4/21/2015
Peck Earns Hard Charger Honors in Sprint Car Premiere
(Photo by Shirley Viewegh)
PUTNAMVILLE, Ind. – With both the POWRi and USAC midget tours out of action this past weekend, Justin Peck took an offer to drive a sprint car for the first time in his young career. After three grueling races to start the season in his family’s midget, Peck was looking to turn around his recent struggles, and he got that on Saturday night.
Signing in at Lincoln Park Speedway with 19 other sprint cars, Peck was set to take Rex Norris’ No. 63 machine for a ride around the 5/16-mile Putnamville, Indiana facility. The pill draw for heat race lineup put him inside of the second row on the grid for the first of three heat races. After contact with a competitor sent Peck spinning to a stop, a seventh-place scoring would bury him deep in the field for the rest of the night.
As there were less than 24 cars in attendance, all cars transferred to the feature, but Peck’s heat race result would mean he’d fire off from the 18th spot in the 25-lap race. The usual Putnamville surface showed its face: multiple lanes with a treacherous cushion that’s tough to tame, but also hard to beat if mastered. The Monrovia, Indiana shoe was instantly on the move when the green flag dropped, something that very few drivers on the track were able to do. While many of his opponents struggled to find speed, Peck showed the poise of a seasoned sprint car expert. The sixteen-year-old used the entire race track and posted a run that no one else could match; his ten positions gained to blast into the top-ten to finish eighth were the most of any entrant on the night, earning him the race’s hard charger rights.
Peck would like to thank Dura Coat Products, Factory Kahne, Simpson Race Products, Lucas Oil, Keizer Wheels, Hoosier Racing Tire, Saldana Racing Products, Pit Stop BBQ & Grill, and Spider Graphix, as well as his parents, Joe Devin, Carl Thomas, Rich Gabel, Jon Steed, Mike Gass, Zack Burks, and all of his fans for their continued support.
Peck is next scheduled to compete on April 24 at Jacksonville Speedway in Jacksonville, Illinois and on April 25 at Macon Speedway in Macon, Illinois, both with the POWRi National Midget series in the No. 5x midget entry.
Quick Results
April 18 – Putnamville, IN – 410ci Wingless Sprint – Heat: 7th (3); Feature: 8th (18)
2015 Stats
6 races, 4 features, 0 wins, 0 top fives, 2 top tens, 2 DNFs
Social Media
Website: http://www.justinpeckracing.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/justin.racing.9
Twitter: http://twitter.com/justin_peck5
Instagram: http://instagram.com/justin_peck5
Article Credit: Redbeard Promotions