Rockingham: Chad Finley race report

Adventurous Weekend results in a podium finish at Rockingham for 18-year-old Chad Finley.

DeWitt, Michigan (Monday, October 11, 2010): For 18-year-old Chad Finley and his Brad Keselowski Racing (BKR) Team, the entire 2010 racing season came down to one race; The American 200 Presented by Black's Tire and Auto Service on October 9th at the Rockingham Speedway in Rockingham, North Carolina.

Finley and his BKR crew knew they'd be in good shape at a track where the DeWitt, Michigan talent had seen success in the past. In 2009, he won the Pole for this very same race and led laps as well. Going into the 2010 version of the American 200, Finley was ready to take that next step and put his name on the list of first time winners in the ARCA Racing Series Presented by RE/MAX and Menards.

Things started off well enough for Finley as he qualified second quick out of 41 teams in attendance and was scheduled to start on the outside of the front row next to Menards Pole Award Presented by Ansell Winner, Kevin Swindell and things were looking up for Finley and his entire BKR team.

Unfortunately, Finley would be relegated to last on the starting grid after being forced to pull his #29 Air Lift Company / Auto Value - Bumper to Bumper Parts Stores and Certified Service Centers machine out of impound. "After we went through tech, we heard a funny noise in the rear end, so we pulled out of line and changed the gear." Finley explained. "We were just heart broken! We just missed the pole too!"

So Finley was relegated to 41st on the starting grid and as soon as the green flag dropped, Finley immediately began to pick his way through the field and made his way up to as high as third and that's where he finished for his second podium finish of 2010 and third of his career in the ARCA Racing Series Presented by RE/MAX and Menards.

Finley tied his career high finish for the second time as he's finished third at Pocono (2010) and Berlin (2009) Ty Dillon took the win at Rockingham ahead of Swindell and Finley who completed the podium positions while Patrick Sheltra finished fourth to clinch the 2010 ARCA Series Championship!

"What a good race we had at The Rock! To come home third after all we went through is a good feeling! It's been a while," The 18-year-old phenom continued. "The old girl was solid today. We just never could get good track position and we were battling from behind all day long. We just could never catch that break."

"I'm really proud of every one for the weekend and this entire year. It's been a tough spell there and we got through it," He remarked in appreciation. "Once again a very special thanks to the Air Lift Company as well as the great people at Auto Value - Bumper to Bumper Parts Stores and Certified Service Centers for their great support this year. We appreciate it very much." Finley ended.

In six starts in ARCA in 2010, Finley recorded Two Top Five finishes with his season high third place showing twice, with the latest podium showing coming at Rockingham. His only other Top Five was also a third in the Messina Wildlife Stopper 200 at the biggest track he's ever raced on; The 2.5 mile triangular paved oval of the Pocono International Raceway in Pocono, Pennsylvania back on June 5th.

His other starts have resulted in an 11th place finish in the Rattlesnake 100 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas on April 16th and a seventh place finish in the Racing for Wildlife 200 at the track on the ARCA Schedule closest to his home in DeWitt, Michigan, the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan on June 11th. His last two races were his 23rd place showing at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois and a 30th place showing at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas.

-source: bkr