From Inside Line Promotions
– LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (April 20) – It wasn’t the best introduction to Midwest short-track racing.
In fact, last weekend was more than just frustrating for Logan Forler, who competed with the ASCS National Tour at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark., for the first time.
“I think that I-30 Speedway is a lot about being up on the wheel and driving as hard as you can,” the 17-year-old from Lake Havasu City, Ariz., said. “On that little track, you gotta make something happen right away or it’s not going to happen.”
Forler was snake bitten by a high pill draw on Friday, pulling the fourth-highest number. That started him last – eighth – in the final heat race on the high-banked, 1/4th-mile oval. Forler worked his way up to sixth in the first two laps before his right rear tire went flat, forcing him to the pits with an eighth-place finish.
“The pill draw killed us,” he said. “The flat tire killed us even more. Once you have a start like that, it’s really hard to come back from it. We did as much as we could in the B Main.”
Forler raced from ninth to seventh in his B Main, falling four positions short of transferring to the feature.
Saturday started a lot better, with Forler’s draw lining him up on the outside of the front row in his heat race. Forler rocketed to the lead at the start and led all 10 laps to claim his second ASCS National Tour heat race win of the season.
That earned him a spot in the redraw, where he was tabbed sixth to start the 35-lap feature. Unfortunately, tough luck reared its head as Forler was battling in the top five early in the feature.
“Everybody went to the top of the race track going into turn three on the second lap,” Forler said. “I went to the bottom and Jeff Swindell spun coming out of turn four. He ran into my right rear tire, which bent the wheel.”
Forler stopped on the ensuing lap, but the crew was unable to change the tire until a red flag one lap later.
“Once I pushed back off after the red flag, I noticed that the axel was bent,” he said. “Basically, I just told myself that I have to finish the race for points.
“(The bent axel) takes away side bite 100 times a corner. It just makes the car so loose because of the vibration. The car is just so inconsistent you can’t drive it. It takes everything you can to hold onto the car.”
Forler finished 21st and ranks 11th in the ASCS National Tour points. He also remains second in the Rookie of the Year chase.
He is taking this weekend off before returning to the track on April 30 at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa.
QUICK RESULTS –
April 15 – I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. – Heat race: 8 (8); B Main: 7 (9).
April 16 – I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. – Heat race: 1 (2); Feature: 21 (6).
SEASON STATS –
14 races, 10 features, 0 wins, 0 top fives, 2 top 10s, 6 top 15s, 8 top 20s
UP NEXT –
April 30 at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa
FAVORITE NUMBER –
10: Laps Forler led to claim his ASCS National Tour heat race on Saturday at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS –
Website: www.rushracingenterprise.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ForlerRacing
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Logan-Forler/190774707612190
APPAREL –
Forler has t-shirts, girls crew neck shirts and sweatshirts for sale. The sizes range from small to 3XL and prices are $15-20 for shirts and $30 for sweatshirts. For more information, visit www.rushracingenterprise.com.
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Shark Racing Engines
Shark Racing Engines, owned by Northwest racing ace Marc Huson, has been producing sprint car engines for more than 20 years. Based out of Sedro Wolley, Wash., Shark Racing Engines builds and rebuilds more than 100 engines each year. For more information, visit www.sharkracingengines.com.
“Shark Racing Engines has helped us the last couple of years in a sprint car,” Logan said. “They’ve always done a good job and I know that Marc Huson and his group will give me a competitive engine anywhere I race.”
Forler would like to thank his sponsors, including Steve Forler Trucking, Line-X, RN Smith Harvesting, Atomic Designs and Des Moines Industrial Products for their continued support.