Chad Heath scores top-10 finish at Boyd Raceway

[PhilWhipple]

Chad Heath scores top-10 finish in debut at Boyd Raceway,
Earns more valuable IMCA points in Southern Oklahoma

LAMESA, Texas (April 5, 2021) — Maine native and sophomore dirt track driver Chad Heath scored a solid top-10 finish in his debut at Boyd Raceway (Boyd, TX) on Friday, then capped the weekend with a respectable 13th-place run Saturday in his third race of the season at Southern Oklahoma Speedway. 

Heath drove the Wicked Race Cars-built No. 09k entry to a fourth-place finish in his Heat at Boyd. After making a few changes to his setup, he started the A Main 10th in a 14-car field. With some heads-up driving and a better-handling car, he powered on to cross the stripe in seventh place. 

“I really loved racing at Boyd Raceway,” Heath said. “It did get dry-slick early in the night, I think the wind had an affect on track conditions. I learned as the night went on and came away with another top-10 finish. It's what I need to do this year as the competition in Sport Mod becomes more intense.” 

On Saturday, it was back north to Ardmore, Oklahoma, for a return visit to the beautiful Southern Oklahoma Speedway. The DFW Local Late Models were in town, which meant a dry, slick track right off the bat. Saturday also saw Heath changing out a bad axle and seal, with a fellow racer helping out. 

“Dan Day and I raced door-to-door Friday night at Boyd, but when he saw me having problems on Saturday he walked over to offer me a new axle,” Heath said. “I really appreciated that, and hope I am earning respect from these guys. The axle and new seal got me back on track for Saturday night.” 

Day, of Farmersville, Texas, finished eighth in the A Main, while his son Matthew finished third. 

There was one rather scary moment in qualifying, when a car spun directly in front of Heath. 

“I saw him snap around and really had to yank the car quickly to get out around the outside of him,” Heath explained. “I somehow managed to steer clear of him and avoid the outside retaining wall. It got my attention, I'll tell you that. It always pays to be alert, because things happen pretty fast out there.” 

In the A Main, Heath's read end problems had vanished, yet he had another small problem to battle. 

“I was losing air in my right front tire towards the end, but there was enough left in it to limp on home,” a dejected Heath explained after his disappointing 13th-place finish. “I'm always striving to land inside the top 10, but last night it just got away from us. Overall, it was still a solid weekend.” 

Heath is chasing IMCA Southern Sport Mod Rookie-of-the-Year points, and continues to lead the national standings. As of the previous weekend's races (through March 27), Heath led by 61 points over Ricky Johnston. It's still relatively early with tons of racing, yet it's a strong start towards achieving that goal. 

“It is a grind with all of this travel, running at two tracks every weekend,” Heath added. “But I'm going to keep going to different tracks as often as I can. I am learning how to adapt to different layouts, and I'm earning maximum points towards my ROTY goal. I'm having fun and learning a ton every week.” 

Up next for Chad Heath Racing and the No. 09k IMCA Southern Sport Mod entry is another two-race weekend on April 9-10, more than likely featuring a return visit to Boyd on Friday and to Ardmore on Saturday. 

To follow the team's progress all season long, go to www.facebook.com/chadheath09k.