Story By: EMILY WINSLOW – A2DPR / ASHLEY CAPPETTA RACING – ABBOTTSTOWN, PA – Saturday night’s Elijah Hawkins Memorial at Lincoln Speedway was not the best night of the season for Cappetta and the team, but Ashley looks at the night as a learning experience and an opportunity to regroup and make adjustments for the next race.
“The pill draw wasn’t terrible but it was enough to put me in the back of the heat race.” Track conditions did not help Cappetta’s efforts to move forward in her heat, “The track was really dry by the time we went out. Turns 1 and 2 were really slick and you had to hit the bottom of the corner just right.” Cappetta lined up sixth for the heat race and finished fourth, one spot shy of the redraw, “I made a two-car pass in the first turn and then settled in. I was hoping to make the invert but with the way the track was it was hard to get up to where we needed to be.”
Ashley lined up 15th for the start of the feature, “On the initial start I got up to 13th after passing two cars in the first turn.” Unfortunately for Cappetta, the initial start was called back and the complete restart did not go as well, “On the second start I got shuffled back and got stuck behind someone. I had a lot of wheel spin off the turns and the car wasn’t good enough to move ahead.” Anytime Cappetta would get up to pass someone they would pass her back coming off turn 4. Cappetta continued to have pain in her hand and it amped up during the feature, “Overall it really wasn’t a good night, but the team will make some adjustments for the next race and regroup and work to do better.” Ashley crossed the line 16th to close out the 20-lap feature.
After starting off the season strong Cappetta and the team will look to rebound and pick up where they left off at Lincoln on June 22.