Emily Packard Heats Up In Season’s Second Half
16-Year-Old High School Junior To Test At NHMS Next Week
EAST MONTPELIER, Vt. – To the surprise of nobody, Emily Packard is happy to talk about how well the second half of her season has gone.
The second-year driver from East Montpelier, Vt., has two Top-5 finishes and four straight finishes in the top half of an ultra-competitive Late Model field at the notoriously difficult Thunder Road International Speedbowl in nearby Barre as she heads into this weekend’s ACT Late Model Tour event at the quarter-mile track.
Given that there are a number of high-profile events over the final month and a half to close out the 2013 season, this is a great time for Packard to be hitting her stride.
“I’m really excited about how things have gone the last few weeks,” said Packard, who has climbed into the Top-10 in the Thunder Road Late Model standings in just her first full season in the division. “We struggled a little bit at the beginning of the season, but now we’re finally clicking and the things we’re doing with the car are working for us.”
Packard has accepted an invitation from ACT officials to test at New Hampshire Motor Speedway next week – on Wednesday, September 4 – in advance of next month’s 5th annual Bond Auto ACT Invitational at the track. The No. 9X Northstar Fireworks/Berlin Optical Expressions Chevrolet made her debut at the track last season, an impressionable debut that saw her become the youngest driver in history to start an ACT event at the 1.058-mile speedway.
She’s been looking forward to going back.
“I really love it there,” Packard said. “It was a phenomenal experience last year, and I like the track. I’ve always said that I like the bigger tracks, that they suit my driving style.
“I’m looking forward to getting there next week and getting comfortable with the track again. We have some things we want to try to see how they will work for us. Having a whole day to test is a huge help. It’s not like a typical race day where you show up and have a few short practices and then have to go qualify.
“We’ll really get a chance to take our time and work on the things we want to work on to get some speed in the car.”
Packard’s recent turnaround began on Aug. 8, when she finished second in a 50-lap event at Thunder Road to post her best career Late Model finish at the track. Two weeks later, she finished third, sandwiching those two runs around a 12th-place effort in mid-August.
In last Friday night’s Aubuchon 100, the longest points-paying event of the season, Packard held her own to finish 13th. The fourth-straight finish in the top half of the field catapulted her to 10th in the overall standings – a far cry from the 17th spot she was in after the first few weeks of 2013.
“Everybody’s been working really hard,” Packard said. “It’s good that we’re finally having some good finishes, and we’ve had some luck on our side, too. That always helps.
“There are a lot of big races for us coming up, so I’m excited.”
After the Labor Day Classic 200 this weekend, Packard will join the rest of the Vermont State Championship Series for a 100-lap event at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven, Vt., on September 15. The ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway is on September 21 – the day before the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 at the track – and the prestigious Milk Bowl at Thunder Road is the first weekend in October.
Packard, who just entered her junior year of high school, will be busy. But she’s ready for the challenge.
“There’s a lot going on right now, but this is what I love to do,” Packard said. “I just want to finish this year off strong.”