Russell Revamps Demolished Car for Win at New Smyrna Florida Late Model Racing Staple Tops Field Again at Half-Mile Track
CONCORD, NC - Tim Russell and his Insurance Offices of America Chevy took on a stout Florida doubleheader this weekend, as they attempted to tackle the Orlando Speedworld on Friday night as well as the New Smyrna Speedway on Saturday. Unfortunately, an altercation with the leader forced Russell to relinquish his top-five position for a spot at the tail end of the field in the closing laps of Friday night’s event and was awarded only a 16th-place finish. However, the short-track veteran rebounded on Saturday night and put his #36 in victory lane at the high banks of New Smyrna Speedway.
Despite setting the fast time and making a run for the lead, a win at Orlando Speedworld just wasn’t in the cards for Tim Russell this weekend. “We had a really good car up there,” recounted Russell. “We set fast time and qualified fifth, so we were in pretty good shape. Then at about lap 66 we were going for the lead, going off into turn one, and the leader and I made contact and
they sent both of us to the rear. That night didn’t end too well, since it was so late in the race when we got sent to the back.”
They say that failure is the best motivation. That sentiment certainly held true for Russell this weekend, as he was determined not to let his poor finish at Orlando dictate the rest of his weekend. The team was ready for battle with a remodeled ride on Saturday night, as they repaired the car that was damaged a few weeks back at Desoto Speedway’s (FL) Seafest. Their hard work and diligence paid off, as they took the car straight to victory lane.
“On Saturday night at New Smyrna we brought a different car,” explained Russell. “We unloaded the car that we ran at Seafest with a brand new body on it and everything fixed; the guys have really been working hard on it in the shop. But we got out there and barely missed the pole by .02 of a second and had to start eighth. We buckled down and worked our way up and eventually took the lead with about 25 laps to go and just hung on to the top for the win.”
Russell’s next event will be the final Brighthouse Challenge Series race of the season at New Smyrna Speedway on November 7th.
For more on Tim Russell, please contact Matt Dillner at 51 Sports at (704) 784-2134, or visit his website at www.timrussellonline.com.
