Mod Tour RoY James Civali Enters Mason-Dixon Meltdown

Modified Tour Rookie of the Year Gets Ready for 250 Laps of Racing at South Boston

CONCORD, NC (November 20, 2006) – James Civali and his #28 King Motorsports team didn’t want their 2006 racing season to end.  Who could blame them?  It was a year when the driver and team won their first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Stafford, took home the series Rookie of the Year honors and came within a hair of possibly sweeping the biggest NASCAR Modified events of the season at New Hampshire International Speedway.

so Civali and team have added one more event to their schedules – the Mason-Dixon Meltdown at South Boston Speedway on November 24th-25th.

 

“Anytime you are running well, you can’t stand to stop racing,” said Civali.  “When you have a bad year you can’t wait for it to be over.  But after our year, we want for it to keep going.”

 

With the success that Civali has had in 2006, does he automatically enter the race as one of the guys to beat?  Possibly.  But the young driver remains modest when he is asked about that possibility.

 

“Maybe,” said Civali.  “Some people might be starting to think that I can win wherever I show up, but I don’t know about that yet.  I can’t say how I’ll be down there until at least the first practice is over.”

 

The Meltdown will be Civali’s first trip ever to South Boston, but like several other facilities where he raced for the first time at this season, he does not have a special routine for his maiden visit to the track.

 

“I don’t try to psych myself out or think too much.  I just go and try to do what I do best.  I do what I can and maybe I will try to follow someone who might know a track better than I do.

 

“I know a little bit a little bit about the track.  I know that it has an inside wall, which I’m not used to because we don’t have them up here.  (Editor’s Note: The inside wall in turn four has been removed since the last time the Modifieds competed at SoBo.)  Every track is different.  I just try to adapt quickly to different situations at different tracks.”

 

Through his career, Civali has logged plenty of laps at plenty of places in everything from Tour-type Modifieds to Busch East cars.  Those different experiences can help him settle into new places without delay.

 

“Driving a lot of different cars at a lot of different tracks helps you to adapt quickly.  I’ve raced at many different tracks in legends cars and quarter midgets.  Everything that I have run, I have raced throughout the country.  I’ve raced at a lot of odd tracks and you learn things from each track.  That helps you prepare for anything similar at the next track you go to.”

 

The Tour-Type Modified portion of the “Mason-Dixon Meltdown” features a 250-lap main event on Saturday, November 25th.  The PASS South Super Late Models also have a 250-lap event that day and both premier divisions will be racing for a $12,500 paycheck for the winner, plus lap money and other bonuses to be announced soon.  Also competing during the “Mason-Dixon Meltdown” weekend are the Legends Cars (Friday only) and the Pro Challenge Series (Saturday only).