Sprint Car Racer Tony Hunt Sets His Sights On Two USAC Titles
- Aug 19, 2011
At the end of 2010, Hunt walked away as the USAC Western Sprint Car Series Champion. That said, he came into the 2011 season with confidence, and intentions of continuing his success. Rolling into Fresno, California in early April, the driver hit the track with fire in his eyes. After taking the checkered flag at the Madera Speedway, Tony Hunt and the Tony Hunt Motorsports Team then went to the All American Speedway, in Roseville, California, where they earned a second place finish. After missing the Rocky Mountain Raceways event due to rain, Hunt quickly began making up points in the series when he rolled back into Madera in June and took the victory. The following month, the driver crossed the finish line in the fifth spot at the Rocky Mountain Speedway, located in Salt Lake City, Utah. During a recent weekend at Meridian, Idaho, Tony Hunt claimed a victory on the first night, and earned a fourth place finish on the following night, which officially gave him the points lead for the season thus far. Taking a short rest from the USAC Western Sprint Car Series, until his scheduled race at Irwindale Speedway, in late August, Hunt and his team are taking advantage of the opportunity to focus solely on the USAC Western Classic Racing Series. The new racing series encompasses eight California pavement races, of which are part of the USAC Western Sprint Car Series, while also including eight dirt races as well. Although engine problems demanded that Hunt not finish the season opener at Chico, California, he came back with a vengeance on the following race at the Ocean Speedway, located at Watsonville, California, and earned a strong second. The driver then earned a fifth place finish at Santa Maria, giving him an impressive 65 point lead in the series. Thus far in his career, Tony Hunt has raced predominantly on pavement, but his limited experience on dirt has not seemed to detour his confidence and ambitions. When asked the key to success in the USAC Western Classic Racing Series, he explained, "Making sure we're there at the end, and no getting impatient. I've ran the Western Sprint Series for over ten years, strictly on pavement. This is my first year in a dirt non-wing sprint car and my first year back on dirt since the late nineties," he continued, "so the dirt portion of the Western Classic Series has been a welcomed challenge." When asked the key to continued success throughout the remainder of the season in both series, Hunt expressed that he and his team must stay focused on results and continue having strong performances. As a veteran race car driver, Hunt is quick to admit that his team plays a large role in his overall performance and success. "We have been together for over ten years, and our ability to perform under pressure is the key to our success," shared Hunt. As one might suspect, he also is a firm believer in the importance of keeping the internal mechanisms of the engine clean and well-lubed. Referring to maintaining his racecar engine properly, he said, "It is very important. We strive on maintaining a clean environment inside and out of our car's equipment. Dusty dirt tracks are challenging on every component," Hunt ensured. "The performance that K&N products give us in maintaining a clean engine is an important part of the durability and longevity of our motors." Having depended upon K&N air and oil filters for an excess of fifteen years, the driver shared, "They're always exceeding the leading edge on high performance filtration products." In closing, Tony Hunt said, "We have a great relationship with many industry manufacturers, and their support has been a valuable asset to our success." Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
