MILLVILLE, New Jersey (June 27, 2012) – – After being snakebitten in the last two ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards races, Tom Hessert III (@TomHessert) and his Ken Schrader Racing (KSR) team aim for redemption in Sunday’s All-American Race Weekend presented by Global Barter Corporation at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP).
The lone road course event of the season may be the exact medicine that the veteran pair needs to put what has been a relatively strong season back on the right path and see the No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet back at the front.
With all due respect, Hessert’s name has been tossed around as “one to watch” this weekend and the early race predictions certainly fit the criteria. The Hessert-family name has been historical for road-racing success and with the 26-year old’s success turning lefts and rights not only in ARCA but in the NASCAR Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series as well, the chances of celebrating his second-career ARCA victory may not be too far off the horizon.
If Hessert was to pull off the feat and score his first ARCA win with Ken Schrader Racing and crew chief Donnie Richeson, the Cherry Hill, New Jersey native won’t have to look far for family and friends to join in the celebration. The 10th race on the 60thanniversary tour is nestled just about an hour from Hessert’s hometown.
“It’s going to be a fun weekend, I just hope we have a good finish that makes it all even better,” said Hessert. “I always love competing at New Jersey and it’s close to home, so all the friends and family flock to the racetrack and that’s important to me. I enjoy their company and support and it’s nice to have a cheering section for a race like this.”
He added, “There’s no hiding that Michigan and Winchester were hard on us. We had such a strong start to the year and two races where we had no control of the outcome have forced us to come together as a team and prove that we’re ready to fight our way back into the spotlight. New Jersey’s a perfect place to do that. There’s going to be competition, but I think with our team’s attitude and desire we should have a really strong weekend.”
Competing on a tour that consists of speedways, short tracks, dirt tracks and a road course, Hessert revels how important having a track like New Jersey Motorsports Park on the schedule is crucial to ARCA’s platform.
“ARCA spreads its wings as one of the most diversified racing tours in the United States and it truly is,” explained Hessert. “There isn’t anywhere else where you can take a stock car and go race places like Daytona, Salem, Michigan then shift over to a tricky road course like New Jersey and then later in the year sling on the dirt at Springfield and DuQuoin. It’s a series that’s a lot of fun to compete in and a lot of people take notice of that. The road course races have been exciting in the past and I don’t expect Sunday’s race to be any different.”
The avid racer will make his fifth start in Millville, New Jersey this weekend in search for his third consecutive top-five run and fourth top-10 effort overall.
“No doubt about it, New Jersey is a place if everything goes as it should for us to recovery some of the points we’ve lost in the last two races. I have a feeling we’ll have a good enough No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet to contend for victory – but if we can also walk away with a good point’s day, I’ll be happy with that too.”
After nine races, Hessert occupies seventh in the championship standings and has posted three top-fives and five top-10 finishes thus far in 2012. Entering New Jersey, Hessert has 92 career ARCA Racing Series starts. In those outings, he has maneuvered two poles, one win, 22 top-fives and 48 top-10s.
For more on Tom Hessert III, please visit tomhessert.com.
Hessert has joined the Twitter crave. Follow and connect with him @TomHessert.
