(LAKEVILLE, Minn. - August 15, 2012) - Sunday, the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards will compete on the one-mile dirt track of the Illinois State Fairgrounds in the Allen Crowe 100. For Win-Tron Racing rookie Mason Mingus, his objective is clear: rebound.
Last weekend, the Lakeville-based team suffered misfortune after the engine seized on the warm-up laps of the Berlin ARCA 200 presented by Hantz Group at Berlin Raceway, forcing the team to sit out the 15th race of the season.
Understandably frustrated and disappointed about the recent hardship, the Brentwood, Tenn. driver raised his determination level several notches leading into his ninth start of the year, vowing to prove that bad luck won't hold them back, even on a dirt track, a place that Mingus has never seen before.
"This is our time to shine," said Mingus, driver of the No. 32 Call 811 Before You Dig Toyota Camry. "Everyone's going to have some bad breaks in racing - last weekend, though, tripped the meter. But we're bound and determined to grow through that on Sunday and we have 100 laps to get it done."
Despite having zero experience at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, let alone on the dirt in a stock car, Mingus is embracing the opportunity presented to him and believes the wealth of information and guidance he'll receive from his Win-Tron Racing team will pay dividends when the green flag flies.
"I'm excited, even though I've never run on dirt before," he said. "You can think this or think that, but what it all boils down to is what happens when you climb into that race car. I have a bunch of questions, but I know by the end of practice on Sunday morning, I'll probably have plenty more. I think that circumstance comes with any new track, but this is dirt. I'm ready for something outside the box though. I don't look as the race as a hindrance, but rather as an opportunity to succeed and that's exactly what I plan to do.
"I'm not real sure what to expect in practice. We'll take it easy to start but then it will be hammer down by probably our second time out. It would be nice to have more than an hour of practice but I am looking forward at the opportunity of redeeming ourselves. We had a lot of bad luck at Berlin and I'm ready to put it behind us and move on. Who knows? Maybe I'll just get that first win on a dirt track. That would be amazing. I know that my guys at Win-Tron Racing will give me a great car to work with."
Said Nate Thiesse, car co-owner at Win-Tron Racing: "We're not afraid to put a rookie in a car on the dirt. Mason has shown great ability this season and while this race is obviously very different from anything we've tackled this year, I think you'll see a great performance by Mason on Sunday afternoon. As a team, we're ready to go."
On top of Springfield, the driver's current ARCA schedule also includes races at Madison on August 26 and Salem on September 15.
In addition to Call 811 Before You Dig, Diamond Equipment leaped aboard the team as an associate marketing partner for Mingus's 10th career ARCA start.
Practice for the Allen Crowe 100 will begin at 9 a.m. Sunday and last for one hour, with Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell starting at 11. The 100-lap, 100-mile race will take place at 1 p.m. All times are Central. ARCARacing.com will feature live timing and scoring coverage throughout the day, and ARCA Racing Network hosts Charlie Krall and Tim Clagg will deliver a live audio call for the race on the site.
From Team Release
