Great Run for Ryan Fischer Marred by Late Race Incident at Toledo

Topics:  Ryan Fischer, Hantz Group 200

Nic Moncher
Ryan Fischer Motorsports
May 22, 2008

Date: Sunday, May 18, 2008
Event: Hantz Group 200 by Federated Car Care
Track: Toledo Speedway
Qualifying Position: 19th, 16.661 Sec., 108.037 MPH
Practice Speed: 21st Fastest, 16.924 Sec., 106.358 MPH
Finishing Position: 26th

TOLEDO, Ohio (May 22, 2008) - - Venturini Motorsports looks forward to heading to historic Toledo Speedway every year. In years past, father and son duo, Bill and Billy Venturini have made Toledo a track where the team’s performance has shined.

Going into last weekend’s event with rookie driver Ryan Fischer was no different.

Toledo Speedway s a track Fischer had never seen before the weekend’s racing activities, but already knew well from not only working with the Venturini family. Even though the practice and qualifying times were not at par with the teams high standards, Fischer managed to fight his way through traffic and had started to show his short track skill and fast race car before being wrapped up in a late race incident.

Fischer was running seventh at the time of the incident, less than forty laps from the checker flag.

The No. 25 LBT Inc. Venturini Motorsports Chevrolet team arrived Saturday morning to begin the weekend’s racing festivities. The team quickly got to work unloading and preparing for the first and only practice session.

As practice began, the LBT Inc. Venturini Motorsports Chevrolet found themselves on track first thing giving Fischer a chance to see the half-mile oval for the first time. The team went out several times through the session, and eventually wound up with the 21st fastest time at 16.924 seconds or 106.358 mph. Later that afternoon, Fischer qualified the No. 25 car at 16.661 seconds at 108.037 mph to earn him the 19th starting spot for Sunday’s Hantz Group 200 by Federated Car Care.

The team arrived back at the track first thing Sunday morning, where Fischer and 34 other ARCA RE/MAX Series drivers climbed into the race cars to begin a 200-lap shootout.

The No. 25 LBT Inc. Chevrolet was set to start the race in the 19th position but a black flag, for an item hanging from the bottom of the car, on the first pace lap sent him to the back of the pack. A minor setback like that would not however hold Fischer and his Venturini Motorsports team back, as they were determined to make it to the front.

Fischer quickly found his racing groove, and quickly worked his way through traffic. After fighting traffic, and making it into the top 15, Fischer was completing a pass when his competitor drove him up into the wall, sending him to the back of the pack once again. His Venturini Motorsports crew brought him down pit road where they fixed the damage and gave him four fresh Hoosier tires, all while staying on the lead lap. Fischer would restart at the rear of the field, but soon found himself charging back to the front.

The No. 25 car had found itself in the top-10 racing every lap for position, when rain started to fall on the track and the yellow flag was brought out at lap 105.

On lap 109, the ARCA officials would display the red flag for the first of several hail, rain, and windstorms. Fischer, after battling his way from the back to the front of the field twice, was sitting in the seventh position.

After nearly a two-hour rain delay, the drivers were requested back to their cars, and the race resumed. Fischer restarted in the seventh position getting back into his racing groove around the track.

As the laps wound down, Fischer was riding in the sixth position, when on lap 166 while passing the fifth place car; he was pushed up turn four, where he hit a wet part of the track, sending his No. 25 LBT Inc. Venturini Motorsports Chevrolet spinning down the front stretch, where it sustained damage.

Limping down pit road, Fischer and the team kept their composure and vowed to finish the race like true gentlemen, even though their day was ruined by an over aggressive move from their competitor. The team quickly got to work fixing the damage and getting the car back out on the track. They did however loose two laps doing so and the car did not handle well or drive the same from then on out.

The No. 25 LBT Inc. Venturini Motorsports Chevrolet was never able to get back on the lead lap but Fischer and the team made sure they did not leave Toledo Speedway with a DNF. The hard work and determination never dissipated, and on lap 204, Fischer and the No. 25 team finished the race in the 26th position.

“We had such a strong race car all day long, and my crew did a phenomenal job. We had a few unfortunate racing events throughout the day, the last one taking us out of contention for a top-five effort. But that is short track racing, and I am leaving here with no hard feelings, we did our best, and proved ourselves by working our way from the back to the front twice today. I want to thank LBT Inc. for making this run possible, as well as the whole Venturini Motorsports Team for giving me such a phenomenal car. Billy made a lot of great calls all weekend, and really led us down the right path. We will definitely rebound and be back next time.” Fischer remarked following the Hantz Group 200 by Federated Car Care.

Crew Chief Billy Venturini’s comments following the race, “Ryan drove his heart out today and he did an excellent job. Being able to rebound twice during the race, and drive through traffic, to the front, and at a short track, is not only a testament to his racing ability ad skill, but to our ARCA program and race cars. I am proud of Ryan and my whole crew; we fought back all day long, and were running where we deserved to be before the accident. But that’s how it goes, and we will be back next time, with another great car, and our driver who can get the job done, Ryan Fischer.“

Be sure to check out the racing action from Toledo Speedway, tape delayed on MAV TV Friday, May 23rd at 8 p.m. Next up for the ARCA RE/MAX Series is a stop in the Pocono Mountains , at the famous triangle track, Pocono Raceway for the running of the Pocono 200 on Saturday, June 7th at 1 p.m.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Nic Moncher
Ryan Fischer Motorsports
419-271-2623
Nicdmoncher@lycos.com