The Old Paths Racing Team, led by Jasper native Thomas Langley, delivered another exceptional performance at the Talladega Short Track, otherwise known as “Hornets’ Nest,” finishing the race in 8th place amidst several challenges.
In a related development, the team is set to storm Alabama following an announcement to compete at the upcoming ECM Speedway scheduled to hold on September 3, 2022. The Old Paths #19 Dirt Track Late Model Race Team, powered by Timber Creek Housing, found themselves chasing racing on Saturday August 6th.
After driving seventy-five miles south on I-65 out of the Birmingham area, the team was greeted by an afternoon thunderstorm in Clanton Alabama upon their arrival at Buck Shot Speedway. With the rain cancelling the racing activities in Clanton, the team immediately checked the radar and found drier weather in east Alabama at the Talladega Short Track.
“We made some changes tonight to the race car between the heat race and the feature, and they were good changes, they made the car much better. We still need to keep working on drivability through the corners, I am losing just a little bit of speed there and we have to find out how to fix that. Otherwise, the car and the motor are performing well, and I am excited to be competitive each time we unload.” – Langley stated after the race.
The Old Paths Racing Team arrived at the “Hornets’ Nest,” the official nickname for the Talladega Short Track to a massive reception, with a large fanbase on hand for Fan Appreciation Night along with a very competitive field of race teams. Thomas Langley, the driver of The Old Paths #19, took the racecar onto the speedway for hot laps and found the track to be in very good shape. The track was well-prepared for a great night of racing action.
The format for Saturday night’s racing action included a “blind draw” for starting positions in the heat race. Unfortunately, Thomas’ luck on a blind draw leaving him starting dead last in his heat and eventually finishing in 4th place to start the feature race for the evening from the 12th position. The Old Paths #19 Dirt Track Late Model looked very good for the first 13 laps of the race, with Langley taking the green flag on the start and driving past three cars to move into the 9th spot, maintaining the position until a crash in front of him on lap 14. Langley wheeled the #19 sideways to minimize the damage to the front of the car, with his right front fender and front nose catching on the other two competitors as the track became almost impossible to navigate.
The Old Paths Racing Machine was declared fit to continue racing by officials and Langley did not hesitate to jump right back into the skirmish of racing when the green flag fell again on lap 15. With only 10 laps remaining and heavy damage to the front nose of the #19, he fought to gain one more spot for another top 10 finish bringing The Old Paths #19 home in 8th place.
Acknowledging the contributions of Timber Creek Housing, Hitman Suspensions, JR & Sons Enterprises, and Safety Wins, Inc. as well as other partners of The Old Paths Racing Team, Langley expressed the team’s commitment to continue working hard to deliver a unique racing experience. “I want to thank The Old Paths for riding along with us again tonight…it is a pleasure to represent the band with the race car.” – Langley. “I would like to thank Timber Creek Housing and all their employees as well. They are working with us on a Safety Wins safety awareness campaign for their manufacturing operation. We want all their employees to go home each day without an injury. Having them be a part of this team is great, we want to do a good job for them each time we race.”
The Old Paths Racing Team will be on the TOP POWER TOUR – racing at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland Missouri on August 27th, ECM Speedway in Cullman County Alabama on September 3rd, and wrapping up Labor Day weekend at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus Mississippi on September 4th. These three events will feature The Old Paths Vocal Band in a pre-race concert at each venue, offering an amazing combination of racing and music.
