Catchfence

Kingsport, TN (May 7, 2012)- Unlike the scene at most short tracks on the UARA-STARS circuit, numerous cautions did not surface at Kingsport Speedway on Friday night during the 150-lap main event. Mooresville, North Carolina native Cory Joyce utilized his short track racing experience and cleanly raced his way into the top-10 with the checkered flag in sight. Though the majority of the evening wasn’t filled with cautions, a tangle between teammates in turn three with less than 10 laps to go left a blocked race track and produced damage to the front of the No. 20 LandAirSea Chevy. The result was a broken radiator and a 16th place finish for Joyce.

Rolling off 11th, Joyce slid back at the beginning of the night and clicked off laps in a comfortable position, hoping to avoid traffic and trouble. Long green flag runs helped Joyce pick his way through the traffic to get back towards the front and he soon found himself back within striking distance inside the top-10.

Short track racing would eventually take its toll, as two competitors collided in front of the No. 20 machine. With nowhere to go, Joyce made slight contact with the two stalled cars in turn three. Soon after pulling away, Joyce relayed to crew chief Andy Loden that the engine was starting to overheat due to radiator damage from the contact. The incident relegated Joyce to a 16th place finish.

“We fell back in the first part of the race but I was able to move up pretty quickly through the field and race side by side with everyone with no issues,” Joyce recalled. “Once we were back near the front I thought we’d be safe since there wasn’t any trouble for most of the night, which is uncharacteristic for a short track like Kingsport. Unfortunately, it looked like two cars got together right in front of me, and I just had nowhere to go.

“I really didn’t think we hit that hard, but the water temperature shot up as soon as I pulled away and I knew we’d be too hot to finish the race. It’s really unfortunate for the LandAirSea team since this has been how all of our races have ended this season.”

Race Highlights:

- Joyce made his first start at Kingsport Speedway on Friday night for the UARA-STARS 150-lap feature.

- Following solid practice sessions on Friday afternoon, Joyce qualified the No. 20 LandAirSea Impala in the 11th position.

- While running safely inside the top-10, Joyce was unable to avoid the two competitors stopped in front of him on the track with less than 10 laps remaining, causing irreparable damage to his radiator.

- The LandAirSea Chevy was posted as the 16th place finisher following Friday’s race, however final results are still under review due to post race inspection of the listed winner, Ronnie Basset Jr. Currently Basset, Coleman Pressley and Sammy Jasper round out the top-three finishers.

- Next on the UARA-STARS tour schedule is a trip to Anderson Speedway in Anderson, South Carolina on Friday, June 1.

- Cory Joyce Racing Press Release