Chad Heath earns top-10 in Sport Mod at Cotton Bowl Speedway

[PhilWhipple]

LAMESA, Texas (March 28, 2021) — With temperatures going up and race season in full swing throughout the deep south, it's starting to feel a lot like summer for one Maine native now racing in Texas and Oklahoma.

Chad Heath continued his busy string of short track races, posting respectable finishes at the Heart O' Texas Speedway (Elm Mott) and Cotton Bowl Speedway (Paige) over the weekend. Friday he started 19th and drove to a 16th-place finish at HoT and capped the weekend with an 8th-place run (after starting eighth) at CBS. 

“I found Heart O' Texas to be a fast, slick and challenging track,” Heath said. “With the Late Models there, it got slick earlier than normal. I struggled in my heat and tried to get ready for the B Main. As we rolled out onto the track for that, they called us back in and told us we all had made the A Main.”

That decision by officials prevented Heath from risking damage to his car before the feature. It offered a chance to adjust and prepare for the A Main, a race Heath knew would be intense.

“The competition in Southern Sport Mods at Heart O' Texas is some of the most intense in the entire state,” Heath said. “I figured it was a good chance to see how I measure up against those guys, to see if I could run with them. I had a few scary moments, but we earned some points and didn't wreck the car.”

On Saturday, it was off to the friendly confines of Cotton Bowl, where promoter Mary Ann Naumann and her staff were hosting Round 2 of their 2021 scheduled points races. The No. 09k Wicked Race Cars-built entry of Heath was fast in qualifying, with a third-place finish in his Heat.

“Conditions were a lot more like the day I tested there a month or so ago,” Heath explained. “The car handled more like I expected it to this time. I got hung up in traffic a while early in the feature, but once I got free I could begin to make some headway. I just love Cotton Bowl, there's room to race.”

Heath's goal of going after IMCA Southern Sport Mod Rookie-of-the-Year honors this year will take a huge effort. Lots of travel, lots of busy Friday and Saturday nights, but also a ton of learning. As a man who keeps critical generators running for a living, this type of challenge is an ideal pastime.

“I love to learn, I love racing and this year I'm getting to compete at some great tracks here in Texas,” he added. “Heart O' Texas is a fast little bullring, a lot like Thunder Road Speedbowl up in Vermont. It may be dirt instead of asphalt, but you need to be up on the wheel every lap. It's an absolute blast.

“And Cotton Bowl is a driver's track, with long straightaways that let you stretch your legs. It takes big power and a good chassis setup to be successful there. If I can learn to run near the front there, I will be doing a big stroke of business. These Sport Mod guys down here are good, and they don't budge at all.”

To follow Chad's progress throughout the season, go to www.facebook.com/chadheath09k.

(Photo credit: Rachel Plant)

 

Edited April 1, 2021 by PhilWhipple