FLOYD, VA :: Ricky Gillespie scored his first win of the 2014 racing season this past weekend at Franklin County Speedway. That victory, which was Gillespie’s sixth career Late Model victory, now gives Gillespie confidence that he can win again before the season ends.
Ricky Gillespie returned to racing back in April with the help of his father, Bobby Gillespie. Bobby Gillespie is a veteran at Franklin County Speedway and a popular fan favorite who, himself, knocked on the door of victory lane earlier this season. But he cut back on his racing to focus on helping Ricky. That all paid off on Sunday, September 7th.
“It was a long time coming,” Ricky Gillespie said of his Franklin County win. “We all work hard on the racecar. It’s been a rough season so a victory is pretty nice. I want to thank my dad, Gene Gillespie, Rusty Gaspard and Joe Gaspard.”
Gillespie was looking forward to racing once again at Franklin County Speedway after scoring a confidence-boosting win, but the track has again fallen in to uncertainty and Gillespie finds himself heading to Orange County Speedway on Saturday night. Franklin County’s newest promoters, Tim Wheat and John Hall, had planned on racing on Saturday night but were forced to pull the plug when track owner Donald “Whitey” Taylor announced that he would be running a mud bog at the track instead.
“Not sure about Franklin County,” Gillespie remarked. It’s 19 miles from my house. If they open and race Late Models, we will be there. If not, we’ll find other places to run like Orange County and we’ll race cars regardless.”
No matter where he races though, Gillespie’s confident he will find victory lane again before the season ends.
“We’ve got two cars we’ve been working hard on. Before the year is out, we’ll have both our fast cars in winner’s circle.”
