WILL GALLAHER SCORES A PAIR OF TOP-10 FINISHES AT NEWPORT (TENN.) MOTOR SPEEDWAY

DENVER, N.C. (June 11, 2012) – Will Gallaher and his Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) team traveled to Newport, Tenn. on Saturday, June 9, to compete in a pair of twin 50-lap Late Model Sportsman races against the local late model competition who typically race at the Tennessee track. Gallaher utilized the opportunity to learn the track and prepare for next weekend’s United Auto Racing Association (UARA) STARS event at Newport Motor Speedway.

The team utilized two practice sessions on Saturday to get a feel for the racetrack and dial in the setup on Gallaher’s No. 6 ESR Development Chevrolet Impala. With the goal of learning as much as possible, both ESR entries tried vastly different setups during the practice sessions at the 4/10-mile track. Additionally, both teams made a series of adjustments to know the reaction of their Chevy Impalas before settling on one setup for qualifying.

During time trials, Gallaher posted two fast laps—the first lap determined his starting position for the first race, and the second lap determined his starting position for the second race. His lap times were ninth and 10th quick, respectively to secure starting positions inside the top-10 for both 50-lap events.

During the first race, Gallaher got up into the marbles in the outside groove and clipped the fence. Concerned about the damage to the right side of the car and a potential tire rub, Gallaher brought the No. 6 ESR Development Chevrolet down pit road under green-flag conditions, placing him three laps behind the leaders. In a short race, Gallaher was unable to make up the lost track position and was credited with a 10th-place finish.

For the second 50-lap race, Gallaher rolled off 10th. He ran competitive laps to remain inside the top 10 for most of the night. Gallaher lined up in the eighth position for the final restart and a green-white-checkered finish. The bottom groove got moving faster, and Gallaher who was pinched in the top groove had to settle for a 10th-place finish.

“This weekend was a really good momentum booster for the entire No. 6 ESR team,” commented Gallaher after the Twin 50s at Newport Motor Speedway. “We had some trouble in the first race, but the team took a big swing at it for the second race and it worked really well. As a result, we should be fast off the hauler when we go back to Newport next weekend.”

While Gallaher will race a different setup with different shocks and tires in next weekend’s UARA race at Newport Motor Speedway, the driver will benefit from the knowledge he gained of the track during the weekly racing series at Newport Motor Speedway. Gallaher will climb back behind the wheel of his usual UARA chassis for the UARA-STARS 150 at Newport Motor Speedway this Saturday, June 16. Grandstands open at 2:00 p.m. local time with final practice scheduled for 2:15 p.m. and qualifying at 5:30 p.m. A 45-minute UARA-STARS autograph session will take place at 7:00 p.m. followed immediately by pre-race ceremonies.