|
Josh Richards Racing
SHINNSTON, W.V. (March 31) - Josh climbed back behind the wheel of his familiar Mark Richards Racing No. 1 on Friday and Saturday (March 28-29) after a six-week hiatus.
The 20-year-old Shinnston, W.Va., star's World of Outlaws Late Model Series weekend at Pike County Speedway in Magnolia, Miss., didn't go quite the way he had hoped, however.
Tied for the WoO LMS points lead entering the 'March Through Dixie 100' program at the three-eighths-mile oval after a victory and a third-place finish in last month's season-opening tour events at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., Josh was primed to pick up where he had left off. But a rough outing during Friday's qualifying night dulled his momentum, and then a blown left-rear tire midway through Saturday night's 100-lapper forced him to settle for a 14th-place finish in an event won by veteran Billy Moyer.
Josh got behind on Friday night, failing to qualify through a heat after a late-race scrape with another car sent him spinning in turn one. The twirl was the final straw of an evening during which he never found his rhythm.
Sitting in a new racing seat with head braces on it for the first time, Josh had a hard time adjusting to a feel that was different than he had become accustomed.
"I probably slipped up a little (on the track on Friday) because of it," said Josh, who made his first career visit to Pike County Speedway. "I couldn't run the fan that I normally do because of the braces on the left-side of the seat, so my shield kept fogging up. I wear all that (fireproof) skirting under my helmet so I need the fan to keep my shield from fogging up."
After eliminating the head-brace on the left-side of his seat prior to Saturday's action so he could once again use the fan, Josh transferred to the 'March Through Dixie 100' with a second-place finish in the first B-Main. He started 19th in the headliner and climbed as high as 11th before a blown left-rear tire caused him to bring out a caution flag on lap 59.
Josh returned without losing a lap, but with passing at a premium late in the distance he made little headway and finished 14th.
"The car was working pretty good before we lost the tire," said Josh, who drove the same Seubert Calf Ranches/Ace Metal Works/TSR-Tony Stewart Racing/Petroff Towing/MCB Motorsports/Ernie's Auto & Hauling Rocket Chassis No. 1 that he steered to victory in last month's WoO LMS lidlifter. "We were still moving forward. I was trying to get everything I could before the track locked down because I knew the top was wearing out and the bottom was getting cleaned up.
"I guess the body just stuck in the tire. I felt it about five laps before it went down. I could feel it getting looser and looser."
Josh, whose only competitive starts between the end of February's Alltel DIRTcar Nationals in Florida and the 'March Through Dixie 100' were two appearances in the Ernie Davis-owned No. 25 at Hagerstown (MD.) Speedway (third-place finishes on March 2 and 15), left southern Mississippi ranked second in the WoO LMS points standings. He trails leader Billy Moyer by 28 points.
Next up on Josh's schedule is the first-ever 'Illinois 100' this weekend (April 4-5) at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway, where he finished third in last year's 50-lap WoO LMS event. Saturday night's extra-distance Outlaws affair will pay $20,000 to win.
|
