THE TOWNS COUNTY HERALD November 6, 2013 Page 9A Towns County Sports Towns County’s Leader In Sports www.townscountyherald.net • E-mail: [email protected] Weekley to take on the task NASCAR 2013 By Mason Mitcham cused one practice at a time. By Gerald Hodges/the Racing Reporter Towns County Herald It’s too early to predict how Staff Writer the season’s going to turn Johnson is back on top out. “I cannot give you a Jimmie Johnson went the early leaders in Saturday’s A familiar face returns number on how many games into Sunday’s Sprint Cup race Nationwide race at Texas, retook to the hardwood in Towns I expect to win or lose, be- at Texas in second-place behind the lead from Denny Hamlin on County. cause a lot of that depends on Matt Kenseth. After a winning lap 186 of the 200-lap race for Duncan Weekley, the the other teams,” he said. performance, which included his sixth win of the season. former long-time assistant However, he added that leading 255 laps of the 334-lap The win was the 12th for coach for the Towns County race, he now leads Kenseth by the No. 22 Penske Racing Team Jimmie Johnson wins at Texas he expected to see definite Furnished by NASCAR Lady Indians has come out growth. seven points. this season. of retirement to become head “As a coach, you al- With only two races left; “I wanted to compete for his crew have landed a new coach of the Towns County ways want your players to Phoenix and Homestead, Las both championships. I didn’t contract with Furniture Row Indians for the upcoming be competitive and I can see Vegas odds makers have estab- want it to be just one, but it is Racing. Truex was without a school year. some improvement over the lished him a 7-5 favorite to win what it is at this point,” Kes- ride for 2014, after the sponsor Though Weekley retired course of the year,” he said. this year’s Chase. elowski said. “I’ve had some on his Michael Waltrip No. 56 in May 2012, Towns County Weekley’s plan is to fo- “We had a good feel for great runs in the Nationwide car pulled out after the Richmond Middle School Principal cus on improving the overall this track, because we came this year.” race. Darren Berrong asked him skill levels of the high school down here and tested,” said The remaining top-10 While the contract with to come back and instruct Duncan Weekley team. Since this is his first Johnson. “This car was awe- finishers: 2. Denny Hamlin, 3. Truex is for an undisclosed the seventh- and eighth-grade time working with some of some all day. As soon as we Sam Hornish, 4. Matt Kenseth, number of years, the deal with boys’ basketball teams. charges. the athletes, he has to take started practicing, we had the 5. Austin Dillon, 6. Regan his crewmembers is on a race- “We had a pretty good “It’s gone pretty good the time to assess and build speed. Smith, 7. Elliott Sadler, 8. Brian to-race basis. season,” Weekly said. so far,” Weekly said of prac- around their skills. “I knew we were going to Scott, 9. Kyle Larson, 10. Brad “As far as personnel goes, The team lost four tice. “I don’t think we can have a good racecar today.” Sweet. we’ve had some struggles with games during the season Unfortunately, he ad- just pinpoint one thing,” he For the third time in six Top-10 leaders after 31 of our crew on pit road during the and came close to advancing mitted, the summer didn’t said. “I expect us to try to weeks, Johnson’s teammate, 33: 1. A. Dillon-1107, 2. Hor- races,” said Joe Garone Gen- Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished as in the year-end tournament go as well as he had hoped. score more. I expect us to nish-1101, 3. Smith-1053, 4. eral Manager of FRR. “We have runner-up. Sadler-1026, 5. Allgaier-1022, losing in double overtime There wasn’t as much sum- try to play better defense. I been working hard to overcome “After testing here we 6. Scott-1010, 7. Bayne-1009, in the first game. The team mer participation among the just want to see an overall that. Our pit crew didn’t grow as improved on the year in all athletes as he had counted thought we would have a good 8. Vickers-970, 9. Larson-945, fast as the performance of the improvement as the year goes chance at winning,” said Earn- 10. Kligerman-924. statistical categories and on, which was disappoint- along.” car did last year. We’ve been ing. “Maybe my expectations hardt. “When the race first TY DILLON DOMINATES able to secure Martin’s pit crew; developed a much better ap- What makes someone TEXAS TRUCK RACE were too high. I feel like started, we struggled. But we actually bring them on-board in titude for the game as a whole come out of retirement to kept getting better and better, Ty Dillon led 130 laps next year I’ll have a better full-time positions for 2014. I through his leadership. coach? It may be a mixture and finally the track seemed to of Friday’s 147-lap Texas Mo- Yes, Weekley is being grasp on my summer pro- think that is going to really help of two things: a talent for come to us.” tor Speedway truck race for his that part of our program. modest. The season was so gram,” he said. “But that’s coaching and a love of the Joey Logano was third. second win of the season. good, in fact, that Towns the only thing I’ve been “It is a continual process. sport. “It was a pretty good race With 30 laps remaining, Our Richard Childress deal is County High School Princi- disappointed with. The kids “I’m excited about get- for us,” said Logano. “I was try- Dillon passed Ryan Blaney and have been working hard. The that we do them year-to-year, pal/Athletic Director Jona- ting it started, and I think ing so hard there at the end that cruised to victory by nearly three and that has been a strong pro- parents have been supportive. than Gibson asked him to the kids are excited about I wore out a front tire. But over- seconds over Johnny Sauter. gram. Richard (Childress) made come and coach the boys’ The administration’s been getting it started, and I’m all, a third-place finish isn’t all “I wasn’t going to lose a commitment to make sure that high school team. supportive. I really don’t just looking forward to it,” that bad.” this race,” said Dillon. “I’ve let that program ran as a complete The Indians are a have anything to squabble Weekley said. “I just love Matt Kenseth led several too many get away from me this open-book type of relationship, work in progress, but Coach about.” basketball.” laps on the way to a fourth-place year. I wanted to win this race so and they have stood by that. It Weekley is impressed by his Weekley is staying fo- finish, but his car clearly was not bad for my guys.” is certainly something that we equal to Johnson’s. Sauter had a fast truck, utilize. But, as Martin said ear- Fuzion Dance Company We tried to be as aggres- but was no match for Dillon lier, one of the big advantages sive as we could,” said Kenseth. near the end. that we have as a single-car attends Manhattan Dance Project workshop “The 48-car really had the power “Ten laps into that last team with that type of alliance, ers was fun and rewarding. today. We just didn’t have what run we were just a tick too free,” is our ability to move quick. We Our dancers were called out we needed to run with them.” Sauter said. “I don’t know if are real agile, and focused about to dance with the instructors Kasey Kahne finished we ever had anything for the what we are doing in our shop and demonstrate as one of fifth, followed by Brad Kesel- 3 truck, though. We’ve won with a staff of about 60 people. the best in the room several owski, Denny Hamlin, Kevin here before, and I was running I think this move will make us times and we are so proud of Harvick, Ryan Newman, and a harder, faster pace than I ever really strong.” all of them. Senior Company Clint Bowyer. have. So their truck must have Weekend Racing: All member Sarina Kurrimbukus Harvick is third, forty been phenomenal.” three of NASCAR’s major se- was awarded a scholarship to points behind Johnson, which Ron Hornaday was third, ries’ are at the 1-mile Phoenix, attend a regional MDP work- puts him out of this year’s followed by Brendan Gaughan, Arizona facility. shop. Congratulations! The Chase. Justin Lofton, James Buescher, Fri., Nov. 8, Truck Series Company dancers were a bit Kyle Busch and Jeff Gor- Darrell Wallace Jr., Miguel race 21 of 22; Starting time: 8 worn out and sore but they are don were two drivers that had Paludo, and John Wes Townley. pm ET; TV: Foxsports1. fired up about dancing! early problems and are out of Series leader Matt Sat., Nov.