Team Solves Handling Issues, Claims Top-10 Finish

 

It may have taken all season, but the David Elliott Racing Team finally got the #37 Pennzoil Impala handling properly and running near the front of the pack.

 

After racing legend Junior Hanley helped David identify a couple of problems in the front end of the car during the week, the team entered the final evening races of the season with renewed confidence.

 

The car was fast in the first few laps of each practice session, but quickly developed a bad push after a few laps. Following the final session, the team identified a problem with the alignment of the car’s wheels which only happened while turning left.

 

   

 

After a few adjustments, the car rolled out for its two qualifying laps. David ran his fastest two laps of the year, both in the 19.2 second bracket. The times were good enough for 12th spot on the grid.

 

During the night’s first 25-lap feature, David climbed up to 9th place before the #15 of Steven Matthews hit David from behind going into turn 3 with just a few laps to go. While David regained control of the #37 without hitting anything, he dropped two positions and ended up finishing 11th.

 

“The car was better, but we still needed to do a few more adjustments before the second feature race,” said David.

 

         

 

The final evening race of the season at Delaware Speedway was arguably the most exciting Late Model races of the year. With 21 cars inverted, the fastest cars were deep in the field.

 

The green flag flew, and so did the hood of the #2 Doug Stewart. With no visibility, Stewart slowed as he entered turn 1. Cars piled into him from behind and a multi-car melee ensued. When the smoke cleared, the #37 Impala was backwards near the turn 1 wall.

 

David fired the car up and brought it around to the pits. The crew looked the car over and found only minor body damage, but David had to give up his 11th place starting position and restarted the race at the back of the pack. The remainder of the race saw 2-, 3- and even 4-wide racing. David and the other fast cars wove their way through the field. When the checkered flag fell, David had moved up to 8th place.

 

    

 

“That was the best the car has been since the first race of the year,” beamed David after the race. “I think I could have made the top-5 tonight, but the car needed to be on the bottom of the track and I was stuck on the outside.”

 

Regardless of the finishing position, the team has great confidence in the #37 Pennzoil Impala heading into the season-ending APC/Total 300 on Labour Day weekend.

 

Be sure to join us for the last race of the 2009 season.