(Photo by Malcolm White Photography)
Inside Line Promotions – COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (July 16, 2018) – Austen Wheatley earned a pair of top-10 finishes last weekend at Cottage Grove Speedway during the final two rounds of the annual Western Sprint Tour’s Speedweek.
“I think it went fantastic,” he said. “I just couldn’t close the deal. I think it’s from a lack of racing. A lot of the people we’re racing with have like 30 races already. We’re just showing up and running with them.”
Wheatley, who entered the weekend with only six races under his belt this season, kicked off the action on Friday at the quarter-mile oval. He qualified second quickest in his group before advancing from sixth to fourth place in a heat race. Wheatley then maneuvered from third to win the dash and start the A Main on the pole.
“The track was pretty hooked up,” he said. “There was a good bottom and it wasn’t bad slick. I’ve seen so many races there where the driver gets off the bottom too early and loses the race. This time I just stayed down there too long.”
Wheatley led approximately the first dozen laps before dropping to a fourth-place finish, which was his second top five of the season.
The weekend wrapped up on Saturday at Cottage Grove Speedway, where Wheatley set quick time during qualifying in his group. A charge from sixth to fourth place in a heat race followed by a fourth-place finish in the dash lined him up on the outside of the second row for the A Main.
“It was a really good track around the top,” he said. “I faded early to seventh. The top got really far around. I put the wing in the trunk and started running the bottom. We got to third with D.J. Netto and John Carney III in front of me. We had a caution with four laps to go and I sealed the tires up. It was awful. As soon as we took the green flag on the restart it was like I was on ice. If we didn’t have that caution I think we could have won that race. We were making up so much time and no one was down there.”
Wheatley held on for a seventh-place result. It was his fourth top 10 of the season.
QUICK RESULTS –
July 13 – Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage Grove, Ore. – Qualifying: 2; Heat race: 4 (6); Dash: 1 (3); Feature: 4 (1).
July 14 – Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage Grove, Ore. – Qualifying: 1; Heat race: 4 (6); Dash: 4 (4); Feature: 7 (4).
SEASON STATS –
8 races, 0 wins, 2 top fives, 4 top 10s, 6 top 15s, 6 top 20s
UP NEXT –
TBD
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 – Redlined Welding & Construction
Redlined Welding & Construction performs welding and construction for fishing boats and processors. Based out of Lake Stevens, Wash., Redlined Welding & Construction is owned and operated by Austen’s father, Shannon Wheatley.
“Redlined Welding & Construction is a family business and we race with a family team so without Redlined Welding & Construction I wouldn’t be able to race,” Austen Wheatley said. “It is the heart and soul of this team.”
Wheatley would also like to thank Downforce Designs, Astro Titanium, Franklin Rear Ends, Elite Wings, ART Speed Equipment, Schaeffer Oil and Banshee Graphics 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 16, 2018
- Article Date: 7/16/2018 by Inside Line Promotions