Racers have been ready all winter to go racing at Carteret County Speedway and, on Saturday, they will finally get the chance.
After the season opener was pushed back from April 2nd to April 30th, the anticipation has increased for local drivers, such as Late Model competitors Chris Burns and Jim Kelley. The two drivers, along with Zach Henshaw and a host of others, have competed at East Carolina Motor Speedway, but they’re ready to go racing at their home track.
“We’re really excited to go racing out here,” Burns, 23, from Swansboro, North Carolina, said. “We’ve been out here practicing a ton. We’ve laid down some good laps, changed a bunch of things and hoping for a good run on Saturday. I’m as excited as I was. We raced East Carolina to get some racing fix. We’re just as excited as we were. I think I’m going to be just as excited every race out here.”
Burns previously raced at Coastal Plains Raceway before Carteret County Speedway opened last September. This season, he plans to compete for the entire season at Carteret County Speedway and he hopes to begin that championship pursuit with a victory on Saturday night.
“The plan is to win,” Burns remarked. “I don’t think I’d come unless I think I will win.”
Kelley, 51, from Newport, North Carolina, has 197 victories in his racing career at tracks all over North Carolina and even in Florida. However, Kelley has always had to travel to compete. Now, he will have a track close to his backyard to race at and he’s ready to go racing as well.
“It’s going to be a new experience for me,” Kelley stated. “We’re used to traveling quite far and stuff. Track’s real smooth and feels fast so I think we’ll be in pretty good shape.”
Kelley hopes to pick up his 198th victory on Saturday night but he will have his work cut out for him, regardless of how fast the car is.
“My son’s getting married Saturday so I’ll be missing qualifying and practice,” Kelley commented. “I’m going to show up for the race and start at the back of the pack. I guess I’ll just have to pass them all.”
Burns and Kelley will be competing in the Late Model race, which will be the fifth race on the six race card on Saturday night. The season opening event will also include races for the Street Stock, Mini-Stock, U-CAR, Legend and Bandolero divisions. The green flag will wave on Saturday’s race at 7pm.
