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AUSTIN
PICKENS READY FOR 2018 MODIFIED SEASON
24-Year-Old Racer will compete in NWMT & New Smyrna
Speedweeks |
 LFR
announced today that Austin Pickens will run a house
car in multiple modified races during the 2018 race
season. Pickens will race in 10 NASCAR Whelen
Modified Tour events throughout the season and
kick-off the season at the New Smyrna Speedweeks in
the modified division.
“I am very excited to start another modified race
season with the LFR team,” said Pickens. “We had a
great season last year. I learned so much about the
cars and how they handle. I’m looking forward to
running more races this year with the team. I
couldn’t ask for a better team to take on these 10
races. I’m also happy to announce that we will have
SiteOne Landscape Supply and Greenbriar Landscape on
board this again this season.”
“Steve and Austin called me a year ago looking for
some help on their LFR car,” said Rob Fuller,
President of LFR. “They had worked with others in
the past but wanted to know they had someone that
was familiar their new LFR chassis so that Austin
had a shot at performing well. He showed good speed
at New Smyrna last season and now that we have had
time to go through his car completely, I am looking
to have him step it up a notch this year. Austin is
like every other driver, where the more they drive
the better they perform. With this schedule, Austin
should have enough seat time to get him fully
adjusted to the NASCAR mods and make great progress
on the track.”
“After Bristol in 2016 I was very frustrated with
our car and team,” said Steve Pickens, team owner.
“We drove up to North Carolina and spent a few hours
with Andy Petree to get some advice on what to do
and who to use. We purchased a LFR chassis before
our meeting was over that day and have not looked
back. Rob Fuller has been great for Austin and has
been patient with him being he never drove a
modified car at all until 2016. I’m really looking
forward to this year with Rob and his LFR team and
know Austin will do well with Rob by his side. We
plan to have a good showing for our sponsors,
SiteOne Landscape Supply and Greenbriar Landscape
this year.”
To kick off the season, Pickens will travel to New
Smyrna Speedweeks to contend for the modified
championship. An Orlando, Fla. native, Pickens is no
stranger to the famed Florida race track, having
earned the Pro Truck Championship and third place in
Limited Late Model points in the 43rd Annual World
Series of Stock Car Racing in 2009.
A year earlier, Pickens dominated the Pro Truck
division at New Smyrna Speedway with five top-5
finishes. In addition, he earned a trip to Victory
Lane and three top-5 finishes in the Late Model
series that year.
LFR and Pickens will combine forces to race in 10
events in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour focusing
on races at Thompson, Stafford, Loudon and Bristol.
Pickens earned two Top-10 finishes in the NWSMT in
only six starts in 2016. Eighth place finishes at
Bowman Gray Stadium and South Boston Speedway shined
a spotlight on Pickens in the NWSMT series that
year.
“I’m really looking forward to running New Smyrna
again in the tour mods,” said Pickens. “This will be
my third year going for the championship. We ran
great last year until we were involved in a wreck on
the third night. I have a lot of confidence in our
team in performing well at this event. We are
bringing two new LFR tour mods and with the help of
Rob and the rest of the team, I’m confident in a win
at New Smyrna this year!”
“We had Austin get his feet wet in the SK division a
few times last season,” said Fuller. “SK’s are
great, don’t get me wrong, but to learn much in a
40-lap feature is tough for a rookie. I want to get
him good seat time in good equipment for 150 lap
races so he can advance as fast as possible.”
LFR has secured the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
championship every year with Doug Coby and MSIII
Racing since its inception in 2014.
Race fans can follow LFR on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/ LFRChassisInc or
online at
www.LFRchassis.com.
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Source:
Nealie Stufflet / LFR Chassis
Posted:
January 25, 2018 |
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