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Drake Troutman begins 2022 season in Modified at East Bay

After wet weather wiped out Tuesday’s opener, Drake Troutman kicked off his 2022 season on Wednesday evening at East Bay Raceway Park (Gibsonton, Fla.) aboard his Smith Transport No. 7 Modified for the 46th annual UMP Modified Winternationals. Drawing a stout field of 60 Modifieds, Troutman followed up the fifth-fastest time overall with a heat race win. Earning the fifth-starting position for the A-Main via the redraw, Drake faded three spots to cross the line in eighth.

On Thursday afternoon after his 16.741-second lap earned him the fast time award, Drake locked his spot into the A-Main with a heat race win. Improving two spots in the 25-lap affair, Troutman recorded a fourth-place finish. He followed Victor Lee, Lucas Lee, and Alan Weisser across the line with Jeff Parsons coming in fifth.

The following night, Drake rebounded from his poor qualifying effort to pass four cars in his heat to finish fourth. Coming in eighth in the feature, Troutman sat in fourth overall in points, locking him into the main event for Sunday’s $5,000-to-win A-Main.

With 75 laps to gain some ground, Troutman ran into mechanical issues early that sidelined him on the sixth circuit.

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