Ron Young Atlanta Post Race Report

Ron Young ran into some adversity over the weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, but took on the challenge head-on, coming away from the Nicorette 300 with a 32nd place finish after racing the No. 71 Chevrolet into the field.

 

The race was the first of the year for Young’s family-owned RB1 Motorsports team, which ran into problems during Friday’s practice for Saturday’s race. Due to a leak in the fuel line, Young was limited to just 11 practice laps and was at the bottom of the speed chart while trying to fix the problem. After the team, led by crew chief Greg Tester, made a few minor adjustments, the team was ready to qualify Saturday morning in a brand new Chevrolet Monte Carlo that had never seen a racetrack before Friday afternoon.

 

“We just had to got with our gut and say we were gonna do it,” Young expained. “We had a brand new car that has never hit the ground. If it would have gotten wadded up, that would have been $85,000.”

 

During qualifying, Young posted a lap of 180.710 mph good enough to squeeze him into the field despite the limited practice time. During his qualifying run, SPEED noted Young as being one of the hardest-working drivers in the Busch Series garage.

 

“We would have liked to have tried some other stuff out and worked with some shocks, but we had to go conservative,” Young said. “We didn’t want the car to be too low when we went out on the track for the two laps.”

 

Later Saturday, Young’s car took the green flag with sponsorship from Quantum Homes, Wyco Plumbing and Atlanta radio personality Captain Herb Emory and his wife, Karen.

Young inched up in the field at the start of the race. Staying out of trouble, Young guided the car around the track for a finish of 32nd despite the No. 71 Chevrolet having little practice.

 

“I’m pleased with it,” Young said. “I wish we would have had practice, we would have been way better. We had a great racecar.”

 

Young hopes to announce his plans for the rest of the season soon but feels like Saturday’s finish will help the next time that his team heads to the racetrack.

 

“I’m just glad that we got to race,” Young said. “It was a big confidence booster for me, the team and everybody.”

 

To inquire about sponsoring Young in upcoming races, contact the team at (770) 922-1275.