RPM Motorsports: ACT Late Model Tour
Brian Hoar Airborne Speedway Race Report
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Brian Hoar of Williston, Vt., finished fourth in the season-ending Fall Foliage 200 at Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, N.Y., on Sunday, October 7. Despite qualifying inside the Top-10, leading a race-high 80 laps and posting his eighth Top-5 finish in 10 starts this season, Hoar finished second in the final ACT Late Model Tour standings, just 16 points out of the championship. The RPM Motorsports No. 37 GossCars.com Dodge Charger used an early pit stop strategy to gain track position and was leading on a restart with 10 laps to go before finishing fourth.
WHO: Brian Hoar, Williston, Vt.
TEAM: RPM Motorsports No. 37 GossCars.com Dodge Charger
CREW CHIEF: Rick Paya, Georgia, Vt.
WHAT: ACT Late Model Tour Fall Foliage 200
WHERE: Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y. (.500-mile oval)
STARTED: 8th
FINISHED: 4th
LAPS LED: 5 times for 80 laps
FINAL POINTS POSITION: 2nd
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BRIAN, IT WAS DOWN TO JUST THE TWO OF YOU FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP WITH JUST 10 LAPS REMAINING. HOW DID IT PLAY OUT?
It was crazy, It was really awesome to be a part of. (Crew chief Rick Paya) came on the radio, and he said, ‘This is it. This is for all the marbles. This is the championship right here.’ That’s just what it was, too. It was a lot of fun. (Wayne Helliwell Jr.) is a great racer, and they’ve got a great team there. It came down to who was going to win.
He had a great car at the end of the race, and he had about 30 laps fresher tires. I restarted outside of him a couple of times and was able to keep him from completing the pass on us. But with 10 to go, the caution came back out. I was leading – so I restarted on inside, and the outside was the only place to be today.
WHAT WENT INTO YOUR DECISION TO PIT EARLIER THAN THE LEADERS FOR TIRES?
I knew we were headed for the (mandatory fuel stop). The caution came out on Lap 62, and we made a split-second decision to short-pit. On Lap 74 the gas stop came. I think everybody would have come in at that point for their tires, but because of our play I think they stayed out a little longer.
When we took tires, we freed the car up – I was a little tight at beginning, but we should have just left it because it was starting to come in. I’m kicking myself. We were way loose at the end of the race, and I had all I could do to hold Wayne off.
HOW DISAPPOINTING IS IT TO GET SO CLOSE TO A NINTH CAREER CHAMPIONSHIP?
Obviously, I’m very disappointed. But it it was it is, and I can’t re-write history. I knew coming into this season, as good as they were last year, they were consistent. They did it their freshman year on the Tour last year, and in their second year they stepped up.
I still felt we had something for them performance-wise, and we did. We just came up short.