MCKEEFERY READY FOR FIRST-EVER SUPERMODIFIED RACES IN WASHINGTON

Source: Rhonda Costa-Landers
Date: 08/09/2007

When Martin McKeefery wheels his high-horsepower supermodified racecar onto the asphalt at Spokane Raceway Park and Wenatchee Valley Super Oval, both in Washington, he wants to quickly learn each track’s nuances so he can spend more time focusing on being fast. The American Speed Association/Western States Supermodified Racing League will be in Spokane Friday for a 40-lap main event, then travel south to Wenatchee for a 50-lap main event on Saturday. Spokane is a one-half mile track; Wenatchee is touted as the fastest quarter-mile in the world.

“The only other half-mile track I have been on was Altamont (Raceway Park, California), where I blew my motor,” McKeefery said. “I’m not worried about blowing my motor -- but the insane speed of these cars on a half-mile will take some getting used to.” McKeefery, 19, a Milpitas, Calif., resident, is showing great consistency in his sophomore year as a supermodified driver. He is solidly in third place in the 2007 point standings.

“Coming from a one-half mile to a short quarter-mile track will be a huge shift in setup, and all of those changes have to happen overnight,” he added. “And the car has to be in one piece from the previous race.” Helping him make those changes on the racecar will be veteran supermodified crewmen Richard Russell, Mike Reece and Joe LaGue.

“I have worked with Richard indirectly and he is a great asset joining our team. And for Mike, I haven’t met him in person, but he has a wide variety of knowledge from different racing series, including sprints. McKeefery said the list of to-do items for general maintenance on the car is almost complete and the 2006 ASA/WSSRL Rookie of the Year is ready to race. “Three races in eight days and 44 hours of travel time is going to be physically demanding and challenging,” he said. “It will be more of a survival run than anything else.”

For information on Martin McKeefery, visit www.McKeeferyracing.com; and on the ASA/WSSRL visit www.wssrl. com.

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