Tim Russell Gets Caught in Daytona Mess, Finishes 23rd

A rookie mistake cost Tim Russell a great finish in his first ever ARCA RE/MAX Series start. However, it was not Russell who was to blame when he crashed in the ARCA Daytona 200. That actually happened when a first-timer got squirrelly in the pack ahead of him. Several other drivers, including Russell, ended up being innocent victims.

In fact, Russell looked like anything but a rookie on the track. He started 21st , learned a few quick drafting lesions early and looked poised for a solid finish in the race. But that wasn’t to be.

“We were running fine,” said Russell. “I think we could have gotten up to the top-10. I picked the wrong lane early and I was working my way back to the front. Someone lost it off of two and we were on the outside of them. When he lost it, another guys pinched us into the wall. I had no where to go.”

The body damage to the #10 Rinnai Dodge Charger did not knock Russell out of the race, but it took him out of contention for a strong finish.

“It was a long day after that. We still finished though. We were just three laps down. I learned a bunch. We’ll take it. We’ll come back strong at Talladega with this car. “

Russell finished 23rd on the day. He enjoyed his first Superspeedway race for the most part, and definitely learned quite a bit from the experience.

“There were some cars you could run with and there were others that were out of control. That early in the race, there were some guys jumping around the pack. You had to be careful who you were around. I was just trying to be as patient as I could. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“It is pretty fun in the pack. I enjoyed it for a little while. You really feel a lot. Sometimes you pick up a push. Sometimes you suck up real well with other cars.”

Russell will announce what his next race will be soon. Be sure to visit timrussell36.com for the latest updates.