Story by: Langley Austin
(Special Thanks to Robert Walden/Presnell Motorsport PR for some of the info supplied)
Coeburn, VA(April 22, 2009) — He’s won at every level of racing he’s competed in, but no one expected Dylan Presnell to win in a Late Model Stock Car in only his second start.
On Saturday, April 18, 2009 the 13-year old budding star was in full bloom as he drove a Wade Day prepared car to victory at Lonesome Pine Raceway in Coeburn, VA. Presnell’s only previous start in a NASCAR style Late Model Stock Car came just two weeks prior on the 3/8 mile track where he finished third after spinning and coming back through the field.
Presnell’s crew chief and mentor, Wade Day, a former NASCAR Regional Racing Champion has made plenty of laps around Lonesome Pine, but even he has been impressed with just how good Presnell has been in only two starts in the full-sized, full-bodied Late Model Stock Cars.
“I’m telling you, how impressive was that – winning your first career Late Model Stock race in just your second attempt,” said Day. “But to be quite honest with you, I wasn’t surprised. The boy’s ‘got what it takes’ to get the job done. To just be 13 years old, he’s so mature for his age.”
Presnell out ran some very tough competition on Saturday night as the second and third place finishers were the last two years track champions; Wayne Hale and Nate Monteith and the fifth place finisher was USARacing Pro Cup driver, Caleb Holman. Presnell understands just how tough it is to in at this level and knows that it doesn’t happen everyday.
“Winning last Saturday night at Lonesome Pine Raceway, words just can’t describe it – it was incredible,” stated a happy Dylan from the team’s race shop. “You know, I really felt like we could win us a race. We’ve got a really good race team. I’ve got the team behind me, and it’s up to me to get the job done on the racetrack.”
“I’ve got such great confidence in Wade and also Dinky that they’ll give me a great race car to drive. We’ve got good communication between Wade, Dinky and myself regarding the race car, and that’s what it takes. I guess it’s just now beginning to sink in with me about the win the other night, because we were very fortunate to beat some good racers in Nate Monteith, Wayne Hale, Caleb Holman and others. Those guys are championship-winning racers.”
The win for the young driver is huge and he’s got to be riding high after the victory, but turn the page and his next start will be up against the ultra-competitive UARA-STARS Late Model Stock Car series on one of the toughest tracks in the country, the half mile D-shaped Concord Motorsport Park in Concord, NC.
Presnell will try to use what he’s learned in his two Lonesome Pine starts and the confidence he’s built by winning one of them to tackle the toughest form of Late Model racing in the country. Certainly Saturday gives everyone an indication that he could be the toughest 13-year old to ever compete in the UARA-STARS Series.
Results from LPR on April 18, 2009:
1. 83 Dylan Presnell
2. 19 Wayne Hale(Pole)
3. 44 Nate Monteith
4. 40 Brian Blevins
5. 74 Caleb Holman
6. 94 Jeff Woodward
7. 88 David Hopkins
8. 38 Royce Peters
9. 36 Craig Stallard
10. 55 Mardy Roberts
11. 75 Steve Wright
12. 7 Caleb Roark
13. 63 Nicholas Cole
14. 17 Andy Applegate
