Following a brief stint away from the racetrack, Victor Pfluger climbed back into his racecar at Tucson Raceway Park last Saturday night for the 75-lap Super Late Model event. Pfluger, hailing from Morristown, Arizona, was anxious to get back to racing on a track where he’s had much success in the past, including a win last season over NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion Ron Hornaday.
The No. 80 machine unloaded off of the trailer really fast, and after a few laps of getting adapted to the track again, Pfluger was hitting his marks and turning quick laps as if he’d never taken time away. Unfortunately, the team found a major brake issue during practice that would end up giving the driver trouble for most of the evening. The brakes were still an issue in qualifying, resulting in a 13th place starting spot for the 18-year-old behind the wheel.
Victor and his team knew they needed to make some changes to the car prior to the main event to improve the handling and keep up with the competitive field, which included Daytona 500 winner Geoff Bodine. Completely changing the setup and throwing everything at the car but the kitchen sink, Pfluger strapped himself into the driver’s seat not really knowing what he had, but hoping for the best.
The changes helped his racecar significantly, and Victor was able to hang with the leaders for the first half of the race. By lap 35, he had found a fast groove and was making his charge to the front, finding himself just outside the top five in sixth. Unfortunately, the caution flag flew shortly after Victor started making his moves on lap 40. While making laps around the track under the yellow, the driver believes he picked up some trash and inevitably cut down his right rear tire.
Choosing not to make the free fall to the back of the pack by pitting under green when he discovered the issue, Pfluger stayed on the track and held onto a car that had lost significant air pressure as well as its handling. For the next 35 circuits, the young driver was able to keep his late model on track and lose only two spots, completing the night in eighth place.
“I didn’t get the finish I was exactly hoping for, but overall it was a good weekend,” Pfluger reflected after the event. “It’s just fun to be back at the track again. You miss everything about it- the long hours, working your tail off, getting dirty and greasy- just everything. But it’s all worth it.”