BEAR LAKE, PA – Chub Frank is back.
The veteran from Bear Lake, Pa., ended his struggle-filled season in a big way last weekend, scoring back-to-back World of Outlaws Late Model Series victories on Aug. 20 at Muskingum County Speedway in Zanesville, Ohio, and Aug. 22 at K-C Raceway in Alma, Ohio.
Chub brought tears to his wife Mary’s eyes last Thursday night when he registered a flag-to-flag triumph worth $7,600 in the ‘Pepsi 40’ at Muskingum County, snapping a frustrating WoO LMS winless streak that had reached 62 races and 15 months. He was victorious in Outlaws action for the first time since May 18, 2008, at Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway.
Proving his return to the spotlight was no temporary event, Chub roared right back last Saturday night to win the ‘Buckeye 100’ at the three-eighths-mile K-C oval. The extra-distance checkered flag, which he grabbed after assuming command for good when leader Brian Birkhofer slowed with a flat right-rear tire on lap 54, added another $20,600 to his bank account.
“It feels great to get back into Victory Lane,” said Chub, who had just three top-five finishes in 30 WoO LMS A-Mains this season prior to his win explosion. “It’s been a long time. We needed this more than anyone can believe.”
Chub got his groove back after deciding to make a significant change to his Chub Frank Racing operation. Three days before Muskingum’s rescheduled WoO LMS event he called western Pennsylvania racer Chad Valone and asked if he could borrow a 2005 Rocket chassis that was sitting in Valone’s shop – a move designed to get Chub back behind the wheel of a style car that he feels more comfortable with.
Chub brought the chassis back to his garage that Monday afternoon and spent the next three days preparing the machine with his parts and a bluer body with help from his chief mechanic Brandon Bilskie and other crewmen. He then climbed in the car on Thursday night and promptly looked like the Chub Frank who led the WoO LMS in A-Main wins in 2007.
“I just had to do something different,” Chub said of his decision to park his newer equipment in favor of an older-style Corry Rubber/Lake Shore Paving/Hino Toyota/All-Star Performance/Corry Laser/Slavic Corporation/Custom Race Engines/GW Performance Chevrolet Impala SS Rocket Chassis No. 1*. “We weren’t getting it done with the new stuff (2009 cars) – it ain’t that the new stuff is bad, we just were struggling with it. I had to go back to something I knew.”
Chub flashed more speed and renewed confidence – and he even got some luck on his side again. He drew the second starting spot for both the Muskingum County and K-C A-Mains, giving him a big boost toward Victory Lane.
‘Chubzilla’ led every lap of the Muskingum headliner, keeping Steve Francis at arm’s length late in the distance to secure the win. He then led laps 1-41 of the Buckeye 100 before being overtaken by Birkhofer, but Birky’s misfortune put Chub back in front for good shortly thereafter.
Only Mother Nature could dull Chub’s hot streak last weekend. Sunday night’s rescheduled WoO LMS event at Eriez Speedway in Hammett, Pa., was postponed for the second time this season – this time after heat racing was completed. Chub timed 13th fastest among 46 cars and finished third in the first heat, setting him up to start ninth in the 50-lap A-Main when the remainder of the program is run on Tues., Sept. 1.
Chub, who moved up to seventh in the WoO LMS points standings, will continue following the national tour this weekend with events scheduled on Friday night (Aug. 28) at Fayetteville (N.C.) Motor Speedway and Saturday night (Aug. 29) at Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, Ga.
CFR PR.
The veteran from Bear Lake, Pa., ended his struggle-filled season in a big way last weekend, scoring back-to-back World of Outlaws Late Model Series victories on Aug. 20 at Muskingum County Speedway in Zanesville, Ohio, and Aug. 22 at K-C Raceway in Alma, Ohio.
Chub brought tears to his wife Mary’s eyes last Thursday night when he registered a flag-to-flag triumph worth $7,600 in the ‘Pepsi 40’ at Muskingum County, snapping a frustrating WoO LMS winless streak that had reached 62 races and 15 months. He was victorious in Outlaws action for the first time since May 18, 2008, at Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway.
Proving his return to the spotlight was no temporary event, Chub roared right back last Saturday night to win the ‘Buckeye 100’ at the three-eighths-mile K-C oval. The extra-distance checkered flag, which he grabbed after assuming command for good when leader Brian Birkhofer slowed with a flat right-rear tire on lap 54, added another $20,600 to his bank account.
“It feels great to get back into Victory Lane,” said Chub, who had just three top-five finishes in 30 WoO LMS A-Mains this season prior to his win explosion. “It’s been a long time. We needed this more than anyone can believe.”
Chub got his groove back after deciding to make a significant change to his Chub Frank Racing operation. Three days before Muskingum’s rescheduled WoO LMS event he called western Pennsylvania racer Chad Valone and asked if he could borrow a 2005 Rocket chassis that was sitting in Valone’s shop – a move designed to get Chub back behind the wheel of a style car that he feels more comfortable with.
Chub brought the chassis back to his garage that Monday afternoon and spent the next three days preparing the machine with his parts and a bluer body with help from his chief mechanic Brandon Bilskie and other crewmen. He then climbed in the car on Thursday night and promptly looked like the Chub Frank who led the WoO LMS in A-Main wins in 2007.
“I just had to do something different,” Chub said of his decision to park his newer equipment in favor of an older-style Corry Rubber/Lake Shore Paving/Hino Toyota/All-Star Performance/Corry Laser/Slavic Corporation/Custom Race Engines/GW Performance Chevrolet Impala SS Rocket Chassis No. 1*. “We weren’t getting it done with the new stuff (2009 cars) – it ain’t that the new stuff is bad, we just were struggling with it. I had to go back to something I knew.”
Chub flashed more speed and renewed confidence – and he even got some luck on his side again. He drew the second starting spot for both the Muskingum County and K-C A-Mains, giving him a big boost toward Victory Lane.
‘Chubzilla’ led every lap of the Muskingum headliner, keeping Steve Francis at arm’s length late in the distance to secure the win. He then led laps 1-41 of the Buckeye 100 before being overtaken by Birkhofer, but Birky’s misfortune put Chub back in front for good shortly thereafter.
Only Mother Nature could dull Chub’s hot streak last weekend. Sunday night’s rescheduled WoO LMS event at Eriez Speedway in Hammett, Pa., was postponed for the second time this season – this time after heat racing was completed. Chub timed 13th fastest among 46 cars and finished third in the first heat, setting him up to start ninth in the 50-lap A-Main when the remainder of the program is run on Tues., Sept. 1.
Chub, who moved up to seventh in the WoO LMS points standings, will continue following the national tour this weekend with events scheduled on Friday night (Aug. 28) at Fayetteville (N.C.) Motor Speedway and Saturday night (Aug. 29) at Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, Ga.
CFR PR.
