JOEY PARKER LOOKING TO CONTINUE LATE MODEL SUCCESS AT THOMPSON 125
Written by: Kyle Souza THOMPSON, Conn. – Joey Parker was born to race.
In 2004, he started his career in Quarter Midgets, and then transferred to Legends Cars. After a quick stop in the SK Modifieds, he seems to have now found his home in Late Models.
Four different cars — four different points in his career — and four different driving styles in order to get the job done on the track.
“I loved the SK Modified, my dad grew up racing modifieds, so it was almost a calling for me,” Parker said of his racing career path. “That was kind of one of my goals in life, and in 2013, a good friend of my dad put me in the car for the season and we had a top five, which was really good for a rookie season.”
Out of all of the cars he has driven, he feels as though the SK Modified may have been the best fit for him. The 2600-pound car that runs off pure horsepower was everything he could have wished to drive.
“The modified was probably the best car I have ever driven, the tires, the big power, they were just really fun to drive,” Parker said.
This season, Parker is competing in the Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park Late Model division, and has put forward some early season success. In the Icebreaker feature, Parker finished just outside the top 10, but this past Thursday during Military Appreciation night, Parker was able to grab sixth-place finish in the 25-lap feature.
“For this year, as a team, we restarted everything. We have a new crew chief, which has really helped us… it got the team more motivated, and it helps me get more motivated to do well on the track for them,” Parker said. “If I can give back the results of the effort they are giving, that is what I want to do. It’s working well so far, that was our best finish in a Late Model Thursday.”
He loves the high-banks of the 0.625-mile Thompson oval, especially since it seems to produce racing that fits his driving style the best.
“Thompson, it’s more of a driver track for me, I am good with speed and the straightaway,” Parker said. “You have more time to plan your move. I like momentum, and you have to keep your momentum up at Thompson. It seems to fit my driving style…. being up on the wheel.”
Going forward for the final five races of the season, with sponsors like Mirco Medical Solutions, a new sponsor on the car, along with The Next Page Café Bar and Grill, Newcomb’s Breakfast and Lunch and Nick’s Pit Stop, Parker is hoping to put together a strong run in the championship standings, and hopefully sneak his first checkered flag into the process.
“We want to finish every race, and I would love to win and run up front,” Parker said. “We set our team goal to finish inside the top 10 in the point standings at the end of the year. We just need to stay out of trouble, and just keep doing what we are doing.”
Parker, and the rest of Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park’s Late Model competitors will be back in action today for the annual Thompson 125.
