QUEENSVILLE, ON- After over a month on the sidelines, Late Model veteran Jason Witty is ready to return to competition with the rest of Sunset Speedway’s headline division this Saturday, June 13th.
Though many drivers have admittedly grown restless in their off-weeks, Witty admits the time away from the track has been a benefit to his family-run operation.
“The weeks off have been a huge help for our team,” explains the multi-time feature winner. “With back-to-back weekends off, we’ve been able to get a lot of shop time in to change some things around on the car”
“The setup that we’ll be using this weekend is a lot like what we finished 2014 with,” adds ‘Bam Bam’. “In the first two nights this year, we tried to go in a different direction with a couple of things and it just didn’t pan out”
“We have a solid base to build off of, but we’re definitely looking to improve on what we’ve done in the first two weeks”
After an off-season full of changes, Witty found that his team did not find the gains they were looking for – hence the call to return to a more familiar package.
“We were a little slower on the watch than we were at the end of 2014, which was admittedly a little frustrating,” says Witty with a laugh. “The competition here is so intense, and the lap times are so tight, that if you miss the setup by a little bit you can go from a top-3 car to a top-10 car in a hurry”
“Our team is still extremely grassroots compared to how a lot of these other guys are running their operation. We’re still fielding our car out of my dad’s welding shop with a bunch of volunteers that like to have fun and go to the racetrack”
“We’re all so busy that shop time has become a luxury for us,” continues the second-generation racer. “We’re not able to spend 3 or 4 full nights in the shop every week and that might put us behind the eight ball a little bit. But, if that means we have to work a little harder on race day then that’s fine with us”
With top-5 finishes in each of his first two nights of competition, Witty hopes to earn his team their first victory of 2015 on Saturday.
“This weekend we’re looking to come out and stay in the mix in both races,” states the Queensville, ON native. “It all starts with a good qualifying run. We’ve had some strong runs in time trials before – so that’s not really a worry for us”
“Sunset has two really good grooves, so even if you qualify outside of the top-10 it’s not the end of the world. But, obviously, with the level of talent you’re out there with, it definitely makes things easier if you can start close to the front”
“We’re all at the track to have a good time – so as long as we accomplish that, I’m happy,” continues Witty with his trademark smile. “Of course, the ride home is a lot more fun when you win. So, we’re going to shoot for that.”
Jason Witty’s 2015 program is made possible thanks to R&W Equipment, Queensville Sod, Carrot Express, Matco Tools, Speedy Auto Machine and LaRues Haulage.
Fans can keep up with ‘Bam Bam’ and the rest of the team by visiting the brand new Jason Witty Racing page on Facebook.
Details for Sunset Speedway’s June 13th event can be found at www.SunsetSpeedway.ca.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
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