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TULARE, Calif. (March 17, 2014) – Austen Wheatley is making steady gains on his sprint car program with every lap he records on the track.
There were some bright spots for Wheatley during an up-and-down weekend at Thunderbowl Raceway last Friday and Saturday with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series.
He opened the competition on Friday by qualifying 15th quickest – less than four tenths of a second out of the heat race inversion. That started him fifth in a heat race.
“I think I left a little on the table in qualifying,” he said. “In the heat race it was really tight. I screwed up by going to the top. When you race in dirty air at that place the car gets really tight.”
Wheatley placed eighth in his heat race, which relegated him to the Last Chance Showdown. He ended second in the consolation race to earn a transfer to the main event, which he started 15th.
“The feature was going pretty good, but there was this weird vibration,” he said. “The motor was loading up on fuel. The track was really fast early on in the night and the track was carrying speed. During the feature the track was so slow because you were on the bottom. In the center and on the exit the car didn’t want to take off. It wasn’t the motors fault; it was our fault.”
Unsure of the issue, Wheatley pulled into the infield in the closing laps to record a 21st-place result.
He returned to Thunderbowl Raceway on Saturday, when he missed his marks during qualifying.
“Qualifying was very, very important and I just messed up,” he said after timing in 28th quickest. “I started in the back of the heat race, which was the most stacked heat of my life. Cody Darrah didn’t make it. Daryn Pittman didn’t make it.”
Wheatley advanced to ninth in his heat race, which included seven World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series feature winners. That sent Wheatley to the Last Chance Showdown, which he started 10th.
“I was behind (Kyle) Hirst for a transfer with a few laps to go,” he said. “I was trying to pass him and biked the car up in turns one and two. I screwed up my entry. There was a little ledge that had built up and it was hard to see. Hirst was on the bottom and I had got a good run on him the lap prior. I tried to hit the same spot the next lap to pass him and didn’t.”
Wheatley lost ground and finished eighth – two positions out of a transfer – in the Last Chance Showdown.
He will return to action this Saturday at Stockton 99 Dirt Track in Stockton, Calif., for the FVP Western Spring Shootout with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series.
Wheatley earned his best qualifying effort with the World of Outlaws at the inaugural event at Stockton 99 Dirt Track last season by timing in fourth quickest.
“The first half of the night was pretty decent,” he said. “I just have to capitalize on the main event side of it.”
QUICK RESULTS –
March 14 – Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif. – Qualifying: 15; Heat race: 8 (5); B Main: 2 (2); Feature: 21 (15).
March 15 – Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif. – Qualifying: 28; Heat race: 9 (10); B Main: 8 (10).
SEASON STATS –
4 races, 0 wins, 0 top fives, 0 top 10s, 0 top 15s, 0 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Saturday at Stockton 99 Dirt Track in Stockton, Calif., for the FVP Western Spring Shootout with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.AustenWheatley.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
APPAREL –
Wheatley will have t-shirts and hoodies for sale at every race he competes at this season. For his schedule of races, visit http://www.AustenWheatley.com.
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Downforce Designs
Downforce Designs is an apparel company established and operated by Austen Wheatley. For information on apparel options, prices, clientele and more, visit http://www.DownforceDesigns.
“It’s good to have a fresh take on apparel in the sport,” Wheatley said. “My goal is to provide something unique and diverse, and I think I know what a driver wants to see on his or her apparel. It’s a racer helping racers.”
Wheatley would also like to thank Redlined Welding & Construction, The Oil Medics, Astro Titanium, Fire-Down Graphics, SpeedMart, Bell and King Racing Products for their continued support.