9/6/2016
Jarrett Martin
Jarrett Overcomes Part Failure and a Wild Ride to Pick Up a Win and a Top 5 in Show Low
After a long six week break from racing, the team headed up to Show Low, Arizona for a two-day Labor Day weekend show. Saturday night would be a wing show and Sunday night would be run without the wings.
Jarrett would be scheduled to start 3rd in Heat 1, but Jarrett would have to scratch from the Heat due to an overheating issue in Hot Laps. Jarrett and Steve found a small pin hole sized leak in a water hose and spent the time from Hot Laps to the Main making sure the hose was replaced and the car was setup to go, since Jarrett would be tagging the field to start the Main.
We wouldn’t get to turn 1 before the yellow would be displayed as the two cars directly in front of Jarrett got together on the start causing one to spin. On the following attempt Jarrett would get off to a good start and run side by side for 5th to complete lap 1. Jarrett would secure 5th in turn 1 and begin the battle for 4th with the 04j of Dale Eliason Jr. The caution would fly again with 5 laps completed for a car slowed on the back stretch. On the restart Jarrett would grab the 4th position as the cleared the cone out of turn 4. Jarrett and the 72 of Aaron Hernandez would go at it side by side for 3rd as the crossed the line with 10 laps to go. The 3rd caution of the night came out just after that for a car slowed atop turn 2. On the restart with 10 to go, Jarrett and Hernandez would race side by side down the front stretch and Jarrett would clear him for the position in turn 1. With only 7 laps left, Jarrett and the 37J of Dustin Cormany would go at it for 2nd. Jarrett would close the gap Cormany had on him as they raced out of turn 2 and down the back stretch, they would race side by side for 2nd down the front stretch and Jarrett would clear him for the positon coming out of turn 2 with 6 to go. With 3 to go, Jarrett and leader Kyle Huttenhow would race side by side out of turn 2, down the back stretch and through turns 3 and 4. Jarrett would clear Huttenhow out of turn 4 to lead the lap. Huttenhow would pull up alongside Jarrett and they would again race side by side through turn 1 and 2 before Huttenhow would suddenly slow on the track coming out of 2 bringing out the nights final caution. The car would stumble on the restart with 2 to go and Jarrett and Cormany would bang wheels down the front stretch as the field sprawled out behind them. Jarrett would remain in the lead heading into turn 1 and would begin to put a little space between himself and Cormany as he led the field to the white flag and onto his 6th win of the year!
On Sunday night, Jarrett would line up 3rd in Heat 1. On the start, Jarrett would move into 2nd and would again find himself racing the 57 of Kyle Huttenhow for the lead. Huttenhow would break away from Jarrett a little as Jarrett searched the track for the fastest line. Jarrett would close the gap with 3 laps left, but he had company has the 20 of Shon Deskins had joined the party. The 3 of them would race down the back stretch and through turns 3 and 4, where Jarrett would come out with the lead with 3 laps to go. Jarrett would miss his line just a bit getting into turn 3 allowing Deskins to get under him and take the position. Jarrett would close the gap significantly coming to the checkers, but it wasn’t enough to grab the lead as he’d finish 2nd in Heat 1. Which would line him up 3rd for the Feature.
Just like the first night, we wouldn’t get a lap completed before the first caution would come out, this one would be for two cars slowed on the backstretch. On the ensuing restart, the outside line would get a jump and Jarrett would fall back to 4th. Jarrett would have some work to do as Eliason Jr. would put a decent size gap between himself and Jarrett, but Jarrett would battle back and challenge for 3rd right before a caution would come out on lap 6 for a spin in turn 4. Jarrett would restart in 4th with 5 laps completed and would get a run on Eliason Jr coming out of turn 2 to make the pass down the backstretch. Jarrett would begin to close the gap on the leaders and Shon Deskins and the 7KK of Mason Keefer battled it out in front of him for the lead. With half way to go, Keefer would spin in front of Jarrett coming out of turn 4. Jarrett was able to avoid any contact as the yellow would wave. Jarrett would restart 2nd this time, with 10 to go, and would be all over the back of Deskins coming out of turn 2, but Deskins was able to pull away coming out of turn 4. With 6 to go, Jarrett was beginning to close the gap and run down Deskins coming out of turn 2. Jarrett would get too high into turn 3, and use the track exit in the corner to save the car from hitting the corner of the exit wall. He’d come to a bumpy stop outside of the track, but would be ok. This would bring out the red flag. Once they got Jarrett and the car unstuck from the area and realized the car was good to continue, Jarrett headed back out onto the track. Jarrett would rocket back up to 5th on the restart and momentarily move into 4th. Jarrett slid up the track in the middle of turns 3 and 4 allowing Keefer to get under him and take the position. Jarrett would fight off a challenge from the 50 car of Ray Herrera for 5th in the closing laps and finish the weekend with his 11th Top 5 of the year.
Thank you to the DRP Safety Team at the track for making sure Jarrett was OK and able to continue before sending him back out there.
Thank you to Streaker Racing, K Corp, MyRacePass, Sutton Signs & Apparel, Pace Chassis, Invision Auto Body, The Race Shack and the Keefer family for your continued support.
Be sure to check out all of our partner’s websites below.
Streaker Racing: https://www.facebook.com/StreakerRacing
K Corp: http://karbercorporation.com
MyRacePass: http://www.myracepass.com/
Sutton Signs & Apparel: https://www.facebook.com/SuttonSignGA/?fref=ts
DW Promotions: https://twitter.com/MrWard26
Pace Chassis: http://pacechassis.net
Invision Auto Body: http://invisionautobody.com
The Race Shack: https://www.facebook.com/racersare1/?fref=ts
Keefer’s Roofing: http://www.keeferroofingaz.com/
Article Credit: DW Promotions
Submitted By: Darren Ward