NEW LOOK for Corrie Stott Racing
Corrie Stott Racing with Driver Andy Ponstein collect best finish ever in the Las Vegas Nation Wide race.
After the disappointment of missing the race in Fontana the week before, the team went to work to first qualify 27th for the Sam’s town 300 in Las Vegas and record a team high 23rd place finish.
This is really a tribute to a bunch of very determined racers described Corrie Stott, team owner of CSR. Our first goal was just to make the race with what has been a very dependable motor that qualified for 7 Nation Wide events in 2008. As always Andy chipped in for more than driving, but helping with the race car.
A lot of people question our drive to race on a regular basis but it really comes down to heart. After beating great odds to just make the race it was determined that Corrie Stott Racing would race as far as the motor and tires would go. A 7 man crew was assembled and everyone had multiple jobs. That 7 includes spotter, driver and crew chief So really it came down to a three man pit crew !.
Andy drove the race car to our own agenda and brought home a fine 23rd place finish. We may of put a new twist on the term “multitasking”. A quick summary of who did what is as follows. Andy Ponstein of course drove the car to it’s full potential and more. We really need to get this guy a shot at the big time gang. In as much as I want to keep him in the Corrie Stott racing machine he deserves a shot with a Hendrick or Childress. Dennis Duchene our “grumpy” truck driver handles many duties on a regular basis and gives me a fit when I call him “utility” but as with all the guys we are all asked to perform many duties. In this case Dennis took on the Spotter duties for his first race after training in practices over the last couple of years and kept Andy informed. Anthony Alonzo was the Jack man and then would come around and put on the fueling apron and handle that duty along with helping to prepare tires, Micah Horton who is the Car Chief carried his own rear tire and changed his tire along with helping with the fossil tire Changer on the front. Grant Enfinger (who I might add is a great potential driver himself, set on the pole and finished second in the latest snowball derby over the winter ) is kind of recouping from shoulder surgery, but jumped in to be gas catch guy. And last of the gang is Corrie stott the “retired” many years ago front tire changer who carried his tire along with changing it along with race strategy, fuel mileage or what ever. That is only the short of it. In a day when crews are in the count of 15 to 20 to orchestrate a pit stop it may seem quite comical to see our small crew perform a stop. Our gratification comes when we get done with a stop, All are breathing hard (especially the old man on the front tire) and we sent Andy back on the track. We probably made twice as many pit stops than other teams. While resembling a pit stop from a 1960’s race, all had fun and are proud of the efforts. It meant a lot to us when the fireman in our pit came up to us with 30 laps to go and said “ I have been watching you guys all day, and you are awesome”. We really don’t want folks to feel sorry for us in any way. We do hope that they will understand we are building a program and are “REAL RACERS” We look forward to our next outing to be determined and another “best Finish”.
Let the Racing Begin!
39 years ago for the Arca race in Daytona the first Plymouth Super bird to win a race was driven by Ramo Stott (my father). The “Bird” has been fully restored and looking great. In 2006 we were able to put our Stott Classic Racing “return” to Arca, car beside the famed Hemi powered machine and take a few photos.
Back in the day a team could take the same car and run both the Arca 200 and then run the same car in the Daytona 500,which is exactly what Stott Racing and Ramo did. After running speeds faster than “the King” Richard Petty, Ramo and the boys had to raise his Plymouth up. After all Richard was the king of the south and Nascar racing. So after dealing with the political trials and tribulations of the inspection process Stott racing went on to post a 7th place finish in the Daytona 500. A very respectable effort if I do say so myself.
I said the Arca race was the first Victory for a Super Bird and that is because when the very first race at Talladega was run, the Plymouth was not yet available but was won in fact by the sister winged warrior the Dodge Daytona. By the way just for you historian’s, Ramo ran in that first race at Talladega and finished 3rd in a Dodge winged car.
I hope to be able to pull more stories from our family racing history and post them on a regular basis. I will let you know our plans soon for the 2009 season but when I found these pictures ,
I found it fitting with the upcoming Daytona speed weeks coming soon.
