Brady aboard the FMR #76m (Bubba’s Pics)
(Bill W) June 21, 2016 – Brady Bacon and the Frank Manafort Racing #76m team headed for the historic Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Arkansas last weekend for USAC National Midget action. The ¼-mile bullring is affectionately known as “The Ditch”. The weekend culminated with Saturday’s “40 for Shorty”, a tribute to longtime area racing personality, Shorty Chambliss. The USAC National Sprint Car Series will be back in action this weekend, and the Broken Arrow, Oklahoma driver and series’ point leader will be aboard the Hoffman Racing #69 for events at Jackson Motorplex in Minnesota Thursday, Eagle Raceway in Nebraska Friday and Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas Saturday and Sunday.
In Friday’s prelim in West Memphis, Brady timed in seventh quick. “I qualified one spot out of the (feature) invert,” he says. “I was just a little tight there. We were about one-hundredth of a second out of being in the top six. There were only two heats, so obviously, we made the feature through the heat.”
He would start inside row four. “We ended up fifth,” says Brady. “Three and four was pretty heavy and fast on the top. One and two was kind of slick. It was hard to pass. Everyone was going as hard as they could, and it was a little harder to pass there than it used to be. We felt good about a solid run in the top five.”
Brady would time in better for the finale. “We were able to qualify sixth and ran second in the heat race on Saturday,” he says. “That put us up front for the feature.”
He would get the early jump on the field in the 40-lapper. “We got to the lead on the start and led seven or eight laps,” says Brady. “Out front, it was hard to tell where the track was going to be. I was running about two car-widths off the top towards the middle. (Tanner) Thorson got by me on the top and I went up there and ran the top.”
Brady would give chase. “We were running with him pretty well and we were catching him,” he says. “The yellow came out, and that opened door for some people and slowed us down a little bit. (Bryan) Clauson came on the very, very bottom and I fell back to third.”
He would again gain momentum in the Bob East prepared midget. “I was able to get back in the groove there, and Thorson ended up having a flat,” says Brady. “We just couldn’t do much with Clauson. We were about the same speed, running about the same line. We were a little tight the whole race. I think we could have been a little faster if we were a bit looser, but I can’t complain. The car has been really good every time out.”
The team has showed steady improvement in their USAC title chase. “We’re still trying to get the motor where it needs to be,” says Brady. “We’ve been o.k. by ourselves, but it’s been tough to pull people when we’re racing them. We’re working on that. It’s a lot like wing sprint car racing in the fact that everyone is close, so every little bit helps. We’re knocking on the door, and I think we’re only 22 points out of the championship. It’s been a good year, and everyone is working really hard to get a win.”
Follow Brady on his Website, Twitter and Facebook!
Follow Brady at his website located at www.BradyBaconRacing.com! Also keep up with him on Facebook and Twitter (which also can be accessed at the website) at the following links…
Twitter Link – http://twitter.com/BradyBacon
Facebook Link - www.facebook.com/pages/Brady-Bacon-Racing/278125555137
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Brady Bacon Racing would like the following sponsors for all their help: Fatheadz Eyewear, Viper Risk Management Group, Triple X Race Co., Tel-Star Technologies, PPM Titanium Products, KTA Kiser’s Truck and Auto (formerly Sham’s Garage), Heath Clips Lawn Care, Chubby from CnB Mushroom Farms, Lucas Oil Products, Factory Kahne, FK Indy, Lightning Wings, CP Carrillo, Keizer Wheels, Smiley’s Racing Products, Eaton Industrial Coatings, Sweet Mfg., Butlerbuilt Seats, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Proglide Coatings, Diversified Machine Inc., Fuel Safe, Allstar Performance, Simpson, Octane Ink, Schroth Racing, Wilwood, King Racing Products and Schoenfeld Headers.
The Hoffman #69 sprinter is sponsored by Mean Green, Mopar, Triple X Race Components, Hoosier, DMI, Lykins, Engler Machine & Tool, Goodridge Fluid Transfer Systems, KSE, MPD Racing, CSI Shocks, XYZ Machining, Saldana Racing Products, Fuel Safe Racing Cells, Fastener Specialty Motorsports, Wilwood Brakes, Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil, Zemco Headers, Chalk Racing Products and Weld.
Photo: Brady aboard the FMR #76m (Bubba’s Pics)
Bill W Media
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