The 2010 racing season has come to an end for the STH Motorsport team.  From early testing at South Boston Speedway in February to the final race at Caraway Speedway in October, there is much to reflect on during the teams’ rookie season in the “Nascar All- American” series.  With very little experience as a team and driver the challenge to successfully compete at the toughest track in the series was underestimated entering the racing season.

Knowing the competition was going to be top notch was a given.  Whether it was the seasoned drivers that raced (Justin Johnson, Philip Morris, Stacy Puryear, and Peyton Sellers) or the line sensitive South Boston track, the team knew it had a huge challenge heading into the season.  What was underestimated was the challenge they would have in successfully setting up the car with feedback from an inexperienced driver.

Early on the team struggled to establish speed and consistency with the car set up and also determined the engine wasn’t providing the torque necessary to pull off the challenging South Boston turns.  After the first two races the team elected to move the car to Stacy Puryear’s race shop and rely on his experience to help close the competitive gap.

Initially the move paid dividends in providing Sam with a much needed driving coach, and the team assistance in working on the car during the week.  Soon after the move Sam and the team improved.  Sam was completing races and gaining valuable seat time in race conditions. The team was also gaining a comfortable routine for race prep and race day.  The highlight of mid season was Sam’s 13 ^th   place finish in the 200 lap July 4 ^th   race.  Soon after the July 4 th race Shayne Lockhart joined the team at the track on race days.  His valuable experience in setting up the car paid off and the stop watch began to show it. The team was getting better, but so was the rest of the field.  The final results remained the same (13 ^th , 14 ^th , 16 ^th , 15 ^th ).

In mid season the decision was made to run a few races at Orange County Speedway near Raliegh, North Carolina. The track is known to be challenging but not at the level of South Boston. The team’s goal was to establish more confidence in itself and their driver.

The first race provided the team with their first top 10 finish and soon after a 4 ^th   place finish.  The strategy was working and the team was coming together better than ever. Sam was gaining experience in overtaking and defending positions along with much needed confidence.

Returning to South Boston the team felt more comfortable and was looking forward to more competitive racing.  With the car handling much better, practice times and qualifying results improved. Unfortunately, the race results didn’t.  After the best qualifying result of the year, Sam was spun entering turn 1 while running 12 ^th   in the most competitive drive of the year.  That spin resulted in a broken radiator and an early exit.  The following race at South Boston the results were similar, good qualifying and a more competitive race only to lose and engine.

As the season was winding down Sam had a conversation with Justin Johnson, the soon to be 2 time champion at South Boston Speedway. Justin and Sam had established a friendly relationship through the season, as Sam had shown a great deal of respect for him and other drivers in his rookie season.  Justin offered Sam a chance to test the car he was driving which was prepared by Frank Deiny Jr.  In early September Sam had his test with the FDJ Motorsports team.  Soon after, STH Motorsports had a 3 race deal with FDJ Motorsports, a 3 race deal to end the 2010 season.

Although testing the FDJ race car during the week was impossible due to school and football, the results on race day were very good.  The first race with FDJ, Sam finished 3 ^rd   and then followed with a 4 ^th   at Orange County.  The car was extremely fast and the chemistry between the two teams was working out great.  Soon afterwards the team made the trip to the big 250 lap race at Caraway Speedway and had a very impressive showing until bad luck struck again with a cut tire and spin into the wall while running 12 ^th .  The 2010 season was effectively over at that point but, the good news was, Sam and the STH Motorsports team would join FDJ Motorsports for the 2011 season.

The deal includes a minimum of 18 races as well as numerous test/coaching sessions with Frank Deiny.  The team will be running a FDJ prepared factory car #42 primarily at South Boston Speedway. This opportunity will be an important stepping stone in Sam’s quest for a long term racing career.  He will be in the best equipment and have the best coaching while competing at one of the toughest tracks in the country.  The 2011 season will be a challenging year with much higher expectations.  More pressure for Sam to improve and more pressure for the team to improve.

There will also be more financial demands as STH moves to a championship factory team.  Testing is expensive and requires a tremendous commitment in time.  It is also one of the key foundations for race results.  The equipment and expertise also comes at a higher cost.  This winter will be a huge challenge in securing sponsorship commitments for next season.  Sam and the team will be working hard and introducing new opportunities for businesses and individuals to participate in the 2011 season and beyond.

“This year was a great learning experience for me. I got to learn by racing with the best in the business, and on the toughest tracks around. I think there was a noticeable improvement. I feel much more confident about my driving and a lot more comfortable in the car. Sponsorship is going to be key for a successful season next year. FDJ Motorsports is going to provide a great car for 2011, and I look forward to being a part of that team.”

In the Books: 2010
 

The Mid Atlantic Championship is one of the biggest Late Model Races of the season. Taking place at Caraway Speedway in Ashboro, NC, the 250 lap event brings some of the biggest names in late model racing. Sam Hunt entered the race for the first time this weekend, looking to qualify and make a good run at the prestiged race in his rookie season.

FDJ Motorsport’s Mike Lee, who crew chiefed the car all weekend, tested the #42 Toyota in the Friday night practice session. The car was fast as soon as it was unloaded. Teammate and owner Frank Deiny Jr. was in the 4 car for the weekend, making his first start since March. Sam made it to the track early Saturday playing in a football game Friday night.

The Saturday practices were a learning experience for Hunt. He had never seen the track, and was trying to get comfortable on the paper clip oval track. By the third practice session, Sam was running much better and starting to run competitive times.

The 42 was the 17th car to qualify. Although Sam had never raced or tested goodyear tires, he managed to post a solid lap (17.45) and would start 14th in the 250 lap feature.

After pre race ceremonies and final adjustments, Sam climbed into the car for the feature event. When the green flag dropped, Sam held his line through the very tight first corner. Falling in line behind the 99 car, Sam ran 15th through the first few laps. On lap 15, the 28 car checked up and slid up the track, allowing Sam to drive underneath and take the spot. By lap 40, Sam and the 14 car of Nick Smith were battling hard around the track. Coming off of turn four the 14 car got loose and clipped the left rear tire of the 42 machine. Sam held onto the car, and got it pointed straight down the frontstretch. Hunt ran 14th at the 50 lap competition caution. After getting a good restart, Sam charged hard into turn one where he passed the 75 car who was being freight trained on the inside. The car was starting to get extremely tight in the center of the corner, and extremely loose off of the corner. By lap 80 Sam had worked his way around the 88 car and was running 12th. However, the car’s handling was going away fast for a reason. Going into turn one on lap 86, the left rear tire of the 42 car went flat, causing the car to immediatley spin out of control. The car slid driver’s side first hard into the outside wall. The side of the car was pancaked. The damage was severe, and the tow trucks hauled the car into pit lane to the FDJ Motorsports hauler. Sam’s run had come to an end.

“It’s really dissapointing. I felt the car start to act differently, and I was trying to make it to the 125 lap pit stop.  When it went, it went, and there was no saving it. It was an extremely hard hit and I hate it for all the guys who have worked so hard all weekend both before I arrived and on Saturday and Sunday. It’s a pleasure to work with this crew We made a good qualifying effort and we were having a decent race. It was just tough luck. That aside, im very happy with how we ran at the end the season. I have been fast in every race with FDJ Motorsports, and I can’t wait for the next oppourtunity to race the car.”

Cut Tire, Crash Ends day at Caraway

Sam Hunt made his second Late Model start with FDJ Motorsports at Orange County Speedway on October 9th, 2010. After playing in a football game Friday Night Sam and the rest of the team were up for an early morning. The event was a day race, so practice started very early in the morning.

In the first practice session, the car was slightly loose off of the corners. The heat of the racetrack was contributing to the condition but adjustments were needed to be made. When Sam made his second run the car felt much better. The improvement showed on the stopwatch as Sam put down the 2nd overall practice time. After making final adjustments and one last short run, Sam parked the car for practice and was ready for qualifying.

Sam was 13th to go out for qualifying. The #42 Toyota had been fast all day, and it was time to show it. Frank Deiny was on Sam’s radio for both qualifying laps, encouraging and pushing him to the limit. Sam set the 3rd fastest time, and after the invert, was on the pole.

A wreck in the Limited Late Model race brought out a very long red flag, backing up the Late Model race for over an hour. This would cause the planned day race to convert into a night race for the second half of the feature event. The track temperature decreasing would play a large factor in the 42 car’s setup. The driver involved in the crash had to be cut out of the roof of his car and carefully transported to the nearest hospital.

When the Late Models took the track for the 100 lap feature, Sam was the first car behind the pace car. Frank Deiny was on the spotter stand, and Crew Chief Matt Dalton was calling the shots. When the green flag dropped, Sam and the #22 car of Michael McGuire went at it for the first lap. The 22 got a good run on the outside and passed Sam for the lead coming out of turn 4. Sam fell to a one second deficit to McGuire in the first ten laps. But the 42 car soon started to run down the 22 car. By lap 40, Hunt and McGuire were nose to tail. Because of the delayed start of the race, the sun started to fall and the day race was turning into a night race. This did not help the handling of the 42 car. As soon as the sun went down, the nose of Hunt’s car started pushing up the track. After a caution on lap 50, the 06 car of Terry Dease got by Sam on the restart. Sam ran third until lap 80, when the 48 car of Hunter Devers made the pass on the inside of Sam. Hunt was feeling fatigued, and the tight handling car was not helping. Sam ran 4th for the rest of the race, which was very uneventful. Sam captured his third consecutive top five at Orange County Speedway with a 4th place finish.

” I really wanted to bring home the win tonight, but i can’t be upset with another good run. I was feeling fatigued and sore from the game last night and once the sun went down the car just got really tight. Frank did an awesome job keeping me up on the wheel, and it was great to finally put down a good qualifying lap.”

Sam finishes 4th in OCS 330

Sam Hunt made his debut in an FDJ Motorsports machine Saturday at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, N.C.. Sam had never tested or raced the 42 car before race day. None the less, the car was fast.

Getting used to the new car, the new seat, and the new enviornment was the first task of the first practice session. After running a few laps Sam could tell that the car was capable of winning the race. The second practice went better, running very competitive laps on extremely old tires. After talking to crew chief Matt Dalton, the team made minor adjustments to gain more bite off the corners. The adjustments worked as Sam ran his fastest laps in the third and final practice.

Qualifying was the one queston mark of the day. Focusing all on race runs, Sam had never made a sticker run with the new car and was not sure what to expect. Hunt would qualify 8th in a very conservative run.

When the green flag dropped, Sam ran side by side to the first corner. The field bottled up coming off turn 2, and Sam was forced to check up. The 69 car got by on the inside as the field completed lap one. The 42 car ran 9th for the first several laps. The caution came out on lap 12 for the 77 car spinning off turn 2. On the restart, Sam was running 8th, behind the 69 car. Going into turn three on lap 16, the 2 car of Chris Denny got loose and collected the 69 car of Jay Crawford two carlengths ahead of Sam. The two cars slammed the outside wall, and the 42 car shot to the bottom and avoided the wreck by inches. The two cars were totalled and the red flag came out. When the field restarted, Sam went to work on the 25 car of Zachary Marks. Sam finally cleared the 25 car on lap 35, and was a straightaway behind the leaders. Hunt began to turn very fast laps. After five laps, he had cut the margin in half. After 20 laps, the FDJ machine had run down the leaders from a straightaway lead. Once Sam was on the bumper of the 1 car of Craig Moore, the 75 car of Paul Bryant lost control and spun, bringing out the caution on lap 75. Sam got a good restart, and rode behind the 1 car for the final laps. Struggling with a loose condition off the corners, Sam could not pass the leader. The 42 car would finish 3rd, Sam’s best career finish.

“It was a good night. The car was awesome, I just had to get comfortable in it . I think Matt and I communicated well, and I think if we were a little tighter off the corners at the end of the race we could have won. We’ll be better when we come back. I wanna thank my Dad, Matt Dalton, Mike Lee, Larry Hollowell, Jonny and David Hester, Ben Hammock, Dave Preston, and Katie Giles for all their hard work today. Thanks to all my sponsors aswell, especially to NOS Energy Drink, who just joined the team. Without them I couldnt be here. Frank Deiny and their whole team prepared an awesome car to work with, and I’m really looking forward to working with everyone at FDJ.”

Sam finishes 3rd in FDJ Motorsports Debut

STH Motorsports headed to South Boston Speedway racing in the Anderson Lawn Care Whelen 150 this past weekend.

Practice went ok, as the team was focusing on long runs on 75-lap  tires.  As expected, the car was loose coming off the corners in the first practice sessions.  After making adjustments from the first session, the car tightened up in the center of the corner, making the car even more difficult on the corner exit.  Front and rear tires were then switched to help with the balance of the car by adjusting the stagger.  This change helped the car in both ends of the corner.

Sam was the 7th car to qualify. In his qualifying run he felt the car was pushing slightly in the corners and getting loose off the corners.  Lack of  cloud cover didn’t help the run, as the sun was beaming on the track, with a track temperature of well over 120 degrees, slowing down speeds. Sam qualified 22nd out of the 28- car field.

When the green flag dropped, the cars took off and headed into turn one.  Two cars touched and triggered a massive pileup in the first corner.  Sam went high and then ducked low, avoiding all of the spinning cars.  After over twenty mintues of track clean-up the cars were rolling.  On the restart, Sam held his line on the outside of the 5 car.  On lap 8, the 07 dive bombed Sam in the first corner, over driving his car and losing control into Sam’s left rear just as Sam entered the turn.  Sam spun around, was hit in the rear by the 08 car,  and then hit head on hard by the 06 car.   After limping the car down pit road, the crew evaluated the damage.  It was too severe to repair. The body was crushed and the radiator was broken.  Sam’s night was over after 10 of the 150 laps. Eight  cautions highlighted the wreck-filled race, as only 12 out of the 28 cars finished the race.

“It was just a mess out there tonight. I felt that we had gotten off to a decent start;  the car felt good and we were just trying to drive through those opening laps. But someone else’s ill-timed  mistake ended our day. He just drove the car where there wasnt any room and wrecked us. There’s nothing we can do about that.”

Big Crash ends day at South Boston

Sam Hunt and the 20 team entered the weekend of August 7th looking for a rebound from a tough last two events. The Late Model race was held at Orange County Speedway near Roxboro, NC.

After a full day of testing friday, the car was handling very good heading into the Saturday practice sessions. In the first pracitce session, the car was near perfect for the first ten laps, but then went away as the tires gained too much heat. This resulted in a spin on the backstretch. After making a few adjustments to tighten the car off the corners, Sam made one last 5 lap practice run and then parked the car for the remainder of practice.

In qualifying, Sam put down one of his best efforts with the lap time of 14.55, which was two tenths faster than his effort last time qualifying at the track. This would earn him the 3rd starting position, his career best.

When the green flag dropped, Sam was passed by the 25 car on the outside. The 20 car was then passed on the inside by the 1 car on lap 7. Sam was much faster on long green flag runs, as the tires would build pressure. By lap 40, the 20 car was running 5th holding off the 75 car when the leaders got together and spun in the middle of turns three and four. Sam checked up and avoided hitting any of the cars. On the restart, Sam was 3rd. The green flag flew and the 69 car got a run under the 20 car. Sam held his ground on the outside as they ran side by side for 3 laps. Coming out of turn four, the 69 car then got loose and ran into the side of the 20 car. The 69 car lost control and spun down the frontstretch. The left rear wheel on Sam’s car was slightly bent, causing a minor vibration in the car. On the restart, the 25 car, who was in front of Sam, missed a shift, causing the field to stack up. Sam ran into the back of the 25 car, causing light damage on the nose of the car. The 18 car then went under Sam and took the 3rd position. By lap 75, Sam was running 5th. It took a few laps for the car to handle like it was supposed to, and the bent rim wasn’t helping. With ten to go, Sam had caught the 25 and 18 car, who were fighting side by side. He followed the 25 car and moved underneath the 18 car of Stacy Puryear, making a clean pass through turn two. Sam ran down the 25 car, but late cautions hurt his momentum. Sam would get his first top 5, coming across the line 4th.

“It was an awesome night. The car was great and everything finally clicked tonight. I think if we didn’t have all those late cautions we could have done even better. Ive got to thank my team for all their support and Stacy Puryear for all he has done. Also I want to thank MF Global, Bruster’s Ice Cream, Koonce Racing, Paragon Energy, Qdoba, Puryear Race Parts, and everyone else for supporting our team. It truly was an awesome night and we couldn’t do any of it without their support.”

Sam finishes 4th in OCS 255

STH Motorsports ran at South Boston Speedway this weekend. After coming off a tough week, Sam and the team were looking to rebound in the Nascar Whelen Late Model 150.

Through the practice sessions the car was handling loose off the corners. The 20 car did not feel the same as it did last week before the crash, even with the same setup. Adjustments were made on the car, but did not improve the overall speed. The lap times were not impressive, and interim crew chief Shayne Lockhart was doing as much as he could to adjust on the car.

In qualifying, the car was extremely tight through the center of the corner, causing the car to push up the track and break loose on exit. Sam drove the car hard, but wasnt breaking hard enough in the entry and the center  of the turn, which did not help his effort. Sam would start 15th.

When the green flag flew and the cars took off, Sam stayed in line through the first corner. Once he got to turns three and four, the 94 car passed the 20 car on the outside, which is usually a very hard pass to pull off. Sam was still struggling with loose conditions and was not poweful on the straightaways. The oil light had been blinking on and off through the day, and was now a solid red circle. On lap thirty, while running 16th, smoke suddenly filled up the cockpit as the engine in the 20 car let go and blew up, bringing an end to the race for Sam.

“It was a tough day all around. I think the car was off all day, but I also think I have some improving to do as a driver. I want to thank Brian Redmond from Paragon Energy and his son Grey for coming out and showing their support tonight even though things did not turn out the way we wanted them to. I couldnt help but to smile after seeing Grey sit in the car and smile, even after losing the engine. The past few weeks have been tough, but I trust my team to help me get me better, as well as the car.”

Engine Failure Ends Night

STH Motorsports ran at South Boston Speedway this past Saturday, July 24th, in twin 75-lap feature races. After being rained out the previous week, the forecast was clear and hot; the team was excited to race again. They had two practice sessions since the last race making improvements in both car and driver.

After putting up some of their best lap times of the season in the first practice session and the car handling extremely well, asphalt patches in the middle of turns one and two started coming up due to the 105 degree heat.  Nascar officials then made the decision to cancel the rest of practice, as well as qualifying, and start the drivers by their 2010 points. Since Sam has not run the full schedule this year, the team was put in a tough hole having to start 18 ^th   with a car that was 12 ^th out of 22 in practice. The track officials spent the next few hours successfully repairing the track.

When the Nascar Whelen Late Models took the track, they were given ten caution laps to scuff their tires and make sure the patch in the track surface was holding. When the field got the “one to go” signal from the official, they doubled up side by side. Sam was 18th, on the outside of row 9. When the green flag dropped, the #20 car stayed outside through turns one and two. Sam then ducked under the #50 car and took away the 17th place spot. By lap 4, Sam had passed three more cars and had a very competitive car. As the field ran into turn one on lap six, two cars touched up front triggering a massive pileup. Sam steered hard to the right as crashing cars and smoke blocked the race track. Sam avoided hitting anyone head on, but smacked the wall hard in the right rear as he made it through the wreckage on the high side of the track. The damage was worse than it initially appeared to his spotter. After a few slow lapse to visually investigate the damage it was determined that two right side wheels and the rear end of the car were bent.

As Sam brought the car down pit road there was little the team could do in a single pit stop. They made right side tire changes and other chassis adjustments in an effort to improve the cars handling.  Sam rejoined the field still on the lead lap with a very unstable car, trying to salvage the team as much as he could. For the remaining 70 laps Sam fought the ill-handling car as the team continued to make adjustments during cautions but, there was little else that could be done. The car was constantly breaking loose on corner exit; the damage was too severe for Sam to run competitive laps. After more cars retired in the wreck filled race, Sam brought the wounded car home in 16 ^th   place.

The team worked non-stop in between the races trying desperately to fix anything they could. The damage was not completely fixable, but they did what they could in the short time they had. They straightened a portion of the bent rear and dropped the track bar to better align the front and rear wheels.  They also corrected the front tow which was also knocked out of line. But, there was still serious damage that could only be repaired back at the shop. Sam would have to deal with what he had!

When the second race started Sam eased his way through the first few laps, feeling out the car and determining how the changes had affected the handling. The car was still off, due to the bent rear end but much better than during the 1 ^st   race. After fighting his way through the first 20 laps, the caution came out when the # 3 car hit the wall hard in turn one. Sam was immediately on pit road and the team was once again busy making spring and track bar adjustments. The team did a great job making adjustments throughout the race and got the car to where it was capable of running with the 10 ^th   place car.  After two more extremely hard crashes involving the #11 car and the #70 car, the team made additional changes under caution up to the point where only 6 laps remained.  The race ended with the #20 team finishing a hard fought and well deserved 13th.

“Tonight was rough but a good learning experience for the entire team. We had a really fast car during practice and felt we could have had our best finish but we needed a chance to qualify. A better qualifying position may have put us in front of that early pileup, avoiding the wall. I was extremely proud of the teams efforts with the damage we had (Johny, Patrick, Rich, and especially Shayne Lockhart, who made all the calls from pit lane. A lot of cars were trashed but the team kept fighting till the end to improve our position and it paid off with the 13 place finish. It was good experience for me and the team to keep fighting and make the best out of a tough situation. Dave Preston also did a great job spotting, keeping me focused on running as fast as the car was capable. I know we are close to breaking through. We’ll get it fixed early next week, put in another practice and be ready next Saturday”

Early Wreck Results in Long Night

Storms and showers took role as the dominant factor Saturday as the Nascar Whelen Twin 75’s were postponed until next weekend, July 24th. However, a lot was accomplished as the team ran two test sessions Thursday and Friday.

Sam battled extremely loose conditions in the car Thursday. The team made countless adjustments, changing shocks, changing the sway bar, and even improving downforce. By the end of the day, the car was much better, but still not perfect.

The 20 car ran much better on Friday night. After making a few more adjustments to get the car a little tighter off the corner, Sam made a few mock qualifying runs. The practice proved to have payed off, as the lap times were better than ever before. As a result, Sam was very happy with how the car was handling.

The car is really starting to handle great. We are still struggling a little bit off the corners, but I know we are going in the right direction.  I am really looking forward to the race tomorrow.  I think we will be competitive.”

As the teams unloaded the cars Saturday, a black cloud was in the distance, creeping towards the track.  After completing 10 laps of practice, and turning exceptionally fast laps with the car feeling nearly perfect, the rain began to hit the windshield . The #20 Chevy was then loaded in the trailer, as the storm became severe.  The teams were then told that the race would be moved to next Saturday, July 24th.

Rain Postpones Race to Saturday July 24th

Engine Issues Plague 20 Car in Nascar Whelen 200

STH Motorsports headed south to Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, North Carolina this weekend to run in the Nascar LMSC Dr. Pepper 322. This was Sam’s first time at the track. Practice went decent for the number 20 team as Sam got adjusted to the new track. Orange County Speedway is a fast track with high banking in the corners. In qualifying, Sam laid down a solid laptime of 14.73 on his second lap. This would give him the 12th place starting position.

When the field took the green flag, Sam lost momentum going through turns one and two, causing him to lose three positions in the first lap. He then settled in running in the 15th spot. After about ten laps, Sam got underneath the 14 car and eventually took the spot. The first caution came out on lap 27. Under caution Sam hit pit road and the team made an air pressure adjustment to try and fix the tight handling race car. Sam restarted 19th and got moving quickly. Within the first two laps, the 20 car passed the 50 car on the outside. Soon after that Sam passed the 22 car in turn three. A multi car wreck brought out the second caution on lap 55. Sam saw the crash early, and made his way to the inside and avoided any contact. On the restart, Sam fell in line in 10th position. The 23 pulled inside the 20 car on lap 66, and they battled side by side for four laps. Sam eventually got the better run on the outside and pulled out in front. With 12 to go, Sam was running 11th behind the 03 car of Kenny Forbes. The 77 car then lost control coming out of turn 4 and spun down the frontstretch. Sam moved in to 10th position with 8 to go, and brought home a 9th place finish after a very exciting race.

This was Sam Hunt’s first Nascar Top Ten in only his 3rd start.

Sam captures 1st Nascar Late Model Top Ten in Dr. Pepper 322

Sam Hunt and STH Motorsports ran at South Boston Speedway this weekend. The day started off decent with Sam running top ten times throughout the practice sessions. Unfortunately in qualifying, the number 20 chevy hit a patch of wet track where it had seeped out from the rain on the previous night. The car instantly spun, but Sam held the gas down and kept the car off the outside wall. This forced Sam to make his second lap with no momentum, resulting in a 18th place starting position.

When the green flag dropped for the first feature, Sam ran in line behind the 57 car of Eddie Johnson. The field then stacked up coming out of turn two, causing two cars to spin. Sam went down the track and came within inches of the 74 car and the inside wall. Sam squeaked through with no damage. On the restart, Sam passed the 94 car of Natalie Sather in turn one. He then fell in line in the 15th position. On lap 30, the 50 car of Lawrence Boan, who was running directly in front of Sam, lost control of the car and smashed the outside wall coming out of turn 2. The car bounced down back down the track but Sam ducked low and avoided the wreck. The 20 car ran the rest of the race mid pack and ended up finishing on the lead lap in a solid 13th place. Sam’s teammate, the number 17 car of Stacy Puryear, took the checkered in first place.
Sam started the 20 car in the 16th position in race two, lined up directly behind the 88 car of Nick Smith. When the field got the green, the whole pack ran through the first turn smoothly. The cars then spread out until a caution came out on lap 40. On the restart, Sam ducked under the 1 car but could not complete the pass. He was eventually put a lap down by the leader, the 44 car of Justin Johnson during a long green flag run. With five to go, there were only six cars left on the lead lap. The 3 car of Lee Pulliam then lost a right side tire, causing him to lose control and run straight into the 57 car of Eddie Johnson on the front stretch. Sam rode out the tight handling race car and finished 14th in a completely dominated race by Justin Johnson

Hunt finished 13th and 14th in Italian Delight Twin 75’s

STH Motorsports opened up their season on the Saturday of April 17th at South Boston Speedway. The team had been preparing the Marlowe Chevrolet Impala late model all winter, and had tested the car numerous times. This was Sam’s first race in the Nascar Whelen All American series. After running a little off pace in practice, Sam qualified the number 20 MF Global Chevy in the 16th place. When the flag dropped, Sam stayed in line and followed the pack through the first turn. After running 17th through most of the race, Sam was put one lap down by leader Justin Johnson. Sam eventually got his lap back and rejoined all the cars on the lead lap. The car was ill handling through the corners all race. But Sam brought the car home in one piece, and on the lead lap in 15th place.

The second race of the night did not go well for the Sam Hunt and STH Motorsports. As soon as the flag dropped, The car was wicked tight in the corners, causing Sam to have to slow the car down way too much in the turns. The car eventually pushed all the way up the track coming out of turn four, and bounced off the outside wall. Sam was able to keep running the car, there was no damage besides scraped paint on the outside of the car. Eventually, Sam reported that the car was not drivable and the team made the decision to park the car for the night.

South Boston Speedway is known as the most competitive track in the nation, and experience and seat time will be the key for 16 year old Sam Hunt to run in the front.

Season Opener a Learning Experience for Hunt