Story By: EMILY WINSLOW / ASHLEY CAPPETTA RACING – ABBOTTSTOWN, PA – Ashely Cappetta started off her 2024 season at Lincoln Speedway on Saturday night. Cappetta and the team put together a solid night at the track, but the night almost didn’t happen.
Racing on Saturday was a game-time decision as Cappetta had fallen ill Friday night and still wasn’t feeling well on Saturday morning. Ashley ultimately decided to give it a go at 3:30 PM, “I was willing to take the risk and race, especially considering it was the first race of the year and I have a lot of new sponsor support. I would have felt worse if I hadn’t put in the effort to try and race.” Cappetta did a self-assessment after hot laps and felt good enough to continue and finish out the night.
Things picked up right where they left off to start the night with pill draw, “Honestly I wasn’t that upset with the pill draw. The combination of not feeling well and it being the first race of the year, starting in the rear for the heat race wasn’t a bad way to start the night.” Cappetta put on a clinic in the heat race, driving from seventh to third, putting her in the redraw for the feature line-up, “The car was really going and the late caution helped.” The impressive heat race run was a positive start to the season, “I’m happy with the heat race, especially considering I wasn’t feeling well. It definitely gave us something to work off of.”
Cappetta lined up ninth for the first feature start of the season, “I made a mistake early and then other people were having issues and it put me in a situation where I chose not to destroy a car in the first race of the season.” Ashley finished the 20-lap feature in 12th place, “Overall, I’m more frustrated than upset with the feature results, as soon as I got a rhythm going the caution would come out.”
Moving forward Cappetta plans to have her merchandise van set up in turn 4 for fans to stop by and buy ACR gear and swag.
GREAT LINE-UP OF RETURNING SPONSORS FOR THE 2024 SEASON
In addition to the list of new sponsors released for the season, Ashley Cappetta Racing has a great line-up of returning sponsors who have agreed to support Cappetta and the team again in 2024. These partners include but are not limited to Gettysburg Trading Post, Yesteryear Antique Center of Hanover, Stoner’s Auction, Iron Horse Trains, Republican Club of Hanover, Racing Through Time Antiques & Collectibles, and Schaeffer’s Oil/Doug Smith.