Central States Region Super Cups Race Held On October 4, 2015
On Sunday, October 4th, 2015, Zachary Tinkle’s steady effort to drive where few racers dare to go paid off in a dividend of a win for the #52 mini cup stock car during National Short Track Championship Weekend at Rockford Speedway in Loves Park, IL.
Starting in the third position, Tinkle immediately dove down and took the field three-wide going into turn 2 to pass the driver on the pole position by the time they went over the start finish line again. In second place, he set his sites on working his way to the top position. By the time he reached turn 3 in the second lap, he took the inside line again to try to pass the current leader. There was a lot of back and forth with Tinkle going back to second position in lap 4.
Not one to be shut down and realizing that he was not going to get the preferred line on the track, Tinkle worked his way around the track on the inside line running side-by-side with the #66 and having the #13 car breathing down his neck. By lap ten, he makes the pass to take the lead and the preferred line on the track. For the remaining nine laps of the race, Tinkle maintained and increased a healthy lead to take the #53 mini cup stock car to the checkered flag.
An exuberant Tinkle took the podium for the 50th year anniversary of the National Short Track Championship for the Central States Region Super Cups at Rockford Speedway. As a special treat, he got to pose for a photo with Jody Deery, owner of the Rockford Speedway and sign the National Short Track Championship 50th Anniversary Victory Lane wall.
Video of the race and Zachary’s trackside interview can be seen here: