A change in plans, dictated by three rain cancelations in Texas, saw Eddie Tafoya Jr. and his #51T sprint car team head to Missouri’s I-70 Motorsports Park for last Saturday’s Rod End Supply Classic that matched the Lucas Oil POWRi WAR Sprint Cars vs the Midwest Wingless Racing Association. It was the first-ever appearance for Tafoya on the famous track and he found himself quite at home placing seventh in the 25-lap main event.
After all the rain that hammered Southern California over the winter, Tafoya and his team are well acquainted with the wet stuff. However, the rainouts in Texas forced them to do some thinking about what their next move would be. While looking for somewhere to race, they checked out Indiana. But, the forecast for the “Hoosier State” over the weekend looked like an identical twin to what had already happened in Texas. So, they cast their eyes on Missouri, saw there was a race at I-70, and high-tailed it to Odessa.
The 25-year-old Chino Hills, California native’s first action on the big, wide half-mile came in the first eight-lap heat race. With only a few moments on the track earlier in the night in hot laps, Tafoya started the eight-lapper in sixth and he steered the #51T forward to a fourth-place finish.
Tafoya started 10th in the 25-car, 25-lap main event. He stayed in the same spot as he began until moving up to ninth on the fifth circuit. Four laps later he moved up to seventh before taking one more spot on lap 16. The 2019 USAC/CRA and USAC Southwest Rookie of the Year stayed in sixth until the last lap when he slipped back to seventh.
For the first time at the track, it was an impressive performance by Tafoya. It is one of the biggest tracks he has raced on in his still-young career. As usual, he was smooth all night long and moved forward in both his heat and the main event.
Tafoya is anxiously looking forward to this Friday and Saturday when he rejoins the USAC National Sprint Car Series at one of the world’s most famous dirt tracks, Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway. Located in Rossburg, Ohio, the high-banked half-mile is one of the fastest dirt tracks on the face of the earth.
For 2023, the USAC Nationals Sprint Car Series is Tafoya’s main focus. Friday and Saturday will be his fifth and sixth appearances in the series since mid-February. His best finish in his first four races on the national stage was 13th at Florida’s Volusia Speedway Park on February 14th.
The Specialty Fasteners #51T team is exploring corporate partnership opportunities for the rest of the 2023 campaign. If you or your company would like to be a partner, please contact Eddie Tafoya Jr. via phone at (909) 393-3999 or by e-mail at mailto:[email protected]. He will be happy to talk to you and lay out the team’s plans.
Tafoya’s great-looking shirts and hoodies are available online at www.specialty-fasteners.com.
Tafoya has a great YouTube channel at the following link https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1hrmC5L80EU.
Fans can follow Tafoya on Instagram @eddietafoya51.
Tafoya and the #51T team would like to thank Specialty Fasteners, DRC Chassis, Ryder Racing Engines, Simpson Safety Products, Bell, Benic Enterprises, BR Motorsports, PSC Powder Coating, Magik Graphics, Gasper Transportation, Owen’s Insurance Services, and Weld Wheels for supporting its racing program.
Eddie Tafoya PR
