Josh Henry with his father, Skimp, and his Mid-season Championship trophy at Tazewell.
Josh Henry went into the 2014 dirt racing season hoping to win the Late Model track championship at the Tazewell Speedway. On Friday night during the crowning of champions ceremony at the Fall Brawl on the upper east Tennessee track, the Newport driver will receive a trophy for doing exactly that.
Henry won two feature races throughout the season on the extreme high banks of the Tazewell Speedway, but he believes it was consistency that led to his ultimate success. With only an occasional exception, the #B00 car could be seen near the front of the pack on most Saturday nights.
“If I finished the race, I don’t remember when I didn’t run in the top-3,” Henry proclaimed. “We’ve had some bad luck the last couple of races, like the last Saturday we ran up there when we started 4th and got up to 2nd then the ball joint broke and it climbed up the wall. We had a really good car that night.”
But with the points racing season now over, Henry would love to win again this weekend.
“We’ve won those two races and we’ve had a good year up there,” the 23-year-old said. “And we won that Spring Thaw at Bulls Gap. All of those wins came in April, but we haven’t won since April. We’d definitely like to win the Fall Brawl race on Friday night, that’s for sure.”
Henry had some misfortune on Sunday afternoon in the 411 Motor Speedway portion of the Fall Brawl when, driving Josh Driskill’s car, he got tangled up in a multi-car accident. However, he says that his regular Rocket Chassis machine will be ready for action on Friday at ‘The Bad Fast Taz’.
“I’ve been happy with the way our year has gone,” Henry pointed out. “I’d like to win more races. (Jason) Welshan has won 30 and I’ve won three. I’d like to get to double digits one year.
“I’ve been everywhere this year. I’ve been to Boyd’s, Smoky Mountain, 411 and Wartburg. It seems like everywhere we go we run in the top-5, but we just can’t seem to get over the top and get to the winner’s circle as much as we’d like to. But I am pleased with the way our year has gone and with how my racecar has driven all year. I appreciate everybody who’s helped me.”
Josh Henry’s B00 machine.
Henry takes pride in the accomplishment of his track championship, especially considering the competition he had to face on a weekly basis.
“It was great to win the points up at Tazewell over Jason Trammell and Steve Smith and people like that,” he declared. “411 and Tazewell, if you consider yourself a good racecar driver, those are the places where you’ve got to win. If you win at those places, you’ve beaten the best of the best.”
But the dirt racing season isn’t over just yet. This young driver and father of a brand new baby girl would like nothing better than to add another trip to Victory Lane to his list of achievements before the final curtain comes down on 2014.
“I’m really excited for these two races coming up at Tazewell and Bulls Gap,” Henry stated. “I feel like we’ve got a great shot of winning at either one of those places. I feel like we could go in there and win a big money race. Three years ago I won The Gobbler at Cleveland, and that’s the biggest race I’ve ever won. But I haven’t won a big money race since then. I’d love to at least get one out of these two.”
The B00 Crew in Victory Lane.
