Ringgold, Ga. -- A strong start to the 2022 season for Payton Freeman continued Saturday evening in the Ultimate Super Late Model Series at Boyd’s Speedway.
Freeman possessed one of the fastest Super Late Models in a talented 42-car field and fought hard for the lead all evening in the main event before settling for a strong second place finish right behind seasoned veteran Ricky Weiss.
Although Freeman tried everything to pass Weiss in the closing laps, he took pride in his second place showing against drivers who frequent the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and World of Outlaws Late Model Series.
“We had a really good night,” Freeman said. “Our car was extremely fast and to just be able to run with guys like Ricky Weiss and Jimmy Owens is a testament to how hard we worked over the winter. We’ve been fast but just haven’t had the luck. Thankfully we had luck on our side [Saturday] and showed everyone what we could do.”
Freeman’s strong performance came as a major relief for him after previously struggling at Boyd’s during his career.
With so many strong competitors in the field, Freeman knew that he and his team had to stick with their original approach that involved putting down the best possible lap in qualifying and making the right adjustments to be competitive in the A main.
The speed was prevalent in Freeman’s car the moment it hit the track for the first time. Freeman’s qualifying lap was just .013 seconds off Weiss’ time and the two were unable to find much separation from each other as they battled for the win.
Issues with navigating lapped traffic was the main factor that Freeman believed prevented him from visiting victory lane, but the improvements his team showcased at Boyd’s have given him confidence as he attempts to claim a Spring Nationals Series championship.
“I needed a little bit more experience against Ricky, but we definitely learned a lot [on Saturday],” Freeman said. “There’s a lot we’re still learning on how to restrict these big motors, but we made some huge gains. Right now, we’re just looking to build off every week and get better.”
Freeman hopes the raw speed he possessed at Boyd’s shows up again when he travels to Florence Speedway next weekend for a chance to win $10,000.
Payton Freeman would like to thank all his supporters and partners, including his parents, crew and fans as well as Freeman Plumbing, Coltman Farms, MPM Marketing, Stilo, KRC Power Steering, K1 RaceGear, Schaeffer’s Oil, Base Racing Fuel, SRI Performance, Captial Race Cars, Shelton Trucking, Chattham & Son Tile, Rod Roberts Trucking, Collins Signs, Sweet Victory Apparel and Accu-Force Dyno & Testers.
-Photo credit: Ritchie Photography