Pocono Raceway, The Tricky Triangle, served to be a learning ground for the 22 AM Cunningham Motorsports Dodge. The team qualified in the 5th position and had high hopes for the race.
Austin Wayne Self commented, “We had a really great car in the first few laps. I even got on the radio to tell the team thank you for putting me in such a good car. We were running the right lines and we moved up to the second position, then after a cycle of stops under caution we even led laps. We had a strong race strategy, we were planning on a one stop race. We practiced turning her on and off to conserve fuel when we could. We were running fast lines, and everything was going right. Unfortunately, we received a penalty for speeding on pit road and from there things just got worse. We ended up a few laps down and then had a mechanical issue with the car, which took us out of the race early. The guys are back in the shop looking for the culprit but we know it was something that led to the radiator blowing up. It’s racing and those things happen. It’s important for us to stay positive after two rough weekends in a row. Chad and I talked about things inevitably turning around and moving into Michigan we will have a new setup and focus for that race.”
After their effort at Pocono, Austin Wayne Self will quickly shift gears to his debut at Michigan International Speedway.
The Michigan ARCA 200 will mark the 7th stop for the ARCA Racing series on their 2014 schedule. On June 13th the race will go green for 200 miles on the two-mile, moderately-banked, D-shaped speedway in the scenic Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan. In 2012 Michigan International Speedway became the fastest non-restrictor plate track on the NASCAR circuit, turning speeds over 203 MPH. As ARCA races towards one of the fastest race tracks in the country, Austin Wayne Self has gained momentum with his team and refocuses on victory.
Austin Wayne Self Commented, “I know how important it is to win at this point in the season. We really don’t have anything to lose and I am going out there to win.”
Crew chief of the 22 AM Dodge, Chad Bryant said, “We had a really fast car at Pocono, and the fact that we could keep up and race with Kyle Larson and the Turner Scott Team was something we were really proud of. We had something for them and as a team we showed we can be competitive with the best of the best. We will have something for the teams and Michigan and we are going to come back even stronger there.”
The 22 car setup for Michigan will allow Austin Wayne Self to comeback from his Pocono effort and build upon their season knowledge and notebook. Keep an eye out for The Scott Rookie driver spotlight at Michigan.
The Michigan ARCA 200 will air Friday 06/13/2014 at 5:00 PM on FS1 and Mon 06/16/2014 at 11:00 AM on FS1. For more information leading up to race day, follow Austin on Facebook and Twitter for behind the scenes pictures, videos and other updates.
