Austin Wheatley
Wheatley Selects ASCS National Tour Podium Finish as Highlight of Season
Inside Line Promotions - LAKE STEVENS, Wash. (Oct. 29, 2018) - Austen Wheatley had a successful campaign in 2018 despite scaling back to the tune of only 20 sprint car races.
Wheatley put an emphasis on family as well as the apparel businesses he owns - Downforce Designs and Vaportrail Clothing.
"If you're in the Midwest or race with the World of Outlaws you can't do it as a hobby," he said. "Being around here I can focus on my business and be somewhat competitive for races around the Northwest."
Wheatley posted a trio of podium finishes with the highlight coming in late June when he scored his first career podium with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour presented by SawBlade.com during the Fred Brownfield Classic at Grays Harbor Raceway.
Wheatley won a heat race from fourth to be the high-points driver of the night. He started the feature sixth, but had to overcome a tire problem to record the career-best result.
"It wasn't an easy night," he said. "Traffic was tough in the main event, but we were able to move forward and make good decisions on the track. It was a really solid night from start to finish."
In July Wheatley led a Western Sprint Tour Speedweek show early before finishing fourth at Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage Grove, Ore., and he placed fifth during the 29th annual Bob's Burger & Brew Summer Nationals at Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash.
"We should have won two or three races this year," he said. "Running well and winning races are two different things. That is part of what we sacrifice not running a lot. I'm not sure what next year will entail, but hopefully we can put ourselves in position to win races and we can capitalize.
"I also want to thank our sponsors for supporting our family team."
20 races, 0 wins, 3 top fives, 6 top 10s, 8 top 15s, 14 top 20s
Website: http://www.AustenWheatley.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AustenWheatley
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DownForceDesigns?fref=ts
Wheatley will have t-shirts and hoodies for sale at every race he competes at this season. For his schedule of races, visit http://www.AustenWheatley.com.
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT - Downforce Designs
Downforce Designs is an apparel company established and operated by Austen Wheatley. For information on apparel options, prices, clientele and more, visit http://www.DownforceDesigns.com .
"It's good to have a fresh take on apparel in the sport," Wheatley said. "My goal is to provide something unique and diverse, and I think I know what a driver wants to see on his or her apparel. It's a racer helping racers."
Wheatley would also like to thank Redlined Welding & Construction, Astro Titanium, Franklin Rear Ends, Elite Wings, ART Speed Equipment, Schaeffer Oil and Banshee Graphics for their continued support.
Wheatley Continues With World of Outlaws During West Coast Swing
Inside Line Promotions - ELMA, Wash. (Sept. 5, 2018) - Austen Wheatley is focused on showing improvement as he continues the West Coast Swing with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series.
Wheatley will compete on Wednesday at Willamette Speedway in Lebanon, Ore., and Friday and Saturday at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif., during the Gold Cup Race of Champions.
"I don't think that we're off that much, but it's magnified because everyone is so close at the highest level," he said. "We have to get the balance right and I have to do a better job behind the wheel."
Wheatley raced with 'The Greatest Show on Dirt' during a trio of races in his home state of Washington during the holiday weekend. The action began last Friday at Skagit Speedway in Alger, where Wheatley qualified 13 th quickest overall and finished fifth in a heat race to start the Outlaw Energy Showdown main event on the inside of the seventh row.
"We were running in the top 10 and had a double-file restart," he said. "I got sandwiched and spun around backwards and hit the infield fence. It gave me a flat right rear tire and broke a shock stud and broke a radius rod, which was jammed in there. They couldn't get it changed in time so we weren't able to restart the race."
Wheatley was credited with a 20th-place finish.
The following night was similar at Skagit Speedway. Wheatley timed in 13 th quickest before he advanced from fifth to fourth place in a heat race. That lined him up 10th on the starting grid for the main event.
"I was running around the top 10 and me and (Jason) Solwold were racing back and forth," he said. "I went to the hit the bottom. Apparently he had a run on me and I don't think he thought I was going to the bottom. We made contact at the bottom of turn one and spun around. I was able to restart at the back, but we ended up pulling in early because I wasn't going anywhere."
Wheatley finished 21st.
He wrapped up the competition on Monday at Grays Harbor Raceway, where a 19 th-place qualifying result and a seventh-place finish in a heat race lined him up on the inside of the 10th row for the A Main.
"I think I didn't do a bad job of driving, but the balance was just off," he said. "We're slowly getting there and I could always do better."
Wheatley ended with a 20th-place result.
Aug. 31 - Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. - Qualifying: 13; Heat race: 5 (5); Feature: 20 (13).
Sept. 1 - Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. - Qualifying: 13; Heat race: 4 (5); Feature: 21 (10).
Sept. 3 - Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash. - Qualifying: 19; Heat race: 7 (7); Feature: 20 (19).
Wednesday at Willamette Speedway in Lebanon, Ore., and Friday and Saturday at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif., for the Gold Cup Race of Champions with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT - Redlined Welding & Construction
Redlined Welding & Construction performs welding and construction for fishing boats and processors. Based out of Lake Stevens, Wash., Redlined Welding & Construction is owned and operated by Austen's father, Shannon Wheatley.
"Redlined Welding & Construction is a family business and we race with a family team so without Redlined Welding & Construction I wouldn't be able to race," Austen Wheatley said. "It is the heart and soul of this team."
Wheatley would also like to thank Downforce Designs, Astro Titanium, Franklin Rear Ends, Elite Wings, ART Speed Equipment, Schaeffer Oil and Banshee Graphics for their continued support.
Wheatley Tackling World of Outlaws Shows at Skagit and Grays Harbor
Inside Line Promotions - LAKE STEVENS, Wash. (Aug. 27, 2018) - Austen Wheatley has an opportunity to defend his home turf this weekend when the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series invades Washington.
Wheatley and 'The Greatest Show on Dirt' will race on Friday and Saturday at Skagit Speedway in Alger during the Outlaw Energy Showdown and next Monday at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma.
"I feel pretty confident about it," he said. "The 410 deal is so much different in competition level. When you go to an Outlaws race everybody in the field is on it from the drop of the green. I feel like we have speed. We'll see how we stack up against that level of competition."
This weekend will mark Wheatley's season debut in a 410ci winged sprint car. He has 10 starts in the 360ci ranks this season and is riding a five-race top-10 streak.
Wheatley posted his career-best World of Outlaws result at Skagit Speedway (13th) and at Grays Harbor Raceway (11th) in 2015.
"Grays Harbor Raceway is my better track of the two so I'm hopeful because it's one of my favorite tracks," he said. "It suits me a lot better. It flows and is a momentum track. When it slicks off it's really technical. When tracks slow down you have to be patient and hit your marks. I feel like I do well when tracks get that way."
Friday and Saturday at Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash., for the Outlaw Energy Showdown and Monday at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash., with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series
Wheatley Scores Sixth-Place Finish During Season Debut at Grays Harbor
Inside Line Promotions - ELMA, Wash. (June 4, 2018) - Austen Wheatley dusted the cobwebs off last Saturday at Grays Harbor Raceway where he made his season debut and his first sprint car start since last October.
"We had electrical issues so the car didn't fire for packing or hot laps," he said. "We got it to fire just before qualifying. I hadn't even looked at the race track and hadn't raced the car in more than seven months, but it turned out solid."
Wheatley qualified ninth quickest in his family owned No. 45. He then placed fourth in a heat race to lock into the ninth starting position for the A Main.
"I think it took me a minute to get acclimated," he said. "Elma is a fast place. The track was great in the feature. It had two grooves at both ends and was really smooth.
"It was a weird ending to the race. We had a caution with four laps to go. I was in seventh when we had a restart. I got up to fifth when a car broke in turn four. Jason Solwold was right in front and he slowed to like half speed. I questioned whether the race was over, but J.J. Hickle passed me. I picked it back up and he beat me at the line by a nose."
Wheatley was credited with a sixth-place result.
Wheatley said his next event will be June 21-23 at Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash., during the 47th annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour presented by SawBlade.com. He will also compete with the ASCS National Tour the following weekend at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash., during the Fred Brownfield Classic.
"It might take a few laps to get up to speed at Skagit since that's different than Grays Harbor, but I feel good going into Dirt Cup," he said. "I think we can be competitive."
June 2 - Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash. - Qualifying: 9; Heat race: 4 (2); Feature: 6 (9).
1 race, 0 wins, 0 top fives, 1 top 10, 1 top 15, 1 top 20
June 21-23 at Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash., for the 47th annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour presented by SawBlade.com
Wheatley would also like to thank Downforce Designs, Astro Titanium, Fire-Down Graphics, SpeedMart, Bell and King Racing Products for their continued support.