6/9/2015
Peck’s Bad Luck Continues, Preps for Indiana Midget Week
(Photo by Brendon Bauman Photos)
JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – If there is one word to describe Justin Peck’s midget season thus far in 2015, it’s ‘unlucky.’ The driver has put himself in position to finish strong and even compete for wins multiple times, but has combated racing incidents, engine struggles, and steering failure since the onset of the 2015 season. More of the same came during POWRi’s Illinois Speed Week, with engine issues shelving his effort on Thursday at Quincy Raceways, and a tough battle for a top-five position at Jacksonville Speedway resulting in Peck flipping wildly out of the track exit on Friday.
After a crash two weeks ago at Angell Park Speedway damaged their primary chassis, Peck and his team assembled their backup car, moving from their usual DRC Chassis to a Bullet Chassis for the four-race POWRi weekend. Out of the gate, things were not ideal, and he brought home a fifth-place finish in his heat race after starting third. With 37 midgets in action, that finish wouldn’t generate a high enough point total to move to the feature, but instead relegated Peck to one of two B-main events. With the top three finishers moving into the main, the Dura Coat No. 5x took the green flag from fifth. Running near a transfer spot for much of the event, Peck felt his machine bouncing more than normal. In a newly-constructed car, he made the decision to leave the race and try again on Friday night.
Moving to Jacksonville, the outlook was much better for Peck. A strong pill draw put him on pole for a heat race, and he used that to his advantage. Picking up the win put him straight into the feature event. Going ninth on the grid, Peck used several cautions to inch his way forward in the running order. Up to sixth and looking for more, he engaged in a battle for fifth with another driver in a Bullet Chassis, Tanner Thorson. The fight soon turned ugly for Peck. While attempting a pass around the outside down the front straightaway, Peck’s machine launched into the air after contact between the two, and eventually came to rest upside down outside of turn one. With damage to the machine, the team chose to forego the final two nights of racing, and instead head back to Indiana. “It got the frame and that’s it,” Peck noted on the loss. “Getting the DRC ready for [Indiana] Midget Week.”
Peck would like to thank Dura Coat Products, Factory Kahne, Simpson Race Products, Lucas Oil, Keizer Wheels, Hoosier Racing Tire, Saldana Racing Products, Pit Stop BBQ & Grill, Quick Change Products, and Spider Graphix, as well as his parents, Joe Devin, Carl Thomas, Rich Gabel, Jon Steed, Mike Gass, Zack Burks, and all of his fans for their continued support.
Peck is next scheduled to compete on five straight nights, June 10-14 for Indiana Midget Week with the USAC National Midget Series in the No. 5x midget entry. Those races begin at Gas City I-69 Speedway in Gas City, Ind., followed by Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, Bloomington Speedway in Bloomington, Lawrenceburg Speedway in Lawrenceburg, and conclude with Kokomo Speedway in Kokomo. In addition to the midget racing, Peck will compete in the Norris No. 63 410ci wingless sprint car in Gas City and Putnamville on their respective nights.
Quick Results
June 4 – Quincy, IL – Midget – Heat: 5th (3); B-Main: 9th (5)
June 5 – Jacksonville, IL – Midget – Heat: 1st (1); Feature: 20th (9)
2015 Stats
11 races, 9 features, 0 wins, 1 top five, 4 top tens, 5 DNFs
Social Media
Website: http://www.justinpeckracing.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/justin.racing.9
Twitter: http://twitter.com/justin_peck5
Instagram: http://instagram.com/justin_peck5
Article Credit: Redbeard Promotions
