4/14/2014
Ray Parent
Dominating Disappointment
Everyone looks forward to hitting that reset button on a racing season. The start of a new year means everyones even, back to zero. You've made changes to better your program, the car, the Team. Most importantly you put all that bad luck or unfortunate mishaps behind you from the year before.
Ray Parent headed into a new season with just about all of those in place. He and his Team were ready to make a statement. He did just that; but in doing so he brought that bad luck from 2013 to Lee USA Speedway for the opening round of the American Canadian Tour.
Parent who set overall fast time in preparation for the 12th Annual New Hampshire Governor's Cup was posed to prove the Team was more ready than ever.
He moved from his 5th starting position to finish 2nd in his heat race. That +3 in passing points put the Amtrol Ford Fusion in the 4th starting position for the 150-lap feature.
Wasting no time Parent moved to the lead on lap-4. Leading the next 29 circuits . Serié ACT competitor Stephane Descoste would battle past and lead in till the first caution flag waved on lap-63.
On the restart Parent would regain the top spot and hold a comfortable margin in till he entered heavy lap track with 10-laps to go. Side-by-side running lap cars gave no racing room for the Tiverton, RI driver, allowing the the field to close in behind him.
As eventual winner Eddie MacDonald closed the gap, the race through lap traffic only got more intense... With 4-laps remaining the two were side-by-side exited turn-2; the battle however ended with the 17RI facing the wrong way at the bottom of the back stretch. Parent would go on to salvage a 13th place finish.
"Its just one of those racing deals", stated Parent. "It sucks... That's the nice way to put it. We were battling for the win, touched and that was it... You take those lap cars out and we are having a different conversation. It is what it is, thats racing."
Parent took the high road of a tough situation after dominating much of the race, were he lead a race high combined 112-laps.
"The car was great", stated Parent. "The Team did an outstanding job all weekend; we unloaded fast and the car just got better and better... I'm really proud of everyone. Not just for their effort on the car but even after the race they were true professionals about the spin."
Parent will take the positives with him as the Team heads to the Thunder Road high banks for the Annual Merchant's Bank 150 in two-weeks.
"I'm just as excited to get to Thunder Road as I was Lee [USA Speedway]", stated Parent. "We take so many great things on how good the car was [at Lee] there. I'm really looking forward to it."
Next Race
What: The Merchant's Bank 150
Where: Thunder Road Speedbowl - Barre, VT
When: Saturday April 26th, 2014
Ray and the Amtrol Racing Team would like to thank their proud partners in 2014: Amtrol • Carlin Combustion Technology • HydroLevel • Distinctive Auto Body • Phoenix Builders • Bayside Auto Center • Bobs Sea and Ski • Dan Davies Sales • Dominator Diesel • Five Star Bodies • Longacre Racing Products • Hedman Hedders • Ford Racing • Welded Media
Eric LaFleche / VFL Photos http://victorylaneforum.smugmug.com/2014-ACT-Late-Models
Article Credit: Jason Lubin / Welded Media
Submitted By: Jason Lubin
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