Event Preview: Factory Stock teams ready for Battle of Boothill
GREENWOOD, Louisiana (May 9, 2024) – It’s one of the premier Factory Stock races in the state of Louisiana, and they come from all over for a chance at the big paycheck. When this weekend’s annual Battle of Boothill gets rolling, it just might produce some of the best competition we’ve seen in 2024.
It all gets started with a practice session on Thursday night, followed by two sets of Heats on Friday night for the Factory Stock teams as they work to secure a good spot for Saturday night’s A Main. There’s pressure to perform this week, and drivers are gearing up for their chance at dirt track glory.
Chase Hatton is one of the most versatile and skilled racers in the region, and feels confident going in.
“This is definitely one of the big ones,” Hatton said via telephone Wednesday evening. “There will be a lot of good teams coming this weekend. You have guys like Neil Kemp coming, and I think Johnny Torres is coming over from San Antonio. Ricky Ingalls and Cody Myers will have their new cars there.
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“My Dad will be racing the Pro Mod this weekend, but I’m working on the Limited here tonight so I can drive it, as well. I’ll be back behind the wheel of Pro Mod next weekend at the Billy Robinson Memorial at Ark-La-Tex. But we’ll focus on the Factory Stock this week with big money up for grabs.”
Hatton has been off to a strong start thus far in 2024, and feels confident about his chances.
“Our Factory Stock has had a lot of speed so far, especially at the beginning of the year. We’ve got that new Crate motor, and it’s working out better than expected. When I first heard it was going in, I was pretty worried. But it has really shined a lot more than I thought it would. It has ample horsepower.
“You just have the car freed up and not too tight; that way you know you’re not going to lug the motor down too low. With that 6,200 RPM Rev Chip in there, we’ve definitely leaned on it a lot. When we went to Rocket, we really didn’t know what we needed for that deal. Gearing is critical for corner exit.”
Cj Howell is a red-hot young driver also preparing his ride for this weekend. Always a threat, he’s gearing up to give it his best shot.
“I’m excited for this weekend’s race, for sure,” Howell said. “We’ve been struggling a little bit, and got off to a rough start this year. But it isn’t anything we can’t overcome. We’re starting to click here lately; when we were at Sabine recently we tried some things, and it got us headed in the right direction.
“We had some minor issues in the engine department about a month ago, but we got it figured out and I’m confident going into this weekend. We know all the heavy hitters are coming, so we’ll just get our car dialed in as best we can and go give it our best shot. That’s all we can do.”
Hatton and Howell will tell you the competition is always intense at Boothill, even for a weekly show.
Hot Laps for Friday night’s program will begin at 7:30, with racing to follow. On Saturday night, Hot Laps will start at 7 p.m. followed by the all-important B Mains and of course, the features. Also on the card at Boothill this weekend are the USRA Limited Modifieds, USRA Tuners and Sportsters.
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By Phil Whipple, RaceON.com Staff Writer
