In 2007, Tim Russell was atop the Florida Super Late Model racing world. He was crowned champion in two of the state’s toughest racing series, the Sunbelt Series and the Brighthouse Challenge Series.
So far in 2008, Russell has proven that his 2007 success was not a fluke. The young racer has now claimed victory in both tours’ season openers. Russell took the checkers in the Brighthouse opener on March 22nd, and then sealed the opening-race sweep on Friday, April 4th, in the first Sunbelt race of the year, the City Beverage/Budweiser 125 at Orlando SpeedWorld.
“It was a great weekend for us,” said Russell. “In practice we had a really great car. We didn’t qualify as well as we would have liked, but after the draw we started on the pole.”
From start to finish, this race was Russell’s. Once the green flag flew with the Rinnai #36 up front, Russell stayed out front.
“As soon as they dropped the green, we took off. We pretty much just held on for the rest of the race. We had such a good car. The guys worked really hard on it all weekend, and I am just so proud of this Rinnai team.”
While Russell and his Rinnai team are used to winning at a variety of different tracks, this win held some special significance for the driver and his crew.
“This was the first time that we have won at Orlando in the Super Late Model. We had won there several times before in the Limited Late Models. It’s pretty special to be able to win there in a Super Late Model, especially with a guy like David Rogers (who finished second) behind you. It was awesome being out there and racing clean with him.”
Tim will be able to sit back and enjoy his victory a short while, but he has to turn around and get focused for next weekend, where he will be making an out-of-state trip to South Georgia Motorsports Park. While there, he will compete in the first event of the track’s Super Late Model Series.
“I’m really excited about heading to South Georgia Motorsports Park next weekend,” added Russell. “I haven’t been there before, but from what I hear it is a really nice racetrack, a great facility. I’m really looking forward to heading up there and putting on a good show for the Georgia fans. Hopefully we will be able to keep our good luck going and have a strong run and be in contention for the win.”
New tracks seem to be a specialty for Russell. In 2007 alone, he won at two of the tracks that he visited for the very first time.
“I’ve only seen the track on TV, so it should be pretty exciting to head there. We have had some pretty good luck heading to tracks that I have never raced at, so hopefully that luck will continue this weekend and we will have our Rinnai machine up front and in victory lane.”
Russell will return to racing action on Saturday, April 12th, when he heads to South Georgia Motorsports Park for the Super Late Model 100 event.
