(Photo by Rob Kocak Photos)
Inside Line Promotions – BRANDON, S.D (May 11, 2021) – Justin Henderson and Mike Sandvig Racing appeared well on the way to claiming their first win of the season at Huset’s Speedway last Sunday when a late-race incident dropped the team to a 13th-place result.
“You want to try and find the positives in a night that that, but we just got taken out in lapped traffic,” Henderson said. “We had one of the best cars all night and to come out of it with a top 15 isn’t exactly ideal considering the situation.”
Persistent rain showers wiped out their Saturday night plans at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, and the team headed north to South Dakota to compete during the return to weekly racing at Huset’s Speedway for the Mother’s Day Opener.
Henderson kicked off the evening by laying down a lap of 11.085 seconds in time trials, which was good enough for fourth quickest out of 24 drivers. He then finished where he started – third – in a heat race to lock himself into the feature redraw.
“We were really quick out of the gate and I felt like we had a car capable of winning after the heat race,” he said. “We made some minor adjustments to the car getting ready for the feature and I just felt like we had a car capable of winning for sure.”
Henderson lined up from the pole position courtesy of fortune in the redraw and he took advantage of the starting start by jumping out to a commanding lead. He led the first 19 laps of the 25-lap feature, but hopes of a triumph slipped away with six laps to go when he spun out after contact in traffic.
“I was really getting held up in lapped traffic and lost my momentum,” he said. “I tried an aggressive move to get by a car and we just kind of got taken out. You try not to get upset, but that definitely stings a bit knowing how good we were.”
Henderson was able to rebound to finish 13th at the completion of the A Main, good enough for his sixth top 15 in six starts this season. However, it was the bitterness of seeing a win slip through his fingers that was still on his mind after the race.
“I’m not the kind of guy who harps on things too much, but it’s tough when you know you were leading and then it’s just gone in an instant and it’s not your doing,” he said. “I’ve been working hard the last few weeks to be better in my decision making and I’m at a point now where I feel good and confident. We’ll have to move on quick to try to get the next one.”
Up next for Henderson and Sandvig will be their first three-race weekend of the season. They’ll compete in a pair of events sanctioned by the Northern Outlaw Sprint Association at Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn., on Friday and at Huset’s Speedway on Sunday. Sandwiched between the two will be a regular weekly event at Knoxville Raceway on Saturday.
“We’re gaining on the car and we are finding speed and when you have that you have a leg up already on the field,” Henderson said. “I’m excited to get back to Jackson and I’m looking forward to kind of redeeming ourselves at Huset’s. Hopefully we can come out of this weekend with some positive results.”
QUICK RESULTS –
May 9 – Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D. – Qualifying: 4; Heat race: 3 (3); Feature: 13 (1).
SEASON STATS –
6 races, 0 wins, 1 top five, 2 top 10s, 6 top 15s, 6 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Friday at Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn., with the Northern Outlaw Sprint Association; Saturday at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa; and Sunday at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D., with the Northern Outlaw Sprint Association
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 Mamma’s Pizza of Wellsville, Emory Transmission, Eszlinger Electric, 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, 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 May 11, 2021
- Article Date: 5/11/2021 by Inside Line Promotions