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| Justin Larson Puts On a Show for Fourth at New Smyrna | Team Release
SAFETY HARBOR, FL (March 19, 2007) – For their $20 admission price into Saturday night’s Goodyear Challenge Series event at New Smyrna Speedway (FL), the fans at the speedy half-mile certainly got their money’s worth if they had their eyes on Justin Larson’s #88 Skinner Nurseries Late Model.
Larson had a fast racecar throughout the race day, including setting quick time in qualifying and contending for the lead early on. Still in position to capitalize and take the victory late in the race, Larson was forced to work his way through the field after spinning to avoid further disaster. Undeterred, Larson fought back from deep in the field to finish fourth in the series’ second event of the 2007 season.
With such a strong car that allowed him to run up front and then battle back up to the head of the field after the late-race bad luck, Larson put on a show of his own from the first time he hit the track in practice Saturday until the fall of the checkered flag during the feature at New Smyrna.
“The car was good all day long,” said Larson. “In qualifying, the car was fast and we got the pole. I think there was even still a little left in the car in qualifying. I drew the “three” pill, so we started third after the invert. I was just riding in second for a while. I was just letting the leader burn up his stuff and let him come back to me.
“He started doing it, but we just never got a long-enough green flag run. Too many cautions kind of hurt me. My car was definitely better on the long runs than it was on the short runs. I never really pressured the car too much, but a couple times I would try to push the car on the restarts, and I definitely had something for him.”
Larson was in position to compete for the win throughout the race, but he knew that pacing himself was going to be the key in the 100-lap feature. Even when he got shuffled back late in the race, Larson was fully aware that a careful mix of cautiousness and aggressiveness would get him back in contention.
“I got jacked up on one of the restarts, so I was running third for a couple of laps. I went to the outside to get second place back, but the guy went higher than he had gone all night. I had to check up and lock the brakes up. When I did, I just ended up in the slick stuff, so to avoid hitting the wall I just spun it out.
“I had to go to the back of the pack, 16th, and I was a little upset with myself and for the team, so I just drove my butt off back to the front. I made it all the way up to fourth from 16th, passing guys any way I could. Even then, 80 laps into the race, the car was still awesome.”
Some of the slick moves that Larson was able to make in New Smyrna were founded on some of the experiences he gained while testing a Ford Focus Midget as part of the All-American Driver Challenge in recent weeks. Larson was one of 10 finalists selected for the test at Hickory Motor Speedway after competing in several preliminary rounds against stiff competition from throughout the country. While Larson did not earn the full-time ride in the Midget for the rest of the year, he was able to leave the Challenge having learned many new lessons given from some of the brightest minds in the sport of auto racing.
“It was a great opportunity to get my name out there,” said Larson. “I was able to do a lot of things that I wouldn’t have been able to do without this opportunity. I was able to put laps down at Hickory, which was a real honor to be able to run there. I got to work with some great people like Bob East, Tracy Trotter and Gary Huffman. I was honored to have the opportunity, and I look forward to being able to take the things I learned with me throughout my career.”
Larson will continue his season in the Goodyear Challenge Series on April 7th at Bronson Motor Speedway in Bronson, FL.
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