Story By: BEN SHELTON / DRAKE TROUTMAN RACING – HYNDMAN, PA – Drake Troutman wrapped up a chaotic week of racing by driving the Jerry Foster Racing / CertainTeed No. 5 ABC Supply Co. / All About Doors / Longhorn Chassis Modified to the Monday night victory at Potomac Speedway.
The triumph was his 15th overall of the season and came on the heels of the Pennsylvanian battling adversity on the road.
“Jerry Foster has given me a great opportunity this season to drive his car and it’s nice to get him win at his home track.” Troutman said. “We had an up-and-down week on the road with the Summer Nationals. These flat tires just keep plaguing us. That’s the bad news. The good news is we’ve been really fast pretty much every night. We’re going to run Hilltop Speedway and Tyler County Speedway this weekend before jumping back on the Summer Nationals next week.
“I’ve got a lot of great people who believe in me and support me to no end. I can’t thank them all enough for what they do to keep me living my dreams.”
Drake embarked on a busy holiday week of racing last Tuesday by following the DIRTcar Summer Nationals for the third week of the Hell Tour with a visit to Springfield (Mo.) Raceway on Tuesday for the $5,000-to-win event.
With 27 entries on hand, Troutman raced his way into the feature with a runner-up finish in his heat, Troutman suffered another flat tire on lap 11 while running fourth that dropped him to the tail. He rallied to finish eighth in the 40-lapper.
On Wednesday at Adams County Speedway (Quincy, Ill.), Drake set a new track record in time trials with a blistering 11.898-second lap before placing first in his heat race. Setting the pace early in the feature, Troutman led the opening 19 circuits but slipped over the cushion on lap 20, which relegated him to fifth in the finishing order.
For another $5,000-to-win DIRTcar Summer Nationals event on Thursday at Benton (Mo.) Speedway, Troutman followed up a third-place finish in his heat race with a seventh-to-second run in the feature. He led laps 10-34 but was unable to contain a charging Ashton Winger in the thrilling 40-lapper.
Hampered by another flat tire while in contention for the lead in Friday’s A-Main at Paducah International Raceway (Paducah, Ky.), Drake inherited the top spot lap 27 only to suffer a flat on the ensuing circuit. The result was a disappointing 15th-place finish.
Back in action on Monday, Troutman unloaded the Jerry Foster-owned No. 5 Modified at Potomac Speedway (Budds Creek, Md.) for the track’s Fourth of July Special. With a heat race win placing him on the front row for the feature, Drake flew past Ray Cable for the lead on the second lap and dominated the remainder to claim his 15th win of the season and a $1,000 payday.
He took the checkers 2.112 seconds ahead of Kable with Glenn Elliott rounding out the podium.
This Friday and Saturday – July 7-8 – Troutman plans to enter a pair of events in Ohio and West Virginia. On Friday night a $5,000 winner’s check is on the line in the Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Series event at Hilltop Speedway (Millersburg, Ohio), while Saturday’s 36th annual Earl Hill Memorial at Tyler County Speedway (Middlebourne, W.Va.) posts a $5,080 top prize.