|
Traditional Sprint Car FanSite |
See You At The Races!!! |
| Press Release |
|
|
|
CHECKERED FLAG AND GLEAMING HARDWARE ARE THE FRUITS OF LABOR FOR #3X DEREK FRANKS AT THE LAWRENCEBURG SPEEDWAY by Mike O’Leary |
|
July 30, 2006....2004 Lawrenceburg Speedway Co-Rookie Of The Year, #3x
Derek Franks, stood in Victory Lane exhausted yet jubilant after capturing his
first career victory at The Lawrenceburg Speedway on Saturday night, besting
#17B Brett Burdette, #77 Jason Knoke, #31 Jamie Williams and #22 Ricky Vaughn.
Franks, a driver with little more than TQ experience upon making his
Sprint Car debut in 2004, had an outstanding rookie season, capturing
several top 10 finishes and earning a top 10 season points finish. In
addition to securing ROY honors at The Speedway, Franks' 2004 success also
garnered him national attention, with The National Sprint Car Hall Of Fame
Poll Awards giving him a nod as a Non-Wing Sprint Car ROY nominee.
With high hopes for his sophomore season, Franks upgraded chassis and
equipment for the 2005 season. This equipment change proved to be
problematic, as the team struggled with car set up for nearly the entire 2005
season. The frustrations did not curtail their efforts though, as they
returned to the track weekly, despite their obstacles, ultimately rejoining
the field of Sprint Cars at The Lawrenceburg Speedway again as a regular
competitor for the 2006 season. That dedication and commitment paid off,
with the 2006 season proving to be a fantastic one for Franks, and
Saturday night's victory marking the crowning and validating moment
of of the young man's career.
The night started off with a 3rd place heat finish for Franks, one spot out of
the coveted top 2 positions that make a driver eligible for the redraw for
front end Feature starting positions. This would put Franks starting 8th
on the grid for the Main Event.
In the opening laps of the Feature Event, youngster pole sitter, #17B
Brett Burdette, would capture the early lead, with fellow rookie driver, #31
Jamie Williams, in hot pursuit. While Burdette and Williams duked it out
for the top spot, Franks was mounting his silent charge on the bottom of the
race track, picking off positions and ultimately securing the 3rd spot on lap
17. Franks would overtake the number 2 spot on lap 19, and finished off the
job on lap 21, where he powered past leader, Burdette. Franks would not look
back, driving his bright yellow A-Main Welding sponsored Sprinter into Victory
Lane.
After the race, Franks commented, "I'm worn out, but that was fun.
We've worked very hard to try to get here and it has been a long time coming.
Those guys up front were really strong, but I've kind of become a
'catfish' and really prefer the bottom groove here. Tonight, that lane
was great and it allowed me to get myself in position to strike. I'm
really happy and very thankful to my team and family who have supported
me. This is great!"
Derek Franks currently sits 2nd in the Championship points chase at
The Lawrenceburg Speedway, with Saturday's performance closing the gap between
Franks and current points leader, Tony Beaber. Catch these two next
week on August 5th, HARF/DARF Night at The Lawrenceburg Speedway, as
they continue their battle for the Championship in the SK Construction Sprint
Cars. Additionally, Lawrenceburg Speedway will be hosting a driver meet
and greet and autograph session next Saturday night, in honor of
the two outstanding fan clubs. Further information can be found by
logging on to www.lawrenceburgspeedway.com.
COMPLETE LAWRENCEBURG SPEEDWAY SK CONSTRUCTION SPRINT CAR RESULTS FOR
7/29/06
Heat One
1) 49 Troy Link
2) 22 Ricky Vaughn
3) 2HL Mark Hall
4) 39G Matt Goodnight
5) 73W Steve Wilmot
6) 6 Dwayne Spille
7) 22W Mike Webber
Heat Two
1) 77 Jason Knoke
2) 17B Brett Burdette
3) 3X Derek Franks
4) 42S Springer Smith
5) 17W Ryan Wunderlich
6) 51 Steve Bixler
7) 5J Joss Moffatt
Heat Three
1) 31 Jamie Williams
2) 3T Tony Beaber
3) 7A Dakoda Armstrong
4) 16 Rodney Stone
5) 86S Tab Jenkins
6) 17R Kyle Robbins
A-Main/Feature Event
***Lap Leaders: 1-8 Burdette, 9-12 Williams, 13-20 Budette, 21-25 Franks***
1) 3X Derek Franks
2) 17B Brett Burdette
3) 77 Jason Knoke
4) 31 Jamie Williams
5) 22 Ricky Vaughn
6) 16 Rodney Stone
7) 49 Troy Link
8) 3T Tony Beaber
9) 7A Dakoda Armstrong
10) 42S Springer Smith
11) 17W Ryan Wunderlich
12) 2HL Mark Hall
13) 86S Tab Jenkins
14) 39G Matt Goodnight
15) 73W Steve Wilmot
16) 17R Kyle Robbins
17) 22W Mike Webber
18) 51 Steve Bixler
19) 6 Dwayne Spille
20) 5J Joss Moffatt (DNS)
|
