Inside Line Promotions – HAMLIN, Pa. (Sept. 21, 2020) – Joey Amantea recorded his third victory of the season at Hamlin Speedway last Saturday to cap the week.
Amantea also finished 20th on Wednesday at Shellhammer Dirt Track in Shoemakersville, Pa., where he gained laps prior to a pair of races this week.
“It was the best of both world’s this week as we got another win, but also wrecked a car,” he said. “The good news is we had a chance to win on both nights and it just continues what’s been a great season for us.”
Amantea made his first trip in more than a year to Shellhammer Dirt Track, kicking off the action last Wednesday night by passing four cars to finish third in a heat race and secure the ninth starting spot in the A Main. He advanced as high as third during the feature, but late-race contact while battling for second sent him spinning into the infield and ended his night early. He was credited with finishing 20th.
“We were really fast right out the gate and with a couple more laps we likely win our heat race,” he said. “We were up to third by Lap 18 in the feature and we had a chance at second and got chopped on a late restart. On one hand it is nice to know we had speed right off the bat, but it’s disappointing to have nothing to show for it.”
Amantea won’t have to dwell on the missed opportunity for long as he’ll have two chances at redemption this week. He’s set to visit the track this Wednesday night before tackling the $1,000-to-win Shellhammer Slam IV on Sunday.
Amantea finished off last week on Saturday night at Hamlin Speedway, where he won a heat race from the pole position. The feature redraw started him on the inside of the second row for the feature and he quickly moved into second. Amantea used the outside of a double-file restart to take the lead and he went unchallenged in the closing laps for the victory.
The triumph made him a perfect 3-for-3 in races at Hamlin Speedway this season and is a new personal high for wins in a season.
“We’ve been great at Hamlin all season so I expected to be in contention right away,” he said. “To go undefeated in starts there this year is pretty special and it’s a great way to end the year there.”
Amantea is set for four nights of racing this week. Along with the two nights at Shellhammer Dirt Track, Amantea will compete in wingless micro sprint competition at Linda’s Speedway in Jonestown, Pa., on Friday. Saturday will mark a return behind the wheel of a 360ci sprint car with the USAC East Coast Wingless Sprint Car Series at Bridgeport Speedway in Swedesboro, N.J.
While this won’t be his first start behind the wheel of a 360ci sprint car, this week will mark his first time behind the wheel of one carrying his familiar No. 88j. He’s hoping the change of numbers will serve as a confidence booster as he prepares for the future.
“We’re going to change the number and just kind of get that sense of familiarity on the sprint car side of things,” he said. “While we’re focused on winning as much as possible in the micro sprint now, this is kind of the first step toward looking to the future and I’m excited to see where this path leads us.”
QUICK RESULTS –
Sept. 16 – Shellhammer Dirt Track in Shoemakersville, Pa. – Heat race: 3 (7); Feature: 20 (9).
Sept. 19 – Hamlin Speedway in Hamlin, Pa. – Heat race: 1 (1); Feature: 1 (3).
SEASON STATS –
49 races, 3 wins, 17 top fives, 33 top 10s, 38 top 15s, 41 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Wednesday at Shellhammer Dirt Track in Shoemakersville, Pa.; Friday at Linda’s Speedway in Jonestown, Pa.; Saturday at Bridgeport Speedway in Swedesboro, N.J., with the Rapid Tire USAC East Coast Wingless 360 Sprint Cars; and Sunday at Shellhammer Dirt Track for the Shellhammer Slam IV
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.joeyamantearacing.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joeyamantearacing/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/joeyamantea88J
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Amantea Real Estate
Amantea Real Estate is a residential and commercial real estate company based in Mount Pocono, Pa. For more information, visit http://www.AmanteaRealEstate.com.
“I’m very happy to have an esteemed company like Amantea Real Estate back our team,” Amantea said. “I’m very grateful for their support and look forward to continued success together.”
Amantea would also like to thank JPA Masonry, Hyper Racing, Jet Signs, Radical Race Gear, Pensyl Enterprises and Gilroy Northeast Inc. Excavating and Construction 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 Sep 21, 2020
- Article Date: 9/21/2020 by Inside Line Promotions