GUELPH, ON – Following a frustrating DNF in the opening round of the APC United Late Model Series at Sunset Speedway on May 23rd, Mike ‘Lights Out’ Bentley is looking for a bounce back performance when the tour hits Flamboro Speedway this Saturday.
“The results don’t show how good our car was at Sunset,” says Bentley. “I’m so proud of my guys for how well this thing was working early on. For a brand new car – it handled amazing”
“We unloaded at Sunset with the goal of trying to learn as much about this car and this tire compound as we could – and in a lot of ways we exceeded our own expectations,” continued the 2-time Autumn Colours Classic champion.
For Bentley’s family-run team, the damage incurred in the opening round of the tour has dealt a serious blow to their modest racing budget.
“After building a brand new car, our budget for the season was pretty tight,” explains Bentley. “We’re working like hell to find a sponsor, because it’s getting tougher and tougher to fund this out of my own pocket”
“We got the front end back together and we’re ready to go for Flamboro, but it took a lot out of us,” continues Bentley. “At this point, if we’re not able to find some marketing support, we might be looking at a week-to-week deal. My Dad has been a huge help up until now. If it wasn’t for him, there’s no chance we would have everything back together in time for this weekend”
“If we can keep our car in one piece, we’re absolutely ready to take a run at this championship. But I’m not sure how many more times we can afford to have the front end knocked off of it”
When asked about his plans for Flamboro’s ‘Meineke 100’, the former Sunset Speedway champion is forthcoming about his pre-race game plan.
“I’m just going to get up on the wheel and do my best to drive to the front,” laughs the fan-favourite. “Getting tore up at Sunset is a reminder of how quickly things can go bad when you’re stuck in traffic. We’ve had some awesome runs at Flamboro in the past, and I have all the confidence in the world that this team can get us to the front of the field”
“I want more than anything to come out and win one for my guys,” continues Bentley. “They’ve been with me every step of the way this winter and, after all the hours they’ve put in, I want to give them a night at the track that they can be proud of.”
Details for Saturday’s event can be found at www.FlamboroSpeedway.ca.
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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