From Inside Line Promotions
Mesquite, TX — (August 27, 2013) — Blake Hahn is coming off one of his best weeks of racing.
Hahn recorded his second feature victory in the past five weeks, claimed his first career Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour heat race win and rallied to earn a top-10 finish in his first-ever nonwing sprint car feature.
“It was definitely a valuable weekend,” he said.
Hahn started his week of four consecutive nights of racing last Wednesday with the USAC Southwest at Creek County Speedway in Sapulpa, Okla. He advanced from fifth place to fourth in his heat race and won the B Main to earn a transfer to the main event.
“It was fun,” he said. “I drove it more like a midget to begin with. In hot laps I wasn’t pitching it in soon enough. Basically it was a different type of racing.”
After starting on the outside of the seventh row, Hahn advanced to a seventh-place result in his nonwing sprint car debut.
“The car felt good and I was racing with Dustin Morgan and quite a few people that have run nonwing more,” he said. “I got way more comfortable, especially after the A Feature.”
The team put the wings on and traveled to I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark., on Thursday, when Hahn led his entire heat race to register his first career Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour heat win.
That locked him into the feature, which he started on the inside of the seventh row. Hahn battled for a top 10 for the entire race and secured the 10 th position in the closing laps.
“The track was really dry,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting it to be that dry. Everybody was having a hard time getting out of the corners. It was whoever could hold it down on the bottom the best.”
The peak of his weekend was on Friday with the ASCS Gulf South and ASCS Lone Star Regions at Heart O’Texas Speedway in Waco, Texas. After starting on the back row of his heat race, Hahn maneuvered into the top three to earn a spot in the feature redraw. He then pulled the No. 5 to start the main event on the inside of the third row.
Hahn advanced into the runner-up position within the first two laps before Channin Tankersley passed him on the outside.
“The bottom started to get really slow in (turns) three and four,” Hahn said. “It started to get a little abrasive.”
Tankersley took over the lead with Hahn in tow before he took advantage of an opportunity in traffic.
“(Tankersley) goes to get to the bottom in (turns) one and two,” he said. “A lapped car pinched him down. I got under Channin and the lapped car.”
Hahn took over the top spot and held on to his second career victory.
The weekend wrapped up on Saturday at Devil’s Bowl Speedway with the ASCS Gulf South and ASCS Lone Star Regions.
“My tachometer wasn’t working in hot laps,” he said. “We had the wrong gear in and we got a hole in the radiator.”
The team made the changes and Hahn picked up his second heat race victory in the past three races. He advanced to the feature redraw and pulled the No. 3 to start on the inside of the second row.
“I was running fourth and something with the motor happened,” he said. “It started shaking so I pulled it out of gear and turned it off. That was the best I’ve started and ran at Devil’s Bowl before the motor got hurt.”
Hahn ended with a 22nd-place result.
He is scheduled to compete with the ASCS Lone Star Region on Friday at Abilene Speedway in Abilene, Texas, and on Saturday at Lubbock Speedway in Lubbock, Texas.
QUICK RESULTS –
Aug. 21 – Creek County Speedway in Sapulpa, Okla. – Heat race: 4 (5); B Main: 1 (1); Feature: 7 (14).
Aug. 22 – I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. – Heat race: 1 (1); Feature: 10 (13).
Aug. 23 – Heart O’Texas Speedway in Waco, Texas – Heat race: 3 (8); Feature: 1 (5).
Aug. 24 – Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas – Heat race: 1 (1); Feature: 22 (3).
SEASON STATS –
40 races, 2 wins, 9 top fives, 19 top 10s, 25 top 15s, 27 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Saturday at Abilene Speedway in Abilene, Texas, and Sunday at Lubbock Speedway in Lubbock, Texas, with the ASCS Lone Star Region
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.BlakeHahnRacing.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlakeH52
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
VIDEO –
Here is a link by iRaceTV.com to Hahn’s first career sprint car victory at Lawton Speedway on July 20: http://youtu.be/IMP4X2tkh24