1/19/2017
Peck Breaks Through, Qualifies For First Chili Bowl Main Event
(Photo by Collin Markle Photography)
TULSA, Okla. – With two previous years of experience late in the championship “alphabet soup” at the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa’s River Spirit Expo Center and coming up just short each time, Monrovia, Ind. driver Justin Peck finally etched his name amongst 24 others as qualifiers for the Saturday A-Main. In his rookie and sophomore attempts at midget racing’s crown jewel race, Peck managed to have the final transfer spot in a B-Main within his grasp, just to see it slip away in the blink of an eye with a damaged race car. This go around, Peck watched the same happen to others and took hold of the sixth and final transfer with a few short laps to go to make the show.
The week of action began on Monday, January 9 with practice, and Peck felt content with his two sessions on the quarter-mile temporary oval in the world’s largest free-span building. “It was a little snug, but I think we have the equipment to make something happen this year,” he noted.
When the third of four preliminary nights came on Thursday, Peck was ready to make his mark on the week. 96 competitors checked in for pill draw that night, with Peck pulling a number low enough to put him on pole of the eighth of 12 heat races. Sharing the grid of that race with rising NASCAR talent Christopher Bell, Peck was able to hold off the charge that driver made from the seventh starting spot, leading all eight laps en route to the win in his family-owned Dura Coat Products Esslinger-powered DRC Chassis.
With the top 40 in combined passing and finishing points advancing to qualifier races with the top six in each of four inverted for starting position, the Mooresville (Ind.) High School senior found himself again on the pole position, this time alongside fellow Indiana young gun Gage Walker. Peck earned the lead at the drop of the green and again powered to a race win to lock himself into the night’s preliminary main event. Starting the race from outside the sixth row, Peck didn’t quite enjoy the success he has on previous Chili Bowl preliminary features, charging from 19th and 18th to finish seventh in both 2015 and 2016. However, he did manage to move his No. 5X machine forward three spots to finish in ninth and again put himself in position to compete in one of two B-Mains on Saturday night and attempt to transfer to the 55-lap finale.
As on-track action began Saturday morning at 9:00 with unheard-of O-Mains, Peck rested up for his turn to get on the racing surface, as it would be more than 12 hours later in the day. In the second and final B-Main to determine the even-numbered positions from 14 through 24 in the main event, Peck fired off for 20 laps from 11th on the grid, needing to get to sixth to move on. Early, the youngster would battle with established veterans from multiple walks of motorsports in Dave Darland and Jason Johnson. Later, a charging five-time Chili Bowl champion Sammy Swindell re-emerged in the battle after early contact with Darland sent him to the rear. Peck remained composed and continued to wage war with the trio of much more experienced drivers. While running in the eighth position with the outlook beginning to look dismal with just a few short laps to go, Swindell and Darland made contact and both slowed to a stop, relegating them to the rear and only requiring Peck to hold off Johnson for the sixth position until the checkered. The third time would prove to be a charm on getting in the show, as Peck handled the challenge with virtuoso driving and captured the main event start with a sixth-place B-Main finish.
After a lengthy break to manicure the track surface, the green flag finally waved for the 55-late into the night. However, Peck would unfortunately not remain on track for long; 15 laps in, he tangled with two-time and defending race winner Rico Abreu, Thomas Meseraull (who advanced from a D-Main to make the feature), and ARCA Racing Series champion Chase Briscoe. Damage on the Peck Motorsports DRC Chassis was too heavy to continue the race, and was scored 24th in the official results. In reflection, Peck was still ecstatic to no longer be a “B-Main Bandit,” referring to his struggles to advance past that race in previous attempts. “Our Dura Coat, Factory Kahne Indy, Raypro DRC Chassis was hooked up!”
Peck would like to thank Dura Coat Products, Esslinger Engineering, Team Raypro, Factory Kahne, DRC Chassis, Simpson Race Products, Lucas Oil, Keizer Wheels, Hoosier Racing Tire, Saldana Racing Products, Thomas Railroad Construction, Pit Stop BBQ & Grill, Kwik Change Products, and Spider Graphix, as well as his parents, crew, and all of his fans for their continued support.
Quick Results
January 12 – Tulsa, OK – Midget – Heat: 1st (1); Qualifier: 1st (1); Feature: 9th (12)
January 14 – Tulsa, OK – Midget – B-Main: 6th (11); Feature: 24th (24)
Social Media
Website: http://www.justinpeckracing.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/justinpeckracing
Twitter: http://twitter.com/justin_peck5
Instagram: http://instagram.com/justin_peck5
Article Credit: Redbeard Promotions
