Lexington, OH – D&N Motorsports made an impressive debut in the United States Touring Car Championship (USTCC) by finishing in second place during today’s sprint race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Dennis Short qualified the No. 24 Saturn in second position on the 2.25-mile road course. However, a mix-up by the race officials on the starting grid placed him at the back of the pack for the race’s start. Frustrated by this error, Dennis’s Crew Chief, Don Short, spent the warm-up lap trying to calm him down before the race began.
As the green flag waved, Dennis began his charge through the field. Don kept him updated on his progress, and after several laps, the No. 24 was back in contention. Dennis communicated that his sights were set on the car in second place. Lap after lap, the D&N Saturn closed in on the second-place Ford Taurus SHO. Knowing that he had only qualified a mere one-tenth of a second faster than the Taurus, Dennis anticipated a challenging overtaking maneuver.
He caught up to the Ford’s bumper, gained a strong run out of Turn 2, and headed down the backstretch. Entering Turn 3, they raced side by side toward Turn 4 at approximately 125 mph. Approaching Turn 4, Dennis drove the No. 24 Saturn hard into the turn, managing to out-brake the Ford Taurus and secure second place. Once he took over the position, Dennis gradually pulled away from the Taurus. Although he couldn’t reach the first-place Audi A4, he successfully brought home the first podium finish for the D&N Motorsports team in the USTCC.
D&N Motorsports will next travel to Le Circuit Mont Tremblant in Quebec, Canada, for Round Six of the USTCC.
DENNIS SHORT, OWNER/DRIVER NO. 24 SATURN SW2: “We were very pleased with our results this weekend. While the car still feels underpowered, we are satisfied with the suspension package. We previously encountered issues with our axles and wheel bearings, but after making some changes over the winter, things are holding up well so far. This was my first time at Mid-Ohio, and I must say it’s a challenging course, but it’s a lot of fun to drive.”