PASS North Series: Reid Lanpher
Beech Ridge Motor Speedway Race Preview
THE STORY
MANCHESTER, Maine – Reid Lanpher of Manchester, Maine, attempts to make his PASS North Series debut in the Southern Maine Chrysler Dodge Jeep 150 at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine, on Saturday, May 4. The 14-year-old JR Motorsports development driver narrowly missed qualifying for the season opener at Oxford Plains Speedway two weeks ago, but he’s confident that luck will be on his side this time around. Lanpher – who is coming off a career-best qualifying effort of third at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va., last weekend with JR Motorsports – will again team with veteran NASCAR K&N Pro Series East driver and crew chief Andy Santerre for the race at Beech Ridge.
THE FACTS
WHO: Reid Lanpher, Manchester, Maine
TEAM: Team EJP No. 59 Eastern Township Docks/Mission Trailers Chevrolet
CREW CHIEF: Andy Santerre, Yarmouth, Maine
BEST CAREER BEECH RIDGE MOTOR SPEEDWAY FINISH: N/A
LAST RACE AT BEECH RIDGE MOTOR SPEEDWAY: N/A
WHAT: PASS North Series Southern Maine Chrysler Dodge Jeep 150
WHERE: Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, Scarborough, Maine (.333-mile oval)
WHEN: Thursday, May 2 – 12 noon, practice; Friday, May 3 – 12 noon, practice; Saturday, May 4 – 11:30 a.m., practice; 3 p.m., qualifying; 6 p.m., race
PASS North Series
LAST RACE: April 21, Ripley & Fletcher Ford 150, Oxford Plains Speedway, Oxford, Maine (DNQ)
NEXT RACE: May 18, PASS 150, Autodrome Chaudiere, Vallee-Jonction, Que. (.25-mile oval)
DID YOU KNOW?
- Reid Lanpher became the youngest driver in history (14) to win an event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway when he won an Amsoil NELCAR Legends Tour race on the road course at the facility last May.
- Reid Lanpher finished third in just his sixth career Late Model Stock start while driving for JR Motorsports at Southern National Motorsports Park on April 6.
- Reid Lanpher won the Super Late Model feature at the Wiscasset Speedway’s “Fall Brawl” last October, earning a victory in just his third career Pro Stock start.
- Reid Lanpher competes as a teammate at JR Motorsports to Josh Berry. Berry won the 2012 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track championship at Motor Mile Speedway in Fairlawn, Va.
- Just 14 years old, Reid Lanpher has already won Pro Stock, Modified, Legend, go-kart, Mini-Cup, motocross and snowmobile feature events in his career.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
REID LANPHER, Driver of the Team EJP No. 59 Mission Trailers/Eastern Township Docks Chevrolet, On how he feels heading into his second PASS North Series weekend of his career: “I feel a lot more confident. It’s kind of ironic that you’d feel more confident after not making a race last time out, but we know that w’ll have a really good car and I think that I’ll be fast. It’s all going to depend on how we’re going to adapt to the track, and we’ll just go from there.
“It’s so hard to know until you get there.”
On how he will approach this weekend: “We’re going to test both Thursday and Friday, and so pretty much our game plan is to get as many laps as we can going into the race. The more seat time I can get, get as many laps in the car heading into the race, will only help.
“I think another big part is going to be what I draw for a pill (to lineup the heat races). We saw at Oxford how important that can be to your whole day.”
On if anything he’s learned in a JR Motorsports Late Model this season translates to PASS North Series Super Late Model racing: “For sure. Those tires, especially at Southern National (Motorsports Park), wear out. You just eat up tires like crazy. Tire wear was big down there at that track, and you really had to save your stuff for 100 or 125 laps.
“I think it’s really going to help me in these races. I’m going to be in same boat for 150 in the Super Late Model.”
UP NEXT
The Dirty Dozen Cup returns for Round No. 4 with its first visit to Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va., for Twin 125 Late Model events on Saturday, May 18… Reid Lanpher qualified third at Motor Mile last weekend, but the Twin 125s were rained out and rescheduled for July.