Column By: BOBBY CHALMERS / RPW – PORT ROYAL, PA – Ryan Godown felt like he gave one away on Thursday evening at the Port Royal Speedway.
On Friday night, he did everything in his power to put himself and his team in position not to give away the big $50,000 payday for winning the Short Track Super Series Speed Showcase 200.
The Ringoes, NJ driver drove to the front of his 20-lap qualifier for the big 200-lap event to be held on Saturday and fended off all challengers to collect the $750 top prize and get in the redraw for the crown jewel race.
“We’ve still got a little bit of work to do on this thing,” Godown said. “However, the car’s feeling pretty good. We’re a little tight on entry still and I have to get it a little better off.”
How important was winning the heat race on Friday night for Godown?
“Obviously, winning the heat race is good,” he said. “It gets us in the redraw. It gets us up further. It betters our spot from last night so we’ll hopefully have some good luck and just keep on.”
Can Godown take home the crown jewel event and the big payday that goes along with it? What does he have to do to make sure he’s in the mix when the chips are on the table Saturday night?
“The pace of the race I don’t think will be that hard,” he said. It’s all about your car being good in the first 20 (laps) and the last 20 of each hundred. That’s what we have to do. Full fuel load then it starts to burn off and it’s tricky. You have to adjust for it and hopefully we can make minor adjustments and be there in the end.”