Story By: A2DPR / TREVER FEATHERS RACING – PORT ROYAL, PA – Trever Feathers has turned his team’s performance around in 2023 since making the change to a Team Zero Bloomquist chassis with the support of Shane McDowell, but the Winchester, VA driver is still working hard to be a top regional contender.
Last week he missed the field by one spot for the Lucas Oil Late Models event, something he had not done in a long time. That’s the kind of thing that drives Feathers. He knows he and his team are capable of competing at the highest level, but with their limited resources there is no margin for error. They have to be on top of everything on and off the track to race at the top of the regional and national fields they take on.
Last weekend Feathers was back at Port Royal Speedway to continue putting in the work toward that end goal.
One thing Trever Feathers hasn’t lacked lately is speed. He has been quick 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.
That made his 8th quickest lap in Group A qualifying at Saturday night’s Butch Renninger Memorial at Port Royal Speedway that much more frustrating. Timing well is vital with such stiff competition.
A clogged fuel filter had caused Feathers engine to stumble during his time under the clock, so he would have to work out of that hole to have a shot at the $7,333 top prize later in the night.
Feathers started the recovery with a solid 2nd place run from his outside row two starting spot in his heat race. That effort put him in the redraw, which quickly paid dividends. He drew the pole for the 33-lap main event. Even given that advantage, with names like Satterlee, Eckert, Stone, Lingo, Emory and Cosner breathing down his neck, it would be no walk in the park.
Feathers took the top spot on the opening lap, but Gregg Satterlee was pressuring him from the drop of the green. Satterlee pulled alongside on lap two and beat Feathers to the line to lead the lap by less than half a second.
Satterlee held the top spot with Feathers hot on his heels for the next 31 laps. The pair diced through traffic for a large part of the race, with Feathers never more than a second back and often right on the rear corner of Satterlee’s No.22.
Feathers mostly stuck to the bottom groove, making time off the corners and occasionally using the middle to navigate traffic. Satterlee used the top of the speedway and sometimes the middle.
With five laps remaining, Satterlee moved to the low line and seemed to take away any advantage Feathers had. At the finish line it was Satterlee over Feathers by a mere 0.7 seconds.
“I was trying to keep him (Satterlee) honest. We missed it a little bit, so I couldn’t get through the center and exit (the corner) the way I needed to really give him a fight.“, Feathers said. “I probably should have tried the top with five to go after he moved down. I was zeroed in on closing the gap because I was pretty good on the bottom. Probably missed an opportunity there.“
“I feel like that’s the best we have been up here (Port Royal) so we’re going the right direction. I gotta thank Shane McDowell, Sarah McDowell, Team Zero Race Cars by Shane, my uncle Jimmy and my granddad. They have done so much for me the past six months.“
Feathers will return to Port Royal Speedway for this Friday’s final super late model race of the season at the Juniata County Fairgrounds.