Nick Sweet: ACT Late Model Tour
Airborne Speedway Race Preview
THE STORY
Nick Sweet of Barre, Vt., hopes to cap off a part-time effort with RPM Motorsports with another strong run when the ACT Late Model Tour concludes its season with the Fall Foliage 200 at Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, N.Y., on Saturday, October 8. Sweet, who won in the No. 57 RPM Racing Engines Ford at his home track of Thunder Road International Speedbowl last month, will be making his debut at the “new” Airborne Speedway, which was repaved prior to the 2010 season. RPM Motorsports has already clinched the 2011 ACT championship with driver Brian Hoar in the No. 37 GossCars.com Dodge, and can finish with two cars in the Top-4 in the Tour’s owner standings with a strong effort in the finale.
THE FACTS
WHO: Nick Sweet, Barre, Vt.
TEAM: RPM Motorsports No. 57 RPM Racing Engines Ford
CREW CHIEF: Andrew Hill, Georgia, Vt.
BEST CAREER AIRBORNE SPEEDWAY FINISH: 10th (May 2009)
LAST RACE AT AIRBORNE SPEEDWAY: 10th (May 2009)
WHAT: ACT Late Model Tour Fall Foliage 200 (season finale)
WHERE: Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y. (.500-mile flat oval)
WHEN: 1 p.m., Saturday, October 8
ACT LATE MODEL TOUR
LAST RACE: 3rd annual ACT Invitational, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, N.H. (2nd)
POINTS POSITION: 5th (ACT owner standings)
DID YOU KNOW?
Nick Sweet won the 2010 “King Of The Road” title at Thunder Road International Speedbowl.
RPM Motorsports has eight ACT Late Model Tour championships – including the 2011 title – and current RPM driver Brian Hoar has 33 career victories – the most by any driver in Tour history.
Nick Sweet has one win in three starts with RPM Motorsports this season, the Labor Day Classic 200 at Thunder Road International Speedbowl last month.
RPM Motorsports sits fifth in the Tour’s owner’s standings with the No. 57 car, just two points out of fourth.
Nick Sweet finished 10th in the Spring Green 100 at Airborne Speedway in 2009, the year before the track was repaved.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
NICK SWEET, Driver of the No. 57 RPM Racing Engines Ford, on the success he’s found in a short time with RPM Motorsports: “We’re definitely clicking as a team, which is awesome. We’ve got really good chemistry together. Obviously, Andrew Hill is really great to work with, and my dad has some input and the two of them work hand-in-hand. All I really have to do is give them good feedback.
“This weekend should be exciting.”
On what he expects in the season finale at Airborne Speedway: “I don’t really know what to expect, to be honest. I haven’t been to Airborne since they paved the place. We finished 10th there my rookie year – it was the first race I ever finished and kind of got the ball rolling for me on the ACT Tour.
“The first key, obviously, is just getting into the race. These longer races that (team owner Rick Paya) has put me in the car for are right up my alley. You just save, save your tires and save your equipment as much as you can. You want to be conservatively aggressive and pass guys when you need to pass them. At the end, you hope you’ve saved enough to be right in the mix for the win.”
On trying to move up in the owner’s standings: “I’m having a great time in the RPM car, and we’ve been right up front since I’ve gotten in it. I would like to give Rick another good finish to end the season and see if we can’t catch those guys in front of us.
“If we could capitalize on a good car and come out of there with a great finish for those guys, that would just be a perfect way to finish off the season.”