Hanks Scores Top Five Finish At Fairgrounds Speedway
By: Devon Holder
Keeton Hanks and the Zaxbys Racing Team proved that perseverance pays off this past weekend at the Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, Tennessee. Hanks was making his first start of the season in the ASA Late Model Series Challenge Division at the historic racetrack. However, Hanks was not happy with the handling of his Zaxbys Ford Fusion from the time the team unloaded the car.
Hanks spent all of the first practice on Friday chasing the handle of his car, making several trips down to the pit lane to allow the crew to make adjustments. However, after the first practice session, the team and Keeton agreed to roll the backup car out of the hauler to see if it could get around the 0.596 mile high banked oval.
The decision paid off for Hanks and the Zaxbys Racing Team; however it was not without more hard work. The team had to spend extra time getting the backup prepared to race, while Keeton had to spend the first few laps in the second session on Friday getting used to the backup car. However, Hanks did like the handling of the backup car better, so the team stuck with their decision and prepared to race on Saturday.
After turning laps in the backup car, Keeton would never find himself outside of the top ten on the speed charts in practice or qualifying on Saturday. Hanks qualified his Zaxbys Ford in the tenth position at a lap of 19.244 seconds. Once the green flag fell, Hanks began to steadily work his way up through the field.
By the time the race had reached its halfway point at lap 100, the Kentucky native found himself running in the fifth position. After a restart on lap 123, Hanks was all the way up into the third spot. However, Hanks would wind up falling to the fifth position by the time the checkered flag fell at the Fairgrounds Speedway.
You cant complain about a top five, stated Hanks after the race. We made a lot of improvements from where we were when we unloaded, but it still was not enough.
To find out more information about Keeton Hanks, log on to www.keetonhanksracing.com. You can also check out www.asalatemodels.com to get all the latest information on the ASA Late Model Series. The ASA Late Model Series is Americas Premier Short Track Series.
EXTREME RACING ACTION
HANKS OVERCOMES ADVERSITY
Keeton Hanks and the Brothers Race Team #09 Zaxbys Ford Fusion made their presence known at Watermelon Capitol Speedway in Cordele, Ga on Saturday July 19th, the #09 started the weekend by laying down the second fastest time of the weekend in practice. The team was really looking forward to the start of the race since Keeton reported This car is going to be real good when the sun goes down. The race entries included the Sprint Cup Series driver, David Ragan, driver of the # 6 UPS Ford, which happens to be his home track and Bill Elliots son, Chase Elliot whom was coached by his father.
Keeton qualified 4th for the race with 100 laps to get to the front. As it turned out it would be a very busy night for the Zaxbys pit crew as the action began on lap 3 with Keeton getting slammed in the rear by another car and spun, then hit in the left rear causing major damage to the left side of the car. After hitting the pits the crew made repairs and kept Keeton on the lead lap where he restarted the race from the rear of the field. He began working his way patently towards the front where on lap 50 was in the fifth position when trouble hit again as the #09 had a left rear tire going down. Keeton turned into the pits again and the Zaxbys crew changed the tire and made a track bar adjustment getting him back out where he was passing his way to the front once again. As this was not enough drama for one evening on lap 92, Keeton began loosing positions as he had punctured a right rear tire causing him to spin and be the caution, once again the Zaxbys crew made a lightening fast pit stop changing the tire and a track bar adjustment to get him back on the track in 8th position for the remaining few laps. On the restart Keeton quickly jumped to the outside and moved into the 4th position knowing that not much time was left when another caution flew on lap 98 setting up for a two lap shootout to the finish. The final restart had Keeton diving to the inside and passed 2 cars on the first lap but came up one car length short of the win for the third time this season having to settle for a 2nd place finish.
This completes three straight weeks of racing for the Zaxbys team as they will be off this weekend in preparation for the Nashville Music City 200 on August 2nd at the Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, TN, where Keeton will be piloting the car in the ASA Challenge Series. The race will start at 2:30 p.m. and Keeton would like to let his fans know that this will be the only race this close to home for the fans this season. The new Zaxbys #09/ Keeton Hanks t-shirts are in and available online at www.keetonhanks.com where you can also find out more about Keeton and the race team. To find out more about Zaxbys Real Chicken and Zaxbys Racing go online to www.zaxbys.com .
Keeton Hanks Racing T-Shirt 2009
--
Click here to Purchase
HANKS TAKES POLE POSITION, FINISHES 2ND IN BEST APPEARING CAR
Keeton Hanks and his Zaxbys #09 Race Team were at New Senoia Raceway in Senoia, GA again this past weekend for Keetons debut appearance with the Pro All Star Series (PASS) South for the super late model Dixie 150.
Keeton and the Zaxbys team started off the weekend by being the fastest on the speed charts in the second practice session. Then the team proved to everyone in qualifying that they knew they had a fast car by blistering the speed charts and setting the car on the pole position. Unfortunately, they draw for inversion and Keeton started the race from the sixth position at the drop of the green flag.
It took just twenty two laps for North Carolinas Preston Peltier to make his way to the front Saturday night at Georgias New Senoia Raceway in route to his second consecutive Pro All Stars Series (PASS) South super late model win in the Dixie 150 while two drivers Bubba Pollard and Keeton Hanks methodically made their way to the front of the field. It took about thirty laps for Keeton to make his way toward the front where he settled in second to ride out behind the leader and cruise for the long race. A lap eighty caution brought the field back together for just the second of three times that night and allowed Wakefield, Blaney and others to bring their cars to pit road, opting for chassis adjustments over track position.
Double file restarts put Keeton on the outside causing him to fall to third on the green flag where he was patiently content to ride until his crew chief, Wayne Hansard told him with forty laps to go Its time to pull the trigger, tighten your belts and take it to the front. This was when the intense battle started between Pollard and Hanks. The two battled side by side over the next several laps before contact was made bringing out the nights final caution. Keeton made the pass and was then spun in the next corner by Pollard. The contact sent both competitors to the pits for minor repairs and opened the door for Mitchell to take his shot at the top spot. Hanks told his crew since we are starting the race from the rear lets make a track bar adjustment and go to the front.
The final twenty two laps proved to be some of the best racing of the night as the fans watched Hanks shoot his way through the field to finish second and saw two and even three wide racing right down to the strip between Pollard, Wakefield, and a hungry Mitchell.
Keeton Hanks, making his PASS South debut, finished second followed by Texas native Trey Mitchell who grabbed his first career podium finish. A pair of Georgia natives, Justin Wakefield and Bubba Pollard, rounded out the top five at the inaugural series event.
To wrap up the exciting race weekend, Keetons Zaxbys #09 Ford Fusion also took honors in receiving the Best Appearing Car award.
This weekends race schedule will find Keeton making his debut appearance at Lanier International Raceway in Braselton, Georgia for the ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour for his second appearance of the season with the series.
Race fans can stay up to date with Hanks and his Zaxbys race team by logging onto www.zaxbys.com or www.keetonhanks.com.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Press Release: June 9, 2009
Watermelon Capital Speedway, Cordele, GA
Keeton Hanks Racing
Hanks Finishes Top 5 in ASA Watermelon 100
Keeton Hanks, along with the #09 Zaxbys Ford Fusion Late Model Team were in Cordele, GA June 6th for the running of the ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour Watermelon 100 at the 4/10 mile Watermelon Capital Speedway.
This is the first start of the season with the series for Hanks and it didnt take long for everyone to know who he was as he turned the fastest lap during practice for the weekend of the 29 cars. Qualifying 4th for the feature Hanks quickly moved into 3rd as the top cars traded positions several times during the early part of the race. Hanks was running in the 2nd position when he got punted on a restart and fell back as far as 12th. Hanks was able to drive his Zaxbys Ford Fusion through a number of cautions and kept his nose clean and raced his way back to the front finishing the race with a 5th place finish.
The drivers that compete in the ASA Southeast Tour are tough. They are some of the best drivers that Ive raced with in the Southeast. To run good in a race against those guys means a lot to me and shows the strength of our team, there were 15 cars that were in contention to have won this race tonight stated Hanks.
Wayne Hansard, Crew Chief for the Zaxbys #09 Ford Fusion Late Model stated That was the most intense race I have seen in a long time, these guys ran all 100 laps like it was the last lap. If we keep on this roll the win is coming soon. We are so close to everything coming together.
This coming weekend, Keeton Hanks will be joining his teammate, John Wes Townley at Kentucky Speedway for the Nascar Nationwide Series race as a guest of the team and Keeton himself will have the weekend off before heading back down south for a June 20 P.A.S.S. Series Race at Senoia Speedway.
For more information on Zaxbys, log on to www.zaxbys.com. Stay tuned to Keeton Hanks at www.keetonhanks.com as the race season progresses.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KEETON HANKS FAST TIME QUALIFIER-FIRST ASA POLE IN GEORGIA
Keeton Hanks kicked off his second race of the 2009 season on Saturday night, May 30 at New Senoia Raceway in Georgia in the ASA Late Model South Division. The 100 lap race went caution free, which prevented any teams from making adjustments to their car during the race.
Keeton Hanks set the fast time during qualifying in his #09 Zaxby's Real Chicken Ford Fusion. Hanks turned in a lap of 14.279. Hanks was the fastest driver in the first practice and opted not to participate in the second session. “Last time we were here we kind of adjusted ourselves out,” said Hanks after qualifying, “This time we just wanted to be a little smarter and remember that we have a night race.” Stephen Nasse and Drew Brannon were the second and third quickest qualifiers respectively.
After qualifying, Keeton Hanks drew a five for the inversion. This put the fifth fastest qualifier, David Odell on the pole position for the race. Justin Larson, who qualified fourth, lined up alongside Odell to bring the field to the green. While Larson stretched his lead at the front of the field, the race was on for second. David Odell, Keeton Hanks, Stephen Nasse, and Austin Hill waged a fierce battle for the runner up spot. The four drivers raced nose to tail and side by side for the majority of the race. Eventually, Hanks and Nasse were able to race their way by Odell, but Hill would have to settle for fifth behind the Lawrenceville, Georgia driver.
At the checkered flag it was Justin Larson, followed by Hanks, Nasse, Odell, and Austin Hill. Jefferson, Georgia native Nick Potts came home in sixth, followed by Dustin Dunn in seventh. Dunn lost his brakes at lap 25 and was fortunate just to be running at the checkered flag. Warren Mobley, Drew Brannon, and Austin Kirkpatrick rounded out the top ten.
Fast qualifier Keeton Hanks came home second after starting fifth.
“It was a good race,” said Hanks afterwards, “The long green run was good for us, but at the same time we needed a caution to get caught back up to the leader.”
Hanks and the #09 Zaxby’s Ford Fusion team will be heading back down south for a June 6 race at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, Georgia for the ASA Southeast Asphalt Touring Series. For more information on Zaxby’s, go to www.zaxbys.com.