News Director 
Story By: RICH WATTS / MANSBERGER MOTORSPORTS – YORK HAVEN, PA – Zach Newlin and the Mansberger Motorsports team experienced their share of challenges last season. After a long winter and a wait of nearly six months since their last outing, they were ready for a fresh start and better luck.
Newlin strapped into the Manchester Hydraulics, Marlow’s Metal Fabrication, Safety Kleen, Lee Chassis Repair & Components, Will’s Lawncare, Mansberger Motorsports No.21m Sunday afternoon to kick off the team’s 2023 season at BAPS Motor Speedway in York Haven, PA.
They were among a field of 29 cars who would be competing in the track’s March Sprint Madness event. It was a beautiful, sunny but breezy afternoon, which created a dry, slick and dusty racing surface from first time the green flag dropped.
The conditions would be a factor all day long for teams, making passing difficult and tire wear a concern.
By luck of the draw, Newlin started 5th in his heat race. The top six finishers were scheduled to transfer to the A-main, but just getting in wasn’t the goal. Every position gained in the heat race would move you up three spots in the starting lineup, and drivers would finished in the top three would participate in the redraw, giving them a shot at starting up front.
A good starting spot would be a valuable commodity on the tricky daytime surface.
Newlin closed in on 4th place a few times over the course of the 8-lap event but could never get alongside or make the pass. He settled for a 5th place finish.
Newlin started the 20-lap A-main in 13th and made some forward progress in the opening laps. A couple caution flags slowed the field during the first half of the race.
Running 11th as the race neared the halfway mark, Newlin got a little wide coming off turn two and lost a spot. Moments later his No.21m ended up facing the wrong way in the middle of turns three and four after contact from behind.
Newlin pushed off again after the spin but realized his right rear tire was going down. He was forced to pull off and call it a day.
“I thought I messed up off turn two. Then I tried to hustle the car but I guess I left the door open too far entering three and got bumped enough to turn me. The tire was probably going down before I realized it.”, Newlin said. “I still had a little tread left but I must have run over something. We found a cut and a small hole on the right rear.“
“It’s disappointing because we had a car good enough to run top ten today. There’s a couple things I could’ve done better. We will learn from it and try again in two weeks at The Grove.“, Newlin concluded.
Next up for Zach Daddy and the Mansberger Motorsports team will be the 358 sprint car season opener at Williams Grove Speedway on April 7th. Qualifying is scheduled to kick off at 7:30pm.
