Photo by Hixson Motorsports _ Eric Caudell turns laps behind the wheel of the No. 2 Chevy.
Hixson Motorsports of Soddy-Daisy Tennessee saw both of their cars finish in the top-twenty during this past weekend’s running of the Shore Lunch 250 at Elko Speedway. Eric Caudell, driver of the Hixson Motorsports Honoring America’s Warriors No. 2 Chevrolet, and Bobby Dale Earnhardt, Driver of the Hixson Motorsports Circle S Ranch Neon Lizard Creative No. 3 Chevrolet, finished 18th and 19th respectively.
Now the team is gearing up with NASCAR / ARCA shared race weekend at Pocono – known as the “Tricky – Tri-angle.” The race weekend includes both the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. According to Crystal Bates, of Hixson Motorsports, the turnaround time is a quick one for the team.
“We’ve got one day home in Soddy-Daisy and then it’s time to hit the road with the Hauler and head off to Pocono,” Bates said. “Pocono is such a different animal compared to short track racing – Bobby Dale Earnhardt will be testing on Wednesday – so the week is a tight one.”
Crystal Bates No. 2 Chevy Notes:“Eric Caudellstarted practice at Elko Speedway really tight in the No. 2 Honoring America’s Warriors Chevrolet. And, the car wouldn’t run for a long period of time until the motor started running hot – we had a similar problem before. So, instead of taking another DNF, the team unloaded the Pocono car and began changing the gear and making sure the seat was ready etc. Unfortunately, we did not qualify with this car but we got it ready for the race as the race went on the car got tighter and we made changes to make it better – but just could never get there. But drove the No. 2 well – Top twenty – coming home in 18th. Eric is set to be back behind the wheel at Pocono”
Eric Caudell: “Loved racing at Elko Minnesota, the primary car overheated so we got out the Pocono car as a backup and spent the day changing parts over,” Caudell said. “We got a couple laps in to shake it down to see what we had – Everyone worked hard and we reined in an 18th place finish.”
Crystal Bates No. 3 Chevy Notes:Bobby Dale Earnhardt was once again behind the wheel of the No. 3 Circle S Ranch Neon Lizard Creative Chevy at Elko. Earnhardt started practice very well – were adjusted several things for him – the car got better and better. Then, for his qualifying run we thought we could add some speed by changing the gear out. This helped as Earnhardt got more and more out of the car and he gained more experience. Racing at Elko Speedway is different – it’s only a 3/8 mile track so cars are really bunched up. Bobby delivered a top-twenty finish coming in 19th.”
Photo by Hixson Motorsports/Bobby Dale Earnhardt _ Bobby Dale Earnhardt climbs into the No. 3 Chevy for Hixson Motorsports in the ARCA Racing Series.
Grass Roots Bobby Dale Earnhardt Sponsorship Effort: According to Bates Earnhardt is going to try and test at the Pocono Speedway this Wednesday and race during the ARCA event – if funding is available. Tight funding for smaller race teams is a common thing and Earnhardt know it well. The driver spoke about this and his efforts at Elko to his fans via facebook.
“Well, after some great team effort to get the car handling the way I wanted we ended up with a top 20 which is a great finish for our low budget grass roots race team,” Earnhardt said. “I can’t thank Hixson Motorsports and the crew enough for all their hard work to give me the best car they could with what they had to work with. It’s very unfortunate underfunded teams like Hixson Motorsports or MBM Motorsports don’t get the recognition they deserve. They are the most hardworking groups in the sport. Thank you to my sponsor Circle S Ranch for making this weekend happen and Neon Lizard Creative for the awesome hero cards and decals.”
If you, or your company, would like to help Bobby get to Pocono and make his 1st speedway start – it’s as easy as sending an email. Take advantage of a great business marketing opportunity – visit his website www.earnhardtshearerracing.com for more information
TV Coverage: Live coverage of the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards General Tire #AnywhereIsPossible 200 on June 09, 2017, will be covered by Fox Sports on FS1. Coverage time is 05:30 PM – 07:00 PM EDT. The ARCA Racing Series website, www.arcaracing.com, will feature live timing and scoring, plus live chat of all on-track activities.
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About the Author: Kent Whitaker, also known as “The Deck Chef,” is a culinary writer and cookbook author. He’s also penned Young Reader and History titles. The former winner of the Emeril Live Food Network Barbecue Contest also covers football, motor-sports, and bass fishing. Kent currently lives in East Tennessee with his wife, son, and a couple of dogs that love when he fires up the smoker or grill.
