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by Steve Pados, GA Motorsports Media
Barry White, the extremely popular Modified campaigner from Mertztown, Pennsylvania, will once again be making the three hour journey from his home base to compete at the Five Mile Point Speedway once the 2008 racing season kicks off. "The Mighty Man From Mertztown" is hoping for a change in fortunes right from the start as he sets sail around the quarter mile Kirkwood facility. Last year could be called a transition year for the veteran campaigner as he encountered some early season problems that saw him park his regular mount, take a few weeks off, and then return to the track with a few race old Teo Bow-Flex race car White purchased from a friend who lived close-by and who wasn't involved with Modified racing any longer. The purchase of the car and some quick set-up changes seemed to be a perfect fit to match with White's all-out driving style. After the purchase, some strong top five finishes including a close and spectacular feature win over "The Cresco Cruiser" Eric Palmer, catapulted the Berks County driver into the top twenty in points where he eventually settled for a final 16th at the season's end.
The new mount was seemingly the ticket for the veteran driver. White was extremely happy with the purchase of the racer and is looking to drive the racer into victory lane more frequently in 2008. Over the winter months, the team took the car totally apart and replaced all of the existing running gear. A freshly built Curt Neiman Machine 358 Chevy 9 to 1 Alcohol powerplant will transfer the power to the rear wheels for White's "Mighty Moves" to the front. Deka Batteries and Accessories continue to play a major role in the sponsorship of Barry White Racing Team entry in 2008 and additional sponsorship was found with Wert's Beverages out of Topton, Pennsylvania coming on board for the 2008 racing season. As always, the Barry White Racing Team will carry it's signature number 131 proudly on the race car.
Five Mile Point Speedway will open it's gates on April 12th with the first of two scheduled practice sessions. The following week, on April 19th, the second practice session will take place. For the racing fans wanting to view the on-track action both weeks, admission is free to the grandstands by bringing a canned good with you. The following week on April 26th will be the Spring Spectacular 40 lap T3 Series opener for 358 Modifieds. Starting time for the event will be 5 PM. On May 3rd, the Official 58th Annual Season Opener will take place with a starting time of 6 PM.
White hopes to make at least one of the practice sessions scheduled for the Kirkwood oval to dial the car in and be prepared for the season opener. Since the speedway has been a whirlwind of activity since the 2007 season ended with many changes being made to the grounds and the track, the new season will prove to be interesting for the talented roster that will be competing at the facility. White is hoping to find the sweet spot of the set-up early on and continue to tweak the race car with each night of racing.
Barry White will be entering his 31st season behind the wheel of a race car. He has won features at numerous tracks and the popular campaigner feels very comfortable competing at Five Mile Point. White stumbled upon Five Mile Point in 2004 when his regular track Lake Mocatek Speedway folded the tents five weeks into the season. While the confines of the two speedways were similar, the Five Mile Point track is a bit larger with more racing room available to the competitors. White has adapted well to his new home track and is looking forward to the tight competition Five Mile Point has always been noted for. The popular race team has gained many friends along their racing journey and encourage all fans to stop in after the races to say hello.
For more information and the latest updates regarding Barry White and Barry White Racing, please contact Steve Pados at GA Motorsports Media. By phone call: 610 573 9706. or through email at: steveswp@netzero.net |
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