08/01/2004

Barry Bounces Back From Early Trouble at Seekonk

Seekonk, MA -- Ken Barry headed for Seekonk Speedway this weekend knowing this would be the last time this season he would have to race at a track he had never raced on. The Lombardi Inside/Out team worked on the set up and had the car good in practice, but it wasnt quite where Barry needed it for time trials.

Ken had an early draw in time trials and that didnt help. Ken qualified in the 27th position for the 30 car field. "I know the car will race much better than what we showed in qualifying". , said Barry. "The team worked hard on the setup and we have a fast race car."

The #20 car was emblazoned with the colors of East Coast Collision this weekend and when the green flag flew, Barry was determined to give them a good showing. By lap 10, Barry was up to 22nd. At a lap 19 restart, he was 21st. Barry told the crew that car was "pretty good" and he felt the track would come to him as the laps ticked off.

By lap 50, Barry had methodically moved up to 13th and a few cars piled up in font of him going into turn 2. Ken got slowed down, but not quite fast enough as the track became blocked and he bumped the left front tire off of one of the wrecked cars. He continued on and with some of those cars not being able to continue, Barry was now in the top 10.

Unfortunately, that slight contact cut the left front tire down and Barry quickly radioed the crew to let them know. He pulled the Spearpoint Racing Chevy into the pits and the team quickly changed the left front and sent him back out. He would restart 24th.

After a few laps into this run, Barry told the crew that the front end alignment had been knocked out slightly and the cat wasnt quite as good as it had been earlier. With the pit set up at Seekonk, you pit outside the walls of the track. Getting in and out of the pits and not losing a lap is a very difficult thing. The crew knew they would not have time to work on the front alignment to get it right.

Another caution at lap 61 brought Barry back to the pits as the crew made a slight adjustment to the car to try to make it a bit better. This time Barry would restart 22nd. By the time the checkered flag flew, Ken had moved his slightly wounded machine up to the 16th position.

"Its not the finish we were expecting, nor the one we could have had". , said Barry after the race. "We were conserving tires early on and just taking our time and we got up to the front fairly quickly."

This finish dropped Barry back to the 11th position in the points and has made the Autometer Rookie of the Year battle the tightest it has been all season. Barry and Rookie Rival Zach Sylvester are now separated by only one point in the season long standings.

The tour heads off to Riverhead this weekend and as you know, anything can and usually does happen there!

Source:  Rob Faiella/NASCAR FMS PR/Ken Barry PR
Posted:  August 1, 2004