Ben Rowe: PASS North Series – Thompson International Speedway Race Report

Ben Rowe: PASS North Series
Thompson International Speedway Race Report
　
Ben Rowe of Turner, Maine, won the PASS North Series PASS 75 at Thompson International Speedway in Thompson, Conn., on Thursday, July 22. Rowe passed Preston Peltier with five laps remaining to take his third career PASS victory at Thompson, the largest track on the series’ schedule. The win marked the second win in the last four races for Rowe, a four-time series champion. A combination PASS North/PASS National Championship event, Rowe gained ground on both Peltier and Jay Fogleman in the PASS National standings as he tries to defend his 2009 championship in the PASS National ranks.

WHO: Ben Rowe, Turner, Maine
TEAM: No. 48 Community Pharmacies Chevrolet

WHAT: PASS North Series PASS 75
WHERE: Thompson International Speedway, Thompson, Conn. (.625-mile oval)

STARTED: 11th
FINISHED: 1st
LED: 1 time for 5 laps

NEXT RACE: Saturday, July 31st, Riverside Speedway, Groveton, N.H.

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BEN, HOW BIG A WIN WAS THIS FOR THE TEAM?

This is just huge for us because we ran so bad last week. I mean, I was ugly last week about the way we ran at Beech Ridge.
For this team to work so hard and bring a whole different car to this race and go out and win, that’s a big deal.

BY MAKING THE PASS FOR THE LEAD ON LAP 71, WERE YOU WORRIED YOU’D WAITED TOO LONG?

I was. And then when I got by Jay Fogleman for second, Preston (Peltier) squirted out there a little bit and got away from us. But I could see that if I settled in and just drove, I was catching up to him a little bit.

I was going to get a run off four on him, and he slipped up. I slammed my nose under him, but he just pulled me down the straightaway with his motor. I went into turn one, and he was blocking the high line. I just headed for the bottom, I outbraked him — and I wasn’t going to lift until I got beside him. I just held that line and could kind of dictate his line off the corner once i had the lead.