(Image Credit: Adam Mollenkopf - Dirt Racing Syndicate)
26 Promotions – Las Cruces, NM – (August 1st, 2017) – Colton Hardy escaped Southern New Mexico Speedway this weekend with a podium finish and a seventy-seven-point lead in the standings after dodging rain showers, coming from the back twice on Friday, and avoiding an eleven-car pile-up on Saturday.
Hardy’s weekend kicked off late on Friday night after a thirty-minute rain shower hit the track during the driver’s meeting. It took two mud packing sessions to get the racing surface rolled in before the ASCS Southwest Series hit the track for heat races around 11:30 PM local time.
Hardy started third in his heat and fought a tight race car to a fifth-place finish.
Starting sixteenth in the feature, Hardy took a conservative approach in the beginning of the race, with about fifteen laps to go Hardy got spun and had to go to the tail of the field on the restart. Hardy made his way back through the field to end night one with an eleventh-place finish.
“I was disappointed in myself, I was being too conservative and ended up getting spun,” explained Hardy. “The guys worked hard getting me a good car and I let them down running in the back.”
Looking to make up for Friday’s result, Hardy got to work early climbing from seventh to third in his heat, earning enough points to make the feature redraw.
Starting eighth, Hardy avoided a pile-up on the front stretch when the cars on the front row got together and spun in front of the field coming out of turn four on the initial start.
“Following the wreck, they pulled every car off the track so they could fix their damage and ran another division during that time,” Hardy explained. “They restarted us after that feature and had the cars involved start behind the cars that weren’t involved. Everyone had their opinion on what happened and if they handled it correctly. Roger was in a tough spot making the call and it wasn’t going to make everyone happy.”
The ASCS Southwest Sprint Cars hit the track for the second time on Saturday night following the fifty-lap street stock feature. Hardy, now sitting on the outside of the second row, was able to move into third right away and would trade the position back and forth throughout the feature. Hardy grabbed third on the final restart with eight laps to go and held the position to the checkered flag, ending the wild weekend with a podium finish.
“I can’t thank my dad, Ted, Nate, AJ, and Aaron enough for getting the little damage we had fixed so we could continue,” said Hardy. “They busted their ass all weekend getting the car ready. If it wasn’t for them, it wouldn’t be possible.”
Hardy has tentative plans to run on August 11th and 12th at Thunder's White Mountain Speedway Park's King of the Hill event featuring 360 Non-Wing Sprint Cars and Micro Sprints.
Friday’s Results
Heat: 3rd -> 5th
Feature: 16th -> 11th
Saturday’s Results
Heat: 7th -> 3rd
Feature: 8th -> 3rd
Links
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/colton_hardy41
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colton_hardy41/
Website: http://www.coltonhardy.com/
Article Credit: 26 Promotions