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– MESQUITE, Texas (Aug. 1) – It doesn’t take much in racing for good to turn to bad.
Unfortunately for Channin Tankersley, that has too often been the theme of his season. And it was last weekend, when the 20-year-old from Highlands, Texas, drove from 15th to fifth on a dry track only to have engine issues keep him from racing the following night.
“All in all, I was pretty happy with Friday night,” he said. “But I don’t know what was going on there Saturday.”
Tankersley capitalized on early restarts to gain 10 positions in the first half of Friday’s ASCS Gulf South Region feature at Heart O’Texas Speedway in Waco, Texas. He then maintained a top five on a rubber-down track to pull within 18 points of fourth place in the ASCS Gulf South standings.
However, after the team washed the car and performed the necessary maintenance, the engine wouldn’t run well at Saturday’s ASCS Gulf South race at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas. After changing a few things, Tankersley refired the engine before hot laps and came to the conclusion that he needed to switch to his backup.
When he pushed onto the track to line up on the outside of the front row for his heat race, the new engine had the same problem.
“I don’t know if we got bad fuel or maybe someone messed with our stuff when we weren’t looking,” he said. “It’s weird that both engines did that because one was fresh. We jacked with it and jacked with it, and the only thing we didn’t have time to do was change fuel.”
Tankersley sent a fuel sample in this week and hopes that was the problem. The trouble on Saturday marred what started out as a great weekend.
On Friday, he drove from sixth to fourth in his heat race on a dry track. That gave him enough points to line up 15th in the feature.
“Off the start I got about three positions,” he said. “Then, we had a yellow a couple of laps in so that bunched up the field. I was able to pass a couple of cars on that restart. Then, we had another restart a few laps later and I did the same thing.
“They were all trying to run around the middle and top in turns one and two. I’d putt around the bottom and get a good run off turn two.”
Tankersley has the next two weekends off before returning to action with the ASCS Gulf South on Aug. 19 at Golden Triangle Raceway Park in Beaumont, Texas, where his two wins have come this season.
He’ll wrap up that weekend on Aug. 20 at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas.
Tankersley is seventh in the ASCS Gulf South points, only nine points out of sixth and 70 behind fourth place.
QUICK RESULTS –
July 29 – Heart O’Texas Speedway in Waco, Texas – Heat race: 4 (6); Feature: 5 (15).
SEASON STATS –
20 races, 17 features, 2 wins, 7 top fives, 10 top 10s, 11 top 15s, 15 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Aug. 19 at Golden Triangle Raceway Park in Beaumont, Texas, and Aug. 20 at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas, with the ASCS Gulf South Region
FAVORITE NUMBER –
10: Cars passed in the first half of the feature last Friday at Heart O’Texas Speedway in Waco, Texas.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS –
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Tankersley71
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Miller’s Machine & Welding
Established in 1979, Miller’s Machine & Welding builds custom aluminum and stainless steel tanks, stands and structures for all sizes of boats, trucks and specialty automobiles. For more information, visit www.millersmachineandwelding.com.
“Miller’s Machine & Welding has helped me out on all my machining and fabricating,” Tankersley said. “As everyone knows, most of this stuff in racing has to be built to fit your suit and Miller’s Machine & Welding makes my life a lot easier. They do a great job and I know they can fix anything I tear up.”
Tankersley would like to thank his sponsors, including Griffith Truck & Equipment and Custom Vinyl Designs for their continued support.