Reid Wilson And Co. Focused On Myrtle Beach

Topics:  Reid Wilson, Dean Custom Air 250

Chris Knight
Knight Motorsports Management
June 25, 2014

MYRTLE BEACH, South Carolina (June 25, 2014) - - Undoubtedly, the last two X-1R Pro Cup Series races have not gone as planned for Reid Wilson (@reidwilson66) and his Reid Wilson Racing (RWR) team, but Saturday night’s Dean Custom Air 250 presented by Carrier and Sports Radio 100.3 offers the perfect opportunity for flawless rebound at Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway.

A piece of debris destroyed the right-front tire and sway bar for the team at Memphis (Tenn.) International Raceway, resulting in an eighth-place finish in late April. In the most recent event at Motor Mile (Va.) Speedway, Wilson and his team were fastest in practice in their No. 66 Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits Chevrolet by nearly four-tenths over their next competitor.

Unfortunately, their stout run in practice would prove to be the highlight of their weekend. During qualifying, Wilson began to experience mechanical gremlins, which resulted in a seventh-place starting position. The team’s participation in the New River Valley 250 would be short-lived as the rear-end broke on his No. 66 Bojangles’ Chevrolet after just 10 laps resulting in a disappointing ninth-place finish.

Despite the recent string of bad luck, Wilson and his group have been encouraged by the performance of their family-owned organization. While the finishes are not what the team had hoped, the speed in their No. 66 Bojangles’ entry has kept them on the radar, which has kept the attitude of the team surging and remaining positive marching on.

“Our luck hasn’t been that great lately, but we just have to keep digging,” said Wilson. “I’m really proud of this team, because despite the adversity, we’ve been able to stay focused and driven and (we hope) that could spell bad news for the rest of the competition this weekend in Myrtle Beach.”

And a trip to Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway may be exactly what the doctor ordered for the 18-year old. Last year, Wilson made his X-1R Pro Cup Series debut at the 0.538-mile semi-banked oval and quickly learned the ‘dos and don’ts’ of the historic racetrack.

After qualifying fifth, Wilson accelerated his raw-natural talent with a charge towards the front, but with that talent, also came a lesson. Wilson quickly realized that tire conservation would be key to success. After fading and losing a lap to the leaders, because of his mismanagement of tires, Wilson rebounded nicely with a fifth place lead-lap effort. He also earned the award of being the highest finishing rookie in the 250-lap event.

Fast forward 12 months later, the Huntersville, North Carolina native knows what to expect and hopes it will be enough to earn his first career X-1R Pro Cup Series victory.

“Last year was my first race at Myrtle Beach, and for most of the race I looked like I was on ice from burning up my tires early,” Wilson explained. “I’ve learned a lot about tire management since that time and we’ve had better races and finishes. However, we’re now racing on American Racer tires, so I’m going to have to figure out how far I push these tires and be there when it’s go time.”

Not only would his first-career victory Saturday night be a welcomed reversal of fortune, but the RWR team is also focused on climbing themselves back into the championship picture. Entering the fifth race of the season, Wilson sits fourth in points, one point behind third place competitor Brady Boswell and 26 points behind leader Caleb Holman.

“We came out of the gate strong to start the season with two top-three finishes,” Wilson sounded. “The last two races we’ve rolled off the trailer fast, but had issues early in the races that were out of our control and resulted in bad finishes. My team and I are really pumped for this race. Pop (Mike) Herman Sr. will once again bring a fast and ready car to the track and it will be my job to get it done. A great run at Myrtle Beach will put us right back in the championship hunt.”

Before activities Saturday at the track, Wilson will make a stop at Buffalo Wild Wings in Myrtle Beach on Friday, June 27 for a pre-race gala from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

In addition to Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits, Cheerwine serves as an associate marketing partner on the No. 66 entry. Veteran short track specialist Mike Herman Sr. will serve as the crew chief for the racer, who in 2012 at age 15, was dubbed as one of “NASCAR’s future prospects to watch” by Motorsports Analytics.

The Dean Custom Air 250 presented by Carrier and Sports Radio 100.3 is set for Saturday, June 28 with a scheduled green flag after 7:30 p.m.

For more on Reid Wilson, please visit ReidWilsonRacing.com or click on his Facebook page.

Wilson tweets too. Follow him @reidwilson66.

CONTACT:
NAME: Rita Wilson
PHONE: 704.892.3983
EMAIL: rita@reidwilsonracing.com