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April 15th, 2012 – The UARA-STARS Late Model Stock racers headed to Rockingham Speedway (NC) on Friday and Saturday, April 13th and 14th, for the third stop on the 2012 tour. Ben Rhodes, driving the #9 Stanley / Alpha Energy Solutions Ford Fusion with Marcos Ambrose Motorsport and Fat Head Racing, had a strong showing in his first event on the one-mile track, qualifying in the third position and holding that spot throughout the 75-lap race until overheating late in the event ended his strong run.
On Friday, Rhodes and the team hit the track for the first time for two rounds of practice. While Rhodes has raced at the facility before, it was on the road course and quarter-mile oval in a Legends Car.
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[pullquote style=”left” quote=”dark”]We weren’t able to get testing time in at Rockingham prior to the weekend, so we had to make the most of our two practice sessions on Friday,” said Rhodes. “The first time I got out on the track it was amazing. I really like the track and was ready to get the car dialed in for Saturday’s qualifying and the race.[/pullquote]
Saturday morning the team made changes prior to qualifying that paid off as Rhodes qualified third with a time of 24.681 seconds, just 0.117 seconds off the pole time, and his best starting spot in UARA competition this season.
The changes Lee McCall, Jamie Yelton, and the entire Marcos Ambrose Motorsport and Fat Head Racing team did before qualifying allowed me to go out lay down a fast lap during qualifying,” said Rhodes. “It really got me pumped up for the race knowing we had a great spot to start.
When the green flag flew, Rhodes rode in the third position, saving tires for a run to the lead at the end of the race. With just 25 laps to go, Rhodes started to experience a power loss, which forced him to the pits with an overheating issue.
“During the first half of the race I was just riding, saving the tires. I made a few charges on second to see how the car would react with aero-push since this was the first time I have raced on a one-mile track. I then just backed up a bit to save the tires since the #9 Stanley Ford Fusion was extremely fast and handling great.
“On one of the restarts, I noticed a bit of power loss, but we were still strong enough to stay in third, so I rode it out for a few more laps. Unfortunately it started getting worse, so instead of blowing the motor and risking wrecking ourselves and others on the track, I brought my car down pit road.”
The 19th-place finishing position wasn’t exactly what Rhodes was hoping for, but he was satisfied with the effort of the team and was eager to get back to Rockingham later in the year.
“Man, we had a fast car,” explained Rhodes. “I am disappointed we didn’t get the finish we wanted, but wow, we were rolling. I have to thank Lee, Jamie, and the whole Marcos Ambrose Motorsport and Fat Head Racing team for their work this weekend. Sometimes things happen out of your control, but we will get everything all fixed up and ready for when we come back in November.
“I have now competed on three different tracks at Rockingham Speedway,” continued Rhodes. “I have raced the road course and won on the quarter-mile track in a Legends Car. I like the whole facility, but I my new favorite is the big track in my #9 Stanley Ford Fusion. Andy Hillenburg did a great job getting that track back to what it used to be, and UARA has been instrumental in supporting the return to the track after Andy brought it back to life. Is it November yet? I am ready to rock ‘The Rock’ again!”
The next race for Rhodes will be the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown at Richmond International Raceway (VA) on Thursday, April 26th. Prior to the invitation-only event, Rhodes will head to the Virginia track to test his #9 Stanley / Alpha Energy Solutions Ford Fusion on Wednesday, April 18th.
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Make sure to follow Rhodes on Facebook and Twitter for updates during the week and race day updates at www.facebook.com/benrhodesinc and www.twitter.com/benrhodesinc.