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A Roller Coaster 2007 season continues for 14-year-old Tyler Townsend at the
Bristol (TN) Motor Speedway!Posted August 1st, 2007
14-year-old Tyler Townsend, a Rookie of the Year title contender in the ASALMS
Southern Division, will make the trip to the Bristol (TN) Motor Speedway for the
ASALMS Challenge Divisions’ Ninth Race of the 2007 season; The Benson
International/Crate American Race 200. (ASALMS File Photo)
By Total Performance Driver Development/M.P.H. Promotions
Longview, Texas (08/01/2007): The 2007 season for 14-year-old Tyler Townsend
has been a roller coaster ride to say the least. The Longview, Texas teenager has
seen so many high and lows six months into the current season that it would fill a
veteran drivers resume over the coarse of several seasons!
For the remainder of the 2007 season, the 14-year-old Tyler Townsend will be
running the full schedule of events within the ASALMS Southern Division with
hopes of capturing the 2007 ASALMS South Rookie of the Year Title. In addition,
Townsend will also make select appearances in the ASALMS Challenge Division
and will run the last three beginning with Bristol and following up with Milwaukee
and Five Flags for the Challenge Season Championships.
The next event on the 2007 Schedule for Townsend and the TPR Driver
Development Team is this Friday and Saturday August 3-4, 2007 at the historic
and newly concreted Bristol (TN) Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee for the
Benson International/Crate American Race 200. Townsend will come loaded with
new t-shirts and Autograph Cards for the fans in the Volunteer State.
Starting with Florida Speedweeks in February, running the full ASALMS Southern
Division schedule, plus select weekend local events with all Top Five finishes, and
ending with his last event at the Motor Mile (VA) Speedway for the Radfest/Race
Against Drugs 200 back on July 21, 2007, the 14-year-old rising star has been in
the top ten right off the trailer for every practice but can’t get the stars and moons
to stay in line for the whole race.
“We’ve had good cars for the last several ASALMS races both Southern and with
the last Challenge Division show! Cordele, New Smyrna, Birmingham, Motor Mile,
you name it!” Stated the Lone Star State teenager. “We especially had a “Bad
Fast” car for Birmingham. between a broke throttle linkage, bad distributor gear,
and an oops off of Turn Two at Motor Mile, we can’t seem to seal the deal.”
As for his adventures at Birmingham, Townsend was involved in one of the hardest
hits in ASALMS history! “ We were great in Practice, Qualified Third quick in the
race we spun of off Turn Two and I went for the ride of my life.” Explained
Townsend. “The Number Eight (8) car had a tire going down, and we were trying to
give him a little more room and hit some of the track seepage from the rain earlier
that day, and next thing I know we lost a race car in the worst wreck I have ever
been in.”
“Well maybe the second worst wreck. I did flip my dirt mod lite into the fence one
night in Louisiana, my mom had a fit!” Laughed the 14-year-old. “My Dad, Chuck
(Moores) and Darryl (sage) keep telling me to keep my head up and my good
buddy Kenny says “keep digging”.
“We have a hole lot of races left in the year and were are going to turn it around
this weekend at the new cool Bristol track. Chuck and I came up for the UARA race
last week end to help Debra Renshaw and learn the fast way around the miniature
Daytona. Debra was fast and I learned a lot about the track, and can’t wait to get
there.” Townsend ended.
TPR Driver Development boasts former NASCAR Winston Cup driver and Crew
Chief in the now defunct ASA National Tour; Darryl Sage and Chuck Moores of
Nashville, Tennessee have jumped into the driver development industry with ties in
NASCAR Nextel Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck Series; the Nashville based Total
Performance Racing Parts and Driver Development company has endless supply
of resources and opportunities.
TPR’s mission is to develop drivers and get them ready for the next step in their
driving careers. With numerous wins between Sadge and Moores from Nashville to
Daytona and all parts in between, TPR’s driver development can be a huge asset
to the ASALMS and to young drivers in the future, beginning with 14-year-old Tyler
Townsend.
TPR’s has ties with Jeremy Thompson of Bobby Ginn Racing, based in Charlotte,
North Carolina who just saw their driver, Mark Martin finish second in the Daytona
500! Moores helped Hanks win the Rookie of the Year title at the Music City (TN)
Motorplex in Nashville in the tracks weekly Late Model division during the 2006
season.
Townsend’s first appearance in any type of a full size Late Model and on pavement
came during the 41st annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at the New
Smyrna (FL) Speedway. The Longview, Texas teenager opened a lot of eyes
during the 2007 Florida Speedweeks!
In six total events for the ASALMS Type Crate Late Models division at the newly
paved 0.500 Mile High-Banked Paved Oval, Townsend shocked the racing world
with his Feature win on Tuesday February 13, 2007, just four days after making his
Late Models debut with a runner-up showing on February 9, 2007.
Over the six races held for the ASALMS/Crate Late Models during Florida
Speedweeks, the 14-year-old teenager never finished worse than fifth in any of the
six Feature events and finished third in the final points standings. By not pre
registering for the 2007 World Series, Townsend missed out on the 50 bonus
points offered to drivers who pre registered for the 41st edition of the World Series.
Nevertheless, the Longview, Texas teenager still finished third in the final
ASALMS/Crate Late Models Final Points Standings with One Feature Win, Six Top
Fives finishes. Townsend finished just two points back of runner-up Dalton Zehr,
and 18 points behind 2007 World Series Champion, Jonathan Beason, despite
missing those 50 extra points.
The 14-year-old Lone Star State driver was the only driver throughout the entire
41st annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing’s three Late Model divisions
to finish every Feature he ran in the Top Five! No other driver during Florida
Speedweeks can boast that fact!
To learn more about Tyler Townsend and the TPR Driver Development team, and
to inquire about sponsorship opportunities for the 2007 racing season, you can
also log onto the teams brand new website at: Tyler12.com
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