GUELPH, ON- It’s safe to say that former Sunset Speedway weekly champion Mike ‘Lights Out’ Bentley had much different plans for the 2015 season. The second-generation racer assembled a brand new Grand American Race Cars chassis over the off-season to follow the APC United Late Model Series across Ontario. So far, misfortunes and mechanical failures have marred Bentley’s pursuit of victory, but the young veteran is unwilling to give up.
“No matter how much has gone wrong this season, we haven’t considered quitting even for a second,” explains Bentley defiantly.
“I know that we’re just one big performance away from turning this deal around. We have a fantastic car and the best team I could ask for. We just need a little bit of luck which, unfortunately, can’t be bought, borrowed or fabricated”
At the tail end of what has been, unquestionably, Bentley’s most mentally trying season, the Guelph, ON native admits he hasn’t stopped pushing himself.
“I’m not sure it’s possible for anyone to put more pressure on me than I already put on myself,” says the former Ltd. Late Model standout.
“When you see this program from the inside, and how much work goes into it, it’s tough not to believe that it can succeed,” continues the amiable star. “Any setbacks we’ve had this season has most definitely not been for a lack of effort. I can’t thank my dad and my brother for putting in as many hours as they do on this car – hopefully we can lock up a solid finish at Delaware to close out this season”
Although he’s never won at Delaware before, Bentley knows that statistic could change in a hurry should he find his rhythm throughout the 100-lap affair on Saturday.
“There aren’t many tracks that have a big race atmosphere the way that Delaware does,” offers ‘Lights Out’. “When you unload in the pits there – it just feels different. We’ve never won there – but we’ve shown some speed in the past”
“I think if we can qualify at the front and get a good spot in the redraw, we can put together a run strong enough to challenge some of the perennial contenders”
“We’ve never had a season as frustrating as this,” states Bentley. “But once we get to the track on Saturday, it’s our job to put every other race behind us. It only becomes a distraction if we let it.”
For more information on Saturday’s Great Canadian Race, visit www.DelawareSpeedway.com or www.APCRacingSeries.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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