car set to go after rough outing at Star
LYMAN, Maine (May 31, 2019) — With a disappointing outing at Star Speedway on May 11 now behind them, Alan Tardiff and his TMR Racing team have been busy in the shop preparing for the upcoming Pro All Stars Series (PASS) 150 on Sunday, June 2, at Oxford Plains Speedway.
Emotions ran high and patience was tested in the Little Webb’s Tire & Fuel 150 at Star. Tardiff went from having a fast car in qualifying to a disappointing 19th-place finish after getting caught up in a crash on lap 46.
“I think that may have been one of the roughest races I’ve ever run,” Tardiff said. “It hurt us to wreck the car so early in the season, but this team dug in and got it back to race ready condition. Star was a big setback, but we hope to bounce back on Sunday at Oxford and be better than ever.”
Tardiff kicked off the 2019 campaign with an impressive run at Oxford on April 28, driving the iRacing/Earnest Performance Chevy Camaro ZL1 up to a solid eighth-place finish after starting 19th on the 33-car grid. Tardiff won the 2017 SLM points title at Oxford on a tiebreaker over TJ Brackett.
With a solid history at Oxford, Tardiff is thrilled to have the western Maine oval up next on the 2019 PASS North schedule. It should be just the boost this team needs to gain traction.
“I felt like we really turned a corner on April 28,” Tardiff said. “The car handled more like it used to up there, I could turn in well and had good drive off the corner. Everything has to be just right to be fast and run up front at Oxford. I think with a little more tweaking, we’ll get our car up there.”
Sunday’s PASS 150 is part of a busy weekend at the historic 3/8-mile oval. The track’s weekly Championship Series teams are in action on Saturday evening, with a post time of 7 p.m. With a PASS race the next day, it’s a safe wager the car count in the premier Super Late Model class will be strong.
TMR Racing is owned by Rick Lockwood, a real estate developer who resides in Gorham, Maine. Tom Nason is also a part of the team, and brings years of racing experience to the table. Alan’s father, Marc, is very active in the shop and on race day, as are a handful of dedicated crew members.
Founded in September of 2004 by Dave Kaemmer and John Henry, iRacing is the world’s premier motorsport racing simulation. iRacing puts you in the driver’s seat by allowing members to experience today’s newest form of competitive motorsport: virtual racing.
Earnest Performance was established in 2014 by veteran shock specialist Brannon Earnest. The Mooresville, North Carolina-based company offers a full-service, in-house shock program including everything from sales and service to at-the-track consulting.
