@NewAgePunisher8 @UnitedLMSeries PORT ELGIN, ON- With top-5 finishes in three of his five APC United Late Model Series appearances this season, former Sauble Speedway champion Jason Parker is in the thick of the chase to become the inaugural tour champion. This weekend, ‘The New Age Punisher’ will hope to muscle his way to the front of the field in hopes of keeping his championship aspirations alive as the season quickly nears its end.
Parker, one of several Sauble regulars on the tour roster, is quick to explain his disappointment over the recent Sauble Speedway rainout in Round 6 of the tour. However, the Port Elgin, ON veteran knows he has no time to worry about what could have been.
“The Sauble rainout was terrible for us in more than one way,” explains Parker. “Because, not only do we not get our turn at a hometrack advantage, but we also lose a date on the schedule. Right now, we need all the nights we can get to try and close the gap on the top-3 in points”
“I’m sure all the Sauble drivers feel the same way. We all just have to get over it,” adds the multi-time Ltd. Late Model champion. “We spent all season going to other people’s backyards, so it’s a tough pill to swallow knowing that we won’t get our chance to have that advantage. But, it is what it is, now we just have to remind everyone that we’re good on the road, too”
Although he’s spent the entirety of his weekly career at Sauble, Parker has shown unmitigated potential at Sunset, including a high-profile victory during the speedway’s flagship ‘Velocity 250’ event last September.
“It’s not like we don’t know the quick way around Sunset,” smiles Parker with a wink. “Sauble will always be home, but nowadays Sunset is a pretty close second. We’ve had some fantastic runs there in the past, and I think we have a package capable of giving these guys a challenge on Sunday”
Parker will enter Sunday’s 100-lap contest 5th in championship points, only 2-points back of 4th and 19-points behind 2nd.
“Without question, we still have our eyes on the tour championship,” explains the fan-favourite. “Losing a race on the schedule hurt us, but it can still be done. We can fight our way back from this. We just need to make good decisions on race day”
“We know the track and we know what we need out of our equipment to run up front,” adds Parker.
When asked if his team is feeling any strain entering the penultimate event on the APC Series schedule, Parker insists he has confidence in both his team and his equipment.
“We work hard in the shop to keep the pressure off of us on race day, but we know what the points look like and what we need to do to stay in the hunt,” says ‘The New Age Punisher’.
“We’re going to need a podium finish to keep this deal rolling. I’ve got the best team I could ask for and I’ve got a top shelf car. Now, the driver just needs to do his job.”
Visit www.SunsetSpeedway.ca or www.APCRacingSeries.com for details on Sunday’s 100-lap event.
Fans can keep up with Parker all weekend long by following him on Twitter @NewAgePunisher8 and by visiting the official Jason Parker Racing page on Facebook.
Jason Parker’s 2015 tour is powered by International Boiler Makers Local 128, Prestige General Contractors, Saugeen Shores Transmission, MacDonnell Fuels, BAXI / Marathon Industries, Colourworks, Keeprite, Candue Homes, Ron Gibbons Construction and Crabby Joe’s of Port Elgin/Hanover.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
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