(Photo by Jason Tucker Photos)
Inside Line Promotions – PETALUMA, Calif. (March 9, 2020) – Roger Crockett enjoyed a successful start to the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour season by racing to a trio of top-10 finishes during four starts in the west.
Crockett is one of only two drivers to garner three top 10s in the first four races of the season and he currently ranks third in the championship standings – only 28 points out of the lead.
“I’m really happy with the speed we’ve had,” he said. “We’ve moved forward and had a car capable of getting even better finishes so that’s something we can build on.”
The ASCS National Tour season began Feb. 28-29 at Canyon Speedway Park in Peoria, Ariz., where Crockett pocketed a pair of top 10s in a field of 50-plus drivers.
Crockett won a heat race and advanced from fifth to fourth place in a qualifier before maneuvering from 12th to ninth in the A Main during the opener.
“The first night the car was stellar in the heat,” he said. “We were a little off in the qualifier. We really needed to get another spot, but weren’t quite good enough. In the main event I got a bad start and got caught behind a car. I spent too much time messing with him and we lost too many places. We had to make up a lot of ground to get to where we did.”
Crockett capped the weekend the ensuing night by charging from eighth to fourth place in a heat race. A third-place outing in a qualifier preceded a run from ninth to sixth in the A Main.
“The car was really good in every event we were in, but track position is hard to come by,” he said. “We were happy we at least moved forward. When the rubber came on Saturday we were really, really good, but there was nowhere to go.”
Crockett took that momentum into California last weekend for a scheduled tripleheader, which began on Friday at Merced Speedway in Merced. He placed second in both a heat race and qualifier before spending most of the first half of the feature battling for a spot on the podium.
“Our car was really, really good,” he said after ending with a seventh-place finish. “We battled with (Brad) Sweet a bit early in the night and that got me on the wheel a little better. Then in the feature I should have had our tires more prepared. That bit us with the stagger change. We lost nearly two inches of stagger and you can’t do that. Then you make one bad move on a restart trying to get around a lapped car and it costs you a couple of spots. Those are the things in racing that drop you from a possible podium to seventh.”
Saturday’s event at Placerville Speedway in Placerville rained out. The weekend concluded on Sunday at Petaluma Speedway, where Crockett started seventh in a heat race.
“We started in the back row in the grease and there wasn’t much you can do,” he said. “We got by a car on the first lap and tried to get by another and didn’t get the room we needed, which cost us. Starting that far back you’re hoping to just get a spot or two to get yourself into a qualifier. We didn’t get enough points to run a qualifier. In the B Main we ran the fastest laps of the race once we got free of some cars, but that doesn’t pay anything or mean anything.”
Crockett used a provisional to start the main event, but pulled off on the opening lap.
The team is scheduled to take this weekend off before resuming ASCS National Tour competition March 20-21 at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas, during the 47th annual Spring Nationals. Crockett has earned an ASCS National Tour win at the track each of the last two years.
QUICK RESULTS –
Feb. 28 – Canyon Speedway Park in Peoria, Ariz. – Heat race: 1 (1); Qualifier: 4 (5); Feature: 9 (12).
Feb. 29 – Canyon Speedway Park in Peoria, Ariz. – Heat race: 4 (8); Qualifier: 3 (3); Feature: 6 (9).
March 6 – Merced Speedway in Merced, Calif. – Heat race: 2 (2); Qualifier: 2 (4); Feature: 7 (3).
March 8 – Petaluma Speedway in Petaluma, Calif. – Heat race: 7 (7); B Main: 6 (8); Feature: DNF (24).
SEASON STATS –
4 races, 0 wins, 0 top fives, 3 top 10s, 3 top 15, 3 top 20s
UP NEXT –
March 20-21 at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas, for the 47th annual Spring Nationals with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour
MEDIA LINKS –
Twitter: https://twitter.com/the_Rocket_11
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roger.crockett.11/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therocket11/
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“I feel like FK Rod Ends are bulletproof,” Crockett said. “We’ve tested them out with some crashes the last couple of years and it’s crazy what their product holds up to. I’ve run nothing but their stuff for at least 10 years and maybe longer.”
Crockett would also like to thank BC Motorsports, Rocket Designs, Olson Custom Designs, Maxim Chassis, Champion Racing Oil, Bell Helmets, Rider Racing Engines, Tracker Native Tobacco, Newlin Bar Service, AL Driveline, Indy Race Parts and KSE Racing Products for their continued support.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
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- Shawn Miller on Mar 09, 2020
- Article Date: 3/9/2020 by Inside Line Promotions