This was the coldest race day of the season so far. Temps were in the 50's and overcast. The track in New Port Richey, Florida recently rolled and packed the track and applied calcium the night before. It was too cold and the air too dry to generate a blue groove. This kept traction at a premium all day.
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Being a money race, competition was high. Qualifying was tight. A couple untimely mishaps put me in the 4th spot.
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In the main I quickly made my way from 4th to 2nd place by the third turn! I ran in 2nd place for the first part of the race. After a bobble I had to battle to retain 2nd and after two laps I regained it. Finally settling into a rhythm I gained on first and took the lead for the last part of the race. In the closing laps I was not able to hold the pace and created the opportunity that 2nd place was hoping for.
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Unfortunately I finished in 2nd place by 3 seconds but felt good that I ran a very competitive race but disappointed that I wasn't able to put it away for the win! I'm determined not to let that happen next time!
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Car felt stable and planted. Running Mega-soft compound tires with proper setup made my car noticeably more hooked up than others.
