Jonathan Findley has scored three top-five finishes in four races to start the 2017 season at Southern National Motorsports Park, but victory lane has so far eluded the 2015 track champion.
The 18-year-old from Bristow, Virginia picked up a pair of second place finishes on Saturday night at Southern National. He started on the pole in the first Late Model duel but his Mike Darne Racing teammate Mason Diaz passed him with 11 laps to go to score the win. In the second race, Findley raced his way up to second but used his tires up before being able to run down Michael Fose.
“We’ve had a really good start to the year,” Findley said. “We’ve had the fastest car but, it’s just, errors here and there. The car got tight on me in the first race and burned our tires off the second race trying to catch Fose. I’ve got to be more await what I’m doing. If I changed it, I would’ve let Mason go and gone after it the second race.”
The first race of the regular season, which was run on March 26th, also saw a strong run from Findley. He finished fifth in the first of two races and appeared to be on his way to a win in the second. However, late in the race, Findley crashed off the front bumper of veteran racer Louis White.
“It’s frustrating not to get a win because we have had such a good car,” Findley remarked. “I feel like I had one taken away from me two weeks ago in the situation with Louis. It was a bad situation, I don’t understand what he was doing and why he did it but he did and I’ve just got to move on.”
Despite that, Mike Darne Racing was able to get Findley back to the track two weeks later and back in contention for the win.
“With the whole situation with Louis, to come back two weeks later and get the pole and two second place finishes – that’s really good,” Findley stated. “The car wasn’t where it needed to be but I got it to where I could be good enough to run where I needed to go. Overall, a good weekend, good performances to start off.”
While he has had strong runs, the overall objective for Findley is to win races, something he has not done since winning multiple races at Southern National during his 2015 championship season.
“It is frustrating,” Findley emphasized. “I want that win. I feel like I’ve been owed one for a whole. We’ve had good cars there, just bad luck.”
Findley will continue to race at Southern National Motorsports Park in 2017 alongside Diaz.
“Wherever Mason goes, we go, we’re teammates,” Findley commented. “I help him out because he’s going for Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. We probably will run a full season at Southern National and explore more too.”
Findley currently sits third in points with three top-five finishes, two markers behind Rusty Daniels and nine markers behind championship points leader Mason Diaz.
Late Model Stock Cars will be back in action with another doubleheader on Saturday, April 22nd as a part of Springfest at Southern National Motorpsorts Park. The April 22nd race will be headlined by the first race of the year for the Fast Five Pro Late Model Series and will also feature racing for Chargers, Mini Stocks, Legends and Bandoleros.
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.
