Presnell captures first career Late Model Stock victory at Lonesome Pine Raceway

Written by Pat

Wednesday, 22 April 2009 01:59

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. — Winning races is nothing new for Dylan Presnell of Sevierville, being he has visited victory lane in every stage of his racing career to date – winning in Quarter Midgets, Bandolero, Mini Cup, Legends and Allison Legacy Series competition.

Besides winning races, Presnell also captured the Miniature Motorsports Racing Association (www.mmraracing.com) Future Stars of Racing national championship in 2006 racing ½-scale Mini Cup cars. During the impressive ’06 season he also recorded the double at historic state fairground location in Nashville, Tenn., at the Music City Motorplex by winning both the Bandolero and Mini Cup track championships.

Presnell began the 2008 racing season in the Sunshine State during SpeedWeeks competing in Legends racing at Orlando (Fla.) Speedworld, winning the “Winter Heat” Young Lions championship. Next up was a full-season competing with the Allison Legacy Series (www.AllisonLegacy.com), which produced one feature win at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, N.C., a sixth-place finish in points and securing rookie of the year honors.

Carefully looking at all options available, Ken Presnell, owner of Presnell Motorsports, made a decision the next step in his son’s racing career would be behind the wheel of a full-bodied stock car – chauffeuring an asphalt Late Model Stock car in 2009.

“Following the ’08 racing season we were just kind of at the point we didn’t know which direction to take next in Dylan’s racing career,” said father, Ken. “It really was a difficult decision to make. He’s excelled at every form of racing he’s competed in so far, winning races and championships. But the fact of the matter still is, he’s only 13 years old. I talked with several people (racing insiders) getting opinions about what step we should take next. To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t willing to go to another level of racing just yet with Dylan unless the perfect opportunity presented itself.”

The scenario to jump into a Late Model Stock became realistic when Wade Day, a former ISCARS Dash Series champion, also a two-time NASCAR Weekly Racing Series regional champion, and veteran racer in USAR Hooters Pro Cup action, talked with Ken about overseeing the race team and guiding young Dylan’s racing.

“After meeting with and talking at length with Wade, it just became clear that our next move with Dylan would be racing a Late Model Stock car,” Ken said. “I had been told Wade was very knowledgeable about race cars, plus I knew he was a good racer himself. There was an immediate comfort level between Dylan and Wade, and that was very important to me. You don’t want to be putting your son under the guidance of just anyone. It must be someone you really feel is the right person. And I know without a shadow of a doubt that Wade is the right person. He’s just a super-good guy, and I feel completely at ease that he’s working with my son.”

After several winter off-season practice sessions at different racetracks under the guidance of Presnell Motorsports general manager and race-day crew chief Wade Day, along with car chief Dinky Torbett, helping get Dylan comfortable in the new ride, the 13-year-old 8th-grade student at New Center Middle School stormed out of the gate strong the first Saturday in April at Lonesome Pine Raceway in Coeburn, Va.

Presnell finished in third-place in his Late Model Stock debut out of a stellar 18-car starting field. However, both Dylan and Day felt they left a little on the table in their third-place outing, as the teenager was running in second early in the race and spun on a restart and was relegated to the rear of the field for the restart. But that proved to just be a minor roadblock for Presnell, as he roared back up through the field for the third-place run at the waving of the checkered flag.

A race car driver can’t wait to get back behind the wheel, especially following a strong run in the previous race. That held true for the young Presnell, he was anxiously looking forward to the next race at Lonesome Pine Raceway.

After qualifying third for the feature event behind former track champions Wayne Hale and Nate Monteith, Presnell quickly moved into second in the running order. With 10 laps to go and the lead duo of Hale and Presnell working lapped traffic, the teenage phenom looked like a veteran as he overtook Hale for the lead, a lead which he would not relinquish en route to capturing his first career Late Model Stock victory.

“I’m telling you, how impressive was that – winning your first career Late Model Stock race in just your second attempt,” said Presnell Motorsports’ Day from the race shop while preparing the car for the team’s next race. “But to be quite honest with you, I wasn’t surprised. The boy’s ‘got what it takes’ to get the job done. To just be 13 years old, he’s so mature for his age.

“He’s got the drive and desire to want to succeed, plus he’s just got the natural ability to wheel a race car. He’s got a really good feel for what the race car’s doing under him. He’s very smooth and runs consistent laps, and that’s what it takes. It’s just really amazing to watch what Dylan’s doing on the racetrack and knowing he’s so young. He’s got some-kind of future ahead of him in racing. He’s the ‘real deal’ for sure.”

After bolting out of the gates with two strong top-five runs at Lonesome Pine Raceway, the Presnell Motorsports race team is contemplating whether to make a full-run for rookie of the year honors plus trying to win the track championship … or compete with the Hendersonville, N.C.-based United Auto Racing Association – Southern Touring Asphalt Racing Series (UARA-STARS). Regardless of where the team decides to race, one thing for certain is – young Dylan Presnell will be a force to be reckoned with on the track.

“Winning last Saturday night at Lonesome Pine Raceway, words just can’t describe it – it was incredible,” stated a happy Dylan from the team’s race shop. “You know, I really felt like we could win us a race. We’ve got a really good race team. I’ve got the team behind me, and it’s up to me to get the job done on the racetrack.

“I’ve got such great confidence in Wade and also Dinky that they’ll give me a great race car to drive. We’ve got good communication between Wade, Dinky and myself regarding the race car, and that’s what it takes. I guess it’s just now beginning to sink in with me about the win the other night, because we were very fortunate to beat some good racers in Nate Monteith, Wayne Hale, Caleb Holman and others. Those guys are championship-winning racers.”

The racing season is still young, just like the teenager wheeling the race car. But don’t be surprised anytime in 2009 when you see the Goulds Pumps/Clearwater Drilling Co./Hytec Specialty Coatings/Five-Star Race Car Bodies/Circle Racing Wheels/Doughton Racing Products/WD Performance/Purkey Motorsports/Hess Race Cars/B&B Racing Engines/Presnell Motorsports/No. 83 Chevrolet Impala parked in victory lane.

To contact Presnell Motorsports, located in Sevierville, Tenn., call (865) 453-9330. To keep up with Dylan Presnell’s racing during the 2009 season, visit his Web site at www.DylanPresnell.com

Press Release Prepared By:

Robert Walden
Walden Motorsports Communications
Johnson City, TN
(423) 928-9644
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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