Dateline: Avon, AZ
March 2, 2013
Sometimes a driver gets to a track and makes it his. Kyle Petty had the Rock in the 90’s, Kyle Bush swept Bristol in the Oughts, and last night, -ECT-TJ made Phoenix International his !
He was the fastest in final practice, won the pole with a speed of 130.520 mph, then backed it up by posting the fastest time in Happy Hour. All that was left for him was the race itself. Starting on the inside, TJ sailed his Chevy into turn one, and on to lead the first of the 89 laps he would lead on way to covering the field in the second points race of the Friday Cup Series. The twen cautions slowes down the race time, but many of them came out early in the race. Only a late caution by the 54 made the finish close, as TJ led -ECT-BSchilling across the line by .10 seconds. The rest of the Top 5 were: Dennie Daniles, OGR Ellie, and Ken Hayes. The series heads borth across the desert to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where the Friday Cup Series will debut the Gen-6 cars at ECT.