PETERSEN MEDIA
Though he hadn’t been behind the wheel of a sprint car in nearly eight months, Austin Liggett showed no signs of rust as he returned to action on Friday night and promptly drove from 10th to pick up the USAC/CRA win at Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford, CA.
“Overall, it was a great weekend,” Austin Liggett said. “After taking quite some time off, to come out and win our first race back in the Sprint Car from 10th is pretty cool.”
In what was a double header weekend in central California with the USAC/CRA 410ci series, Liggett kicked things off on Friday night at Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford, CA where he timed the Excel Environmental Services/Liggett Trucking/Tool Technology backed No. 83 in eighth fastest in time trials with 28 cars checked in.
Running fifth in heat race competition, Liggett would then find himself in the fifth row of the 30-lap feature event. As the race came to life, Liggett quietly kept to himself as he ran in the eighth position for the first nine laps before he started to come alive.
Jumping into sixth on the 11th circuit, the Tracy, CA native would crack the Top-5 at the race’s halfway point. Racing his way into third with 10-to-go, Liggett was visibly one of the faster cars on the track as he railed the high-side of the speedway.
Finding something to his liking up top, Liggett brought the crowd to their feet on the 25th lap as he drove around the outside of race leader, Damion Gardner, and never looked back.
Leading the final five laps of the race, Liggett would go on to pick up the victory.
Shifting gears to Saturday night, the scene shifted to Tulare, CA’s Thunderbowl Raceway.
Timing in ninth fastest on this night, Liggett would have a nice run in his heat race as he stormed to the win which would place him ninth on the grid for the impending ‘A’ Main.
With three additional classes also on hand Saturday night, Liggett and crew continued to watch the surface to make their best judgment on what it would do during their feature event.
Admittedly going the wrong direction on their car, Liggett was able to get his elbows up and keep his position I the Top-10, and even flirted with a Top-5 when the race was all said and done.
In what was a knockdown, drag out battle for 30-laps, Liggett came away with a sixth-place finish.
“We misjudged what the track was going to do in our feature, and it hurt us,” Austin Liggett said. “Still, we were good enough to battle inside the Top-10 and we came away with a hard fought sixth place finish. I really must thank my parents, Landon, Matt, Angela, Ali, and Harrison for all of their help. The weekend would not have been possible without everyone pitching in.”
Austin Liggett Racing would like to thank Excel Environmental Services, Liggett Trucking, Tool Technology, Hurst Fabrications, Maxwell Industries, Shine Photography, and ZMAX Racing Oil for their support.
BY THE NUMBERS: Races-3, Wins-1, Top 5’s-1, Top 10’s-3
ON TAP: Liggett is slated to return to action on April 23rd in Merced, CA with the USAC Western States Midget Series.
STAY CONNECTED: Stay updated with Austin Liggett on Twitter by following along @AustinLiggett