One Of His Favorite Tracks; Berlin Raceway Up Next For Defending Champion, Travis Braden
Hoping for rough start in 2014 to end in West Michigan (Special from Travis Braden Motorsports)
May 29, 2014
Wheeling, West Virginia (May 29, 2014) – Travis Braden, the Defending ARCA/CRA
Super Series Powered by JEGS Champion was able to avoid the dreaded 'sophomore
slump' in 2013. Coming off of his 2012 Rookie of the Year title, he showed no signs of
slowing down on his way to the championship a year later. Now Braden and his Travis
Braden Motorsports team are thinking that the 'sophomore slump' may have finally arrived,
albeit, a year late.
In the first three races within the ARCA/CRA Super Series' 2014 racing season the reason
listed next to Braden's name in the Official Results has been the same each time and not
what he's wanted to see. The word 'Electrical' has been there every race instead of the
word every driver wants to see; 'Running'. The latest DNF occurred in the second Border
Wars race with the ARCA Midwest Tour; The Calypso Lemonade 150 at the fast 1/2
(0.500) mile semi-banked paved oval of Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville, Indiana on
Memorial Day Monday, May 26th.
After qualifying second quick out of the 27-car field, the Wheeling, West Virginia driver
started the 150-lap main from the 12th spot after the ARCA Midwest Tour mandated Fast
Dash results. Braden had worked his way up to third when the same problem as the
previous two races reared its ugly head. The car began to seize and shut off forcing
Braden out of the event once again.
"Well obviously Illiana was the nightmare of all nightmares. For the third consecutive race the car had some time of failure causing it to start missing around lap 60." Explained the 20-year-old college student. "Our team has done everything they can to fix the issue, but without a budget allowing us to just change all possible failing parts; it is difficult to track down the problem. But, this past week we have bitten the bullet and just replaced everything and anything we suspect could be an issue at all." He added.
"It started bad right from the get go. After being extremely fast in practice, then qualifying second, the RF brake rotor was somehow sheared off of its hub on the first lap of the race." Exclaimed Braden. "I noticed a long pedal and funky braking characteristics, and we found that issue at the halfway break. I was amazed that the car drove to the top three with only three brakes working."
He then added; "Then, at around lap 60, the engine started to miss once again. We limped back to the break still on the lead lap. After changing everything we could, the problems would not go away and we later went a lap down and called it a day. We came for nothing less than a win. I've been astonished at how fast our car has been. We have had a car that could run in the front with ease at two of the year's most competitive races, Toledo and Illiana." Continued the Mountaineer State competitor. "I'm very confident that when we can get our bugs worked out, we will be a threat to get to victory lane anywhere we go this year."
Braden won't have much time to sit around and ponder what might have been as the Berlin 125 Presented by AutoWorldFinancial.com is just five days after Illiana on Saturday, May 31st at one of Braden's favorite race tracks; the tricky 7/16s (0.437) mile semi-banked paved oval of Berlin Raceway, located west of Grand Rapids in Marne, Michigan. In 2013, Braden won a JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour event there and finished second in the last ARCA/CRA Super Series race there on August 3, 2013.
"This week at Berlin, if the car stays running, we will be looking to finish our first race of the year in first." Braden predicted. "I'm so disappointed for my crew to be suffering through this that it has definitely motivated me to step up an extra level behind the wheel. Berlin is what I consider my favorite flat track and one of my best tracks overall. We can do nothing more but hope we have finally fixed the issue and if it has go for the front." He ended. Amazingly, and despite the bad luck so far this season, Braden is actually eighth in the ARCA/CRA Super Series point's standings and only 12 points out of the top five.
For the remainder of the 2014 racing season, Braden’s widely popular #01 Chevrolet, sporting his college colors and decals; West Virginia University as he will also carry additional sponsorship support from; Braden’s A-1 Towing & Collision as well as RememberTheMiners.org, Stoney Hollow Tire, Elms Grove Eagles #1891, A.D. Baker Construction, M.P.H. Promotions, and Travis Braden Motorsports.
For more information about Travis Braden and the entire Travis Braden Motorsports operation and to inquire about additional sponsorship opportunities for the rest of the 2014 campaign, call Car Owner, Don Braden at: (304) 215-5026. You can also go to the brand new and improved Travis Braden Motorsports Website located at: www.travisbraden.com as well as the Facebook Fan Page at: www.facebook.com/TravisDBraden and finally on Twitter by clicking on: www.twitter.com/TrBRaden
