7/14/2014
Inside Line Promotions
Wheatley Kicks Off Month of Money With Tough Luck in Ohio
(Photo by Tear-Off Heaven Fotos)
Inside Line Promotions – ROSSBURG, Ohio (July 14, 2014) – Austen Wheatley endured a tough outing in Ohio as the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series “Month of Money” kicked off last week.
Wheatley had an engine issue during qualifying last Wednesday at the 26th annual Brad Doty Classic at Limaland Motorsports Park in Lima, Ohio. To make things worse, the team was unable to change the engine prior to the heat race.
“We lost a motor in qualifying and didn’t make the heat race because the hoist in the trailer broke so we had to borrow someone else’s,” he said.
That relegated Wheatley to the C Main. He advanced from sixth to third place, which was only one spot out of a transfer.
The team then ventured to Eldora Speedway for the Knight Before the Kings Royal on Friday, when Wheatley qualified 37th quickest.
“I just had no speed in qualifying,” he said. “I don’t really know why. Qualifying is so important.”
Wheatley placed seventh in his heat race and after winning the C Main, he started 17th in the Last Chance Showdown.
“The LCS was going good,” he said. “We were passing cars, but a rock flew off someone’s car and it hit right in front of the tearoff post and snapped it. I definitely pulled in because my visor was flying off.”
After being hit in the helmet by the rock, Wheatley ended with a 17th-place finish in the consolation race.
Saturday’s 31st annual Kings Royal nearly got off to a flawless start for Wheatley, who was in the heat race inversion until the second-to-last qualifier. That bumped Wheatley to 25th in time trials, which was one spot out of the inversion by one hundredth of a second.
If Wheatley had not been bumped from the inversion he would have started on the pole of the final heat race on a fast track. The winner of that race started on the pole of the $50,000-to-win main event.
Instead Wheatley lined up fifth in his heat race, which locked the top three into the feature.
“I was underneath Cody Darrah for the transfer and I got hung out,” he said. “It pushed us up to the wall and the bottom didn’t really go away the whole night.”
After placing seventh in his heat race, Wheatley lined up 13th in the B Main.
“The bottom and the middle were too quick,” he said. “We were way too free for that. And every time I went to the top we got passed. Just when I got comfortable running the fence it wasn’t fast.”
Wheatley’s weekend ended with a 19th-place finish in the B Main.
He is taking this weekend off before competing on July 26 at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, and on July 27 at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D.
QUICK RESULTS –
July 9 – Limaland Motorsports Park in Lima, Ohio – Qualifying: 40; Heat race: DNS (10); C Main: 3 (6).
July 11 – Eldora Speedway near Rossburg, Ohio – Qualifying: 37; Heat race: 7 (8); C Main: 1 (1); B Main: 17 (17).
July 12 – Eldora Speedway near Rossburg, Ohio – Qualifying: 25; Heat race: 7 (5); B Main: 19 (13).
SEASON STATS –
30 races, 1 win, 4 top fives, 6 top 10s, 7 top 15s, 10 top 20s
UP NEXT –
July 26 at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, and July 27 at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D.
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.AustenWheatley.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AustenWheatley
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DownForceDesigns?fref=ts
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 – Redlined Welding & Construction
Redlined Welding & Construction performs welding and construction for fishing boats and processors. Based out of Lake Stevens, Wash., Redlined Welding & Construction is owned and operated by Austen’s father, Shannon Wheatley.
“Redlined Welding & Construction is a family business and we race with a family team, so without Redlined Welding & Construction I wouldn’t be able to race,” Austen Wheatley said. “It is the heart and soul of this team.”
Wheatley would also like to thank Downforce Designs, Astro Titanium, The Oil Medics, Fire-Down Graphics, SpeedMart, Bell and King Racing Products for their continued support.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program and to join Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or InsideLinePromotions@gmail.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
Article Credit: Inside Line Promotions
Submitted By: Shawn Miller
