VAIL, AZ-- Branden Bonnett finished 14th in the Allied Home Mortgage-DIX Motorsports Chevrolet at the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division Southwest Series - Arizona Lottery 150 at Phoenix International Raceway.
Bonnett and his crew had a long day of battling a tight car thru practice and qualifying but when the green flag dropped everything began to gel. “My crew did a great job on putting a solid car together for this race,” said Branden. “The car was tight from the center off for most of the day. We picked up almost a full second during the practice sessions enabling me to qualify the #56 Allied Home Mortgage-DIX Motorsports Chevrolet in the 24th position.”
Bonnett was able move thru the field and into the top 15 rather quickly. A red flag for an early accident put a temporary hold on his charge but did not stop his momentum once the field went green, he moved quickly into the top 10.
Running as high as 8th position Bonnett was in the zone. Branden displayed calm focus and control of the Allied Home Mortgage-DIX Motorsports Chevrolet in some pretty tight spots.
Nearing lap 98, race leader Kenny Schroeder was side by side with Branden as the second red flag halted competition again for nearly 30 minutes. The officials ruled that Schroeder was ahead of Bonnett by a bumper, and placed Branden one lap down.
Under yellow prior to restart the pit road opened, many of the leaders decided to pit for tires and fuel. Bonnett’s crew decided to pit the second time around to avoid heavy pit road traffic.
“Our pit crew did a heck of a great job!” said Bonnett. “For many of our crew this was their first time over the wall. The handled themselves like Pros, they got me in and out in a hurry.”
Once the again the race went green and Branden found himself at the back of the pack. But not for very long. Within a few laps Branden had darted his way back to 14th position as the checkered flag waved.
“What a great day! Finishing 14th in our first race of the year on the tour and at our home track in front of friends, family and our sponsors is truly a blessing!” said an exhausted Branden Bonnett. “My crew and our sponsors made this possible and I thank each and every one of them for their commitment to this race! Today we are all winners!”
A special thank you goes out to Rita Zurita and Jim Hodge of Allied Home Mortgage, DIX Motorsports, and our Associate Sponsors; Focus HR www.focushr.net, T & O Towing and Storage, Central Components, GAT, KAYO Signs www.kayosigns.com.
Branden Bonnett Racing dedicates this race to their Gasman; Humberto Rivera of the United States Marine Corps. as he prepares for his second tour in Iraq. Thank you for your service to our country, stay safe and we love you!
