Story By: A2DPR / TREVER FEATHERS RACING – PORT ROYAL, PA – Trever Feathers came into the two day Lucas Oil Late Model Series event at Port Royal Speedway with everything going the right direction for his team.
Over the past month their overall performance, average finishing position and consistency had improved. You can’t ask for much more than that coming into the biggest weekend of the year in the region.
None of that guarantees anything when a field of over fifty of the best super late models in the country is on hand, but it’s a good start.
The Rumble by the River preliminary night featured a split field with each half running a complete show. The format drew a high quality field of 52 teams to try to position themselves well for Saturday night’s $50,000 to win finale.
Feathers got his shot under the clock in Group B qualifying. His 17th quickest lap in the group was a disappointing result for the Winchester, VA native who has shown good speed at the big fairgrounds half mile over the past month while finishing no worse than 8th in three outings.
“That qualifying run was on me. I drove into turn one too hard and didn’t get the car rotated like I should have. Made the same mistake on both laps.“, Feathers shared.
It wasn’t a lot but Feathers helped himself a little by racing from 6th to 5th in his heat race in the McFarland Custom Painting & Wall Coverings, Larry Royston’s Septic Services, Martins Pumping Service, Feathers & Sons Roofing, North River Farm, Leggett Engine Research, Hot Rod Septic Treatment, Team Zero Race Cars, Shane McDowell Racing, Coffelt Graphics, Larry Royston Properties, Larry Royston Equipment, Fox Racing Shox, Bo Feathers Racing, Clem’s Garage, No.20.
Feathers started the 25-lap main event from outside row seven with a goal of driving into the top ten to put himself near the front of a Saturday night heat race lineup. The opening laps only made that job harder when he wound up slipping back to 17th in the early going.
About ten laps into the race Feathers had found his rhythm and started to reclaim the lost track position. With ten laps remaining he found himself back where he started, 14th. The progress continued in the late stages and Feathers took the checkered flag in 11th.
Feathers took the green for his heat race Saturday from outside the second row. With the top three finishers transferring into the lucrative finale, he was in good position thanks to his recovery in the closing laps the night before. Unfortunately, he couldn’t capitalize and wound up finishing 4th.
In the B-main Feathers started 3rd. With the top two finishers set to claim the final two transfer spots into the A-main, the task at hand was clear. At the drop of the green, Feathers charged into 2nd and held command of the spot through lap seven when the caution lights flashed on and slowed the field.
Before the caution, Feathers had built up a comfortable cushion but that was erased. On the ensuing restart, Feathers went low and Greg Satterlee went hard to the cushion and used a charge around the top side to wrestle the runner up spot away.
Satterlee kept Feathers at bay and took the final transfer spot at the checkers.
“Only word that sums up our weekend is ‘frustrating’.“, Feathers said. “One spot short in the heat, one spot short in the B-main. I had the transfer spot in the heat but my left front tire started going down and I got passed. We had the transfer spot in the B-main and got passed after a late caution erased a nice cushion. Not making excuses. Just needed one of those things to break our way.“
“The Hoosier tires wear out pretty quick, so we spent a chunk of our funds there. It would have really helped our situation if we had just made the show. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.“
Sunday afternoon back at the shop the team discovered a left front shock issue that unknowingly had also been working against them at Port Royal.
Feathers will return to Port Royal Speedway for this weekend’s $7,333 to win 20th Annual Butch Renninger Memorial.