 2 wins, 10 top fives, 15 top 10s, 20 top 15s, 26 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Thursday through Saturday at Eldora Speedway near Rossburg, Ohio, for the Kings Royal with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.TreyStarksRacing.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Starks55Trey
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TreyStarksRacing?fref=ts
APPAREL –
Starks has t-shirts and hoodies for sale at http://www.TreyStarksRacing.com.
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – FK Rod Ends
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“FK Rod Ends produces the best product available and are awesome people to work with,” Starks said. “We’ve been with them for a long time and are grateful for their support.”
Gobrecht Motorsports would also like to thank Champion Brands, Starks Timber Processing, Golf Cart Services, ServiceMaster Clean, J&J Auto Racing, Textron Off Road, Fibreworks Composites, Gettysburg Rental Center, Gardy’s Enterprises, Kleffel’s, Moose Blocks, Beer Hill Gang, Baker Door Company, Moose Lodge 720, Pancho’s Racing Products, Pro Shocks, Auto Meter, KSE Racing Products, Fel-Pro, Taylor Ignition Wires, Miller Welders, K&N Filters, Mettec, Bell Helmets, AL Driveline, DMI, Champion Spark Plugs, ISC Racers Tape, Schroth Racing, HMS Motorsports, King Racing Products, Kinsler Fuel Injection, All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads, Ultra Lite Brakes & Components and Security Race 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 by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
- Shawn Miller on Jul 12, 2017
- Article Date: 7/12/2017 by Inside Line Promotions