(Photo by Malcolm White Photography)
Inside Line Promotions – SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 11, 2015) – Henry Van Dam took advantage of sunny weather and January races to put together his best career week of 410ci sprint car racing.
Van Dam earned four top-10 finishes during the inaugural five-race Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown at Cocopah Speedway, where more than 35 of the top drivers in the country competed during a nine-day period.
“We had some good momentum with how last season went, but our goal each night was to make the main event and see how that went,” he said. “Other than one night with a mechanical problem, we made every show and then finished in the top 10 among a lot of great drivers. It was a great trip for our team.”
After finishing ninth during the opening event on Jan. 2 and sustaining a mechanical issue during his heat race on Jan. 3, Van Dam closed the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown with three races last week.
On Tuesday, Van Dam won his heat race and advanced a position to finish fifth in a qualifier. He then maneuvered from eighth to sixth place during the 30-lap main event on the slick 3/8-mile oval.
“It’s always great to get laps with talented drivers so to pick up a couple of positions was a bonus,” he said. “We were battling for a top five throughout most of the race. You definitely had to hit your marks and run smooth each lap. We had a solid performance all night and it was nice to end with that type of result.”
Van Dam returned to Cocopah Speedway on Friday, when he started the night by placing fifth in his heat race. He then won a qualifier to earn enough points to lock himself into the main event, which he started on the inside of the fifth row.
Once again, Van Dam worked toward the top five before settling for his second consecutive sixth-place result.
“We got better each time we hit the track on Friday,” he said. “We were learning all week long and toward the end of the event we had some great notes. It felt like we were building each night.”
The Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown wrapped up on Saturday with Van Dam finishing where he started in both his heat race – second – and qualifier – fifth. That locked him into the main event starting on the outside of the seventh row.
The track favored the bottom groove and Van Dam was able to pick up a handful of positions to score a 10th-place finish.
“It was an exciting way to end the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown,” he said. “To earn three straight top 10s and four in the five races was a great start to 2015. I want to thank Greg Burgess and the event staff for putting on such a top-notch event. Our team had a fun time racing and soaking up the sun in January and we can’t wait to return next year.”
Van Dam will return to competition March 4-5 at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas in Las Vegas for the FVP Outlaw Showdown with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series.
QUICK RESULTS –
Jan. 6 – Cocopah Speedway in Somerton, Ariz. – Heat race: 1 (2); Qualifier: 5 (6); Feature: 6 (8).
Jan. 9 – Cocopah Speedway in Somerton, Ariz. – Heat race: 5 (3); Qualifier: 1 (1); Feature: 6 (9).
Jan. 10 – Cocopah Speedway in Somerton, Ariz. – Heat race: 2 (2); Qualifier: 5 (5); Feature: 10 (14).
SEASON STATS –
5 races, 0 wins, 0 top fives, 4 top 10s, 4 top 15s, 4 top 20s
UP NEXT –
March 4-5 at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas in Las Vegas for the FVP Outlaw Showdown with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.HenryVanDam.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VanDamRacing
APPAREL –
Van Dam has sweatshirts and hats available for sale at his race trailer.
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Enumclaw Xpress Lube
Located in Enumclaw, Wash., Enumclaw Xpress Lube offers a full range of vehicle oil and fluid services. It can also service air filter and wiper blades.
“Enumclaw Xpress Lube was my very first sponsor and have been with us ever since,” Van Dam said. “They’ve been there for the good years and the bad years and have provided ample support.”
Van Dam would also like to thank Kovash Logging, Johansen Excavating, Les Schwab Tire of Enumclaw, Clems Enumclaw Powersports, Factory Kahne, A.R.T. Speed Equipment, Van Dam Dairy, Village Green Resort, D&L Equipment Repair, Zender Equipment, Big Bob’s Flooring Outlet, Bob and Joan Shumway, Kellan and Kelsey Hall, Foothills Auto Supply, American Powder Coating, Pete Vos, Char’s Barber Shop, Wesmar Race Engines, SpeedMart, Van Dam Farms and Rich Van Dam Dairy for their continued support.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program and to join Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or InsideLinePromotions@gmail.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.