Berkley, MA – (June 7, 2008) – In what turned out to be a wild race, Jake brought the Aubuchon Hardware/Propane Plus Ford Fusion home in the eighth position – the third straight top ten for the team based out of Berkley, MA.
Jake started the 40-lap event from the fifth position. Using the outside lane, Jake methodically stormed his way to the front of the field. By passing David Hutchins on lap 18, Jake took over the lead and paced the field for the first time behind the wheel of his #16 family-owned mount.
“We were fast on the outside. There was a lot of grip out there tonight and the car just drove the best when we were out there. It was great getting those three positions and leading the race. It was yet another notch on our belt,” Jake said after the race.
On lap 24, contact from behind upset the #16 Ford Fusion and sent Jake into the infield. Like a seasoned veteran, Jake was able to keep the car going despite losing seven positions.
This was not able to deter Jake, though, as he went back to work during the next 13 laps. A lap-37 caution would slow the field, but by this time, Jake was already back in the fourth position. Several restarts on lap 37 resulted in another car making contact with Jake, sending him spinning into turn one. It was determined by ARC officials, however, that the caution had already been displayed to the field for an unrelated incident and so Jake was reinstated to the fourth position. The contact did prove to be harmful, though, as Jake had to complete the last three laps with a deflating left rear tire. Despite all of this Jake held on to come home in the eighth position.
“There is no doubting that this was a tough race. I am still proud of the team, though, we hung in there during several sticky situations and have a top ten to show for it. Leading those five laps was huge, it shows that we are making progress, and should not be overlooked,” Jake concluded.
The team will not be racing this week as the Pro Stocks have a scheduled week off with the visiting True Value Modified Racing Series in town. This does not mean that the team will not be busy this week, though. They will be making an appearance Saturday, June 14, at the Community Covenant Church in Rehoboth, MA. The team will be displaying their #16 Pro Stock as part of GearFest ’08, a Father’s Day event featuring heavy power equipment and other machinery. The team will be there along with partner Propane Plus. For more information on GearFest, visit http://www.gearfest08.com/.