14-year old Tyler Townsend of Longview opening eyes

[NickHolt]

First career start in the ASALMS Challenge Division for 14-year-old Tyler Townsend a success! Makes the show on time and finishes 16th in Music City.

 

By Total Performance Racing Driver Development/M.P.H. Promotions

 

Longview, Texas (04/06/2007) - 14-year-old Tyler Townsend opened a lot of eyes and has got the racing world talking based on his performance in his first ever appearance at the historic Music City (TN) Motorplex in Nashville, Tennessee.

 

One of the youngest drivers to ever compete on the fast 0.596 Mile High-Banked Paved Oval on the Tennessee State Fairgrounds in the tracks’ long, storied history and in his debut no less, the Longview, Texas teenager impressed many on lookers on hand with a solid 16th place showing in his ASALMS Challenge Division debut!

 

Townsend’s Car Owners; Total Performance Racing Driver Development were in the comforts of home as the second race of the ASALMS Challenge Division was in TPR’s backyard; The Music City Motorplex in TPR’s home base of Nashville, Tennessee on Friday and Saturday March 30-31, 2007 for the running of the Music City Spring Clash 200.

 

“This was one of the most existing weekends I’ve ever raced.” Exclaimed the excited Lone Star State Teenager. “I learned so much for this race! We came and tested two weeks ago and the car and myself couldn’t get along, Chuck (Crew Chief Chuck Moores) took the car back to the shop and re worked it from nose to tail while I went home and worked on getting healthy for a 200 lap race.” Townsend Added.

 

“This weekend was a great confidence booster for me after not making the ASALMS Southern Division Opener in Bronson, Florida.” Continued the 14-year-old. “To be consistently in the top 10 in the practice sessions and make the race on time, the team and myself are very pumped for the rest of the season!” Townsend continued.

 

40 cars were on hand in Nashville, Tennessee and after being one of the faster cars throughout the weekend in practice, the 14-year-old backed that up by qualifying into the Music City Spring Clash 200 on time. With only the Top 24 locked in through Qualifying, the Longview, Texas teen went out for ARP Bodies/Aluminum Racing Products Qualifying and put himself into the show in 21st!

 

Townsend would start the Music City Spring Clash 200 from the inside of the 11th row and 200 laps was by far the longest race of his brief career. “200 laps, Wow! The longest race I ever ran was a 50 lapper with a brake at 25 laps!” Laughed Townsend. “To get a Top 20 finish with a 16th place and not a scratch on the car; That alone makes my Dad (Phil Townsend) and Chuck very happy and that’s a great weekend.” Townsend stated.

 

Townsend stayed out of trouble all race long and opened a lot of eyes with his calm demeanor throughout the 200-Lap Feature. “I can’t wait for another challenge race. I have to thank a few local drivers who all gave me great advice all weekend long and actually taught me how to learn to qualify. Josh Adams, Bo Miller, Dillon Oliver, and of coarse Daryl Sage, All these guys took time out of their day to set down and really try to teach me what I was missing in the art of qualifying.” An appreciative Townsend offered.

 

For the remainder of the 2007 season, the 14-year-old Townsend is driving for the new TPR Driver Development team, based in Nashville, Tennessee. Townsend will be running the full schedule of events within the ASALMS Southern Division with hopes of capturing the 2007 ASALMS South Rookie of the Year Title. In addition, Townsend also plans on making select appearances later this season in the crown jewel of the ASALMS, the Challenge Division.

 

The next event for Townsend and the TPR crew will be on Saturday May 5, 2007 as the ASALMS Southern Division will return from a lengthy break with the running of the Watermelon Bowl 125 at the Watermelon Capital (GA) Speedway, located South of Macon in Cordele, Georgia. “I can’t wait to get to Watermelon Capital, I think we’ll have something for them there.” Townsend ended.

 

Townsend’s first appearance in any type of a full size Late Model and on pavement no less, came during the 41st annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at the New Smyrna (FL) Speedway, located West of Daytona in Samsula, Florida. It was Townsend’s first ever appearance in a Late Model and the Longview, Texas teenager opened a lot of eyes during the 2007 Florida Speedweeks!

 

In six total events for the ASALMS Type Crate Late Models division at the newly paved 0.500 Mile High-Banked Paved Oval, Townsend shocked the racing world with his Feature win on Tuesday February 13, 2007. Just four days after making his Late Models debut with a runner-up showing on February 9, 2007.

 

Over the six races held for the ASALMS/Crate Late Models during Florida Speedweeks, the 14-year-old teenager never finished worse than fifth in any of the six Feature events and finished third in the final points standings. By not pre registering for the 2007 World Series, Townsend missed out on the 50 bonus points offered to drivers who pre registered for the 41st edition of the World Series.

 

Nevertheless, the Longview, Texas teenager still finished third in the final ASALMS/Crate Late Models Final Points Standings with One Feature Win, Six Top Fives, and Six Top 10 finishes. Townsend finished just two points back of runner-up Dalton Zehr, and 18 points behind 2007 World Series Champion, Jonathan Beason, despite missing those 50 extra points.

 

The 14-year-old Lone Star State driver was the only driver throughout the entire 41st annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing’s three Late Model divisions to finish every Feature he ran in the Top Five! No other driver during Florida Speedweeks can boast that fact!

 

Before running in his first ever Late Model event during Florida Speedweeks and his first ever appearance on pavement, Townsend came from the Mod Lites Division of the dirt ranks within the World Karting Association (WKA) under the supervision of Rick Eperson and Kenny Gadsden where he is a Three-Time Texas State Champion as well as a Three-Time Louisiana State Champion both state titles were three years in a row.

 

Those titles came consecutively each in 2004, 2005, and 2006. Townsend won his first race at just five years old in go-karts and is a former champion in the Indoor Dirt Kart Nationals in Tunica, Mississippi.

 

Photo courtesy ASALMS