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DUNN, N.C. — From the underside of the qualifying sheet to the highest of the rostrum, Cam Clark’s weekend on the IHRA Outlaw Nitro Collection at Darana Motorsports Park – Dunn was the definition of a Cinderella story.
The Reidsville, North Carolina, native entered race day with little momentum. After struggling by means of qualifying and touchdown final within the 14-car discipline, Clark admitted confidence was at an all-time low.
“Effectively, we positively struggled by means of qualifying,” Clark stated. “I actually didn’t know what I used to be lacking, however I used to be overlooking one thing. I checked out it final evening, checked out all of it this morning, after which it slapped me within the face — that is your downside. It’s nonetheless not excellent proper now, however it’s positively higher as a result of it made the journey and obtained somewhat quicker.”
Regardless of the early frustrations, every part modified when eliminations started. Within the Ingle Racing ‘69 Camaro Clark, the No. 14 qualifier, lined up towards prime qualifier Fred Scriba within the opening spherical. In a shocking upset, Clark left first and by no means regarded again, taking the win on a holeshot. That victory earned him a bye in spherical two, giving his workforce a second to regroup earlier than heading into the semifinals.
Nevertheless, proper after the bye run, Clark and his workforce thrashed within the pits to restore the automobile for the subsequent spherical.
There, Clark met veteran racer Billy Albert and laid down one in all his strongest passes of the weekend — a 3.676 at 201.52 mph — to advance to the ultimate spherical.
Ready for him was pal Dane Wooden. The 2 drivers left the road practically collectively, however as soon as once more, Clark’s fast response time made the distinction. His .046 gentle and three.698-second move at 202.73 mph was simply sufficient to edge out Wooden’s .054 response time and faster 3.691 at 201.49 mph — a razor-thin margin of victory of simply .001 seconds.
It was a storybook end to a rollercoaster weekend.
“Yesterday night I used to be able to go house,” Clark admitted. “I’ve been on the backside of the sheet earlier than, and it’s by no means enjoyable as a result of you haven’t any confidence. You don’t know the place you have to be or what’s going to occur.”
When requested what was going by means of his thoughts as he superior by means of every spherical, Clark stated he tried to not overthink it.
“I actually didn’t even attempt to assume as a result of the extra I feel, the extra I do mistaken,” he stated with fun. “I used to be simply on the radio speaking junk. The extra I give it some thought, the extra I get in my very own head, and I’ll mess up. I simply let it occur — after I begin the automobile, then it’s critical time.”
For Clark, the win carried much more which means because it marked his first IHRA occasion.
“You understand, it didn’t matter to me which of us gained — Dane’s a extremely good pal. I’d’ve been simply as glad if he did,” he stated. “However to win my first IHRA occasion, that’s one thing to say.”
Clark was fast to credit score the folks behind the scenes who helped flip his weekend round.
“I actually wish to thank the Ingle household for giving me the chance to drive, my girlfriend, my crew guys William and Bo — who wasn’t right here — and all my sponsors,” he stated. “The fellows helped us change the rear gear between rounds. It couldn’t have been attainable with out them. I’m simply the man who will get to sit down within the seat and drive. It isn’t me that wins these races — it’s the workforce.”
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