ACT International 500: Emily Packard
Airborne Speedway Race Report
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Emily Packard of East Montpelier, Vt., finished 32nd overall in the inaugural ACT International 500 at Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, N.Y., on Sunday, July 21. Packard was collected in a multi-car crash on the very first lap in the second of three 100-lap segments that made up the unique ACT Late Model tour event, ending the day early for the No. 9x Northstar Fireworks/Berlin Optical Expressions Ford Fusion. Packard qualified 25th for the 40-car field on the .500-mile oval, and she finished 21st in the opening 100-lap segment. When the front row got together on the initial start of Segment No. 2, several cars stacked up and were left with heavy damage. Packard hit the frontstretch wall, pushing her radiator all the way into her engine and bending the rear end of the car to effectively force her out of the event.
WHO: Emily Packard, East Montpelier, Vt.
TEAM: No. 9x Northstar Fireworks/Berlin Optical Expressions Ford Fusion
CREW CHIEF: Neal Woodward, Georgia, Vt.
SPONSORS: Northstar Fireworks, Fecteau Homes, Berlin Optical Expressions, Yipes! of Barre, VT Shifter Karts, GossCars.com, Be The Match, Rutland Regional Medical Center, R.G. Paving
WHAT: ACT International 500 (three 100-lap segments)
WHERE: Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
STARTED: 25th
FINISHED: 32nd (21-33-25, 79 pts.)
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EMILY, HOW DISAPPOINTING WAS THE WAY THE DAY PLAYED OUT?
I’m obviously disappointed. We didn’t have the best car all day long, but we had a pretty good car in the first segment. The team worked their butt off all weekend to try and get us a car that could get us to contend. Overall, it was still good because it taught us a lot.
I was really happy with the first segment. It wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t absolutely terrible, either. I felt like we were going to come out of it with a good finish.
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE START OF SEGMENT NO. 2?
In front of me, right at the front of the field, I saw this car start moving around. He was way out of shape, and I thought to myself, ‘Uh-oh, this is not going to be good.’ I heard (crew chief Neal Woodward) on the radio, telling me to stay high because they started wrecking down toward the infield – but coming down the frontstretch, there’s not a lot of room out there toward the wall.
I thought I was going to have it missed, but the guys behind me definitely didn’t get the memo that they were wrecking. They all piled up into Nick (Sweet) and pushed him into me. I just went into the wall. There was really nothing anybody could do – when you’re coming down to the start, a lot of spotters are looking for the green flag and nobody’s really looking at the front row.
HOW BAD WAS THE DAMAGE TO THE CAR?
My hood was so buckled, I couldn’t even see getting down pit road. The radiator got pushed into the engine, the fan was into the hoses. The rear end is completely bent. I wouldn’t say it was the hardest hit I’ve ever had, but I did hit the wall again. It was a pretty hard it. I just got punted from behind straight into the wall.