Starks Dominates Gold Cup for First Career Win Outside United States

Trey Starks with the Rutz team in victory lane after winning the Gold Cup at Castrol Raceway. (Image courtesy of ILP)

Inside Line Promotions 

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada (Aug. 29, 2016) – Trey Starks is heating up as the summer is winding down.

Starks garnered his eighth feature victory of the season at the eighth different track – including his second in eight days – last Saturday at Castrol Raceway, where he claimed the finale of the 61st annual Gold Cup while driving for Doug Rutz at the NSA Shootout event.

“It’s a big deal to win a prestigious race like the Gold Cup,” Starks said. “Doug and the team gave me a great car both nights and it showed.”

Starks kicked off the doubleheader on Friday by qualifying fourth quickest before he advanced from fifth to third place in a heat race. That locked him into the feature redraw, where he pulled the highest number – six – to start the main event on the outside of the third row.

“We worked our way through there and got by Travis Rilat for second late in the race,” he said. “I think our car got better as the race went on. We just ran out of laps to make a bid for the win.”

Starks rallied for a runner-up result.

He returned to the 3/8-mile oval on Saturday and opened the action by timing in second quickest during qualifying. Starks then maneuvered from sixth to second place in a heat race to once again make the feature redraw. This time he pulled the No. 1 to start on the pole.

“I just tried to set a good pace out front and make good decisions when we hit traffic,” he said. “We seemed to have a bunch of cautions, but the car took off good on restarts and I focused on running my line and we came out with another win.”

The win tied the season high for victories in a season for Starks, who set his personal best last season. It was also the first of his career outside the United States.

Starks has many opportunities to break that record this weekend when he will compete on Friday and Saturday at Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash., and Monday at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash., with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series and Sunday at Grays Harbor Raceway with the Summer Thunder Sprint Series.

QUICK RESULTS –

Aug. 26 – Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – Qualifying: 4; Heat race: 3 (5); Feature: 2 (6).

Aug. 27 – Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – Qualifying: 2; Heat race: 2 (6); Feature: 1 (1).

SEASON STATS –

48 races, 8 wins, 13 top fives, 16 top 10s, 27 top 15s, 33 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Friday and Saturday at Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash., and Monday at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash., with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series and Sunday at Grays Harbor Raceway with the Summer Thunder Sprint Series

MEDIA LINKS –

Website: http://www.TreyStarksRacing.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Starks55Trey

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TreyStarksRacing?fref=ts

APPAREL –

Starks has t-shirts and hoodies for sale at http://www.TreyStarksRacing.com.

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Blue Dot Fabrications

Blue Dot Fabrications is owned by Trey’s uncle, Dean Starks, who fabricates various types of vehicles, including vintage cars and road race cars. Blue Dot Fabrications even built quarter midgets when Trey began racing. For more information, visit http://www.BlueDotFab.com.

“Blue Dot Fabrications is another business that has been around my family my entire life,” Starks said. “My uncle, Dean, has always been around ready to fix anything that gets dinged up at the track.”

Starks would also like to thank Starks Timber Processing, SpeedMart, Security Race Products, King Racing Products and Masco Petroleum 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.

*PHOTO BY BEN DEATHERAGE*