From Bill W, image courtesy of Hy Flyin’ Photos
October 5, 2010 – Josh Fisher made his first career trip to the Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Arkansas. The track, affectionately known as “The Ditch”, hosted the Lucas Oil ASCS National Series last Friday and Saturday night at the “Rock ‘N Roll 50”. The Smithton, Missouri driver was running Harley Van Dyke’s #5H in the top five in Friday’s prelim before getting tangled with another car.
Josh’s first impressions of the track reminded him of another ¼ mile he is familiar with. “It was a nice little racetrack,” says the 2010 Lake Ozark Speedway champion. “It reminded me a lot of Jacksonville, but a little wider so there was room to race a bit.”
His first race ever saw him take the checkered flags first as he started outside row one to win heat five. “That got us in the show,” he says. We were able to get enough points there to put us in the redraw, and we drew well (two).”
After drawing outside of row one for the main event, Josh’s goal was to finish in the top four and lock himself into Saturday’s 50-lap finale. After several laps, he was running in the top five when he tangled with Brian Brown. “Brown and I got tangled up,” he says. “Brian, Danny Wood…the top five were there together. Brian was going high in three and four, and they were passing him. That’s where I passed him, and we tangled up going down the next straightaway. It was a racing deal.”
Josh’s Saturday draw saw him start on the pole of the heat. There was a disadvantage to starting on the inside, but he held on for a second place finish. “The track was slimy down low where we started. It was greasy down there, and I tried to run (Ricky) Logan up the track on the start,” he says. “He knew what I was trying to do, so he kept me pinned down there and got the jump on me.”
With a ton of cars in the field, finishing second in the heat didn’t warrant a transfer to the feature. Instead, Josh lined up in row one for the B. The tacky track resulted in the car handling a little tight for Josh’s taste. After manhandling it for a few laps, contact from another car would result in handling problems and a ninth place finish. “The car was tight,” he says. “I went into one and two the second lap, and I had to throw it in. If not, I would have pushed towards the wall. I got sideways there, and then in the next corner, someone hit me in the left rear. It bent the Jacob’s Ladder and the left rear wheel back there. After that, we weren’t good at all.”
Follow Josh on his Website and on MySpace, Facebook and Twitter!
Follow Josh at his website located at www.JoshFisherRacing.com! Also keep up with him on MySpace, Facebook and Twitter (which also can be accessed at the website) at the following links…
MySpace link = http://www.myspace.com/joshfisherracing
Facebook link = http://www.facebook.com/pages/Josh-Fisher-Racing-86/103797769651510?ref=ts
Twitter link = http://twitter.com/JEFRacing
Josh would like to thank the following sponsors for all their help: Ozark Barge & Dock Services Inc., ASAP Properties, Impact Wraps, Impact Sign & Lighting, Fischer’s Concrete, Champion Brands, Bill Ferguson Livestock Trucking, K&N Filters, Butler Built Seats, Maxim Racing Chassis, Winters Performance, Bell Helmets, Hoosier Tires, Ramey Dirtworks, TCI Tire Centers and Brian’s Gym.