ASHLAND, KY – Feb 17, 2010 – Steve Francis had no trouble coming up with one word to sum up his 2010 season-opening racing excursion: “Frustrating.”
Considering Francis registered just one top-five finish in 11 starts at three tracks in Georgia and Florida over the last three weeks, the description certainly fits the bill. He never quite found a rhythm in his return to self-owned equipment after two years spent driving primarily for Maryland car owner Dale Beitler.
“This was just one of those trips where things didn’t go our way,” Francis said after his Southern excursion ended last Saturday night at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla. “We only started in the top five (in a feature) once or twice the whole time down here, and when you get yourself behind like that it’s hard to come back with the kind of competition we’re running against.
“We struggled for the last few weeks, but we’ll go home and regroup. It might take us a few races this year (to get on track), but we’ll get it figured out.”
Back behind the wheel of his familiar Steve Francis Racing No. 15 with primary sponsorship from Valvoline, Francis registered his lone top-five finish when he placed fifth in the 2010 World of Outlaws Late Model Series season opener on Feb. 11 at Volusia. After parking his new Rocket car in favor of a reworked machine that he had prepared for NASCAR star Ryan Newman’s use in selected dirt Late Model shows last year, Francis charged forward from the 19th starting spot in the 50-lap A-Main – despite running more than half the race with reduced engine power after blowing out head gaskets – and appeared to be concluding his trip on a positive note.
But after sitting idle the following night due to a rainout of Volusia’s UMP Late Model finale, Francis ran into trouble in the WoO LMS program on Feb. 13 that closed out the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH at the half-mile oval. He won a heat race and started sixth in the A-Main, but a busted oil-pump belt just three laps into the A-Main eliminated him and he was scored 28th in the final rundown.
“I felt the best I did the whole trip (on Feb. 13), but we just didn’t have any luck,” said Francis, whose rare DNF left him 15th in the WoO LMS points standings, 60 points behind leader Brady Smith. “I think we definitely had a top-five car, but we broke an oil-pump belt. It’s just the third time in my career I’ve ever broke one.”
Francis struggled in the two UMP Late Model events run earlier in the week at Volusia, finishing 19th in the 30-lap feature on Feb. 8 and failing to qualify for the main event on Feb. 10. The event scheduled for Feb. 9 was rained out.
The ‘Kentucky Colonel’ began his 2010 season during the final week of January with a visit to Golden Isles Speedway in Brunswick, Ga. He was steady, if not spectacular, during the four-tenths-mile oval’s three nights of O’Reilly Southern All-Stars competition, finishing seventh in three straight A-Mains – a 40-lapper on Jan. 28, a 50-lapper on Jan. 29 and a 60-lap finale on Jan. 30.
Francis was originally scheduled to enter the final three nights of the next week’s Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla., in a Blount Motorsports car as a teammate to Tommy Kerr of Maryville, Tenn., but a last-minute change of plans prompted him to enter his own machine in the one-third-mile track’s action. He earned progressively better finishes in the three shows he ran, finishing 24th on Feb. 4 and then 13th and seventh in the pair of A-Mains that were run on Feb. 6 (following a rainout the previous evening).
The next action on Francis’s scheduled is one month away – WoO LMS events on March 19 at Ocala (Fla.) Speedway and March 20 at Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, Ga. – but he’ll be busy in the interim. Not only will he be hard at work in the shop retooling his equipment and stocking a new S&S hauler and trailer he’s scheduled to pick up, but he’ll also be getting married. His nuptials to Amanda Ferrell, whose parents operate Bluegrass Speedway in Bardstown, Ky., is scheduled for Feb. 27 in Bardstown.
Fans can stay up-to-date on all the latest Steve Francis news and information by visiting his completely redesigned Web site at www.stevefrancisracing.com.
Steve Francis Racing carries support from Valvoline, Rocket Chassis, Custom Racing Engines, Keyser’s Port City Racing, VP Race Fuels, Performance Rod & Custom, Harbaugh Amusement, Duralite Racing Wheels, Tim Logan Racing and Hoosier Racing Tire.
Considering Francis registered just one top-five finish in 11 starts at three tracks in Georgia and Florida over the last three weeks, the description certainly fits the bill. He never quite found a rhythm in his return to self-owned equipment after two years spent driving primarily for Maryland car owner Dale Beitler.
“This was just one of those trips where things didn’t go our way,” Francis said after his Southern excursion ended last Saturday night at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla. “We only started in the top five (in a feature) once or twice the whole time down here, and when you get yourself behind like that it’s hard to come back with the kind of competition we’re running against.
“We struggled for the last few weeks, but we’ll go home and regroup. It might take us a few races this year (to get on track), but we’ll get it figured out.”
Back behind the wheel of his familiar Steve Francis Racing No. 15 with primary sponsorship from Valvoline, Francis registered his lone top-five finish when he placed fifth in the 2010 World of Outlaws Late Model Series season opener on Feb. 11 at Volusia. After parking his new Rocket car in favor of a reworked machine that he had prepared for NASCAR star Ryan Newman’s use in selected dirt Late Model shows last year, Francis charged forward from the 19th starting spot in the 50-lap A-Main – despite running more than half the race with reduced engine power after blowing out head gaskets – and appeared to be concluding his trip on a positive note.
But after sitting idle the following night due to a rainout of Volusia’s UMP Late Model finale, Francis ran into trouble in the WoO LMS program on Feb. 13 that closed out the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH at the half-mile oval. He won a heat race and started sixth in the A-Main, but a busted oil-pump belt just three laps into the A-Main eliminated him and he was scored 28th in the final rundown.
“I felt the best I did the whole trip (on Feb. 13), but we just didn’t have any luck,” said Francis, whose rare DNF left him 15th in the WoO LMS points standings, 60 points behind leader Brady Smith. “I think we definitely had a top-five car, but we broke an oil-pump belt. It’s just the third time in my career I’ve ever broke one.”
Francis struggled in the two UMP Late Model events run earlier in the week at Volusia, finishing 19th in the 30-lap feature on Feb. 8 and failing to qualify for the main event on Feb. 10. The event scheduled for Feb. 9 was rained out.
The ‘Kentucky Colonel’ began his 2010 season during the final week of January with a visit to Golden Isles Speedway in Brunswick, Ga. He was steady, if not spectacular, during the four-tenths-mile oval’s three nights of O’Reilly Southern All-Stars competition, finishing seventh in three straight A-Mains – a 40-lapper on Jan. 28, a 50-lapper on Jan. 29 and a 60-lap finale on Jan. 30.
Francis was originally scheduled to enter the final three nights of the next week’s Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla., in a Blount Motorsports car as a teammate to Tommy Kerr of Maryville, Tenn., but a last-minute change of plans prompted him to enter his own machine in the one-third-mile track’s action. He earned progressively better finishes in the three shows he ran, finishing 24th on Feb. 4 and then 13th and seventh in the pair of A-Mains that were run on Feb. 6 (following a rainout the previous evening).
The next action on Francis’s scheduled is one month away – WoO LMS events on March 19 at Ocala (Fla.) Speedway and March 20 at Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, Ga. – but he’ll be busy in the interim. Not only will he be hard at work in the shop retooling his equipment and stocking a new S&S hauler and trailer he’s scheduled to pick up, but he’ll also be getting married. His nuptials to Amanda Ferrell, whose parents operate Bluegrass Speedway in Bardstown, Ky., is scheduled for Feb. 27 in Bardstown.
Fans can stay up-to-date on all the latest Steve Francis news and information by visiting his completely redesigned Web site at www.stevefrancisracing.com.
Steve Francis Racing carries support from Valvoline, Rocket Chassis, Custom Racing Engines, Keyser’s Port City Racing, VP Race Fuels, Performance Rod & Custom, Harbaugh Amusement, Duralite Racing Wheels, Tim Logan Racing and Hoosier Racing Tire.
