6/16/2015
Peck Cut Short at Midget Week With Engine Issues
(Photo by A.B.C. Photography)
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – “If we didn’t have bad luck, we’d have no luck at all.” Those were the words of Justin Peck back in March. Unfortunately, that bad luck has been unrelenting throughout his 2015 racing campaign. Steering issues, racing contact, engine trouble, and simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time have all done Peck in multiple times this season. The same issues plagued him through the first three nights of Indiana Midget Week, and then came the kicker: valvetrain issues in the engine that will sideline him indefinitely.
Before that bad news broke, Peck was able to compete in what amounted to five nights of racing, piloting his family’s No. 5x midget for three nights, as well as taking on double duty in Rex Norris’ No. 63 sprint car on two of those nights. The United States Auto Club Indiana Midget Week started off on Wednesday night at Gas City I-69 Speedway, where 42 USAC midgets and 35 unsanctioned sprint cars signed in to race. Qualifying 26th overall in the midget put Peck starting seventh in his heat race, where he was also to start his sprint car heat based on pill draw. Moving up one spot to sixth in the midget wouldn’t be enough to transfer into the feature, and finishing seventh in the sprint car would send him to that B-main as well.
In the midget B-main, Peck quickly set out to take a top-six finish and thus lock in to the main event. Other plans were in the cards though. Already up to ninth with just two laps in the books, a car ahead of Peck hit an infield tractor tire, knocking it up into the track. With nowhere to go, he made contact with it, ending that bid. Previously, in the sprint car B-main, the eighth-starting Monrovia, Ind. native charged his way forward four spots, but with only the winner and runner-up earning the bid for the feature, he’d be done for the night.
Thursday’s action came courtesy of Lincoln Park Speedway. Running on three cylinders in qualifying put a damper on Peck’s night in the midget early. 41st was the position he was credited with, slating him 11th in his heat race. For that race, the team got the engine back up to speed, and the Dura Coat No. 5x put on a show to finish sixth, though it still wasn’t good enough to get in the feature. On the sprint car side of heat races, Peck started outside row three but fell one spot back to seventh, headed for the B-main.
Forced into the midget C-main by his qualifying time, Peck rallied from ninth to third to gain entry in the B-main, where a blistering performance fell just short of a feature appearance. Starting way back in 19th, he zoomed forward 12 spots in as many laps, but the effort still couldn’t get him there. Finishing seventh, just the top six finishers transferred to the main event. It continued a theme on the week, as the sprint car B-main result was also one out of the transfer, finishing sixth after starting fifth.
Friday at Bloomington Speedway would prove to be the final race of the weekend for Peck. Focusing just on the midget, a 27th-quick effort in qualifying set him up for a seventh spot on the grid for heat race action. Another sixth-place heat finish sent him to the B-main event. Starting 11th, Peck shot forward the necessary five positions to get into the feature. However, heartbreak struck on the final corner on the final lap, as a lapped car spinning in front of Peck would again end his night prematurely, this time in a transfer spot with just mere feet separating him from the main.
The bad luck didn’t stop once off the race track, though. Wanting to check through the engine before the big 3/8-mile Lawrenceburg Speedway, Peck and his team found major problems in the top end of their powerplant, taking them out of action for the night. A rainout at Kokomo Speedway saved him from missing that race, which is to be made up on June 21 with Peck hopeful to be in attendance.
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, Quick Change Products, 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.
Quick Results
June 10 – Gas City, IN – Midget – Qualifying: 26th; Heat: 6th (7); B-Main: 19th (12)
June 10 – Gas City, IN – 410ci Wingless Sprint – Heat: 7th (7); B-Main: 4th (8)
June 11 – Putnamville, IN – Midget – Qualifying: 41st; Heat: 6th (11); C-Main: 3rd (9); B-Main: 7th (19)
June 11 – Putnamville, IN – 410ci Wingless Sprint – Heat: 7th (6); B-Main: 6th (5)
June 12 – Bloomington, IN – Midget – Qualifying: 27th; Heat: 6th (7); B-Main: 10th (11)
2015 Stats
16 races, 9 features, 0 wins, 1 top five, 4 top tens, 5 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