QUEENSVILLE, ON- With only 5 points-paying events remaining on the 2015 Sunset Speedway Late Model schedule, the division is almost guaranteed to hit new levels of vigor this Saturday. For some drivers, this may present a problem. But, for Jason Witty, the pressure and intensity is a welcome perk.
“I love racing late in the schedule,” says Witty in his trademark laid-back manner. “It seems like the intensity gets taken up a notch every weekend around this time. We’ve had an awesome car the last three weeks, and we’ve been working real hard to make sure we have an even better one this Saturday”
‘Bam Bam’ has been on a roll as of late, earning two wins, a runner-up and a third place finish in his last four weeks of competition. For Witty, it feels as though the early weeks of the season spent grappling with a reinvented setup are light-years behind him.
“This is the point in the season in which you can’t unload with anything less than your best,” explains the young veteran. “If you want to be in the conversation at the end of the night, you had better have done your homework. Because, at this point, these teams have figured out what works and what doesn’t”
“You have to respect the process,” continues Witty. “When all these guys around you are working their guts out to make their stuff better, you know that you have to do the same thing. This is typically the time of the year when you really see who wants to be here and who doesn’t. Because it’s not easy at all. No one at the front of this field is there by accident”
Sunset’s unique nightly double-feature format – mandated under the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series banner – has allowed Witty to quickly position himself for a 2015 division championship run, after a less than desirable start to the season.
“I wasn’t sold on the double features at the beginning of the year, but they’re really starting to grow on me,” says Witty. “It tests you and your team, without question. Because the turnaround between features is a lot shorter than it seems. If your program isn’t under control, you can get yourself in a lot of trouble”
This Saturday, Witty will enter the twin 35-lap features sitting 2nd in the Sunset Speedway points standings, just 5 points behind currently point leader Taylor Holdaway.
“I’d love to walk out of this weekend at the top of the standings,” offers the Queensville, ON-based driver. “It’s going to take a pair of big performances out of this team, but I know that we’re capable of it. I’m not usually a big points racer, but I want to give my guys the championship they deserve”
Adding with uncharacteristic seriousness – “I’m not sure how many more years we’re going to be doing this on a fulltime basis, so we have to take advantage of this opportunity while we have it.
Details for August 8th’s event can be found at www.SunsetSpeedway.ca.
Jason Witty’s Sunset Speedway season is made possible thanks to the continued support of 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.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
Discussion about this post