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By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications
It looked like 2009 was going to be a breakthrough season for Adam Turner. The 3rd year DIRTcar sportsman modified racer from Picton, Ontario started things off in fine style with a solid run in the season opening Mr. DIRTcar sportsman tour event Sunday, April 5th at Black Rock Speedway in Dundee, New York but things have changed drastically since then.
“The Black Rock show was a great way to start the year,” said Turner with his ever-present smile. “If we could have kept-up that momentum, it would be great – but it hasn’t happened that way and we really don’t know why. We’ll be racing every weekend from now ‘til October and I’m sure it’s bound to get better. Right now, it’s more than a little frustrating.”
The early season tour race was delayed by rain and then run the next day on some less than perfect track conditions. Turner and the team wonder if bouncing around through some of the ruts all day might have caused stress to a couple of the components of their #92 Paul Turner Auto Repair/Mark’s Barber Shop/Riverside Bar & Grill/Picture This Signs/Hotch’s Auto Parts/Tim Horton’s, Picton/Clarke Motorsports Communications Bicknell. The car broke a suspension piece on the right rear during the pace lap of a feature at Can Am Speedway a few weeks later and those parts usually last the entire year.
“I got bounced-around pretty well inside the car,” Turner continued. “There were marks on both my shoulders from where the belts were rubbing, so it must have taken a toll on some of the parts on the car.”
Friday, May 22nd the saga continued with a 18th place finish at Can Am Speedway. The next night at Brockville Speedway was an entirely different story. There was a noticeable spring in the 25 year-old second generation racer’s step after choosing his heat race starting spot at the pit gate. From there, he won the 2nd qualifying event and with the heads-up format, started on the outside front row for the feature event...and finished 2nd to veteran Randy Gaudet when the checkered flag was waved.
“I’m glad we started where we did,” Turner explained in the pits after the race. “The car felt really good running the top during the qualifying event, so even if I didn’t end-up starting there, I was doing everything I could to run high. I kept the right rear glued to the cushion for all 25 laps. I just wish I could’ve caught Gaudet, but that’ll be next week’s project.”
Turner and the team will put in some extra hours in the shop before heading back to Can Am and Brockville again this weekend. The monkey isn’t completely off his back, but he feels it starting to lose its grip...and that’s a start.
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