|
ESR Geared Up for Talladega ARCA 250 with Practice and Qualifying
Talladega, Ala.- Eddie Sharp Racing had a busy day Thursday preparing for the Talladega ARCA 250. Brandon McReynolds in the No. 6 and Craig Goess in the No. 81 took the track for practice in the morning and finished the day with qualifying runs.
McReynolds Pays Homage to Godfather in First Superspeedway Race
McReynolds ran 22 laps in his No. 6 Talladega/Texaco Walk of Fame at the Davey Allison Memorial Park Toyota during the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards practice Thursday. He posted a fast lap time of 51.895 seconds (184.526 mph).
After practice, McReynolds was optimistic about the car. "I think we had a good practice," explained McReynolds. "I don't think that you can do a whole lot with single car runs, but I was glad to get on the track for 22 laps. Our performance tomorrow is the most important thing, and I'm looking forward to qualifying in a few hours."
After a four-hour intermission, the ARCA Racing Series and ESR prepared to qualify. McReynolds went out sixth of 42 cars, and a solid qualifying run around the 2.66-mile track landed McReynolds in the 18th position with a lap of 51.962 seconds (184.203 mph).
"I think qualifying went well, but the real test is tomorrow," said McReynolds. "We have a good car, and I think it's ready to draft. I'm ready for tomorrow."
Goess Looks to Overcome Obstacles for Raceday
Goess, coming off two-consecutive second place finishes, was excited to come into Talladega with momentum in the No. 81 Greenville Toyota of N.C. Toyota
The morning practice proved to be disappointing, however, when the No. 81 had engine problems after running ten laps. He finished practice with a lap of 52.125 seconds (183.712 mph).
"We ran the first few laps, and the team was testing how much tape they could put on the car, and then the motor blew," explained Goess. "We will get it changed and work to get the car back where it needs to be."
After hard work from the No. 81 ESR team to change the motor, the team was ready to qualify. Goess qualified 22nd, with a time of 52.34 (182.958 mph).
"We're disappointed, but I know that the car will race much better than we qualified," explained Goess. "It's a shame that we got caught up in the melee with the engine problems, but I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
A final practice session is set for 9:30 a.m. CDT Friday morning. The green flag will wave on the Talladega ARCA 250 Friday at 4 p.m. CDT for the 94-lap, 250.04-mile race. The race will be covered live on SPEED and timing and scoring will be available on ARCARacing.com.
About Eddie Sharp Racing
Eddie Sharp set up shop in 2005 after several years of transforming young, talented drivers into ARCA championship contenders. Today, Eddie Sharp Racing has evolved into the rite of passage for any serious upcoming driver with an ambition for professional stock car racing. Located in Denver, North Carolina just north of Charlotte, Eddie Sharp Racing occupies a top-notch facility that closely resembles a five-star NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team, both inside and out. The two ESR buildings each contain two teams where on any given day, championship contending cars are assembled, engines tuned and teams strategize to score the next race day victory.
|
