6/23/2014
Inside Line Promotions
Wheatley Looking to Showcase Speed at Beginning of the Night During Ohio Speedweek
(Photo by Matt Levonas Photography)
Inside Line Promotions – WAYNESFIELD, Ohio (June 23, 2014) – Austen Wheatley’s inaugural trip to the UNOH All Star Circuit of Champions Ohio Speedweek hasn’t gone as planned after the first two races.
Wheatley noted that the key is to show speed at the beginning of the night when it counts almost as much as the end.
“I think it’s just about getting faster quicker,” he said. “I think we’ve had a lot of speed at the end of both nights. Qualifying is so important it can get you in a rut early. The heat races are so stacked and the fast guys are at the back. So if you don’t get in the inversion you have to start behind a lot of good cars.”
Following a rainout last Friday at Attica Raceway Park in Attica, the Ohio Speedweek kicked off on Saturday at Eldora Speedway near Rossburg. It marked Wheatley’s first trip to the big half mile since 2012.
“I’ve only raced there technically one time,” he said. “It’s hard to be consistent when you get eight laps at a time. We need to get consistent laps there. In theory it’s pretty simple to drive. You have to be real committed and real straight.”
Wheatley qualified 29th quickest to miss the heat race inversion. He placed ninth after starting on the outside of the fourth row in his heat race. That relegated Wheatley to the B Main, where he finished eighth.
On Sunday, Wheatley made his inaugural visit to Waynesfield Raceway Park. After timing in 30th quickest in qualifying and starting eighth in his heat race, Wheatley narrowly avoided a crash as he ended seventh in the heat.
“Someone did two 360s (spins) in turns three and four and it bottlenecked the top up so the bottom freight-trained us,” he said. “I think we were getting faster as it went on.”
Wheatley then maneuvered from 11th to seventh place in the B Main, which missed a transfer by only three positions.
“There’s so many races in a row you can’t get down on a bad night,” he said. “And they really haven’t been bad nights. There are things to build on.”
Wheatley continues the Speedweek tonight with his debut at Wayne County Speedway in Orrville. He will then make his first-ever trip to Sharon Speedway in Hartford on Tuesday and to Atomic Speedway in Chillicothe on Wednesday.
The remainder of the Speedweek includes Thursday at Fremont Speedway in Fremont; Friday at Limaland Motorsports Park in Lima; and Saturday at Fremont Speedway.
QUICK RESULTS –
June 21 – Eldora Speedway near Rossburg, Ohio – Qualifying: 29; Heat race: 9 (8); B Main: 8 (10).
June 22 – Waynesfield Raceway Park in Waynesfield, Ohio – Qualifying: 30; Heat race: 7 (8); B Main: 7 (11).
SEASON STATS –
17 races, 1 win, 4 top fives, 6 top 10s, 6 top 15s, 7 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Monday at Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio; Tuesday at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio; Wednesday at Atomic Speedway in Chillicothe, Ohio; Thursday at Fremont Speedway in Fremont, Ohio; Friday at Limaland Motorsports Park in Lima, Ohio; and Saturday at Fremont Speedway in Fremont, Ohio, for the UNOH All Star Circuit of Champions Ohio Speedweek
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
