Robb Brent Ready To Handle Pressure Of Springfield |
|---|
Topics: Robb Brent
|
Chris Knight
Robb Brent Racing
August 19, 2009
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (August 19, 2009) - - Robb Brent has felt pressure admist his first full season of ARCA RE/MAX Series (ARS) competition but as the sanctioning body steers towards the Illinois State Fairgrounds this weekend, a little added pressure is on the shoulders of the Shelby Township, Michigan driver for Sunday’s Allen Crowe 100.
Not only does Brent have to maneuver the dirt for the first time in his racing career but the 22-year old driver will be literally racing in his team’s backyard. Justin Allgaier Motorsports (JAM), a long-time competitor in the ARS is based just minutes from the one-mile clay oval.
And despite his impending load, the former road racing ace is looking to shine through the spectrum and start the homestretch run of the season on a successful note with his sixth top-10 effort of the year.
“The dirt is all new to me, so I’m definitely optimistic about the race on Sunday,” said Brent, who leans on creating a string of consecutive top-10 runs for his team. “I’ve heard that the dirt is really fun to race with the ARCA cars, so I’m excited about that. But this is a brand new ballgame for me this weekend, so I’m just looking to be patient and hope for the best.”
When Brent lays out his mindset for this weekend, he reverts back to the second race of the season where Brent answered his first start at the tricky Salem Speedway with his first top-10 effort of the year.
“To walk away with a top-10 finish at Salem, I was ecstatic,” said Brent. “We have to approach the race this weekend like we did in April. Learn, drive and concentrate. Practice is extremely short Sunday and the race isn’t real long, so while it’s important to be patient, concentrating will be the key to a successful finish for the JAM team this weekend.”
The team announced earlier this week that Dave Leiner will take over the role as crew chief on the No. 36 Orchard Chrysler Dodge Jeep Dodge Charger beginning with Sunday’s Allen Crowe 100. Leiner joins the team after a recent stint as a crew chief at Andy Belmont Racing.
“I wish Bobby (Blount, former crew chief) nothing but the best,” sounded Brent. “This is a performance based industry and as a driver, I wasn’t feeling the connection with Bobby and I want nothing more but to put our team and sponsors in contention to win races. Moving ahead, I’m looking forward to working with Dave and hoping that we can put this team in the top-five a lot in the next eight races.”
With his strong seventh place performance in the most recent ARCA event at Pocono Raceway earlier this month, Brent crossed off one of his goals of the 2009 season to move into the top-10 in the ARCA RE/MAX Series championship chase. Brent overtook fellow rookie Tim George Jr. for the 10th position. With less than a dozen races remaining on the calendar year, Brent is hoping to widen his margin over George while also looking ahead and trying to close the gap on his competition ahead.
“It felt good to get in the top-10 even after missing Daytona,” offered Brent. “This team has worked hard since Daytona to put us in a position to climb into the top-10. We’ve accomplished the feat; now we just keep it intact for the rest of the year.”
Prior to joining Justin Allgaier Motorsports, Brent participated in the ARCA RE/MAX Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driving for NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski and Brad Keselowski Racing. In his 28 ARCA starts, Brent has acquired two top-five finishes and 10 top-10 efforts. Brent notched his career best qualifying effort of second at Kentucky Speedway last year. He has led the ARCA RE/MAX Series pack twice for 21 laps in 2008. His best finish in the NCWTS occurred at Nashville Superspeedway in his inaugural truck debut where he finished 21st after qualifying 26th.
This season, Brent has five top-10 finishes in 12 starts with a best finish of seventh at Pocono Raceway in June and August. A 15th place qualifying effort at Michigan International Speedway in June is the team’s season best thus far.
For more on Robb Brent, sponsorship opportunities and official team merchandise, please visit the newly re-launched Robbbrentracing.com.
Be sure to cast your vote for Robb Brent as the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series most popular driver. Visit ARCANation.com and vote for Robb Brent today! Remember, if you are a member your vote counts twice compared to non-members whose clicks only equal one vote.
The Allen Crowe 100 (100 miles/ 100 laps) is the 14th of 21 events on the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule. The 27th ARCA event held at Illinois State Fairgrounds is a one-day show. Practice begins Sunday, August 23 with a one hour practice session planned from 9:00 a.m.- 10:00 a.m. Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying is slated to begin at 11:00 a.m. The field will take the green flag Sunday afternoon shortly after 1:00 p.m. The event will not be televised but broadcast coverage will be available live through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local.
Driver Contact:
Carol Brent
P: 586.703.3737
###