Michael Fose will be one of several Coastal Carolina drivers who migrate to Swansboro, North Carolina when Carteret County Speedway hosts its inaugural Late Model race on Sunday night.
For the 20-year-old, the race at Carteret County Speedway provides him with an opportunity to get the season headed back in the right direction. Fose, who races for veteran car owner Wendell Davis, is usually a contender in Late Model competition but he has struggled this season racing in the Championship Auto Racing Series (CARS) Late Model Stock Tour.
So far this season, Fose has yet to score a victory. His best finish in the CARS Tour was a 10th place finish in the series opener at Southern National Motorsports Park — a track he has experience, and multiple wins, at. He feels Sunday night’s race may be the best chance he has to break out of a slump.
“I think it’s a real good chance,” Fose said. “We’ve struggled a lot in the CARS Tour. Running with good guys but had no luck to be honest. I’m really looking forward to this weekend, having a strong finish and getting this season back on track.”
Fose got his first laps in at the brand new facility on Tuesday. After running the track, Fose said it was very different than tracks he has historically run at.
“It’s different for sure, real tight corners,” Fose explained. “You have to roll the track a lot. Smooth track, nice facility, nice people there. It’s going to be different trying to get a handle on it but I think it’s going to be a fun race. I’ve heard it was a lot like Myrtle Beach as for what Wendell’s seen for how the track is as far as the flatness and everything. It’s a lot like Myrtle Beach is what he says.”
Despite his laps on Tuesday being his first laps, Fose did feel good about his car and does feel optimistic about his chances heading into Sunday night’s race.
“I feel like we’ve got a real good piece,” Fose commented. “I don’t know what times are because everybody’s new to the track but it’s a real good car and I think we should have a good piece for Sunday.”
Despite the track being brand new and drivers not really knowing what time they need to shoot for, Fose was able to gauge himself and his car against Haley Moody’s lap times on Tuesday.
“We never practiced at the same time but I watched her and everything and I’m sure she watched me,” Fose stated. “Our cars were almost identical. She made pretty good speed and should be consistent. I clocked her a little bit and then clocked my last run and I was faster than her but anything can change. It’s easy to pick up a couple tenths here and there.”
Following the Carteret County Speedway race, Fose will continue competing in the CARS Tour while also racing in the postseason headline races at Martinsville Speedway, Myrtle Beach Speedway and Southern National Motorsports Park.
Carteret County Speedway’s inaugural race will be on Sunday night with racing scheduled to start at 7pm.
