FARMER CITY, Sick. — Ashton Winger’s feelings after ending second within the Saturday finale at Swainsboro Raceway might be described with one phrase – reduction.
Following a disastrous begin to the World of Outlaws Late Fashions season that noticed him drop as little as twenty ninth in factors, his Battle on the Crossroads exhibiting was proof that the No. 12 was nonetheless going to be a contender.
After leaving the “Sunshine State” with no function begins in six makes an attempt and a trailer filled with broken components, Winger discovered himself in a deeper gap than he might have imagined. He anticipated to spend the month between Federated Auto Components DIRTcar Nationals and Smoky Mountain Speedway fine-tuning his tools. As a substitute, he was rebuilding it.
“After we obtained again, as a substitute of attending to go testing and persevering with to develop, they at all times say it’s more durable to work in your stuff if you’re repairing it,” Winger stated. “It was so much, however nothing that we’re probably not used to. I don’t suppose something value having comes straightforward.”
Winger made his first World of Outlaws function of the 12 months at Smoky Mountain, however a Twenty second-place run was nonetheless removed from the place he expects to be. One week later, his Swainsboro weekend didn’t get off to a really perfect begin. Winger snuck into the primary occasion and completed seventeenth.
In the end, issues lastly got here collectively on Saturday. The Hampton, Ga., driver certified second in his group, gained his first Warmth Race of the season and saved function winner Ryan Gustin in sight all through the 50-lap fundamental occasion earlier than coming dwelling second.
“Friday evening, I truly thought we have been going to be OK,” Winger stated. “We obtained caught up in that large wreck, and I’d say we had minimal harm in comparison with another guys that obtained caught up in it. My left-rear quarter panel obtained in opposition to my tire, they tried to tug it out, however I ended up having a left-rear flat. I feel I used to be going to restart ninth or tenth on that deal and I actually thought we have been ok to run high 5, high seven.
“Saturday, I’d simply say issues type of went our means, I feel that’s quite a lot of it. Folks don’t understand you are able to do all the things proper and nonetheless discover a solution to run tenth. We at all times simply attempt to maintain it in perspective and management the stuff you may management.”
The next week, Winger spent his weekend off from the Outlaw path at Whynot Motorsports Park in Mississippi trying to maintain the momentum up in Hunt the Entrance Tremendous Grime Collection motion. What he didn’t anticipate, although, was for some mechanical gremlins for longtime buddy Trey Mills to result in Jeff Mathews Motorsports changing into a two-car operation for an evening.
“We’ve at all times been actually shut with the Mills household, they’ve helped us out a ton at instances. Stanton’s like a cool uncle to me, he’s at all times been nothing however good to me, and Trey’s like my little brother,” Winger stated. “Belief me, I understand how it feels to go to the racetrack and really feel such as you’ve tore all the things up within the trailer whether or not you may management it or not. They have been going to go away, however fortunately, I’ve obtained a ok automotive proprietor in Jeff Mathews, he was like, ‘They don’t want to go away, they’re working for factors. We’ve obtained one other automotive.’ So, he truly pulled out my Rocket automotive and went on the market and was truly fairly good. He obtained caught up in a melee on a late-race restart, however I feel he was headed for a high 5.
“Primarily it’s simply good folks, having good folks round us that allowed us to do this. All of us bicker and battle with one another it doesn’t matter what, however we’re all one large racing household. We don’t actually wish to see anyone go with out.”
With this weekend’s Fireball 50 at Atomic Speedway postponed because of climate, Winger will as soon as once more keep within the southeast for one more weekend with Hunt the Entrance on the Talladega (Ala.) Brief Monitor.
Two regional wins within the final three years and a pair of World of Outlaws high 10s are proof Winger is aware of find out how to discover pace the “Hornet’s Nest,” and his purpose for this weekend is to verify his pocket book is as up-to-date as doable for when the massive cash is on the road later this month.
“We’ve gained there earlier than, however that’s one of many locations that’s actually onerous to get round particularly with this new automotive,” Winger stated. “The primary factor is that place modifications a bunch all through the evening. It’ll be mocked up early in all probability, and it’s a type of locations the place you may exit and get as a lot as you need, however you may undoubtedly go and get an excessive amount of. I had a reasonably violent rollover there final 12 months in Qualifying, simply tried to get an excessive amount of.
“As soon as function time rolls round, you’ve undoubtedly obtained to flip a change to an extent. The racetrack modifications, you may nonetheless be aggressive however it’s a unique type of aggression. It’s a type of locations the place generally going slower is quicker.”
The subsequent cease on the World of Oulaws tour is the April 10-12 Illini 100 at Farmer Metropolis Raceway. He picked up his first Farmer Metropolis high 5 on the best way to the 2023 DIRTcar Summer time Nationals championship, and he believes his time on the Hell Tour grind might repay with one other strong exhibiting in opposition to the Outlaws subsequent weekend.
“Farmer Metropolis, every time it’s proper, it’s proper up there with the perfect locations in America,” Winger stated. “I feel I excel on the Summer time Nationals deal as a result of I’m a type of guys the place all my issues go away, whether or not I’m working good or unhealthy, finally simply getting within the truck and going racing. You don’t get higher until you go do this. Yeah, you may go check and do all this different stuff, however there’s nothing that compares to the actual factor.
“If I might race 200 nights a 12 months I’d, however there’s different components that contain maintaining your stuff recent. Whether or not that’s sensible or not, I’ve simply at all times thought it’s simply sensible to place your stuff within the trailer and go race. I’m excited for all the things arising, and Farmer Metropolis is certainly one in all my favourite locations.”
