The Dirt Track at Charlotte
Junghans wraps up busy stretch at World Finals
By Joshua Joiner
DirtonDirt.com staff writer
Chase Junghans makes his way around Charlotte. (dt52photos.com)
CONCORD, N.C. (Nov. 7) — While most race teams have cut back their schedule during the season’s later months, Chase Junghans and the Shop Quik Racing team have been at their busiest.
After spending most of the season chasing rookie of the year honors on the Missouri-based Lucas Oil MLRA tour, the 20-year-old Manhattan, Kan., racer has spent the final weeks of his first full year of Late Model competition with a month-long trip to the Southeast. He’ll wrap up the trip and the season at this weekend’s World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. | Moyer sweeps time trials
“We just wanted to venture out and see some different stuff with these tires and racing with these guys down South and just getting to see what everything’s like,” said Junghans, who finished a close second to Travis Dickes in this year’s MLRA rookie chase. “It’s been busy for us, but it’s definitely a lot different than racing back home and we’ve learned a ton.”
While the late-season trip has produced benefits in experience for Junghans’ and his team, it’s been more of a struggle in the way of results. In visiting three new tracks in Talladega Short Track, Whynot Motorsports Complex and East Alabama Motor Speedway, Junghans has managed to make only the feature lineup at Talladega. But the struggles have also helped the young racer gain valuable experience.
“You got to catch breaks here and there running with these guys,” Junghans said. “Qualifying’s a big deal. If you don’t qualifying, you’re behind the eight ball already and trying to play catch up. Last weekend, we missed the feature by one spot (at East Alabama). We’ve definitely got to get better at qualifying and the heat races, but I think we’re doing pretty good for never being to any of these places.”
The month-long racing trip is just the latest step in a career arch Junghans hopes will eventually take him the top levels of Dirt Late Model racing. After five years of open-wheel modified competition, including multiple seasons following the popular USMTS tour, Junghans spent part of 2012 and all of this season transiting to Late Models under the tutelage of veteran racer John Anderson, who spent the past seven years driving for Junghans parents Greg and Pat.
With Junghans stepping up his own racing activities this season, the team was forced to part ways with Anderson, at least as a full-time driver, following the MLRA season finale in October, ending a combination that produced three MLRA championships and 25 series victories.
“He built this Late Model program,” Junghans said. “It sucks for him because now that I’m racing this much we can’t have two cars because it’s just too expensive. He understands and knew I was eventually gonna race Late Models. Him and my dad had an excellent past seven years; we really appreciate him and what he built and accomplished.”
Junghans hopes his busy end to the 2013 season will help him prepare for an even busier 2014 season that will include increased traveling and more national events on the team’s schedule. But for now, he’s focused on ending the year with a solid performance at Charlotte.
Competing against a stout 74-car field, Junghans qualified 12th and 25th fastest in his groups during Thursday’s two time trial sessions. He’ll look to improve on those efforts as he aims to make the starting field for the weekend’s two $12,000-to-win World of Outlaws events.
“I would like to make the race in one, maybe both of these shows,” Junghans said. “The track’s pretty rough tonight and it’s OK for us. But it’ll probably be complete opposite tomorrow. But we’ll give it our best and see what happens.”
