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THE PASS OUTLAW
100
North Division
Sunday, May 28th at
Speedway 95, Hermon, ME
9th Place
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May 28,
2006 - Speedway 95, Hermon, Maine) Three races at three
different tracks for the start of the 2006 racing season
has challenged the team for the Ramstrom Racing #35.
However, the team’s hard work (and long drive) was
rewarded with a clean and strong run by Derek Ramstrom
in Sunday’s PASS Outlaw Late Model 100 at Speedway 95.
Saturday was spent using every practice session to
ensure the car and driver were fast as possible around
the track. By the end of the day, Crew Chief Jeff Ratoff
was confident of the car’s chance for a good finish on
Sunday.
In Sunday’s second heat race, the Ramstrom Racing #35
finished 4th. Derek finished 9th in the 100 lap feature,
but as is often the case, the finish position does not
tell the complete story. The #35 car was running in 4th
with less than two laps to go, when an ignition failure
brought the car to a halt short of the checkered flag.
In keeping with the team’s hope to build respect within
the PASS racing community, Derek did his best to prevent
drawing a late race caution as he coasted the track.
Due to Sunday afternoon’s hot weather, the race proved
to be a workout. Derek fought the heat and the
track, and with the help of his father Rick’s spotting,
Derek ran the #35 through a cool smooth race bringing
the car back to the trailer with only some tire rubbing
highlights. Some of the PASS racing family stopped by to
congratulate the young driver about his well-run race.
Certainly, the team’s best moment of the weekend came
when Derek was running 4th late in the race right behind
(and pushing?) repeat track champion “Big John” Phippen.
Derek Ramstrom holds the following positions in series
points:
? PASS North - 6th (tied) with 406 points
? Canaan Weekly - 9th with 36 points
? PASS Central - First race on June 3 (barring rain)
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Canaan
Opener
CHAPPY'S
CONCESSIONS 100
presented by
NORTHEAST WASTE
MANAGEMENT
Saturday, May 6th -
Canaan, NH
8th Place
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With a top-ten finish
for Derek Ramstrom in his first Outlaw Late Model start at
Canaan Speedway, it was a successful weekend of racing for
the Ramstrom Racing Team #35. However, prior to the great
finish by the #35 much work was done by the team and driver.
Friday was a day of practice for all the teams at the Canaan
asphalt track, and while Derek and the Ramstrom team were
familiar with the track, it was Allison Legacy experience.
Therefore, Rick Ramstrom saw that Derek was out on the track
for every available lap of practice. In a scene right out of
the movie Days of Thunder, the team left Derek to
drive practice laps, while they relaxed eating ice cream.
On Saturday, to allow Crew Chief Jeff Ratoff to fine tune
the car’s set-up, and to let Derek to get more seat time in
his new ride, Rick had the #35 run all of the practice
sessions.
For the heat race, Rick elected to start Derek at the tail.
The car handled well on the smooth speedway surface. As all
cars in the heat would qualify for the feature, staying out
of trouble was the spotter’s order for the 10-lap race.
The Ramstrom Racing #35 started 13th in the 40-lap feature.
Derek raced the car on the inside, on the outside, and moved
his car up to 6th place, before dropping back two spots in
the laps leading to the checkered flag. Also, toward the end
of the race Derek rode Canaan’s difficult outside line for
several laps against track veteran Chris Curtis in the #26,
who held the desired inside groove.
The team returned from New Hampshire with an eight place
finish. Sporting a doughnut and some slight body
damage, the #35 car was rolled into the garage. Momentum for
a top-five finish is there.
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Season Opener for
Derek
HIGHT CHEVROLET
presents
THE PASS OUTLAW
106
Sunday, April 30th at
Unity Raceway, Unity, ME
11th Place
The first weekend
of racing for the Ramstrom Racing Team at Maine’s Unity Speedway
went well. By the end of Saturday’s practice the car’s set-up was
on, and Derek was smooth and fast around the track. Earlier in the
day Derek was introduced to the owner of Unity Raceway Ralph Nason.
During the 1970's, Mr. Nason drove a modified for Derek’s
grandfather Bob Ramstrom. The track owner was quick to help Derek
with some tips about the track. After practice the team headed to
Oxford Plains Speedway to take in the PASS show.
On Sunday, with perfect weather, the final practice session for the
#35 was with new tires. For the heat race Rick Ramstrom, elected to
start Derek at the tail. In the 12 lap heat, Derek moved up a couple
of positions.
For the PASS Outlaw 106 feature the Ramstrom Racing # 35 started in
the 15th position in a field of 19. At about the halfway point in
the race Derek had advanced to 8th. Unfortunately, a few laps later
a right front tire started going down. Then, luckily, an unrelated
yellow flag came out. During the caution, team members Jeff Ratoff
and Chris Hallback quickly bolted a new tire in place. However,
despite their efforts, two laps were lost in the pits. The rest of
the race was trouble free, with Derek racing with the leaders at the
end. Derek finished 11th, and a top ten finish is clearly in sight.
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