FASTRAK Triple Crown Night #1 Ends in a Wild Finish Decided by Only 0.018 Seconds

(Prosperity, West Virginia) – The 1st leg of the 8th Annual 2013 $30,000 FASTRAK Triple Crown was a race that people will be talking about for a while. What a race and what a finish. 26 FASTRAK Racing Series Pro Late Models answered the call at Beckley Motorsports Park to take on the 3/8th mile dirt facility nestled a short drive off I-77. The race was a special event not only kicking off the 2013 Triple Crown but also to remember “BIG” Mike Faykus Sr. as this night was a Memorial race to his honor. The last time the FASTRAK Racing Series competed was on a cold October night in the $250K FASTRAK World Championship weekend. The race was a dominant success with 186 Entries in 2 days of racing. The weather was cold for a May with a Full Moon hovering also above the “dust cloud” from “The Fastest 3/8th mile Dirt Track in the South” making everyone wonder if it was October again. One thing is for certain the racing certainly matched last year.

In VP Race Fuels for the Pole Qualifying #8 Rocket from Bellwood, North Carolina Ron “The Bull” Parker set the overall quick time with a 14.418 second lap around the “speed bowl”. Having lane choice he chose to take the high side for the green flag start. The top 4 fastest cars from the 2 groups in qualifying we’re locked in putting 8 in the 40 lap A-Main Feature. The 2 Consi races we’re also exciting with the Top 8 going into the show everyone raced hard to get better advancements to the show but didn’t risk messing up a lot of equipment. #12 Rocket of Beckley, West Virginia’s Rick Williams locked in RockAuto.com B-Main 1 and #24 TNT chassis from Jonesboro, Tennessee Tim Byrd locked in Chevy Performance B-Main #2.

After the special “Meet and Greet” concluded and the command to fire the motors we’re conducted by the driver of the #6 Rocket from Prosperity, West Virginia Mike Faykus Jr. The race event that was in his Father Mike Faykus Sr.’s memory along with the 4-wide salute missing man formation with #6 Faykus out in front with “God Bless America” playing to pay tribute to our troops this Memorial day weekend . It was time for Race #1 in the 2013 FASTRAK Triple Crown.

No laps complete and BIG trouble ensued off turn 2 with the pack as the front row made contact. #24f Jensen Ford in his TNT chassis got cocked sideways and then forced the field to check up. From there on it piled them in collecting a half dozen cars. Due to no laps being complete, drivers we’re able to have sheet metal pulled to prevent tire rub and make fixes to cars. Drivers involved included #45 Eddie Hambrick, #24F Jensen Ford, #28 Aaron Barley, #33 Shane Greco, #12 Rick Williams. #A-1 Tim Dohm was the only car to pit for repairs giving up his 7th starting spot sending him to the rear for the start. On the Green flag it was #24f Jensen Ford in the TNT house car leading the first few circuits with furious 3-4 wide racing. Lap #3 Ron Parker prepared to take Beckley by the horns as “The Bull” took position one and then preceded to pull away from the field. Lap #14 caution 2 would fall when #A-1 Tim Dohm from Cross Lanes, West Virginia gets up in the fence off turn 3. Dohm was victim of breaking a tie rod and messing up the suspension on his Rocket chassis ending his night.

Caution flag would fall again on Lap #21 just after halfway as still Ron Parker was still setting a blistering pace with all comers rallying to catch him. #33 Midway, West Virginia native “The Gecko” Shane Greco got up in the “tater patch” off turn 4 stalling causing yellow. Then on the restart #95 Nathan Harrision’s Rocket hit the “loud pedal” a little to quick and came down on the #44w Brandon Umberger sending him spinning down to the infield on the front straightaway. The racing would continue with #8 Rocket Ron Parker still leading the way but slowly but surely as the race was coming to an end #24f Jensen Ford, #33 Chris Meadows, #6 Mike Faykus Jr. and #68 Tyler Cox we’re making a late rally to reel him in and spoil Parker’s chance to get victory at Beckley. The final time the yellow lights would aluminate was on Lap 30 when #99 Teddy Tate cut down a tire stalling in turn 4.

The final 10 laps was no lie intense. Not one single fan was not sitting down as the “Rocket vs. Rocket Show” got underway between #8 Ron Parker and #33 Chris Meadows. While those two drivers contended for the first two spots. #24f Jensen Ford and #6 Mike Faykus Jr. we’re having a “door to door” battle for 3rd and 4th spot. The final five laps had the top 4 cars battling side by side with no one giving an inch. At the white flag Parker was able to jump out on the top shelf with a 2 car length lead. However exiting off turn 3 #33 Chris Meadows was able to get a run on the machine of Ron Parker making a “PHOTO-FINISH” at the stripe with the #33 Chris Meadows powering by a margin of victory by just 0.018 seconds. What an event to close also for the #6 Mike Faykus Jr. he was able to put the RPMX Motorsports entry to a 3rd place finish in his Father’s memory to end Night #1 of the FASTRAK Triple Crown – “BIG” Mike Faykus Sr. Memorial Race to close out a wild finish on a “Full Moon” Friday night.

2013 $30K FASTRAK Triple Crown Night #1 Official Results (tire lab results pending)
1st #33 Chris Meadows – WV
2nd #8 Ron Parker – NC
3rd #6 Mike Faykus Jr. – WV
4th #24f Jensen Ford – TN
5th #68 Tyler Cox – WV
6th #24 Tim Byrd – TN
7th #28 Aaron barley – WV
8th #11 David Smith – SC
9th #95 Nathan Harrison – WV
10th #22 Jordan Dill – SC
11th #4 Michael Smith – TN
12th #45 Eddie Hambrick – WV
13th #44w Brandon Umberger – VA
14th #4 Taylor Hicks – SC
15th #25 Ted Johnson – WV
16th #39 Henry Hornsby III – WV
17th #20 Drew Smith – WV
18th #23 Ashley Brewster – WV
19th #41 Joe Cox – WV
20th #99 Teddy Tate – VA
21st #12 Rick Williams – WV
22nd #33g Shane Greco – WV
23rd #A-1 Tim Dohm – WV
24th #11h Rick Lucas – WV
Cars That Didn’t Start Feature – #2 Michael Bland and #14 Brad Smith

The 8th Annual $30,000 FASTRAK Triple Crown is set for 3 big nights of racing – May 24th, 25th, 26th. On Saturday May 25th we return to the always exciting ½ mile Wythe Raceway nestled off I-81 in the Allegheny Mountains of Rural Retreat, Virginia. Then we’ll close out the 2013 FASTRAK Triple Crown with the return of FASTRAK at the 4/10th mile Princeton Raceway in Princeton, West Virginia Sunday night May 26th.

Stay tuned to www.fastrakracing.com as well as the FASTRAK Racing Series Fan Page on Facebook and/or follow @FASTRAK_Racing on Twitter to get up to the minute news and details as they become available.

FASTRAK Companies International would like to thank all of its marketing partners for their great and continuing support. Those 2013 sponsors include: Hoosier Race Tires, VP Racing Fuel, City Chevrolet, Sweeney Cars Chevy Buick GMC, Chevrolet Performance Parts, Vicci Apparel, TNT Race Cars, Rocket Chassis and RockAuto.com to our line-up of product sponsors.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the Premier Pro Late Model Series in the Country please contact Stan Lester at the FASTRAK Corporate Office at (678) 935-7304 or Brian Haynes at (706) 340-4781. Also Visit the FASTRAK Racing Series online at www.fastrakracing.com and be sure to like us on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter at @FASTRAK_Racing!!