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Boyett Turns To WCIparts.COM Pro Trucks

 

 

 

Rebirth: Toddler Son, Family Fueling Boyett’s Passion as LM Veteran turns Pro Trucks Rookie

 

By Chuck Corder

Logan Boyett is cherishing as many memories as he can these days.

One of the most meaningful came in December during Snowball Derby week at Five Flags Speedway. A Pro Trucks rookie, Boyett got behind the wheel in the class’ Derby running and came home third.

Not only was the 28-year-old Pensacola driver thrilled to finish on the podium, but Boyett just melted when he got out the truck and saw the unbridled joy beaming from the face of his 3-year-old son LJ.

“You could just tell he was proud, even if he didn’t have a full grasp of what was going on,� Boyett said.

And when Boyett captured his first Wholesale Controls International Pro Trucks victory at the season opener earlier this month, how did young LJ react?

“Honestly, he was asleep,� LJ’s amused father said. “He had enough and had to take a nap.�

Little fella missed a heck of a day for his old man.

Boyett finished second in the 25-lap opener to Colt James and then turned around an hour later to beat James in the nightcap 25 lapper.

Boyett looks to continue his hot streak in the new ride this Friday night when the Wholesale Control International Pro Trucks series resumes at the famed half-mile asphalt oval.

The Allen Turner Hyundai Pro Late Models open their season with the first 100 lapper of the season on the way to the Snowflake 100 in December.

With one race in the books, the Lloyd’s Glass Pure Stocks continue their year Friday with a twist. Some driver will experience their first trip to Victory Lane in first-time winner’s race.

The gates open at 5 p.m. Friday with admission as follows: $15 for adults; $12 for seniors, military members and students; $5 for children ages 6 to 11; and free for kids 5 and under.

Boyett is candid that because of the love and support from his inner circle, he has fallen in love with racing again.

“It means the world to me, honestly,� he said. “They pushed me to keep racing because they believed I could still do it. I wanted to hang it up for a while, but all the people behind me have given me so much motivation. I didn’t want to let LJ down.�

Boyett, one of Pensacola’s most respected short-track drivers during the last decade, felt the strain of running his Late Model program.

“If something fell off, it was on me to fix that,� Boyett explained the struggles of wearing a car owner hat and a driver’s helmet. “If the car wasn’t ready, it was my fault. I had help, don’t get me wrong, but I had to take all the responsibility for it. I felt like I was already behind the eight ball before getting to the track.�

Wanting to spend more time with LJ, his family and his girlfriend Alissa, Boyett decided to take up a buddy’s offer just before the Derby.

“Three weeks before the Derby, a friend of mine, Gerald Boyd, called me and asked if I wanted to run a truck at the Derby,� Boyett explained. “All we had to do was show up. We made some little adjustments, and then I went and ran 39 laps out of the 50 holding the shifting gear because there was a leakage. It made it an interesting drive to go from 29th to third.�

So interested and enthralled by the ride, Boyett decided to run the full schedule of Pro Trucks races in 2018.

While not driving the familiar No. 11 that he has been a fixture in since 2007, Boyett will do some Late Model racing in North Carolina later this year and will drive a Fury Super Late Model for DLP Motorsports at the first Deep South Cranes Blizzard Series race next month.

On Sunday, Boyett was driving back from Houston after racing Outlaw Stocks. But his primary ride, undoubtedly, will be the truck, which stays at Boyd’s shop in Texas between races at Five Flags.

“I didn’t know what it was going to be,� Boyett said. “At the time of the Derby, it was just the Derby. But (Boyd) said, ‘I put the itch back in him.’ Gerald told my dad, they got me to drive for them because what they’ve seen in my character, and not just my driving. That means a lot to me to hear that, but a lot more to my mom and dad.

“I feel right at home in the truck,� he continued. “It’s a blast to drive this thing. It’s not so sensitive. You can drive them a lot harder, and they’re a lot more forgiving.�

He admits that it has been rejuvenating getting to pour his energy into sharpening his already-honed driving skills.

“It’s a lot nicer that I can drive it and not have to focus on the setup,� Boyett said. “It’s a lot easier, a lot less stressful.�

Which means getting to soak in all the memories with those closest to him, including a certain young fan who enjoys his naps just as much as seeing Daddy win.

Get your rest before Friday, young LJ.

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