ACT Late Model Tour: Emily Packard
Devils Bowl Speedway Race Report
WEST HAVEN, Vt. – Emily Packard of East Montpelier, Vt., finished 11th in the ACT Late Model Tour St. Jude Children’s Hospital 150 at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven, Vt., on Sunday, July 28. Packard started 13th in the field and battled several caution periods and a 23-minute rain delay to post her best ACT finish since mid-May. With a number of laps run under the yellow flag – including efforts to keep the track from getting damp during caution periods for rain – the handling in the rear end of the No. 9x Northstar Fireworks/Berlin Optical Expressions Ford Fusion started to wane as fuel was burned from the gas tank.
WHO: Emily Packard, East Montpelier, Vt.
CREW CHIEF: Neal Woodward, Georgia, Vt.
TEAM: Emily Packard Motorsports No. 9x Northstar Fireworks/Berlin Optical Expressions Chevrolet
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 St. Jude Children’s Hospital 150
WHERE: Devil’s Bowl Speedway, West Haven, Vt. (.500-mile oval)
STARTED: 13th
FINISHED: 11th
NEXT RACE: August 3, ACT 150, Sanair Super Speedway, St. Pie, Que. (.875-mile oval)
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EMILY, HOW WAS YOUR RACE?
We had a great car, but we had that rain delay, and they made us turn laps to dry the track. I think we ran just enough laps to burn enough gas that we had no rear weight in the back of the car at the end. It was just sliding all over the place.
I think we had a little bit better car than were we ended up. If we would have had a little bit more gas at the end, I think it would have helped our handling so that could have gotten a few more spots. Still, I’m happy with it. The crew did a good job on the car, and I was really happy with the setup. It was a good day for us.
DID THE RAIN EFFECT THE RACING AT ALL?
I don’t think the rain effected it at all, to be honest. There really wasn’t that much, so the track didn’t get slippery at all. It didn’t make that much of a difference. The biggest difference was just in how much fuel and tire we ended up using. You figure that we ran 150 hot laps, plus qualifying, plus probably 60 or 70 caution laps – that’s a lot of laps on a set of tires.