(LDS) Race 3: Peach State 100

Webster Almost Breaks Back into Victory Lane in Georgia

The story of Webster's day was the ability to get the lead, but the inability to keep the lead.
Webster found his way to the lead on three different occasions in the Peach State 100, and he was unable to maintain it every time.

The first came after the first round of pit stops where Webster drove by Todd Stater and pulled away, only to let Stater close back in. The caution was then thrown after Stater ran into Webster on the exit of a corner, spinning Stater's car and giving Webster a ton of damage. Webster lost the lead on pit road repairing damage.

In the later stages of the race, Webster was gifted with the lead after Jim Kidd pitted frmo the lead with an issue. Several laps later, Webster was once again run up into the wall by 2nd place Danica Holifield. Both cars went around and Webster suffered even more damage.
Third place Hunter Blaize.

Webster fortunately restarted 2nd on the final restart and chased down leader Hunter Blaize in the closing laps. Webster got around Blaize with 2 laps to go after the #17 slowed dramatically in the first corner. With the checkered flag in sight, Blaize got a strong run on Webster off of the final corner and nosed Webster at the line for the win.

"You gotta give credit to Blaize. He outdrove me in that final corner. I thought I would take it easy just to make sure I got through the corner clean, and I still messed it up. He went for it and it stuck. Congratulations to the #17 crew.

Webster also had comments about run-ins with Todd Stater and Danica Holifield after the race.

"We got used up on multiple occasions today battling for the lead. Just straight used up.
We worked to get by both of those drivers cleanly when we got the lead, and they both paid us back by racing us the way they did. I still don't really know if Holifield actually thought wedging me up against the wall off the final corner was going to work out any other way than it actually did. At then end of the day it's just part of the racing here. The way this track is,
with how slick it is, you have to make use of the slide job and rub some doors. I'm just amazed at how I got the lead without much of that kind of racing, and we get used up when they try to get back around us."

Webster finished the day in 2nd just behind winner Hunter Blaize.

"At the end of the day, I'm just happy with how far this team has come since 2016. We really,
really struggled outside of the road course races last season. We made an extra commitment at the shop to figure out what the issues were and how we go about resolving them. We're off to a really good start this season. I don't think I've ever been as high as 2nd in the points before. I hate that we gave up several opportunities to win this race, but with the way last season was for us... We'll take 2nd here and move on to the next one. If we keep running this great, the wins will come to us at some point."

LAST LAP HEROICS GIVE ROOKIE BLAIZE MAIDEN FARC LOWE DOLLAR SERIES VICTORY

After GRI driver Hunter Blaize won the BAAR Super Pro title in 2013 at the tender age of 14, many people within the team, particularly team owner Packer Carroll, had visions of Blaize making up to the big leagues and doing great things. From 2014-2016, he competed in the AST Voltson Super Trucks, and also returned to BAAR in 2016 for a double-duty stint. However, despite good run and good points finishes, he never saw victory lane, leading many to doubt whether or not the young Ohioan could succeed at FARC's highest level.

It took all of three races to quell that doubt.

Blaize started 15th, and after a slow start to the race, Blaize was able to slowly make his way forward, and stayed out of the carnage the race produced. He led on the final restart with six laps to go, but slowed in turn 1, as brake issues forced him to make a much softer entry into the corner than usual. This, of course, almost cost him the win, as the 41 of Zach Webster caught the 17 of Blaize and passed him down the backstretch.

On the final lap, Blaize took the 17 hard into turns 3 & 4, and the car surprisingly stuck, just as the 41 of Webster smacked the wall in turn 4, allowing Blaize to make the move to the inside off of turn 4. It was a drag race to the line, and it was Blaize winning it by a car length. It was the first of GRI's 15 wins in FARC's crown jewel series that happened from a last lap pass, and it was the 18-year-old Ohioan's first career win in just his third career start. The celebration was enormous, as Hunter could be seen fist-pumping inside the car on his way around for his victory lap.

In victory lane, the celebration continued, as Blaize gave his interview with a smile that never left his features.

HUNTER: Wow, I can't believe this is happening! I made it to victory lane in the FARC Lowe Dollar Series, man! This is what I've been working for the past four years in developmental. I just never thought it would be here so soon.

When asked about his last lap pass...

HUNTER: Well, that last lap pass wouldn't have happened if I hadn't taken turn 1 so softly on the next to last lap. The brake pedal was getting softer and softer with each lap, so I took turn 1 a little bit easier than I intended, and I nearly gave the race away to Webster right there. On the last lap, when he got through turns 1 and 2 cleanly, I said 'screw it' and threw the car hard into turn 3... and the son of a bitch stuck! I couldn't believe. Then, when I saw the 41 drifting back toward me, because from what I could tell, he brushed the wall, which killed all of his momentum, I realized 'Oh, my God, I have a shot at this!', so I floored it, it stuck off of turn 4, and it was just a drag race to the line, and we did it. We got this car into victory lane. I really don't know what else to say, other than thanks to my car owner Packer Carroll for giving me the opportunity to drive this car for him.

Speaking of Packer, he was a contender for the win throughout the day, and was running in the top 5 when the last caution came out, but was caught in the schmazzle between Zach Webster and Danica Holifield when the 41 pulled up in front of the 71, causing the 71 to smash into the back of the 41, putting a hole in the radiator and taking the 71 out of the race. Packer, needless to say, was none too happy.

PACKER: Not really sure why he pulled in front of me like that, but it really sucks. We were primed for a great run, and we would've been a contender to win on that last restart, but instead, we get smacked with another poor result. We came into this season with aspirations of a championship, but at this point, we'll be lucky to get into the top 30.

Upon learning that his young driver Hunter Blaize won the race...

PACKER: That's what we've been grooming him for, for four years down in the developmental series, but I'm surprised he's taken to these heavy stock cars so soon. But that's a good thing, and of this win is a sign of things to come, he will be a contender for this championship before the season's over with. Hopefully, we'll be able to dig ourselves out of this rut we're in, and get this car into victory lane at Nashville.

Three race into the 2017 season, Hunter Blaize sits 6th in the championship after his win, while teammate and team owner Packer Carroll sit a poultry 38th as the series heads to Nashville.

Kenny George comments on his race

"Man, not always we can get what we want, team did the best we could, but the car gave away and that should be on me, we'll just head to the next one and hope for a better day at Nashville."

Trueman Ellison quoted after his early incidents in the race

"As a team owner and a driver, my job is to react towards cars, but I want a reaction from them. I always say that you don't have to like The #03 car, but you will discover something - maybe a tiny little thing - and say, 'Wait a minute, maybe I want to see more of it"