Story By: TYLER ALTMEYER / RAY MARSHALL MOTORSPORTS – FOREST, OH – It was a special weekend in Arkansas for Matt Westfall and Ray Marshall Motorsports, and despite Mother Nature’s attempt in ruining the USAC invasion to Texarkana 67 Speedway on Friday and Saturday, September 8-9, she packed her bags and cleared out, ultimately allowing for action in Saturday’s $10,000-to-win finale.
Westfall, ace of Ray Marshall’s Buckeye Machine Fabricators Inc, Hempy Water, DPI Ink, No. 33M sprint car, was especially excited that Mother Nature took a turn, as the Pleasant Hill, Ohio, native went on to score USAC’s $10,000 prize; his first USAC National Sprint Cars victory in over 17 years, simultaneously giving car owner Ray Marshall his first-ever USAC triumph.
The red and yellow “Bumblebee Express” was in charge the entire 30-lap distance, stretching their legs to a four-second gap before a late-race caution halted the team’s progress. Despite the momentum shift, Westfall picked up right where he left off, eventually outrunning CJ Leary by 1.6 seconds at the final checkers.
“It’s unbelievable,” Westfall exclaimed. “When I won my first one back in ‘06, I told my dad I could retire. We’ve been going up and down the road the last couple years with USAC and we got going really good at the end of last year. Then they came out with a new tire this year and I’ve struggled ever since. We went back to the main gameplan, and it worked out tonight.”
Matt Westfall and Ray Marshall Motorsports will continue their 2023 agenda with another USAC National Sprint Cars doubleheader in the Hoosier State, this time visiting Circle City Raceway in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Friday, September 15, followed by a stop at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Indiana, on Saturday, September 16.