MOSLEY, VA :: 47-year-old Mark Simpson has been racing for six years, most recently in the Limited Late Model division. Now, he’s moving up to the Late Model Stock Cars in Sunday’s Autumn Classic at Southern National Motorsports Park – a track he’s frequented throughout the past few years.
Simpson is actually a former winner of the Street Stock race in the Thanksgiving All-Star Classic, scoring a victory in that race in 2008. In 2011, he moved up to the Limited Late Models, making his debut at South Boston Speedway in Virginia. Throughout the four seasons he’s been racing in the Limited Late Model ranks, he’s scored several top-five finishes.
Simpson has tempered expectations for his Late Model debut in the Autumn Classic, hoping he can log laps and put together a respectable performance.
“I’m hoping we can go out there and make a good showing and hopefully run in the top 15 most of the race,” Simpson said. “We’ve got a great car. I’ve got Roy Hendrick helping me as well as Brian Lundstrom. They’ve given us a great car and I really look forward to racing with the big names and trying to take it to the front if I can.”
Simpson knows the challenges that await him. 200 laps is the longest race he’s ever run. He’ll be racing on four new tires instead of two. That sad, he’s tested in the car, a Hedgecock chassis, and thinks he has a good car for the race.
“I think mostly we’ve tested the car. It’s good and handles good and has some good speed to it. This being my first race, we’re used to running two tires and we’ll get to run a full set of stickers nad its 200 laps which is longer than we’re used to running so we’re hoping to be there at the end.”
While his expectations are a little more modest, there’s no mistake that Simpson wants to win. That’s his ultimate goal anytime he gets in the racecar.
“I want to win and that’s my goal. If winning isn’t your goal, why the hell are you in the car?”
The Autumn Classic will be run on Sunday, November 9th at Southern National Motorsports Park in Lucama, North Carolina.
