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4~Hart Motorsports Media Relations

 

-- For Immediate Release

 

4~HART MOTORSPORTS: STARTS THE LONG CLIMB BACK TO THE FRONT

 

KYLE, TX (July 22, 2006) – They say you must walk before can run, and you must crawl before you walk. The Texas ProSedans were scheduled for Race # 6 to occur on July 2nd at Thunderhill Raceway. However, Mother Nature had other plans. Rain drenched most of South Texas. The track officials and the Texas ProSedans set a make up date for July 22nd. The make-up date was set to occur after race #7 and race #8 held at the San Antonio Speedway on July 15, 2006.

 

Prior to the race, Lloyd Hart, driver of the #19 Instant Imprints Honda CRX reflected on the results thus far in the current year. “What can you do. We are doing everything we are supposed to do, but have just had really bad luck so far this year, but things are looking better. It seemed like we were having to swap engines after ever race. Things improved in San Antonio. We blew the head gasket on the #19 Instant Imprints Honda CRX during the first practice, and only had to pull the head” Hart said with a chuckle. “The car is good. We are still having an intermittent heating problem, but if that stays away, I really think we have a shot at winning the heat race and the feature event tonight” he stated early on race day.

 

However, the sweltering July Texas heat caused many to become dehydrated, and that same heat also exasperated the car’s overheating problems. The car overheated in the first practice out. The entire crew worked feverously to continue to diagnose and repair a phantom problem. Going into their second practice (TPS’ third and final practice for the day,) found the car staying in a reasonable temperature range. This gave some hope back to the team that they may finally be able to see what the car could really do.

 

The two qualifying heat races were decided based upon points. The draw put Lloyd and the #19 Instant Imprints Honda CRX on the pole for race number one. Still nervous that the problems may appear, a few final adjustments were made to give that little advantage. “The other issue that we have been fighting with these engines is the carburetor. These engines were designed to be run with multi point fuel injection, controlled by an ECU, not a carburetor. We have struggled to get everything perfect. It really knocks us out of contention if we are even a hair off on one of the settings. It just coughs and sputters at a different part of the track, depending on which way we are off.”

 

As the heat race #1 started, lap one indicated that they were off slightly with the adjustments. Lloyd lost the first spot quickly, to the driver of the #66 Ford Taurus, Ariel Arredondo, but maintained second spot for a few laps. However, eventually Jessie Sandoval in the #7 Ford Pinto cleanly passed to take the second spot away. Hart settled in and maintained the third spot as the race progressed. It looked as though a podium finish was locked in. But with only a lap or two remaining, the engine of the #84 Ford Taurus of D. J. Roggenkamp let go, dropping oil and debris up through turn one. Adam McCosh in his #78 VW Bug hit the oil and slid off the track, head on into D.J.’s sitting Taurus.

 

The Thunderhill Raceway crew then jumped into action to get the track cleared and cleaned. On the restart, Hart stayed up with the 1st and 2nd place cars. Going into turn one for the final time of the race, Hart’s #19 Instant Imprints Honda CRX suddenly went loose in between turns one and two, and the car went sideways. Hart was able to gather it up, taking a short tour through the infield grass, coming back onto the track on the back straight. Hart lost two positions as both Candi Hogan in her #72 VW Bug and John Miesen in his #55 VW Bug both passed Hart as he was getting the car straight. Hart made his way to the start finish line to take the checkered flag in the 5th position. The car had just started to overheat. The flat right front tire explained the reason for the car’s sudden loose condition on the last lap.

 

“The carb was slightly off, and it hurt us a little as we couldn’t go full throttle down the straights. But I wasn’t too upset, because the car’s temperature stayed down until the very end of the race, and the car handled really well. It looked like we had a top three wrapped up, and that was going to give us a pretty good starting spot for the main feature. I also knew that Jack would get the carb just right for the main. But the best laid plans of mice and men, as they say. I know the THR clean-up crew is one of the best and is very thorough, but I picked up something that cut a tire during the caution… That’s racin’…” Hart said after the heat race.

 

Between the finish of the qualifying Heat race and the feature race, Crew Chief Jack Foy carefully massaged the carb to its peak performance. The crew changed the flat right front tire. Another look into the overheating found nothing new. The crew, the driver, and the car were as prepared as they could be. After the top three finishing cars went through tech, the #19 Instant Imprints Honda CRX was moved up to the fourth spot on the inside for the main feature.

 

As the green flag dropped for the feature race, Hart stepped up the pace even with the field. He was happy with the way the engine was producing power, and the carb seemed to be working perfectly. As the field entered turn one, suddenly the car stepped out on him, just as it had done during the end of the heat race. Just like the heat race, Hart was able to correct it from its sideways position, but had pulled back onto the track after all of the other cars had passed. This put Hart at the rear.

 

“Not sure what happened. It went into the corner perfect, just like it had done all night, but then it felt like I hit a sheet of ice. After getting it straight again, I felt it out for a couple of laps. I thought I had another flat tire. However, after just a couple of laps, the car started to hold its ground in the corners, so I went racing…” Hart said.

 

Due to driving the first couple of laps really cautiously, Hart was lapped early. However, once up to speed, Hart started racing his fellow competitors for all it was worth. He was able to pass several competitors throughout the race. However, at least two more times during the race, Hart’s #19 Instant Imprints Honda CRX suddenly and without warning, went very loose, getting the car sideways. The following laps, the car would stick perfectly again.

 

“I talked with several drivers out there after the race, and everyone I talked with said the track was wickedly hot and greasy. The conclusion is that someone may have been leaking a little oil, just enough to get the cars a little upset. I was just lucky enough to find it on several laps. I am very glad I was able to save it every time.” Hart said.

 

The race was run caution free. In fact, the only incident reported in the post race bulletin was for the #7 Ford Pinto driven by Jesse Sandoval, which had spun on the back straight-a-way. He had just acquired the second spot when it went around on him, but he was able to recover it and kept the race under the green flag.

 

“I was racing Candi Hogan in her #72 yellow VW Bug and Mike Knotts in his #48 VW Scirocco for a lot of laps. We were swapping positions like we were in the closing laps at Daytona. That was the best fun I have had on the tracks all year. You do not know how important it is to be able to trust your competitors, that you can go into a turn, two and three wide, and know they are not going to wreck you. That is what makes great racing for the drivers, the fans, the sponsors, and the officials!!” Hart said after the race.

 

The sad fact of the matter is that sometimes, where a driver finishes isn’t indicative of how well that driver actually ran. Going down a lap early, without the opportunity to get his lap back, Hart finished 13th in the rain make-up race #6 at Thunderhill raceway.

 

Hart stated after the race, “We had a great time tonight. We proved once again that TPS drivers can run a caution free race, and we had fun. We have a couple of weeks before the next race, and we are determined to get this overheating problem solved. We plan to be a serious contender for the next race. The portions of the race tonight where the car ran right, it was fast. We are back on that road to the front, and that feels good.”

 

Hart went on to say “My sponsor Instant Imprints in San Antonio and the 4 ~ Hart Motorsports team put together t-shirts that were given away to the fans tonight, as a way to say thanks to them. I also need to say thanks to Mary Ann, Aaron and his wife, the JRA Kids club, the track announcer, and all of the great folks at Thunder Hill Raceway for working with us and Instant Imprints in sharing the t-shirts with the fans!! The plan is to continue to giveaway more t-shirts to the supportive fans at each race this year.”

 

The #19 Instant Imprints Honda CRX driver also said, “Thanks to all of TPS for putting on such a great race, and to Thunder Hill Raceway for hosting our races. We are looking forward to returning there for our next feature on September 2nd. I also have to thank God for a safe race, thanks to my great primary sponsor, Instant Imprints, to my Crew Chief Jack, and all of my Crew, Karla, Greg, Samantha, Kathy, and Jonathan, and also to all of my family for their unending support of my racing!”

 

4~Hart Motorsports and the Texas ProSedans can next be found at San Antonio Speedway on August 19th for their ninth race of the season.

 

4~Hart Motorsports is sponsored by Instant Imprints of San Antonio. Information about 4~Hart Motorsports can be found at www.4hartmotorsports.com.

 

Information about Texas ProSedans can be found at www.texasprosedans.com

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