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Chad Finchum rejoined the Martin-McClure Racing organization to compete in the Zombie Auto 125 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Finchum and the No. 39 Emory & Henry / WEHC 90.7 team, under direction of crew chief Rick Ren, was prepared to make every effort to defend their win from last season; however, Mother Nature had other plans.
Throughout the entire weekend, teams closely watched the weather as it became increasingly obvious that rainy conditions would adversely effect both track conditions and the schedule of events. During the only scheduled practice session, Finchum was scored in 17th position after running his fastest lap around the high-banked, half-mile Bristol Motor Speedway in 16.239 seconds at a top speed of 118.16 MPH. With the addition of the VHT compound on the lower lines of Bristol Motor Speedway, Finchum chose focus his efforts practicing on the upper grooves around the track, believing it would be a crucial advantage during the race.
After qualifying was canceled due to rain, Finchum started the event in 11th position based on last year’s point standings.
Once the green flag flew, teams knew that they only had a small window of clear weather in which to complete the 125 lap event. Finchum quickly piloted his No. 39 through traffic and into the 5th position where he was scored after the race was marked as complete due to rain.
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T.V. Broadcast Info
The Zombie Auto 125 from Bristol Motor Speedway will air on NBCSN on Thursday, April 27, 2017 at 11:00pm/EST.
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Eric McClure:
“This was certainly not the race we had hoped for. We were prepared to go out, race hard and defend our win from last season. Despite the uncertainty regarding the weather, the eventual rain, and the cold, Chad maintained his focus and the team maintained the highest level of professionalism. I’m happy with the 5th place finish, but I wish we could have seen the race through to the end.
Thank you to Dr. Teresa Keller, Emory & Henry College, and WEHC 90.7 for allowing us the opportunity to partner with you all. I look forward to future partnerships that will benefit the college and the radio station for many years to come.”
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Hal Martin:
“After our victory at Bristol Motor Speedway last season, we had high hopes coming into this weekend. As the race weekend approached, it became clear that we would have to compete with the weather and the weather would win. Chad wheeled that car like a champ. Within the first 30 laps or so, he quickly moved up from 11th to 5th. I’m proud of his effort and of the effort our MMR team put forth this weekend.” |
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Chad Finchum:
” I had a super fast racecar for Bristol Motor Speedway. I was happy with everything in practice and I hated to see qualifying get rained out. I really felt like we could’ve qualified in the top-5 but we didn’t get that chance. Due to the rain, we started the race based on points from last season which put us starting 11th. Not bad in a 125 lap race. Unfortunately, the rain cut the race short on lap 70 after we had moved up to 5th.
All-in-all, a top-5 is awesome for the team! I was trying to defend that win from
last year but like I’ve always said, ‘The variables in racing can always throw a curve ball’. Thanks to everyone in the whole organization for the efforts on the #39 Emory and Henry Toyota.”
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MMR PR
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