KEARNEY, Mo. (July 2) — The most grueling stretch of races for the 2013 United States Modified Touring Series campaign wrapped up Saturday night for Trevor Hunt and the #99h Trevor Hunt Racing/FVP/Eibach Springs GRT Chassis, completing nine USMTS events at nine different racetracks over the course of ten days.
With huge fields of cars and some of the best in the business behind the wheel of each one, the competition level was as hot as the sun which provided temperatures over 100 degrees for most of the week.
Things got started last Thursday, June 20, at the 81 Speedway near Wichita, Kan., where mechanical failure left Hunt with a 25th-place after starting 19th on the grid.
The following night took the team to the Liberal Fairgrounds Speedway in Liberal, Kan., and they walked out with heads held high after recording a top-10 finish after starting the main event from the 17th spot.
Saturday’s show at the Route 66 Motor Speedway in Amarillo, Texas, was in front of a huge crowd and Hunt once again marched past seven drivers en route to a 19th-place finish.
Hunt and his team rolled into the Elk City Speedway in Elk City, Okla., with a lot of confidence, but the next five nights proved to be the biggest test of the 14-year-old so far in his career.
Fighting an “evil car” that handled poorly all night, Hunt was unable to transfer out of the “B” Main Tuesday night at the super-fast Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas.
The same held true for the next three nights, including Thursday at the Kennedale Speedway Park in Kennedale, Texas, where he missed a provisional starting spot by a single point in the Allgayer, Inc. Southern Region standings.
It was a frustrating five nights of racing for Hunt his crew, but they soldiered on to the Southern Oklahoma Speedway in Ardmore, Okla., for the final night of Southern Speedweek and final event in the regional points race.
They say that good things come to those who wait, and that was verified Saturday night, June 29. After qualifying fourth-fastest in his heat race group, Hunt led from start to finish in his Heat Race and held off the hottest driver on the USMTS circuit, Johnny Scott, in doing so.
The main event saw a half-dozen cautions, but Hunt avoided the trouble most others could not and ended the week with a 13-place finish at the 3/8-mile clay oval.
Hunt finished out the Allgayer, Inc. Southern Region ranked 14 in the final points but, more importantly, punched his ticket to be a part of The Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup which begins in August.
He also continues to show the way in the USMTS Rookie of the Year points standings with a 27-point advantage over Joey Galloway.
Hunt and the #99h Trevor Hunt Racing/FVP/Eibach Springs GRT Chassis powered by Yeoman Race Engines will head home to regroup, refocus and reload as they get ready for some big USMTS events to close out the month of July.
In the meantime, they will likely stop in at the Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., this Friday, July 5, and the following Friday to compete in the USRA Modified program and pick up some seat time at the track that will host five more nights of USMTS racing this year.
Trevor Hunt Racing is made possible by support from FVP, Eibach Springs, iXL Elite Hydration, DJ Safety, Racegator Transmissions, AERO Race Wheels, Yeoman Race Engines, Keyser Manufacturing, Integra Racing Shocks, GRT Race Cars, Grass Roots Racing Show and Rod End Supply.
For more information visit www.TrevorHuntRacing.com online, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TrevorHuntRacing, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TrevorHuntRacin or subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/TrevorHuntRacing.