Joey Doiron Racing: PASS North Series
Thompson International Speedway Race Preview
THE STORY
BERWICK, Maine – Joey Doiron of Berwick, Maine, will make the quick turnaround and head the PASS North Series California Paints 75 at Thompson International Speedway in Thompson, Conn., on Thursday, July 12. Doiron has never competed at Thompson – at .625-miles and high-banked, the largest and fastest track on the series’ schedule. Doiron enters the week off a disappointing run at his home track of Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, but the No. 73 JBJ Machine/Scarborough Downs Chevrolet is still fourth overall in the PASS North Series standings with seven of 14 races remaining.
THE FACTS
WHO: Joey Doiron, Berwick, Maine
TEAM: Joey Doiron Racing No. 73 JBJ Machine/Scarborough Downs Chevrolet
CREW CHIEF: John Doiron, Berwick, Maine
BEST CAREER THOMPSON SPEEDWAY FINISH: N/A
LAST FINISH AT THOMPSON SPEEDWAY: N/A
WHAT: PASS North Series California Paints 75
WHERE: Thompson International Speedway, Thompson, Conn. (.625-mile high-banked oval)
WHEN: Thursday, July 12: Practice – 1:30-2:30 p.m., 3:30-4:15 p.m.; Qualifying – 6 p.m.; Race – 8 p.m.
PASS North Series
LAST RACE: July 7, SouthernMaineMotors.com 150, Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, Scarborough, Maine (15th)
NEXT RACE: July 21, Dunkin’ Donuts 150, Oxford Plains Speedway, Oxford, Maine (.375-mile flat oval)
CURRENT POINTS POSITION: 4th
DID YOU KNOW?
Joey Doiron was named one of the three finalists in the “Maine Young Guns” competition last week. The winner will earn the right to participate with Go Green Racing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September.
Joey Doiron has never competed in a race event at Thompson International Speedway. As a rookie in 2010, he attempted to make the race before a mechanical failure and subsequent practice crash forced him to withdraw from the event.
Joey Doiron has never been this high (fourth) in the PASS North Series standings at the exact midpoint of the season.
Joey Doiron has more Top-5 finishes (3) this season than in his two previous seasons combined (2).
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
JOEY DOIRON, Driver of the No. 73 JBJ Machine/Scarborough Downs Chevrolet, On making his race debut at Thompson International Speedway this week: “It’s a fun track. It’s fast, and it’s different from what we normally race up here. It’s one of the few super speedway-type tracks we get to with these cars. It’s just a different type of racing, and you have to go in there with a different mindset.
“It’s not necessarily about being fast all the time – you have to make sure you stay out of trouble. Aerodynamics can play a big factor. Most people don’t think so, but compared to the quarter-miles and third-miles we usually go to, it does have an effect on your race car. Seventy-five laps is a short race for us, but with the size of the track, there’s usually a big wreck and you don’t normally have to race hard so early in the race.”
On how difficult it was to rebound from last weekend at Beech Ridge: “It was pretty hard. That was a pretty embarrassing, disappointing performance we had Saturday. You just have to move forward. It’s a totally different track this week. It stinks we had such a bad performance, but you have to put it in the past. We have a pretty good idea of what happened, and it’s not something we usually see there. We’ll chalk it up as a mulligan and move on to Thompson.”
On his goals this week for a track he’s never raced on: “I still think we’re capable of a Top-3, Top-5 finish anywhere we go. I think the biggest thing at Thompson is not being involved in the big wreck.
“If you look at the last two years, there were two big wrecks in the first third of the race. Guys that can finish up front are the ones that have missed that. If we miss the wreck, should be in pretty good shape.”
UP NEXT
The PASS North Series returns to Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, Maine, for the Dunkin’ Donuts 150 on Saturday, July 21… Joey Doiron posted a Top-10 finish in his first Super Late Model start at the track last summer on the night before the annual TD Bank Oxford 250.