Staying on top for the racing world might be harder than getting there. Tim Russell totally understands that, as he has already captured two Sunbelt Super Late Model Series titles in a row and looks to add to his win total each week. He could be called the “White Rabbit,” as his white Insurance Office of America number 36 Chevy has been one of the hardest cars to beat at New Smyrna Speedway (FL) over the course of the last few seasons. Recently Russell found himself in a little slump, but last Saturday’s Billie Harvey Memorial 100 was the turning factor, as Russell took the pole and the feature for a clean sweep at New Smyrna Speedway (FL).
“I really have to thank all the guys for making this victory possible,” said Russell. “We have worked hard to get our car back to where it is now. We barely ran any practice, because we tested earlier in the week and we were pretty good. We found some new stuff that we are working with. It makes the weekend a whole lot easier when we’re good right off the trailer.”
Russell knew he could take it easy on his equipment after winning the pole position. The redraw had him lined up in the fifth spot. It took only a handful of laps before he was up to second, where he stalked leader Wayne Anderson until the latter stages of the race.
“Wayne was really pushing his stuff early on,” said Russell. “I just tried to keep pace with him and not burn up my stuff. We were able to get by him at lap 70 and hang on for the win. I am really proud of all my guys. They have been working hard to get us back to victory lane, and it feels good to win again. Hopefully this keeps the momentum going and we can knock down a few more wins in the coming weeks.”
Russell has struggled in between his first win back on January 3rd and this victory. Russell and his entire team spent weeks preparing for Speedweeks, which turned out to be a sub-par performance for Russell. Since then, the team has gotten back up on its horse and really found their way back to the top.
“When we won the Red Eye race in January, we thought we could have knocked out a bunch of wins early on,” said Russell. “We struggled a little bit during Speedweeks. We were trying some new stuff that just didn’t work. The competition has been getting strong all across the country. People are getting faster and faster everywhere you go. You just have to try and stay ahead of everybody. We had to do some homework to get back to where we were just a few months back.”
Tim Russell’s next scheduled event will be on May 23rd at New Smyrna Speedway (FL) for another Super Late Model event. Russell will be going for his third-straight pole and his second-straight win.
For more information on Tim Russell, please contact Matt Dillner at (704) 788-2134 x 9, and be sure to check out his web site at www.timrussellonline.com
