No Winner's Circle in Charlotte ...
... but Penelope Carlisle showed both tenacity and grit in the Summer Shootout
By Martin Davis
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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While Penelope Carlisle is starting to dominate at Dominion Raceway — her “home track” — the Charlotte Motor Speedway is one the young driver is still learning to master.
The courses present different challenges. Dominion’s 4/10ths mile oval has banked turns and permits drivers to run full-throttle throughout. Charlotte’s quarter-mile track has non-banked turns and requires drivers to brake and accelerate through those turns. It’s a skill that takes time to master, said Carlisle’s race team leader.
Carlisle looked to be taming the course during practice runs on Monday, turning laps at 19.3 seconds, which was some 3/10ths of a second better than during her practice runs last year.
In qualifying, however, Carlisle’s time slipped, pushing her to 15th in a field of 17 cars for the first race Tuesday evening.
Between practice and qualifying, rain moved in, dropping temperatures both in the atmosphere and on the track. The result was a car that proved looser in qualifying than in practice, yielding slower lap times.
When rain returned, the race that was scheduled for Monday evening was pushed to Tuesday.
In the first race Tuesday evening, Carlisle demonstrated her mettle. Starting in the 15th position, Carlisle quickly worked her way to 12th before being forced to the back of the pack owing to a spinout.
She quickly worked her way back into contention, however, gaining position on each of the last four laps of the race. She finished in 13th place, two spots above where she started the race.
In the second race of the evening, Carlisle ended where she began — 12th place. She ran a smooth race turning consistent times throughout the 20-lap race. She positioned herself in the Top 10 at the mid-point of the race, but was hit by another driver. Carlisle held the line and finished strong.
“Penelope demonstrated great control of her emotions and abilities on and off the track for rounds two and three of the Cookout Summer Shootout,” her father Justin Carlisle told the Advance. “Her ability to overcome adversity and shortfalls is far beyond her years.”
“Things didn’t go her way … in the realm of finishing positions,” Justin continued, “but the way that she was able to rebound and make in-car adjustments was very impressive.”
Penelope races again this coming Saturday night at Dominion Raceway. Gates open at 5 p.m. and racing starts at 7 p.m.
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