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09/06/2012 |
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TODD OWEN LOOKING TO BUILD ON TOP-5 FINISH
IN LINCOLN TECH 80 |
 As
the Valenti Modified Series returns to Stafford for the Lincoln Tech 80,
Todd Owen will be looking to improve on his 5th place finish in the Shark
Cycle 80 and pick up his first VMRS win behind the wheel of the #17 car. If
there is a track that best suits Owen, it is Stafford Motor Speedway. Owen
is a regular SK Modified® competitor and in the two VMRS races held last
season, Owen finished second and was running in the top-5 before a broken
power steering belt forced him to retire the car.
"I definitely think we have a good shot at winning," said Owen. "Last race
we finished 5th, and we had to go to the back a couple of times too. We ran
really good and we know what we need to do to make things better since the
car wasn't perfect. Some of the things we talked about after the race, we'll
see if we can make it work when we come back. Hopefully we don't start as
far back as we did last week. The plus-minus deal is tough. We drew the pole
for our heat, so we had no chance to pass any cars. Ideally you want to draw
in the back so you have the opportunity to pass some cars and get a good
plus rating."
While Owen says that the VMRS teams don't usually get a good baseline of how
good their car is in practice due to running on older tires, he says the
fact that the two Stafford races are so close together will play into team's
hands.
"It's tough to get a good base because you're on such old tires in
practice," said Owen. "It's kind of a neat deal for us to go back to
Stafford so soon because hopefully what we learned last Friday will help us
in this next race. I think the setups will be real close."
Another fact that gives Owen confidence as he prepares for the Lincoln Tech
80 is the fact that he finished 5th in the Shark Cycle 80 after having to
come from the back of the pack twice during the race in addition to starting
14th.
"About lap-40 we were up in the top-10 and we went to the back, and then
about lap-60 or so we went to the back again," said Owen. "It was pretty fun
those last few laps. I think we definitely would have had a better finish if
we didn't go to the back twice, we wouldn't have had to pass all those cars
again. I was trying to save my tires as much as I possibly could, but it's
tough to do when you're that far back."
With track experience and good results to fall back on in previous VMRS
events at Stafford, Owen has a good idea of what it is going to take to win
the Lincoln Tech 80.
"We'll need to save the tires, have a good setup on the car, and stay out of
trouble," said Owen. "The 17 car handles real well, so we're looking forward
to going back to Stafford. I think we have a good chance at Stafford at
getting our first win with the 17 car."
Tickets for the 2nd Annual Lincoln Tech 80 are available and on sale now at
the Speedway Box Office. Tickets are priced at $27.50 for adult general
admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, and children ages 5 and
under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Reserved
seating will be priced at $30.00 for all ages. All ticket prices include 10%
CT Admission Tax. As always, Stafford Motor Speedway offers free parking
with overnight parking available.
For more information on the 2nd Annual Lincoln Tech 80, or to order tickets,
contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us
on the web at
www.staffordspeedway.com. |
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Source: Scott Running / Stafford Motor Speedway
Posted: September
6, 2012 |
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