The challenges of the World Series of Asphalt at New Smyrna Speedway are both daunting and exciting. Nowhere else in the world can you compete in seven race day programs, in nine days, at just one track. Not to mention, against some of the best Super late Model drivers in the country.
Gabe and the crew, led by crew chief Travis Sauter, had the game plan figured out before the car even left the GSR shop; keep the nose clean, and pick off positions as efficiently as possible.
A rainy forecast kicked off the World Series on a damp note, canceling the features on opening night, after a fifth place qualifying effort from Gabe. With the scheduled off day on Saturday the 12th, the GSR crew headed into Sunday with no definitive answer to how the car would react to a 35 lap feature. A seventh place qualifying effort put Gabe one spot outside of the invert, where he then was able to pick up one spot in the feature to finish sixth, and a notebook of ideas on how to make the car more potent for feature racing during the remainder of the week.
Unfortunately, troubles struck the No. 15 on Monday night. A strong run around the backside of the top five was cut short when Gabe had to pit under caution for a mechanical issue midway through the race. He went to the tail for pitting, and had a long line of almost 30 cars to work through in about 18 laps. He was able to cruise up to 14th before running out of laps, but took a major hit in the points chase as a result.
Tuesday was a new day, and the ASA Southern Super Series had come to town for the Clyde Hart Memorial 100. Strong results in practice had positive effects on the crew, but ultimately Sommers would be relegated to 14th in time trials. Gabe went to work in the 100 lap feature event, picking off cars one by one before ending the race with an impressive 8th place run against a field of over 30 cars loaded with heavy hitters.
Wednesday and Thursday were a pair of quick 35 lap sprints, and the goal of keeping the nose clean was certainly met by Gabe during both nights, even with being just a little bit off compared to some of the bigger teams in speed over the course of a run. Wednesday saw another seventh place qualifying effort for the team, but come race time, the car did not react well to changes made, and the 15 car finished in P12 after the dust had settled.
Thursday came, and so did a little more speed for the team. They had been “busting their tails”, Gabe said, to better the car for the short runs, and it showed throughout the day’s practice sessions. A 4th place qualifying spot gave Sommers the pole for the feature, where he was able to lead a few laps before receiving some slight bumper taps, resulting in Gabe being just enough out of shape to give up the lead and slide down the running order with the field lined up ready to take advantage of his misfortune. The 15 was finally able to get back in line in the seventh position, where he was able to maintain until the checkered.
The Orange Blossom 100 would wrap up the World Series of Asphalt, and Gabe started out his Saturday with a sizzling quick time in final practice, giving the crew a big confidence boost heading into qualifying. The GSR crew was able to place the eighth fastest qualifying time of the afternoon, and determined Gabe’s starting spot for the 100. Long run speed was always the crew’s strong suit, and the No. 15 was able to motor all the way up to third place, securing a podium finish on the final night of competition.
“I’m not really happy with the results, but we were able to experiment with the car and learn a lot about the car, and I feel really good about our upcoming trip to 5 Flags,” Gabe said. “I don’t think we showed all of our speed at times with the rubber buildup, and the rain Friday helped give us a clean and more comparable slate to past races.”
Once the dust had settled and tech inspection was completed, Gabe, Travis, and the crew were able to come back to Wisconsin with a 5th place points finish from New Smyrna Speedway. Plenty was learned, and we can’t wait to watch it be applied March 11 at 5 Flags Speedway, where Gabe will be racing against the best of the best in Super late Model racing, in the inaugural event of the ASA STARS National Tour, broadcasted LIVE on Racing America and SpeedSport.TV, in addition to a national, tape delayed telecast on March 20th, at 8 PM EST on MAVTV.