Dylan Martin – Official – Solid Weekend for Dylan

October 8, 2013 Posted by rboost in News

Solid Weekend for Dylan

Dylan qualified 5th out of the 12 Pro Trucks that took the green flag. He laid down two very consecutive laps 14.83 seconds and 14.83 seconds. The top qualifier pulls a pill (number) to see what they will invert for the start of the race. A 5 was pulled which put your very own, Dylan Martin in his #7 Blackwater Ford Raptor on the pole.

But first is first, the autograph session. Dylan enjoys the opportunity to get a chance to shake hands and talk to the fans that come out to watch the races. He has become a fan favorite, not just because he drives the wheels off the truck but because he makes a point to make sure that every fan knows how much he appreciates them coming out. The good luck wishes and the smiles he receives only fuel him to drive harder.

Well, it is almost 9pm and the cooler weather sets a nice tone for the 50 lap FUPS race. As Dylan leads the pack out of turn 2, Chad Pierce, his crew chief, reminds him one last time, “This is your race, you’ve got this”. Dylan gets a great start. By the back stretch his has the lead. His first lap leading the field he ran a 14.69 second lap. Needless to say with that speed, he takes a strong lead. By lap 4, the #41 has caught him. The battle between these two trucks goes until lap 17, when the #41 is able to get up under Dylan for the pass. Once on the outside, the #16 truck is right there to follow suit. Dylan is now running in 3rd.

On lap 20, the fast qualifier #16 takes the lead. As the long green flag run continues, Dylan is fighting the handling of the truck. He drops to 4th when the 59x passes him on the inside going into turn 3 on lap 35. Chad tells Dylan to keep driving it. He had set the truck up to run short runs, who would have ever thought that they would go 42 laps green at Auburndale Speedway. The first caution flies on lap 42 when the #9 spins.

The field lines up side by side, and Dylan and the #41 get tangled up going through turn 1 and 2 on the restart. Caution number 2. Both trucks go to the pits with damage. Dylan’s crew is ready. It doesn’t take but a minute to get the tire changed and the crowd cheers as Dylan pulls his #7 back on the track. He restarts the race in 8th.

Lap 48, the #09 spins coming out of turn 2 which brings out the next caution flag. Dylan restarts in 8th. The next lap Dylan tries to get by the #09 on the front stretch and gets spun down into the infield. This brings out the final caution of the night. You know the old saying, “sometimes you’re the bug and sometimes you’re the windshield”, well Dylan was the bug for sure this weekend. As he restarts for the final lap, his truck has no nose and the right front fender is blowing in the wind like a wing but he drives it hard to the checker flag to end up 8th.

Dylan and the crew don’t have time to lick their wounds. They have got to get ready for the V8 Bomber feature race. Dylan starts 9th in Preston Irons #6 Monte Carlo. They don’t even get a lap in before the first caution. Dylan’s determination to have a good finish is obvious. He restarts 8th but in the first lap he passes #21 on the inside, then the following lap he drives hard to the outside to take 5th place position from #10.

Lap 6, Dylan gets a great run on the front stretch to gain a position as he goes by the #48. Caution out and Dylan will restart 4th. The green flag drops but the car in front of Dylan holds him up as he drops to 5th. It isn’t even a lap later and he gets his position back by passing #57 on the inside. Caution again for the #48 as he spins out.

Lap 10, Dylan is 4th. He is able to take 3rd right away. The battle then begins as Dylan takes his #6 Monte Carlo and gets to the inside of #96 to take 2nd. But the next lap the #96 is able to get up along side of Dylan. They are racing side by side. The flagman waves the white flag, one lap to go. Dylan and the #96 are still battling it out. They are side by side as they reach the back stretch, when the leader #25 blows up going into turn 3. Dylan drops low, the #96 goes high to miss the #25. They drive into turn 3 side by side again. The #96 makes an aggressive move and comes down on Dylan taking him to the infield. Dylan never lifts, the car spins to the grass and he throws it into reverse trying to make it across the start/finish line. When he does, he has gone from 1st to 8th in the matter of 100 yards. Dylan drives it to the pits with a left rear flat. He didn’t win the race but the crew greets him with an “atta boy” pat on the back. That was one heck of a 15 lap race for sure.