Talladega Test a Daytona Prep for Tim and Rinnai Team
Tim Russell and his Rinnai Team hit the feared high banks of the Talladega Superspeedway for a test session recently in preparation for the team’s ARCA RE/MAX Series debut in Daytona in February.
It was the first time on the track with a new car and also the first time tackling Talladega for the young driver from the Sunshine state.
“I was pretty excited but not nervous. It was pretty intense going off in to turn one for the first time wide open. This place is a big deal with all the prestige that this place has and all the Cup races. I can't imagine how great it will be when we come back here and the stands are filled and that brings the excitement up even more.
“It's a lot different from the Short Tracks of Florida. I kind of got a little bit of experience running some big tracks in ASA. Then we tested one of Andy Hillenburg's cars in Daytona a few weeks ago which kind of prepared me for this. It's fun. It is the biggest thing that I have been on.
Russell's #36 on the Alabama high banks.
The team worked all day making short qualifying runs at Dega trying to get a balance on the car for Speedweeks in Daytona.
“You go out there and you make your two three lap run and make your changes. Then you go back out there again. In the morning I was really having fun. But after lunch it started getting boring after a while. I guess it is always fun in a racecar though. You just have to go out there and hit all your marks so they can make the right adjustments to get the car going faster.
“You are out there and you have all of this open racetrack on the top and on the bottom. It does get a little boring but I'm sure when it gets three, four or five wide it's going to be hairy. That's what we are paid to do.”
However Russell did admit that the test has him even more pumped to get on track with other cars at Daytona, a track he’s been going to since he was a child.
“I can't wait until February. Just to get an opportunity to run Daytona will be amazing.”
