Havens handles Havasu, sets sights on Stateline Speedway
Last weekend's strong run on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series earned Braeden Havens the Coca-Cola Move of the Race award which is presented to the driver who advances the most positions forward from their starting position at the drop of the checkered flag.
Courtesy: Killer B83 Racing Team Media Relations
Spokane, WA-Braeden Havens made the most of his second career start on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series , which ran last weekend at Havasu 95 Speedway in Lake Havasu, AZ, as the Spokane native motored to an eighth place finish after qualifying 15th.
The strong run earned Havens the Coca-Cola Move of the Race award which is presented to the driver who advances the most positions forward from their starting position at the drop of the checkered flag.
With Havasu behind him, Havens now sets his sights on the 2012 late model season-opener at Stateline Speedway as the track is kicking off its new division with several of the region's top talent vying for its first-ever checkered flag.
Much can be taken from his NASCAR experiences into the Stateline weekend, Havens noted.
“Havasu was a very difficult track to drive on so Stateline will be a lot easier (to get comfortable with). I am very familiar with Stateline as it's one of my home tracks so it will be fun to get back on the quarter-mile. The K&N car is heavier and harder to drive so it will be nice to get back into the lighter late model at Stateline and wheel it around in the division's season-opener.”
Going from the flat-track surface at Havasu to the banked corners that make up Stateline will be a nice change-up, he added.
“Stateline's banking makes it a lot easier to drive the car then what we were into last weekend at Havasu 95 Speedway. The surface at Havasu was very slick so the car would not hook-up and you were constantly spinning your tires. It's a new surface there (at Havasu) but Stateline has a little better grip and we're looking forward to seeing how our late model rolls off the corners and down the straightaway. Having the experience of muscling the Western Rail Inc. Chevrolet around Havasu will be a big help for this weekend that's for sure.”
Bringing a new race car to the track will be a big boost. Haven's team purchased a car during the off-season just for ICAR and Stateline Speedway late model events and thus far its progress is encouraging.
“Chuck Carruthers built this car for us over the winter and we've had success with our super late model he'd built prior to last season so we know it will be a good piece. We also know that the race will have a lot of talent in the field for the debut of the class so our goal is to get the most out of the new car and aim for a top finish at the end of the night,” Havens said.
Racing continues for Havens over the coming weeks with testing and racing the super late model at Evergreen Speedway next weekend followed by his second start of 2012 on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, set for May 5 at Stockton 99 Speedway.
“We're looking forward to testing the five-eighth mile at Evergreen then running the race on their (three-eighth) short-track on Saturday night. When the race was over at Havasu I was ready to go for another 100 laps; I didn't want it to end. I'm pumped up for our season in the late models and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series car with Thompson Motorsports and can't wait to get back with them on May 5 in Stockton.”
Havens will be at Stateline Speedway for the 2012 late model season-opener which kicks off with qualifying at 6 p.m. with racing to follow. Fans can follow Havens throughout the Stateline Speedway weekend at the team's Killer B Racing Facebook page and at www.killerb83.com
