Russell Leads Florida Parade in RC Cola / MoonPie ASA SAT
Local Drivers Take Top-Four Spots in Lakeland’s ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour Action
The RC Cola / MoonPie ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour rolled in to USA International Speedway (FL) with a wide-open invitation for all Florida teams to come race with series regulars. When the dust settled Saturday night, the top-four spots in the “Lakeland 125” were occupied by names Florida fans know best. Sunshine state star Tim Russell, in his first series start, grabbed the victory laurels over 2008 Speedfest winner Jeff Choquette at the ultra-fast, three-quarter mile USA International Speedway.
“This is awesome,” said Russell, who wore a big smile for the ASA SAT TV cameras in victory lane. “The whole Rinnai team worked hard this weekend. We knew if we were going to win we had to out-run Choquette. It was just a good race, and we put on a great show for the ASA Southeast fans.”
Tim Russell and Crew in Victory Lane. (51 Sports photo)
Choquette (top) Won the pole and Finished Second. Russell (bottom) Led the most Laps and Won the Race. (51 Sports photo)
The “Lakeland 125” at USA Int’l Speedway for the RC Cola / MoonPie ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour will make its television premiere on Saturday, May 17th, on Sports Time Ohio and Wednesday, May 21st, on SportSouth.
The RC Cola / MoonPie ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour is a part of a nine-race televised program that makes up the “Road to Nashville,” which will set up the most prestigious event of the season at the historic Music City Motorplex at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. ASA SAT and the CRA Super Series will race in Nashville on Saturday, November 1st, as part of the Adam Petty Memorial All American 400 weekend. Prior to the November 1st event, the RC Cola / MoonPie ASA Southeast Tour will make a mid-season visit to the Motorplex on Saturday, July 5th. Information for the July 5th event is available by calling (615) 726-1818 or going to www.musiccitymotorplex.com/.
Round number four of the RC Cola / MoonPie ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour will be on Saturday, May 10th, at Bronson Motor Speedway in Bronson, FL. If you would like more information regarding the event and the up-coming TV coverage, please visit the official website of ASA SAT at www.asasoutheast.com.
For more media inquiries, sponsorship and promotional information regarding the ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour, contact Stan Narrison at (678) 910-7726 and be sure to visit www.asasoutheast.com for all ASA Southeast Tour news. For technical and rule information, call Micky Cain at (678) 373-9851.
To learn more of the Daytona Beach, Florida-based Racing Speed Associates or the American Speed Association Racing Member Track program, call (386) 258-2221 or send an e-mail to info@asa-racing.com. For news and information from racetracks and regional tours involved in the American Speed Association, visit www.asaracing.com
The victory almost slipped away from Russell just 11 laps from the finish. Russell spun in turn four, off the front bumper of 17-year-old Jessica Murphy, who was making her first Late Model start at Lakeland. Russell put no blame on Murphy; he insisted that the lapped cars in front of her caused the spin.
“She’s fine; there wasn’t enough time for her to check up. Lapped cars were tough tonight. A car in front of us checked up and we got spun out; it’s as simple as that. We were thankful the ASA Southeast officials did the right thing.”
Tour Officials gave Russell his spot back since the yellow was already out when he went around.
Russell’s pass for the win came on lap 104 when he took the lead from Jeff Choquette. That pair had to split a lapped car on the front stretch. Choquette went low only to find that Russell had snuck around on the high side. The next couple of laps Choquette and Russell had fans on their feet by going door handle to door handle before Russell eventually pulled ahead.
“He doesn’t mess up very much, so I had to stay smooth because both cars were so close,” admitted Russell.
For Choquette, it was the first time he had been beaten at USA Int’l Speedway this season. In January, he won both the 100-lap event, along with the SPEEDFEST 2008 title. Nevertheless, he was impressed with the race and the RC Cola / MoonPie ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour.
“I am not going to complain about second,” said Choquette. “Tim (Russell) had a really good car, and there was a great group of drivers here tonight with ASA Southeast. Lapped cars played a role in the race, again, but they always do here. Without the three-wide deal I could have made Russell work awful hard for it.”
The night started with Choquette taking the RC Cola / MoonPie fast-time award. The redraw put Alabama’s John Bolen, sixth in points coming into the event, on the pole for the race with Florida’s Travis Cope rolling from the outside. Cope got away clean at the start of the race and held off Bolen to lead the opening lap. Cope led the first 37 laps of the 125-lap race before Russell powered by. Choquette also passed Cope, who ended up holding third the rest of the night to stay on the podium.
“The two-barrel (carburetor) motors were a little stronger than the crates,” said Cope, who is the son of veteran short track racer and former NASCAR All Pro Series champ Mike Cope. “We won the crate race here tonight and that’s what we wanted to do. Micky Cain (ASA Southeast Operations Manager) is doing everything he can to make this work, but it’s tough on a big track like Lakeland. He’s making it so a local guy can bring his car with a two-barrel (carb) and race; it’s a really good deal they have going.”
Choquette gained the lead when he muscled his way by Russell on lap 55. The final swap of the lead came on lap 104.
The Florida freight train took the top-four spots with Cope in third and Daniel Keene Jr. grabbing fourth. The only non-Floridian, Jason Hogan, rounded out the top-five. ASA Southeast point leader Michael Pope was ninth in the final tally, while second-place point man and Mobile Int’l Speedway winner Preston Peltier was sixth.
