IRWINDALE, California — Last time out, Scott Rueschenberg took a second-place finish in Tucson, where the two Just Past You Racing, LLC drivers, Rueschenberg and Ron Norman, finished second and first, respectively.
But racing in tonight’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Super Late Model 100-lap race, which is part of the Toyota All-Star Showdown at Toyota Speedway in Irwindale, Calif., wasn’t just a matter of fixing cosmetic damage to the team’s already successful car, cleaning it up, and tightening nuts and bolts.
Because of regulations differences between Tucson and Irwindale, JPU Racing will be running a new car with a new engine tonight.
“We had to bring in a perimeter chassis car, which I didn’t have any of,” Rueschenberg. “So we brought in a brand new car from North Carolina from Hamke Race Cars. Then we built it especially for Irwindale, which is for their rules for the Showdown.”
The car will feature a Chevy LS3 525 crate motor, a standard Chevrolet Corvette engine. Rueschenberg said the team has had success with the Chevy motor in competition in the ASA Late-Model Challenge Series.
“We had two top-fives in it, one at Colorado National and another at Pike’s Peak,” Rueschenberg said. “We had a fourth-place in Tucson in it. So we’ve been around the top. We haven’t had a win with it yet, but we’ve been right there.”
At the Toyota All-Star Showdown, one of the most prestigious short-track racing events in the country, Rueschenberg will be taking on an All-Star field including David Gilliland, Joey Logano, Nick Joanides and Rip Michels.
Although Rueschenberg is looking for his first win at Irwindale, it’s a track where he has had top-five finishes with Mechanix Wear Speed Trucks and Late Model cars. This is Rueschenberg’s first Super Late Model race at Irwindale.
“Stepping up to Super Lates is going to be exciting,” he said. “Now that they’re going to a crate Super Late Model engine, it fits us because we already had that engine. We were running it back east, which is perfect.”
With the car now built — including a new sponsor Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery — Rueschenberg and his team will run it again on March 27 in the inaugural SRL Southwest Tour Series race at All-American Speedway in Roseville, Calif.
Local fans looking to watch the Mesa, Ariz.-based team in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Super Late Model race Friday night can watch the live broadcast on Speed Channel at 8 p.m. local time.
