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School is in session for 13-year-old Logan Ruffin as the Volunteer State
teenager finishes 11th in the Crate Late Model Challenge 100.Posted January
30th, 2008
13-year-old Brentwood, Tennessee teenager, Logan Ruffin survived a first lap
crash and a battered race car to finish 11th at the USA (FL) International
Speedway in Lakeland, Florida during the Crate Late Model Challenge 100,
which was part of SpeedFest 2008. (KARNAC.com Photo)
By Total Performance Driver Development/M.P.H. Promotions
Brentwood, Tennessee (01/30/2008): The Nashville, Tennessee based Total
Performance Driver Development Team and Crew Chief, Chuck Moores knew
going into the 2008 season that their star driver, 13-year-old Logan Ruffin
would be learning a lot during his first full season in a Late Model.
Especially when the decision was made to travel with the cars and stars of the
ASA Late Model Series Presented by GM Performance Parts. Some of the
most talented drivers in the United States race in the Lexington, Michigan
based series and Moores knew that his teenage driver would be “Learning on
the Fly” in those first few early season races.
Ruffin learned enough to fill 10 notebooks in his first live ASALMS competition,
which was in the running of the Crate Late Model Challenge 100, which was
part of SpeedFest 2008 at the fast 0.750 Mile Progressively Banked Paved
Oval of the USA (FL) International Speedway in Lakeland, Florida.
“We went into this race very excited because of our run at Lanier. I had never
been on a track as big as USA International Speedway before, so it was a neat
experience.” Remarked the Brentwood, Tennessee teenager as he reflected
on his first experience on a track bigger than a ½ mile.
For the 2008 season, Ruffin, driving for Total Performance Driver
Development, will make a run at the Pat Bourdow Memorial Rookie of the Year
title in the ASA Late Model Series Challenge Division as well as the freshman
title in the ASALMS Southern Division.
As for his Lakeland experience, Ruffin was very happy with the whole
weekend; “I got really good seat time and I learned a lot of things because of
all the different drivers that were there. Plus all the practice we got in the four
days we were at Lakeland.” Added Ruffin.
“But the truth is, you really needed a lot of practice if you had not been there
before. Not only for me, but also for the crew because it was a difficult track to
learn. But even though it was difficult, the slowest we were on the time charts
for practice was 11th and the best we were was Fifth.”
The 13-year-old then continued; “In qualifying our left front shock locked down
when I went into the first corner of the warmup lap and the nose buried into the
asphalt causing me to have a really tight car. So we did not qualify where we
should have or expected to.”
Ruffin managed to Qualify 14th overall amongst the 21 Crate Late Models that
were on hand in the “Non-Points” race for the ASA Late Model Series. He then
got his first live racing action under his belt in the North 25-lap Qualifier Race.
“We started Eighth and finished Sixth, which put us 11th in the feature race. I
was pretty excited about the race Saturday, getting to start on the inside and
inside the top 15. But of course being in Florida in the winter, we got rained
out until Sunday.” Laughed the Volunteer State teenager.
The Crate Late Model Challenge 100 was moved to Sunday afternoon in
Lakeland, Florida and the race got the green flag soon after the 200-lap
Super Late Model Feature. “We started off with
a good start into turn one and down the back stretch. Then all the cars were
very close and I got a little loose and then started getting help from behind and
we went around.” He explained.
As he was going around, George Crenshaw had nowhere to go and slammed
into Ruffin in Turns 3-4! “We pulled in the pits and had to use our best friend,
duct tape, to get back on the track. After that we had to start in the back and
you could tell after the restart that we had a very good car.”
A good car indeed as the 13-year-old started shotgun on the field and when
the green came back out, Ruffin used both the inside and outside lanes to get
around cars and was up to as high as Sixth at one point!
“If the aerodynamics of the car had not been hurt during the first lap contact, I
believe we could have had a Top Five finish.” Ruffin said. “Then we had a red
flag and after we got back going the car started fading, but we were still
hanging on.”
The car went away on Ruffin in the late stages of the race and he fell all the
way back to 11th and that’s where the Tennessee teenager stayed. “I really
felt bad for my dad, Chuck and Gary. They worked very hard during practice
to give me a great car and because of the first lap
contact, I wasn’t able to give them the kind of run that the team deserved.”
Ruffin stated.
All hope isn’t lost though for Ruffin, after all, he learned a great deal running
with the likes of Eddie Hoffman, Kris Stump, Chris Fontaine, Eventual Winner
Sean Murphy and others. These are the same drivers he will be battling all
season long.
“I just hope they will continue to give me great race cars, and I will do my best
to make it up to them. I learned a lot from the race track and from all of the
other racers in Florida.” An optimistic Ruffin added.
“I think the experience will really make a difference for me in the next race and
in some of the things that I do on and off the track. I have figured out that you
can learn a lot about what to do at the race track, both on and off the track, by
watching what the veteran drivers do.” He ended.
Now the 13-year-old will take some time off and prepare for his run for the
2008 Pat Bourdow Memorial Rookie of the Year title. That chase begins with
the 2008 ASALMS Challenge Division Opener at Tri-County (NC) Motor
Speedway in Hudson, North Carolina on Friday and Saturday March 14-15,
2008 for the running of the Rumble in the Hills / North Carolina 200.
Then two weekends later, the quest for the ASALMS Southern Division Rookie
of the Year title begins with the 2008 ASALMS South Season Opener at the
Bronson (FL) Motor Speedway in Bronson, Florida on Friday and Saturday
March 28-29, 2008 in the running of the Bronson 100.
Overall during the 2008 season, Ruffin has between 35 and 40 races
scheduled all around the United States. In addition to his ASALMS schedule,
he’ll also make starts in the PASS South Series as well as the CRA Super
Series, the Southeast Tour, and even on off weekends, he plans on running
local shows around his Brentwood, Tennessee home.
During the 2007 season, the 13-year-old Ruffin attempted to become the
youngest driver in ASALMS history to Qualify for an event when he entered
the Adam Petty Memorial / All-American 200 at the Music City (TN) Motorplex
in Nashville, Tennessee on November 3, 2007.
Although he failed to Qualify for the prestigious race due to a broken
Driveshaft during Qualifying, the lessons learned throughout the weekend
proved to be beneficial as the teenager looks ahead to the 2008 campaign.
Also in 2007, Ruffin competed in the Pro Challenge Racing Series as well as
600 Racing Legends Series events all over the Southeast where he picked up
several Feature Wins and an impressive 14 Top Five finishes.
Later in the season, Ruffin debuted his Late Model and a few races into his
Late Model career, he qualified into the Mason-Dixon Meltdown at the Concord
(NC) Motorsport Park to become the youngest driver to do so in the events’
history. He would close out the year with his first Late Model Feature Win at
Lanier.
For the 2008 season, Ruffin will steer a Total Performance Driver
Development / R Motorsports Chevrolet Monte Carlo carrying primary
sponsorship from; Torco Racing Fuels, Impact Racing, and Joe’s Racing
Products.
In addition, more support comes from; Schoenfeld Headers, Basset Racing
Wheels, Tiger Rear Ends, ARP Bodies, Hamner Racing Engines, FSR
Radiators, Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil, Butlerbuilt Seats, and AP Racing
Brakes.
To learn more about Logan Ruffin, Total Performance Driver Development,
and the 2008 racign season, go to the teams website at: R Motorsports
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