Jun 7, 2008 Lakeland, FL
As the Matt Bowers Racing Team prepared for the event in Lakeland, Florida let it be known that we looked forward with great anticipation to putting the #84 Skybolt/CTech car on that track. The week before went something like this: The Bowers team spent every moment they had at the race shop from Sunday the 27th of May through Tuesday the 3rd of June getting the Port City car ready for Dave Pletcher’s arrival on Tuesday to do set up. They also prepped Matt’s ‘bullring car’ for a backup – just in case. Thursday we headed for all day testing with Dave at Lakeland. Friday was open practice from 6:30 to 9:30 pm. The days were long and the weather was a hot, hot, hot 97°. The testing pinpointed some minor chassis problems we were going to have to live with until some off-track changes could be made.		  
  We joined just about every competitor that was having problems center off and right rear tire wear. It was going to be very difficult to run 100 miles on one set of tires. Thus, our strategy was set: Conserve, conserve, conserve. A hard run would eat up tires in 20 to 25 laps and rules prevent tire changes unless a tire is flat and that would require a very costly pit stop. This forth race in the Sunbelt Series fielded the most impressive 29 Super Late Model drivers and cars in all of the Southeastern U.S. Matt qualified and started 11th with 7 cars all within a couple of hundredths of a second of each other. The race started with as much excitement and anticipation as any NASCAR race for each one of us to see Matt move into 6th place by lap 10. During the course of 125 laps of great headwork, patience, and confidence in himself and his Crew Chief, Dave Pletcher, Matt saw leader after leader expire tires and either end up in the wall or the pits. Matt watched the eventual winner (#80 Finney) make a run to the front, only to fade toward the rear finally succumbing to a failed tire, but also catching a caution for another car. Rules allow a tire change under those conditions and as that happened under another caution, that car remained on the lead lap. Continued mechanicals and tire problems claimed leader after leader. With 30 laps remaining, the #84 was locked in 4th gear and all restarts would prevent any 3rd gear start. Matt had to make perfect restarts to prevent loosing valuable positions. With 10 laps to go, Matt claimed the lead but the #80 on new tires was coming fast only to see another caution due to mechanical failures, leaving Matt in front with 5 laps remaining. On the restart, Matt could only hold Finney off for a few laps until the #80 car could run down the #84 car. Our tires were tired yet our young driver was masterful at holding onto a second place finish under the watchful eyes of Dave Pletcher. The #84 car was the only car running that had not seen pit road yet we rolled a car into the trailer without a scratch and one heck of a run for a rookie!

MANY THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
Skybolt Aerospace, CTech
Allen & Company, Hooker Harness, Carriage House Ranch,
And all of our team, friends, and super family for supporting Matt Bowers Racing.
We hope to see you at Columbia Motorsports Park, Lake City, Florida, June 21st.


SUNBELT SUPER LATE MODEL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS RACE