MOORESVILLE, NC (October 16, 2012) – Cory Joyce and the No. 20 Ultimate Turf Chevrolet team raced from the back of the pack to bring home a 12th-place finish on Saturday night at Tri-County (N.C.) Motor Speedway. In the United Auto Racing Association (UARA) STARS Series second visit to the 4/10-mile speedway, Joyce and the Ultimate Turf team also continued to promote breast cancer awareness with pink team hats and pink frisbees for the fans.
With two practices scheduled for Saturday morning, Joyce and the No. 20 team had plenty of time to dial in the Ultimate Turf Chevrolet. Sixth in final practice, the team had their car rotating through the corners just as they needed. With a 16.987-second lap during time trials, Joyce qualified 25th for the Alpha Energy Solutions 150.
Starting in the back of the pack, the rookie driver worked closely with his spotter and crew chief to perfect his line around the 4/10-mile oval and carefully avoided all on-track incidents. Joyce paced himself while taking advantage of caution periods to regroup the competition and slowly worked through the field to gain positions. By the end of 150 laps, Joyce and the No. 20 Ultimate Turf Chevrolet team were scored in the 12th position.
“I’m really proud of my Ultimate Turf Chevrolet team,” commented Joyce. “The guys did a great job with the set up and we had a very fast car during the race. We need to figure out qualifying. Our lap times were just as fast as the leaders during the race, but if we can put ourselves in a better starting position we will likely be able to improve our finishes. We know what we need to do going into the race at Rockingham (N.C.); I’ve run well there in the past and I’m looking forward to racing there again in a couple weeks.”
Joyce will be back in the No. 20 Ultimate Turf Chevrolet for the UARA-STARS Series season finale at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway on Saturday, Nov. 3. The weekend will kick off with practice and qualifying for all three divisions followed by a pit party/autograph session on the track’s front stretch on Friday, Nov. 2. Saturday’s schedule begins with driver introductions for the UARA-STARS Series at 11:30 a.m. followed by the series’ 75-lap season finale. Next, the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will have a 100-lap race, followed by a 75-lap race for the Kimmel Street Stock Series. Grandstand admission is free for Friday’s events, and tickets start at just $20 for Saturday’s races. Tickets for kids 12 and under are half-price