Smith racing for TSRS championship after fourth-pl

[NickHolt]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 22, 2006

Contact: K-MAC Sports, 512.417.9414

 

Smith racing for TSRS championship after fourth-place finish at HMP

 

“We came into tonight hoping to stay in the championship hunt. We accomplished that tonight. Now we’ll get ready to battle for the (TSRS) series championship as well as the Rookie of the Year award.” - Smith Family Racing owner Tom Smith after Cody Smith finished fourth at the 75-lap race at Houston Motorsports Park

 

HOUSTON (10/22/06)- Cody Smith – the 17-year-old racing phenom from La Vernia (TX) – held his ground despite fighting a bad-handling race car and grabbed a fourth-place finish during Saturday’s 75-lap Texas Super Racing Series (TSRS) Late Models feature race at Houston Motorsports Park.

 

Race veteran Bobby Joe New took the checkered flag. Defending TSRS champion Chris Schild finished second while Tommy Gural placed third. Gural entered the race just two points behind Smith in the unofficial series points standings.

 

 

“The car was very good at the start of the race,” Smith stated. “But as the race went on the car started getting tight. The tires got hot, the brake pads got hot and the handling got worse. It wasn’t anyone’s fault; it was the fact we set up the car for a much colder night than it turned out to be.”

 

Smith Family Racing team owner Tom Smith agreed. “We thought it was going to much colder than it turned out to be tonight,” he confirmed. “Our crew – Jesse Salazar, John Salazar and Barbara Smith – had the car dialed in for what we anticipated. However, it turned out to be a warm, humid night. Cody did a great job of driving, and we’ll certainly take a fourth-place finish.”

 

Cody Smith added, “I’m proud of my team and our sponsors – RTM Construction Company, LTD., Dodson Demolition, Oval Components (San Antonio), Long’s Racing Engines, Salazar Racing and Fossil Fuel Motorsports. We ran fourth to three very good drivers – New, Schild and Gural. There’s no shame in that.”

 

Smith was second to Schild in qualifying (Schild timed at 14.933 seconds; Smith qualified at 15.062) but drew the number “6” in the invert draw. He started outside of Craig Sellman in Row 3 stayed in sixth until the second caution period on Lap 25. Sellman was sent to the rear for causing Ian Webster to spin; Smith was fifth on the restart.

 

On Lap 34, Smith finally got inside of Webster and the two ran side-by-side for a lap before Smith completed the pass one lap later. That’s where the La Vernia youngster would stay for the rest of the race.

 

Smith enters this Saturday’s season-ending race at Thunder Hill Raceway (THR) in Kyle (TX) holding a slim two-point lead in the unofficial series standings. The standings released do not take out each driver’s worst finish; the final TSRS standings will reflect that deduction.

 

“We’re not going to get caught up in the standings,” Tom Smith stated. “Right now, we’re going to get our car ready for this Saturday’s race knowing we have a chance at two titles – the Rookie of the Year award and the series championship. We’re happy to be in this situation. Even more so, we’re happy and proud to be a part of TSRS.”

 

The team’s web site – www.codysmithracing.com - is currently under construction by Race Day Creations. Information about the series can be found at www.manracingpromotions.com.

 

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