Josh Hodges Faces Some Mid-Season Adversity, but Regroups with a New Tenacity
- 15 May 2012
"All year I've been really proud of what my dad and I have been able to accomplish, especially given some of the circumstances," Hodges said. "At the ASCS National Event at Canyon Speedway Park (Peoria, Arizona), we started dead last in the B-main after changing a motor between the heats and mains, but we managed to come through the field to qualify for the A-main." Hodges said experience and consistency have helped take him to the next level this year, and since his team is not running for a specific points championship, they have really been able to focus on improving each week and finding a comfort zone. "We haven't necessarily drawn good qualifying spots or had the fastest racecar," Hodges added. "But our tuning and the experience I have behind the wheel now have helped us improve over past seasons."
Hodges' maturity and ability to recognize when and where the team can improve have also helped. At his last race, Hodges ended up upside-down after a lap 1 incident that wasn't his fault, but instead of dwelling on the crash, Hodges found comfort knowing that the car was fast, having won his heat race earlier in the day. Hodges also experienced a rough weekend at the lone NCRA event in which he raced. At 81 Speedway in Park City, Kansas, Hodges' was slow out of the trailer and the team struggled all night, including a spin in the heat race that gave away a solid starting position. "But I think that was a turning point," Hodges said. "We figured out some things I did not like on the car, and in the B-main, we came from the back and almost transferred. In the end, I think it was a necessary learning experience so we could get better moving on." Hodges plans on running more National races than local races for the rest of the season, focusing on events where the competition forces Hodges and his team to learn and grow in order to be competitive. The team also acquired a 410c.i. engine in the offseason, and will attempt to run some World of Outlaws events. Hodges said his team couldn't be where they are without help from K&N. "We use K&N air filters, oil filters, and cleaning products because they ensure we get the best performance out of our race car. When you race on dirt, you have everything from dust to rocks thrown at you, and we put K&N to the test. There is no other brand that works as well as K&N." Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
