Catchfence

Mooresville, NC (April 5, 2010)- Off season in the rear view mirror and new goals for 2010 straight ahead, Cory Joyce set out to start the new year on the right foot at Motor Mile Speedway last weekend. The entire team, led by Crew Chief Kevin Caldwell, put together a fast racecar and expected to be among the top performers at the asphalt short track. What everyone didn’t expect was a string of bad luck.

A cut tire during the second practice session set the team back and sent them scrambling to piece everything back together before qualifying. With not a moment to spare, the crew pinned up the hood and sent Cory on his way. Putting the accident in practice behind him, the young driver was able to lay down a lap good enough for the 17th starting position.

Mired with several close calls and accidents, the first half of the race was very tense for the No. 20 team. Eight laps after the drop of the green, the caution came out for a severely damaged racecar on the front stretch. Unfortunately, some debris from the accident went through the nose of Joyce’s machine, causing extensive damage to the front valence and duct work. Once again, the crew was put to the test as they feverishly worked to get the car back in shape and onto the track.

Without losing a lap, Cory was able to rejoin the field and restart from the tail end of the line. Though his car didn’t look the same as when it rolled off the trailer, Caldwell reassured his driver before sending him back out into competition that he’d have something to race with.

“We had to raise the front end of the car quite a bit to fix the damage Cory, so it’s going to drive totally different. We’re here to learn. I know it’s not fun for you having a torn up racecar, but I know you’re learning right now,” explained the crew chief.

After a few more caution periods, Joyce found himself in the top 15 with less than ten laps remaining. Compensating for the new changes on his racecar, Cory was able to find a new line to make the car turn through the corner and he was able to pick off a few more positions to finish the main event in the 13th spot.

“It was definitely a long day, but anytime I’m racing I’m having fun,” said Joyce. “I hope we get the chance to go back to Motor Mile. I think we would be very competitive, and if it wasn’t for the accident and all of our bad luck this time around, I think we would have had a top five car.

“I loved working with Kevin (Caldwell), and my whole crew did a great job putting the car back together to get me out on the track. I can’t thank everyone enough for the hard work they put forth this weekend. Hopefully we’ll come back here and get a win or at least a top five finish.”

- Cory Joye Racing Press Release