@Sunset_Speedway • INNISFIL, Ontario (July 22, 2015)- After leading 20 laps in the second feature on Sunday evening at Sunset Speedway, Rick Walt would post his best finish of the season, finishing second to Taylor Holdaway.
Walt started off the night by posting a 15.141 second lap in time trials to start mid-pack in the first feature. As of the first caution at lap four for a spin by Paul Maltese, Walt was running in the 12th spot. He would pick up a pair of spots to move into 10th by the time the second caution flew at lap eight for a spin by Chris Morrow.
Walt would continue to battle right around the 10th spot after the restart, but was unable to make up much ground between lap eight and the next caution at lap 17. Looking for an adjustment, he would bring the No. 31 Cindy Snow ReMax, Rust Check Canada, Eisses Pumping Services, Jim Wilson Chevrolet in Orillia, Oro Collision, Simone Autosport, HOTC, Walt Fab, Seaton Structures, Pizzaville, Redline Graphics and Apparel, Innovative Plumbing Solutions, Red Castle Performance, and Trackside Innovations Late Model down pit road to the attention of the pit crew for adjustments.
Restarting at the back of the field, he would make his way up to the 19th spot by the time the caution flew once again at lap 20. He would continue to climb up through the field, finishing the first feature in the 14th spot.
"The first feature, we missed the set-up a bit," Walt commented post-race. "Felt something wrong with the car. My brother went to work on it and found the problem."
As a result of the 14-car invert from the first feature to the second feature, Walt would start the second 35-lap feature from the pole. He would immediately pull out to the early lead, stretching it over the rest of the field. It appeared as though the Walt Motorsports team had worked out the issues that had plagued them the past couple of laps as despite a series of five restarts during the first half of the event, Walt was able to hold all challengers off.
The winning-run would come to an end at lap 20, though, as the caution flew for a flat tire for Paul Maltese. On the restart, Taylor Holdaway would clear Walt, speeding off into the distance as Walt fell back to the second spot. Walt would then hold off the rest of the challengers, though, finishing the feature second.
"It was a rocket in a second one, but can't really beat Holdaway. He's really good here," Walt commented. "Second to him is a win for us, so we'll take that and go on to next week."
For Walt and the team, it marks his fourth top-five and fifth top-10 finish of the 2015 season.
Walt will return to Sunset Speedway on July 25 in search of his first feature victory of the season. The Late Models will take to the track for time trials at 4:30 pm EST. The full schedule can be seen at http://www.sunsetspeedway.ca.
Keep up with Rick Walt and Walt Motorsports by liking their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Walt-Motorsports/524817640964689?fref=ts and following Rick Walt on twitter at https://twitter.com/Rwalt31.
From; Ashley McCubbin
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