LUCAMA, NC – Chris Burns had high hopes entering the 2017 season after scoring three wins and the track championship at Carteret County Speedway last year, but this season has not yielded the results Burns expected.
The 25-year-old from Swansboro, North Carolina has two runner-up finishes and a third place finish, but he has yet to visit victory lane at the track he won at three times last year. In the bigger picture, Burns sits fifth in standings at Carteret County, 52 markers behind points leader Tyler Matthews.
“I really hope to get a win this weekend,” Burns said. “This season has been tough for us. We have struggled to find the speed the car used to have. I’ve been close a couple times but second place is just the first loser.”
So far, this season has been frustrating for Burns. While he has posted some strong finishes, he has also been involved in a handful of wrecks and experienced parts failures that have repeatedly set him and his low budget operation back.
“It’s been frustrating,” Burns commented. “We have torn the car up more this season than I have in many years. Breaking parts constantly. It’s just stressful sometimes but that’s racing. If it was easy everyone would do it. I am looking forward to this weekend though, really feeling confident that it will all turn around for me.”
After this weekend, which Burns hopes results in two victories, Burns will quickly turn his attention to races at Southern National Motorsports Park on August 19th with the hopes of winning the Eastern Carolina Late Model Mania series. If Burns were to win, he would clinch a $1,000 bonus and lock himself into the Thanksgiving Classic at Southern National which will be run on November 26th.
While Burns is confident, he knows he has his work cut out for him as he runs against Mason Diaz, Jonathan Findley, Chris Chapman, Rusty Daniels and the rest of Southern National’s standouts.
“I’m really expecting to run well and pull of a win, maybe two, this weekend at Carteret and carry that momentum into the following weekend at Southern National,” Burns explained. “It’s going to be hard to go to Southern National and run with guys like Mason Diaz and Rusty Daniels but I’m feel pretty good about our chances there. It’s a possibility to be able to win the Mania title but I’ll have to be on my A-Game for the next few weeks.”
Saturday night’s Eastern Carolina Late Model Mania race will go green at 8pm. On Saturday night, August 19th, the series will then run at Southern National Motorsports Park as part of Solid Rock Carriers Fan Appreciation Night presented by Whelen Engineering before returning to Carteret County on Sunday, September 3rd for its finale during the Labor Day Classic.
For more information about Carteret County Speedway, visit the track’s website at www.carteretspeedway.com.
For more information about Southern National Motorsports Park, check out SNMP’s website at www.snmpark.com, “like” Southern National Motorsports Park on Facebook or “follow” @SNM_Park on Twitter.
