DESPAIN ADDS THREE WINS WITH SCE GASKETS

Although the 2011 racing season didn’t end the way he wanted it to, Elliott Despain was still excited about the year in which he went to victory lane on three occasions. In seven years of Open Wheel Modified competition, Despain now has a total of ten wins.

“Our main goal going into the 2011 season was to get back into the win column”, said Despain. “We didn’t get to wave the checkered flag last year, so these three wins definitely gave us a huge boost of confidence.” 

Of the three wins, two of them came at Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, KY. Elliott would visit victory lane for the first time ever at “Kentucky’s Baddest Bullring” on June 24. After a second place finish here on July 22, he returned to take his second win of the year at the central Kentucky D-shaped oval on October 30.  

“We love racing at ‘The Pond’”, stated Despain. “We’ve been really close to getting a win there in the past and to finally get one felt great. And then to go back and get another one felt even better.” The other win occurred on July 2 at Lake Cumberland Speedway in Burnside, KY.    

Besides the three wins, Elliott also accomplished another goal by finishing fifth in series points while competing in the American Modified Series. The AMS is a regional series sanctioned by the United Midwestern Promoters Open Wheel Modified division that competes at dirt track racing venues in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee.

Of the eight races on the 2011 AMS tour, Despain Motorsports would score three top ten finishes which included a sixth place finish at Moler Raceway Park in Williamsburg, OH, a seventh place finish at Bluegrass Speedway in Bardstown, KY and an eighth place finish at Bloomington Speedway in Bloomington, IN.  

“After finishing fourth last year in the AMS, we knew that to get into the top five again would be a huge task for us,” replied Despain. “We raced against the best Open Wheel Modified drivers in the four-state area this year, and to finish fifth in the series is a huge accomplishment for our team.” Elliott will be honored for his series accomplishment next month at the UMP national awards banquet in Springfield, IL.

FINAL 2011 American Modified Series Championship Point Standings
1. Bryan Barber (Greensburg, KY) - 1,880
2. Joey Kramer (Hanover, IN) - 1,835
3. John Demoss (Bloomington, IN) - 1,815
4. Michael England (Glasgow, KY) - 1,795
5. Elliott Despain (Campbellsville, KY) - 1,465
6. Kelly Warren (Columbia, KY) - 1,300
7. Rocky Wilson (Hodgenville, KY) - 1,185 ®
8. Trent Young (Hopkinsville, KY) - 895
9. J.T. Ayers (New Haven, KY) - 875
10. Matt Hamilton (Aurora, IN) - 755

Another highlight of the 2011 racing season for Team Despain was competing in the “35^th Annual Winternationals” at East Bay Raceway in Gibsonton, FL. Although he scored a sixteenth place finish on the first night of the series and a DNS on the second night, Despain left the sunshine state with a bit of pride.

“To not only race against some of the best Modified drivers in the country, including NASCAR stars Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace, but to make the race was one of my career highlights”, said Despain. “I can’t wait to go back down there next year and see if we can’t improve a bit and at least get a top ten finish.”

As Despain reflected back on the 2011 racing season, he knows that none of it would have been possible without the help and support of his sponsors. “We are very fortunate to have the best of the best sponsors that any Modified driver can have”, said Elliott. “We can’t thank them enough for what they do for our team and we look forward to another successful season of racing with them again in 2012”.