Joey Doiron Racing: PASS North Series
Thompson Int’l Speedway Race Report
THOMPSON, Conn. – Joey Doiron of Berwick, Maine, finished eighth in the PASS North Series California Paints 75 at Thompson International Speedway in Thompson, Conn., on Thursday, July 12. It was Doiron’s first career start at the largest track on the circuit. He avoided a multi-car incident in the final corner on the final lap to post his sixth Top-10 in eight starts this season. Doiron avoided disaster on Lap 4 when another car’s engine blew right in front of the No. 73 JBJ Machine/Scarborough Downs Chevrolet, forcing him to pit road to clear his windshield of debris and then restart at the rear of the field.
WHO: Joey Doiron, Berwick, Maine
TEAM: Joey Doiron Racing No. 73 JBJ Machine/Scarborough Downs Chevrolet
CREW CHIEF: John Doiron, Berwick, Maine
WHAT: PASS North Series California Paints 75
WHERE: Thompson International Speedway, Thompson, Conn. (.625-mile oval)
STARTED: 12th
FINISHED: 8th
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JOEY, DO YOU FEEL GOOD TO HAVE FOUGHT BACK FOR THE TOP-10 FINISH?
“We had a pretty good car. It went green a lot longer than I expected, and I figured there’d be a big wreck but there wasn’t. I just went out and rode laps, and I kind of lost ground. Those guys up front were going a lot harder than I thought they would so early in the race.
“I kind of expected a few issues at the end. The opportunity presented itself with a late-race caution, but I missed a shift. We were just as good as (Mike O’Sullivan), and he finished fourth. But that missed shift at the end really cost us.”
DID YOU HAVE A CAR THAT YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN MORE OUT OF HAD THE RACE PLAYED OUT DIFFERENTLY?
“It was a lot harder to pass some of those guys up front than I thought it was going to be, and they were racing a lot harder than I expected. It’s just a really hard place to pass. For my first race here, I learned a whole lot. It’s not the kind of place we go to very often, so we’ll just chalk it up to learning. We’ll come back with a whole different outlook on the race – and we’ll be more prepared, and I’ll be more prepared as a driver.”
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO PIT SO EARLY?
“That guy, the 13, blew up right in front of me. You couldn’t see anything out of the windshield. We figured the best thing to do was to bite the bullet and pit to clean it because it was only four laps into the race.”
