The Russell Racing Team has been working hard preparing their fleet of ASA cars for their debut at Illiana Motor Speedway in Indiana. Cam, Tim and the rest of the team have not only been preparing the cars, but testing at various tracks and practicing pit stops. The team is really coming together and we expect a strong showing. The race will be on September 20 and will be telecast live on Speedvision at 9:00PM.
We will also be racing our late model the remainder of the year when the dates don't conflict with ASA races.
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On Saturday, August 16th the Russell Racing Team headed to New Smyrna Speedway for a 100 lap Goodyear Challenge Race. After qualifying in the ninth position, Tim and four other cards were told they would have to start in the rear for a rules infraction. "We are still not sure exactly what the problem was", states Crew Chief Cam Gibson, "because the care went through tech without a problem and we were allowed to race the car without changing or fixing anything."
Tim started his Hamke built, Progressive racing engine powered car at the rear of the 25 car field and prepared himself for the long drive to the front. Tim would slowly work his way up to the 13th place and at lap 45 he got caught up in another drivers error causing him to have to go to the rear of the field and start the process all over again.
"I bet I was involved in three incidents that I had little or nothing to do with" said Tim. "Three times I was spun out or had to avoid an accident in front of me." This was definitely a good test for Tim as his frustration could be heard on the radio. "Tim was put in a tough spot tonight and rose to the occasion. The car took a few laps to get up to speed and just when Tim was ready to crack the top 10 there would be a problem and he would have to go to the rear again", said Crew Chief Cam Gibson. Cam also stated that this was a very good leaning experience for Tim and the Russell Racing Team, "as a team we are going to get into touch positions and as a team we need to learn to overcome them and make the best out of them, I think we did that tonight." At the end of the race Tim finally broke into the top 10 and finished in 8th place. Tim said "I am glad this race is over; this seemed to be the longest 100 lap race I think I've run. I know this had to be the most cars I ever passed in a single race, the only problem was I had to keep passing the same cars over and over. I really want to thank my sponsors Thurstons Premier Auto Sales, Valvoline, Car-O-Van, Clean Machine, Aramark Uniforms and WESH Channel 2. Without their support my team could not give me the great race car we always have. I wish we could have done better for our supporters tonight, but we just ran out of laps. I am really glad we kept the car in one piece because the team is working extremely hard getting the ASA car ready and we did not need any extra work."
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The Russell Racing team has had an exciting couple of weeks at the track. On July 19th the team made their way to Orlando Speedworld for a 100 lap race. The crew had the car fast all day during practice and qualified in the top five. When the green flag fell Tim was stuck behind a slower car and fell back to seventh place. Patience is what we have been preaching to Tim and reminding him that we can’t win a race on the first lap. Tim worked his way up to fifth by the half way point and reported that the car was starting to come around. In the next twenty laps Tim moved up to fourth and was working hard on third. Tim had the 36 running good on the bottom and dove it in under the third place car. Tim was trying hard to keep the car down and stay off the car that he was passing, when the other car crowded Tim down to the apron, it upset the 36 and the back end came around. Tim had the car saved and was sitting still on the track when the last car to come by clipped the nose of the 36. With only a few laps reaming and unknown on the damage that was down, Cam decided to park the car.
The next week, July 26th, the team made it's way to the west coast of Florida for another 100 lap race. The Russell Racing team descended on Desoto Speedway prepared to make up for the last race. Tim qualified the car in the seventh position and although it was not the fastest time, Tim remarked that the car felt like it would race good. When the green flag fell Tim settled into the seventh position and raced the cars one at a time so that by lap 50 Tim was comfortably in the fourth position and had the leaders in sight. Tim said that Cam and the team had the car perfect as he showed by passing cars on the inside and outside. As the laps were winding down Tim had caught the leader and was setting him up for a pass. As Tim was working the outside of the leader, the leader was slowly moving up and taking Tim's lane away from him. Tim tried one last time to squeeze by the leader and the wall and ended up brushing the wall with the right side. With only a few laps remaining Tim had to settle for second place.
Tim said; "The car was awesome and if I pushed it I might have made it or I might have wrecked us both, I'm not sure. Cam is steady telling me that we have to race smart and hard, I think tonight we raced hard until it was time to race smart. I think I bent something when I brushed the wall, so I decided that second was what we were going to get tonight. I also can’t thank my sponsors enough; Jeff Howell Motorsports, Thurstons Premier Auto Sales, Valvoline, Car-O-Van, Clean Machine Detail, Aramark Uniform and WESH Channel 2. These folks support us and without them I don't think we could have this Hamke race car with it's Progressive Engine always up front.
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On Saturday, June 28 the Russell Racing/Jeff Howell Motorsports team set their sites on the Goodyear Challenge Series 100 at USA International Speedway in Lakeland Florida. This was a rescheduled race from June 21 due to rain. Rain would be in the forcast for tonight as well. Starting in the sixth position, Tim worked his way to the fifth when on lap 40 a caution came. During that caution the rain began to fall and they would run 18 more laps under caution hoping for the rain to stop. The weather would not allow the race to continue any further, on lap 58 the officials called the race with Tim finishing in the fifth position.
"We sure would have liked to have had the whole 100 laps", said Tim "I believe we would have been able to race for the win."
Crew Chief Cam Gibson, "It's a shame we didn't get the chance to race the full 100 laps, Tim raced great for the time he was on the track and we felt the car was coming to us the longer we ran".
Owner David Russell, "Once again Cam and the team had our Hamke race car with its Progressive race engine flying. I feel bad for Tim and the crew because we planned for a 100 lap race and to have rain impact the race two weeks in a row is a bit frustrating but everyone did their best. Also " We can’t thank Thurston's Premier Auto and Car-O-Van enough for their support. Without the main sponsors like them and all of the other support sponsors such as Valvoline, Clean Machine Detail, Aramark Uniform and WESH Channel 2 we couldn't be as competitive as we are".
The Russell Racing / Jeff Howell Motorsports Team made another trip to the west coast of Florida on Saturday, May 10th. The race was the Goodyear 100 and it took place at Charlotte County Speedway. A large field of 30 cars were on hand for the days activities. Tim had the Thurstons Used Cars number 36 at the front all day during practice. When qualifying came around Tim qualified the number 36 in 3rd place. Unfortunately qualifying would be the highlight of the day. Tim started the race off strong and quickly was challenging for the lead. A short way into the race mechanical problems arose and sidelined the 36.
"Another bad break" said David Russell, " We again had the car to beat, this recent bad luck is a test for our team that I am positive we will pass."
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On Saturday, April 12th the Russell Racing/Jeff Howell Motorsports team set their sites on the Goodyear Challenge Series 100 at USA International Speedway in Lakeland Florida. It was perfect racing weather and a full field of cars showed up to compete. As Tim practiced his Thurston Used Cars Chevrolet throughout the day, he was consistently fast, with either the fastest or second fastest time in each practice session. When it came time to qualify Tim put the car on the outside pole. The pole sitter drew the number nine after qualifying, and the top nine cars were inverted.
Starting in the eighth position, it didn't take Tim long to work his way to the front. By lap 20 Tim had the car in the top 3. By lap 40 Tim had taken the lead and had a 5 car length lead on second. All of this was done with some impressive driving at the top of the track where no other drivers were willing to take their cars. Still leading at Lap 80 Tim started getting into heavy lap traffic and the second place car was able to get a run on him for the lead. Tim and the #22 car went at it lap after lap with Tim holding his own in the top lane. When the 22 got loose coming off of turn 2 Tim ran his car back up to the top and was dead even with him down the back straight away. With the laps winding down Tim was determined to get the 36 back to the front. When they went into turn 3, Tim held his line on the top and had the 22 pinned behind a lap car. Sensing he was going to lose the lead, the 22 moved up the track to get around the lap car and caught Tim in the left rear. This resulted in both cars spinning and the 36 sustaining damage to the rear clip which made it impossible to continue.
The frustration of another good run being ended by another persons doing was evident in the Russell Racing Pit. Said Tim, "I am beyond words, I raced him and everyone else clean all night and for us to tear up another race car because someone doesn't like to get passed is ridiculous".
Crew Chief Cam Gibson, "It's a shame, Tim raced great for the whole race. He accomplished everything the team asked him to, he raced smart when he needed to and he raced hard when he needed to".
Owner David Russell, "Once again Cam and the team had our Hamke race car with its Progressive race engine flying. I feel bad for Tim because he is driving that car better every race, but other people are causing him problems. Unfortunately it's part of racing, you take situations like this and learn who you can race with and who you can not". Also " We can’t thank Thurstons Used Cars and Car-O-Van enough for their support. Without the main sponsors like them and all of the other support sponsors such as Valvoline, Clean Machine Detail, Aramark Uniform and WESH Channel 2 we couldn't be as competitive as we are".
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On April 5, 2003, Tim Russell and Russell Racing/Jeff Howell Motor sports team made their forth trip to the Desoto Speedway for the Turner Tree & Landscape Late Model 75 lap Race.
Tim started from the third position and was in the lead by turn three of lap one. Tim lead 61 laps until his car was spun coming out of turn 4 by the second place car. According to track rules, any one involved in a spin must go to the rear of the field. Tim restarted in 15th position and quickly got the car back to 9th before another caution came out just one lap later. Tim retired the car on lap 62.
Crew chief Cam Gibson decided to save the car for next weeks 100 lap race at USA International Speedway. "We didn't want to take a chance and have something happen to the car with a big race coming up next week.
"We had the fastest car on the track tonight but we were disappointed with the rule that if the leader is involved in an incident not of his making he has to restart at the back of the field, said David Russell. "In all my years of racing I have never heard of such a rule - the leader should be in control of the race, not be penalized by the actions of another."
Tim stated in his post race interview "Cam and the team did an awesome job making this car fast, I could run the car anywhere I wanted too".
He also thanked his sponsors, Thurstons Used Cars, Car-O-Van Collision Center, Progressive Racing Engines, Hamke Race Cars, Jeff Howell Motor Sports, Insurance Office of America, Valvoline, Clean Machine Mobile Detailing and the rest of the sponsors which without their continued support none of this would be possible.
Tim looks forward to the next race at the USA International Speedway in Lakeland for the second race in the Goodyear Late Model Challenge Series on Saturday, April 12, 2003.
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In February of this year the Russell Racing/Jeff Howell Motorsports team participated in Speedweeks and had several very successful runs until an accident not of Tim's making damaged the car. The damaged car was taken to Hamke's Race Cars in North Carolina for repair and a new power plant from Progressive Race Engines was also purchased. The team, led by Cam Gibson finished preparing the car and had some very successful test sessions. All of this work was done in preparation of the 2003 season which started Saturday at New Smyrna Speedway.
The race was the first race of the Goodyear Challenge Series. Tim qualified the car in the fourth position. When the race started Tim worked his way to the front and then passed the leader on the outside to take over first place. Tim led the next 20 laps until a brake problem started to show itself. Due to this problem Tim was overtaken for the lead and fell back to the third position.
Stated owner David Russell, "It seems that we had a front caliper hanging up and that really affected the car when Tim would enter the corner." After wrestling with the lose car for the next 70 laps Tim was able to bring the car home in 3rd place. Tim stated the car would get lose on him in the corners and he really had to be careful. He wanted to thank Thurstons Used Cars and all of his sponsors for their support. Crew Chief Cam stated, " We didn't get a win, but Tim got everything out of the car he could. That is what we are looking for smart, hard racing."
The next race for the team will be in two weeks in DeSoto.
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January 4, 2003 the Russell Racing/Jeff Howell Motorsports team went to New Smyrna Speedway for a "shake-down" run. Tim raced to test the car for the upcoming season. He started in the last position and by lap four took the lead and won the race. This was a good start for the 2003 racing season.
Crew Chief Cam Gibson said he was pleased with the performance of the car and with Tim. He also said they plan on running a few more races before the February speedweeks to test the car and make sure it is ready.
Tim said the car ran great and was looking forward to next months speedweeks and the beginning of the racing season.
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On Tuesday, January 7, 2003 the Russell Racing Team is pleased to take place in the New Smyrna Speedway Winston Cup Drivers Race for Kids Sake at 7:00 p.m. featuring select Nascar drivers. One of the Nascar drivers will be driving the Tim Russell number 36 car sponsored by Thurstons Used Cars, Car-O-Van Collision Center and Valvoline Motor Oil in the Charity race. News Channel Two will be filming the event and Buddy Pittman will be interviewing Tim and other Nascar drivers which will be aired on the 11:00 news Tuesday night.
