PETERSEN MEDIA
Starting up front was key in Merced, CA on Friday night, and a poor qualifying time hampered Kyle Hirst’s night on Friday.
“Same rules apply as they have the past few races with the Outlaws, qualify well, and run up front,” he said.
With 31 cars on tap Friday night, the three-heat inversion was 12 cars, and Hirst’s 19th quick effort put him in the fourth row of the first heat.
Being on the bottom of the heat was to his advantage, as he was able to put his Roth Enterprises/HR Livestock Transportation/3H Cattle in the sixth and final transfer spot, putting him in the feature event.
Though he was in the feature, his qualification time would come back and bite him in the feature as he rolled off for the 40-lap feature in the 19th position.
With the bottom of the track being noticeably faster than the top, most cars used the moisture down low, making passing extremely difficult in rare.
With nothing to lose, Hirst attempted to make the top side work, though it was just too far around, and he wasn’t able to make up and ground, or gain any positions.
With a battered nose wing, and a banged up racecar, Hirst’s night would end as he crossed the finish line in the 19th spot.
“On a track like that, it was important to be up front, and a bad qualifying lap, put us in the back,” he said. “This whole Roth Motorsports team worked hard all night, and our car was good, it was just super tough to pass cars. We will move on to Antioch next week, and hopefully have a better night.”
Kyle and his Roth Motorsports team would like to thank Roth Enterprises, HR Livestock Transportation, 3H Cattle, Mobil1, FK Rod Ends, Weld Wheels, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Kent Performance Center, Kaeding Performance, and Astro Titanium for their support.
2013 ROTH MOTORSPORTS BY THE NUMBERS: Starts-8, Wins-0, Top 5’s-0, Top-10’s-1.
2013 BY THE NUMBERS: Starts-20, Wins-0, Top 5’s-3, Top 10’s-9.
ON TAP: Hirst will return to action on Friday night at the Antioch Speedway in Antioch, CA before heading to the Calistoga Speedway on Saturday.
STAY CONNECTED: Stay connected with the Roth Motorsports team by visiting www.rothmotorsports83.com. You can also follow Kyle on Twitter @KyleHirstRacing.