ROAD TO SUCCESS IN ALLISON LEGACY NATIONAL SERIES
STARTS NOW FOR DENNEWITZ
-Akron, OH
2002 P.A. Legacy Series Champion, Joey Dennewitz and
his Eagle Motorsports/Owens Corning team head to Martinsville,
VA this weekend to compete in only their third Allison Legacy
National Series event start. The Akron, OH native walks into
Martinsville Speedway with a full head of steam coming from his
record breaking 14 wins and 2002 P.A. Legacy Championship.
His Allison Legacy National Series stats have been a bit less
than impressive, finishing a career high 3rd place in
the ’02 Blue/Grey Shootout at Jennerstown Speedway. This will be
Dennewitz’s second trip to Martinsville Speedway as his first
trip to Martinsville was a bit frustrating. The “Akron Avenger”
drove the Pink Panther machine from a 23rd starting
spot to 11th place with less than 15 laps to go
before getting taken out, with a little help from behind.
“Yeah, that was a little frustrating. My Owens Corning guys
worked really hard in practice and I messed up a bit in
qualifying, so I kind of put us behind the eight ball there to
start. To make a strong run to just outside the top 10, then to
get run over like that, was really hard to swallow.”
Yet, when asked about his chances this time around, the 18 year
old champ seems very optimistic.
“We want to run well, no doubt. To be down there with the NASCAR
Winston Cup guys is awesome, and to run good and put the pink
panther up near the front of the pack in front of that big crowd
would make it even better. We are taking my back up to the back
up car named Earl, its our third car in line from our stable,
but I feel comfortable with our setup and feel good about my
chances to run well. I am really stoked, and my guys are really
pumped, so we will see.”
This weekend also gives the Owens Corning/Eagle Motorsports team
a head start on next year, as they compete for the 2003 Allison
Legacy National Series title. After dominating the regional P.A.
Legacy Series much of 2002, Eagle Motorsports team owner Don
Lucas, in agreement with the whole team, decided to build on
that and run the National Series. As the regional P.A. Legacy
Series was very kind to the young University of Akron student,
his feelings toward the National Series and the experiences that
come with it, are mixed.
“Next year is going to be tough. With all that traveling and
dealing with new setups on different tracks, its definetly going
to be interesting. After I walk away with that trophy at the end
of this year, I start all over again at the bottom rung.
Jennerstown and Motordrome have bene awesome to run at, but to
better this team, and myself, I believe that we need to gain
more experience at different types of tracks. The National
Series allows me to do just that. I am up to the challenge, and
I know this team is very capeable.”
