GUELPH, ON- When an aggravating DNF derailed a likely top-5 run for Mike Bentley at Flamboro Speedway, many wondered if the mercurial veteran would return to the APC United Late Model Series for the remaining 6 races on the schedule. Despite his frustrations, Bentley is ready for Round 3 of the tour at Delaware, with a fresh game plan and newfound focus.
The former Sunset Speedway weekly champion had entered the 2015 campaign intent on a calculated run of ‘points racing’, with the intent of securing their inaugural APC Series championship. However, after two DNFs to open the season, ‘Lights Out’ is now ready to focus on one event at a time.
“It’s a little different than we had imagined. That’s racing though, right?,” responds Bentley when asked about his change of outlook. “If you don’t learn how to take the good with the bad – you’ll drive yourself crazy”
“As tight as things are in the standings – anything can happen. But, right now, we’re making the decision to focus on these next 6 races on an individual basis”
“In a lot of ways – this is our 6 race ‘Playoff Season’,” continues the second-generation star. “Some of the best tracks in the province, and the very best competition we could ask for”
Bentley will enter June 26th’s ‘Sifton 100’ with the hope of generating some much-needed momentum, after a rougher-than-anticipated start to the season.
“We built this car specifically for this tour. So, no matter how bad of a start we’ve had – we’re going to stick with it,” says Bentley with a smile. “We’ll be at Delaware ready to remind everyone just how good this team can be. You’d have to chain me to the shop door to keep me away”
“We’re still trying to get this new ride tuned in. It’s a lot different from what we’ve been running the last few years. The shock package is different, the chassis itself is different and the tires are something completely new”
After less than 100-laps completed in each of his two tour starts to date, Bentley anticipates a long run at Delaware could provide his family-run team with some much-needed intel.
“The more laps we turn – the better we get,” says the 2-time Autumn Colours Classic winner. “As good as our car was at Flamboro, I’m confident that with a few tweaks we’ll have our package exactly where we need it for Delaware”
“We’re one good run away from having momentum back on our side. The results don’t begin to tell the story of how good this car has been this season. If we can get our car to the front at Delaware – it’ll be a lot easier to forget our first two races.”
Details for tonight’s event, including gate times and advanced ticket sales, can be found at www.DelawareSpeedway.com.
Fans can stay up to date with ‘Lights Out’ and the rest of the team by following on Twitter @MikeBentley51 and by visiting the official Mike Bentley Racing page on Facebook.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
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