Tim Allison Experiences a Full and Productive Weekend in NRA 360 Sprint Car Class

19 Sept 2012

Tim Allison anticipates finishing in the top five in the points race during the 2012 season

Tim Allison and his crew recently embarked upon an action packed weekend of racing and fun. They showed up at Lima, Ohio the first night, eager to embark upon a battle in the NRA 360 Sprint Car class at the Lima Land Motorsports Park. Finishing fourth in his heat, the driver missed out on the redraw, and in turn, started sixteenth in the feature. Although a far cry from the front of the pack at the waving of the green flag, Allison, didn't let his starting position get in his way. In fact, by the time the dust had settled, the driver had managed to muscle his way to the sixth position at the race's end.

"In our level of racing, you normally have to finish in the top three to four to transfer. After starting last and moving forward, we had great confidence upon transferring to the feature," he recalled. "When asked if he was satisfied with a sixth place finish in the feature, Allison continued, "I would say I was happy to a certain point, but it's not like winning. In today's racing, it's very hard to come from way in the back and win. Coming from as far back, as we did, and passing a lot of good cars was like a victory for the team, and we were ready to move on to the next night."

Rolling into the Waynesfield Raceway, at Waynesfield, Ohio on the following day, Allison was eager to match skills against forty other drivers. The driver didn't waste any time getting the shoe on the right foot at this particular event. In fact, Allison walked away victorious from the first heat, cinching a spot in the feature. After the inversion, Tim Allison Racing started third on the 25 lap feature. As fans had hoped for the battle was heated. The top three drivers lapped their competitors like there was no tomorrow. Allison made a run for the lead and fell back to the second position twice and crossed the finish line in third place at the end of the race, earning a spot on the podium.

Tim Allison and his crew recently earned a podium spot at the Waynesfield Raceway, at Waynesfield, Ohio

Our confidence level was great going into Waynesfield Raceway," explained, the driver. "We always run very well, and have won the track championship there before. This is one of my favorite places to race, because it is a small, quarter-mile track and is a very racy place with a lot of passing and action." When asked the key to success at this particular venue, he continued, "Car, chassis set-up and being patient. You try to put yourself in good position for the end, and hope to come away with a win."

Referring to the importance of early success, Tim Allison explained, "Winning the heat is everything, as you get a bonus of six points which can mean the difference from winning or losing a championship at the season's end. It also ensures you are in the redraw for the feature starting spots, which means you will have a shot at starting up toward the front. It's all about getting those valuable six points. If you don't have a good finish in the feature, then those six points you earned in the heat race can really mean a lot."

With two races already under his belt, Tim Allison and his crew were geared up and ready to complete the weekend at the Eldora Speedway, at Rossburg, Ohio. "The energy level was still great, as we had two good runs behind us," stated Allison. "But going to Eldora was a little different, as we use to dominate the place. Ever since Earl Baltice sold the track to Tony Stewart, they have changed the surface and we, along with a lot of the top teams, have been off since then. But we still thought we could get the job done."

Although qualifying in the top ten, the transponder failed to record all of the driver's times. That said, he and a portion of his fellow competitors had to return to a track that was quickly drying out, and in turn lent to slower times. After running fourth in his heat, Allison started thirteenth in the feature and eventually ended the race in the same spot.

Tim Allison recently experienced an action-packed weekend in the NRA 360 Sprint Car class, beginning his outing at the Lima Land Motorsports Park

"That really hurts us," recalled the driver. We were in the first qualifying section and that means everything at Eldora, as they always invert six for the feature. That hurts your chances if you are not in the top six or eight cars to qualify, and we were there. But for some reason, they didn't get our time," he continued. "So they put us back in the last session to re-qualify and after the track has slowed down to at least a half-second slower. We ended up about thirteenth quick, and that was not what we were looking for."

Although the final race of the weekend turned out to be somewhat of a disappointment for Tim Allison and his team, the driver did manage to earn a spot on the podium and chocked up some points that could prove essential at the season's end. With more races to come, the driver and his crew are still anticipating more successful runs. That in mind, Allison is acutely aware of the importance of keeping his rig in tip-top running condition, and will depend upon K&N products to keep the internal components of his engine contaminant free.

"Maintenance is the most important part of winning any race and being competitive," he explained. "Ninety-percent of a race is won before you even leave the garage. We've been using K&N products since 1982. I use the air filters, filter oil and filter cleaner," he explained. "I have won one-hundred feature wins and over twenty championships along the way, all while using K&N products. K&N makes the best air and oil filters on the market today! They keep the dirt and debris from going into the engine. If you want to be in the winner's circle, you best be using K&N products."

In closing the driver said, "Our fans can count on us never giving up and running as great as we can. As the season winds down, we're hoping to finish in the top five in points, and maybe take another win or two along the way."

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.

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