---

Wheatley Working on Minor Changes Following Outlaws Races at Thunderbowl

(Photo by Collin Markle Photography)

Inside Line Promotions – TULARE, Calif. (March 16, 2015) – Austen Wheatley feels he will be in contention with a couple of minor tweaks.

Wheatley qualified 26th and 31st, respectively, last weekend during the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series doubleheader at Thunderbowl Raceway.

“On Friday I thought it was a pretty good qualifying lap and would get us in the heat race inversion, but it didn’t,” he said. “On the second day I thought it was even better, but it was slower. Once we got in heat races and looked at lapped times we were fast enough to be in a transfer, but we were in a tough spot by not making the inversion.”

Wheatley finished seventh in his heat race both nights, which relegated him to the Last Chance Showdown each time.

He started on the outside of the third row on Friday and was within striking distance of a transfer into the main event when he slid into the wall around the midpoint of the consolation race.

“I got into the fence off turn four and it bent a wheel and some other stuff,” he said. “I was trying to get everything I could to get into one of the four transfer positions and I just got a little too high on the track.”

Wheatley was unable to continue the race and he was credited with a 16th-place finish.

He had a similar fortune during the Last Chance Showdown on Saturday.

“I think I got to sixth and I was trying to slide a guy for fifth,” he said. “I cleared him, but I hooked a hole. It bounced me. If he wasn’t there I would have tapped the wall and I would have been able to keep going, but he was there and ran into me.”

Wheatley flipped following the collision, which ended his night with an 11th-place result.

He will return to competition this Saturday and Sunday at Stockton Dirt Track in Stockton, Calif., for the FVP Western Spring Shootout with the World of Outlaws.

“The speed is there so I just have to focus, qualify a little better and get us in a better position starting position,” he said.

QUICK RESULTS –

March 13 – Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif. – Qualifying: 26; Heat race: 7 (7); B Main: 16 (6).

March 14 – Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif. – Qualifying: 31; Heat race: 7 (8); B Main: 11 (11).

SEASON STATS –

5 races, 0 wins, 0 top fives, 0 top 10s, 0 top 15s, 1 top 20

UP NEXT –

Saturday and Sunday at Stockton Dirt Track in Stockton, Calif., for the FVP Western Spring Shootout with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series

MEDIA LINKS –

Website: http://www.AustenWheatley.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AustenWheatley

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DownForceDesigns?fref=ts

APPAREL –

Wheatley will have t-shirts and hoodies for sale at every race he competes at this season. For his schedule of races, visit http://www.AustenWheatley.com.

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Astro Titanium

Established in 1999, Astro Titanium manufactures quality titanium fasteners for sprint cars and midgets. Based out of Noti, Ore., owner Dave Sims has developed his business into a titanium leader on a national scale. For more information, visit http://www.AstroTitanium.com.

“Astro Titanium and Dave Sims have been with me since the beginning of my career,” Wheatley said. “Anytime we have a problem, we call Dave up and he helps. He’s a really personable guy and his products work great.”

Wheatley would also like to thank Redlined Welding & Construction, Downforce Designs, Fire-Down Graphics, SpeedMart, Bell and King Racing Products for their continued support.

INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –

Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.

To meet the media relations needs of your program by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.

---

Back to News