When Andy Seuss got his start in short track racing, time trials were a concept that were foreign to him. Sure, the NASCAR Cup drivers raced against the clock to determine their starting line-ups, but Seuss was more familiar with the idea of running heat races to set the grid for the feature. He did well under that system too, having won numerous heat races before moving up to the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour.
This past weekend, Seuss proved that he could excel under both systems of qualifying as well, by winning the Pole Award in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour race at Caraway Speedway (NC).
“We've been close to winning a Pole Award in the past, so to finally clinch one is awesome,” said Seuss. “I was pretty excited, but I really didn't get to think much about it at the track. We were so busy trying to get the car ready for the race that it didn't sink in.
Seuss' Riggs Racing Advance Auto Parts #47 team did such a good job preparing the car for the race, that it was one of the fastest cars on the track. Seuss started ninth after the redraw and with 21 laps to go had caught the leader, Brian Loftin, when an oil line failed and dropped Seuss out of the event. Seuss was credited with a finish of 17th, but that didn't reflect what could have been.
“I think that we could have had a good race,” said Seuss. “Brian and I have been pretty well matched over the past few races and I was able to get to his rear bumper before our problems. It would have been a good fight and either one of us could have come out on top.”
While the oil line problem ended Seuss' race at Caraway, it didn't end his weekend. Up next was an overnight ride to Ohio where his #70 Rockingham Boat / Stuarts Automotive team was waiting at Mansfield Motorsports Park - the site of Saturday's NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event.
“We drove straight through the night, but luckily I got to get some sleep,” said Seuss. “We got there and missed a little bit in time trials.
Then in the race, we had issues in the pits. I let it slip off the jack and then some lugnuts fell off. We lost a lap there, but made it up with the lucky dog on the final caution. We never really got to show what we had there. But we finished 14th and the car was in one piece, so that was ok.”
Seuss and the #47 Riggs Racing team will return to action this Saturday night as the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour season resumes at Lanier National Speedway (GA) - a new track for the young driver.
“I'm pretty excited about going to Lanier,” said Seuss. “Most of the time, we are going to tracks down South where all of the drivers have been before. This time, we're on a leveler playing ground because only a few drivers have been there. People are describing the track as a cross between Lee USA Speedway (NH) and Seekonk Speedway (MA) and those are both tracks where I've had success (Seuss has won in TVMRS competition at both venues), so hopefully it is like those two tracks and we can make something work this weekend.”
