Mitchell Competitive in First ASA Race

[tqj3]

Wimberley's Mitchell Competitive in First Race in ASA Late Model Stock Car

 

San Antonio - Wimberley High senior Trey Mitchell started 14th and finished 14th in the Patriot Car Wash ASA Late Model Chevrolet Monte Carlo on Saturday night in the first of two AT&T Texas All Star Shootouts as the stars of the ASA Late Model Southern Division Championship came to San Antonio Speedway to race the best in Texas. Being forced out due to suspension damage on his #9 Patriot Car Wash entry was almost unimportant to Mitchell compared to showing he's as fast as a very tough field in his first start in a late model. Another 17-year-old, the veteran Landon Cassill from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, won while 16-year-old Plano driver James Buescher clinched both the ASA Southern Division Rookie of the Year crown and the championship.

 

"We weren't quick on Friday," Mitchell noted after the race, "but we were only about a second off. Saturday, Greg Spreen helped us make some big changes and Brandon Bendele came over to help as well. We worked on the race set up and only qualified 14th, but knew we'd have a good car for the race."

 

At the start Lloyd Alexander, Mitchell and David Pollen immediately started fighting over the 13th spot, which Mitchell took by passing the veteran Alexander. By the time the leaders began to pull away Mitchell was battling with 2006 SAS Late Model track champion Joe Aramendia and former ROMCO champion Greg Davidson over the ninth spot. At the halfway point a car found the wall between turns three and four and brought out a yellow flag.

 

"I'm running my first race in a late model, just trying to get some experience, and I'm banging on the bumper of Greg Davidson, who's a late model racing legend in Texas," Mitchell smiled and shook his head after the race. On the restart Davidson tried to get under Aramendia but spun and brought the caution flags out again.

 

Near the halfway point of the 75-lap race, Aramendia and Mitchell were door to door battling for eighth place when Brent Seeley made it a three-car-wide pack with Aramendia and Mitchell coming out of turn two, which usually won't work. Mitchell wisely lifted to give up the spot to Seeley for the moment, but as Seeley fought his way by Aramendia Mitchell had to slow. Davidson got into the back of Mitchell and spun with a flat while Mitchell was forced into the wall and out of the race.

 

"The bad news is, we damaged the front clip," Mitchell laughed. "The good news is, the front clip had to be replaced anyway. We missed the second race (also won by Cassill), but we found out we're good enough to run with these guys."

 

Mitchell plans to race the ASA Late Model Southern Division Series next year, but he has one more race to run this year. He'll be racing this weekend at Thunder Hill Raceway in Kyle in the Patriot Car Wash Modified stock car. He has already won his second rookie of the year title in a row, taking the United States Racing Association (USRA) Modified Series rookie title, and is currently tied for fourth in the USRA Modified championship with a good chance to finish in the top three, just as he did in last year's Lone Star Legacy Series on his way to rookie honors in that series.

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T. Q. Jones, Writer and Publicist, P. O. Box 341706, Austin, TX 78734

PH: (512) 261-5236 Email: tqj@mindspring.com