(Photo by Rob Kocak Photos)
Inside Line Promotions – SPENCER, Iowa (Nov. 23, 2020) – When Justin Henderson and Mike Sandvig Racing joined forces two seasons ago they had a goal in mind to reach Victory Lane and be competitive for years to come.
After going winless in 2019, the duo entered the 2020 season with high expectations. Once again planning to focus primarily on weekly competition at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, Henderson delivered on his promise as the team reached the Winner’s Circle for the first time together to highlight a season that saw racing limited because of the pandemic.
The victory, which came on July 4, and four top 10s earned the team a seventh-place finish in the championship standings at 'The Sprint Car Capital of the World.’
"I think we were the only weekly team outside of the champion to find Victory Lane at Knoxville, so that's something to hang our hat on," Henderson said. "It was certainly a different season and one I'll always remember. We got a win together, which was the ultimate goal, but I think we definitely left a lot on the table in terms of success."
With weekly racing struggling to get underway in the spring because of the pandemic, Henderson and Sandvig were forced to travel elsewhere to begin the season together.
An early season visit to Park Jefferson International Speedway in North Sioux City, S.D., to compete with the Ollie's Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions yielded the team's first top five of the season with a third-place finish after leading seven laps early. Henderson backed that up the following night by finishing 12th with the series.
"At the time there wasn't much racing anywhere so anybody who was looking to race went there and it made for a tough weekend," he said. "To show speed and compete against fields like that, it set the bar high and gave us confidence."
The team also made several starts with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series with their best results coming during the 42nd annual AGCO Jackson Nationals at Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn. Henderson produced a seventh-place outing during a preliminary night. He also set fast time with the series later in the season during a return to racing at Huset's Speedway in Brandon, S.D., where he finished the feature 13th.
"We found speed at the end of the year and we were running well against stacked fields night in and night out," he said. "You always want more results, but at some point you have to kind of take what you can get and keep learning. Any time you can run against the Outlaws it's going to make your program better."
The team concluded their season together at the 19th annual Jerry Richert Memorial at Cedar Lake Raceway in New Richmond, Wis., where late-race heartbreak for the second consecutive season cost the team a shot at the win. Henderson was running second and challenging for the lead with only a handful of laps remaining when he got over the cushion and flipped.
"Two years in a row we've been going for the win in that race and it hurts knowing how good we were to end up crashed," he said. "Despite the cost of repairing a car, we left there feeling good heading into next season knowing we have speed and we're going into the offseason feeling good."
While he only won once in the Sandvig Racing machine, Henderson did pick up several wins in 360ci sprint car competition in his own sprint car. He streamlined his personal operation to match the Sandvig car early in the season and he credits the team's efforts in helping him be more competitive elsewhere.
"We found a lot of things in Mike's car that I directly put into my deal to make us faster," he said. "Any time you can have someone like Mike helping on your deal and bringing his knowledge, it's going to pay off and I can't thank them enough. I think together we'll be successful for a long time."
Current plans for the team are to again compete regularly at Knoxville Raceway in 2021. Along with chasing a track championship there, the team is planning to do some early season racing elsewhere depending on schedules.
"This year was tough as you could never really get into a groove and it made it tough to be consistent," he said. "We're going to try and get in as many races as possible before Knoxville starts up. That way when we get into the weekly swing we already have things dialed in and I think we're ready to take the next step forward as a team."
SEASON STATS –
23 races, 1 win, 2 top fives, 6 top 10s, 13 top 15s, 16 top 20s
MEDIA LINKS –
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Henderson_racin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/90850346221/
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Morton Buildings
Morton Buildings builds the finest, pole barns, equestrian buildings, steel buildings and more. For more information, visit http://www.MortonBuildings.com.
“We’ve had a relationship with Morton Buildings for more than four years and they’ve really grown in the racing scene,” Sandvig said. “We’re thrilled to have such a reputable sponsor as part of our team.”
Sandvig would also like to thank Eszlinger Electric, Deberg Concrete, DeBerg Flooring, R2 Enterprise, GRP Motorsports, Winters Performance, Schoenfeld Headers, BK Racing TI Components, SBS FK Shocks, Wings Unlimited, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Rider Racing Engines, Hinchman Racewear, Heartland Kitchen Solutions, Blud Lubricants, Triple X Race Co., Boji Custom Metal Works and Simpson 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 Nov 23, 2020
- Article Date: 11/23/2020 by Inside Line Promotions