5/19/2016
Howard Impressing In All Three New Divisions
(Photo by High Fly’n Photos)
GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. – With all the changes that 2016 has brought, Luke Howard has quickly adapted. At the age of 12, he’s competing with some of Missouri’s top racing talents in the stock winged and nonwing divisions at Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex, as well as with the Allstar Midget Series at Valley Speedway. In the micro sprint classes at Sweet Springs, Howard has attained a top-ten once in each division, headed by an eighth-place run on April 30. However, the progress has been more evident in the midget, as the youngster failed to finish his first race in April, then finished tenth, and has now earned a fifth-place finish in his third career midget event.
That most recent midget start came last Saturday at Valley, a high-banked third-mile clay oval. As usual, the pit area was bustling with midget entries, totaling 19 on this night. Howard’s pill draw for the evening’s heat race starting lineups slated him to start in third in the first of three heats. The Overland Park, Kan. driver held his own against competitors several times his age, and finished in third.
For the 25-lap main event, a lineup set by passing points put Howard in the ninth starting position. Howard took away seventh in the first corner, utilizing the low side of the speedway. After falling back to eighth, Howard looked to regain the spot on a restart following a lap-seven caution. Though that wouldn’t happen, he was able to take seventh back within the next three laps. Coming to the crossed flags indicating the halfway point of the race, Howard was locked in a fierce three-way battle for the fifth spot, and he earned the position by lap 15. A late caution with five to go gave Howard a chance to advance into fourth; he attempted to get by on the bottom as the fourth-place driver took the long way around, but couldn’t overcome the momentum the high line provided. The checkered would fly with Howard tallying his first midget top-five.
Howard Racing Team would like to thank Canyon Stone, Cash Kid Digital Studios, Nathan Benson Motorsports, AdvanTec Dyno Services, Schure Built Suspension, and Fairfield Motor Sports for their continued support.
Howard is next scheduled to compete on May 21 at Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex in the No. 2 600cc micro sprint entry.
Quick Results
May 14 – Grain Valley, MO – Midget – Heat: 3rd (3); Feature: 5th (9)
2016 Stats
7 races, 7 features, 0 wins, 0 podiums, 1 top-five, 4 top-tens, 1 DNF
Article Credit: Redbeard Promotions
