MCLEANSVILLE, NC :: Dustin Rumley was dominant at Ace Speedway in 2013, scoring six wins en route to his third Late Model Stock Car track championship at Ace.
Rumley entered the 2013 season as the defending champion at Ace Speedway after scoring five victories at Ace in 2012. When the year began, Rumley wasn’t certain if he’d race full-time at Ace and didn’t even know if the track would reopen.
“We weren’t sure if it would open or not,” Rumley said. “We didn’t know if we’d go the first race or if anyone would show up. We went out there, started racing, won the first race, ran good and it went on and on. We won a bunch of races towards the end and it fell in to place. We weren’t going to run for the championship to be honest but once we got going and got the points lead, we couldn’t give it up.”
Rumley appreciates every win and championship he gets at Ace Speedway, knowing the competition level and that there are six or more guys who can win on any Friday night.
“You’ve got guys that will show up that are heavy hitters and they have a chance to win, Rumley stated. “You’ve got Barry Beggarly who is a legend. Anytime he comes, he’s tough to beat. RD Smith ran really well. It was tough, stiff competition every week. You have to work for it at Ace Speedway. There was some beating and banging. Rubbing is racing. It’s such a tight track. Sometimes you can have a fast car and it’s hard to get through there and pass those guys. Normally you think you need to qualify well but with the invert, you could start sixth or eighth. You have to have your stuff together.
“It says a lot about my team. They work really hard getting the car where it needs to be. They spend hours working on the set up making it perfect. One difference can be the difference between finishing third and winning the race.”
Rumley started the season with a win in the season opener and a second place finish in the second race of the season. He scored another victory on May 31st and then won four consecutive races late in the summer sweeping the entire month of August and winning the next to last race of the year. He ended the season with a fourth place finish which was enough to secure his second consecutive track championship.
Rumley is still working on solidifying his 2014 plans for Ace Speedway.
“We’ve got some stuff in the works,” Rumley explained. “I’ll race at Ace some just not sure if it’s the full season or not. I’m not entirely sure yet. It depends on what develops.”
Rumley has three track championships at Ace Speedway in the Late Model Stock Car division. He won championships in 2010, 2012 and 2013.
Ace Speedway’s season begins Friday night, April 11th. Gates open at 5:30pm, racing begins at 8:10pm.
Editor’s Note: This interview was originally conducted in December 2013.
