HOME COMING
JUNE 29, 2009 --- This past weekend T.J. Herndon and the UpFront Performance team stuck around close to home to make a couple of events at his home track in Atwood, TN as well as one in Camden, TN. On Thursday night, T.J. and team made the pull to Clayhill Motorsports to enter in the Modified event that was ran in conjunction with the UMP Summer Nationals Super Late Model event. Although Herndon drew a decent starting position in the qualifying Heat, he got held up in the high line as most all of the cars freight trained him on the inside relegating him to a fifth place finish. Faced with starting ninth in the Feature, Herndon kept a close watch on the track surface throughout the night and made the decision to try and tailor a set-up that would allow him to take the #1 Shaw to the cushion where few had dared to venture all night. As the Modified Feature got underway, the Atwood Outlaw took his mount immediately to the high side and initiated a charge toward the front. At the completion of the first lap, Herndon had rode the high line while advancing to initiate a pass on the forth place car as the field approached the flag stand. As Herndon made the field three wide down the front straight while just inches off of the wall, the cars on the bottom drifted up and pinched Herndon into the wall while wheel hopping his left front tire. The contact which had broken a tie-rod and severely bent the drag link would end Herndon’s night and although it appeared that he had found a set-up suitable to advance on the top, he would be forced to wait until another day to validate his experiment.
After Friday’s event at Camden Motor Speedway was cancelled due to weather, the UpFront team returned to Clayhill Motorsports once again on Saturday night to compete in their weekly Modified show. After the pill draw, it was evident that the Atwood Outlaw’s weekend at home would not get any easier as he drew on the tail of the last Heat. In his qualifying Heat, Herndon quickly advanced to the front of the field and made the pass on pole sitter, Bart Richardson by lap three. Herndon then proceeded to pull out to a comfortable lead and eventually take the win which secured the outside pole in the Main event. As the Feature event got underway, Matt Cooper who started on the pole, took the lead as Herndon nursed the higher gear to build momentum for his charge on the top. By the completion of lap one, Herndon had made the pass for the lead and started to pull away. As Cooper carried his car to the cushion on the second lap, the Shaw by Landers hung the cushion and came very close to replaying the Herndon flip of 2006. As the race continued, Herndon repeatedly pulled out to a comfortable lead opening up a straightway lead on the second place car at times between cautions. It became very evident as the Feature wound down that the set-up that Herndon was experimenting with from earlier in the week would indeed work to get around the high line at Clayhill. Although the Atwood Outlaw would eventually experience a mechanical failure with four laps remaining, he was still able to maintain the lead and carry the #1 Roddy Ranch sponsored Shaw chassis to victory lane at Clayhill Motorsports for the first time in 2009. To catch up on the latest news from Clayhill Motorsports, log onto www.clayhillmotorsports.com.
--------------------------------------------------
CLEAN SWEEP
JUNE 22, 2009 --- With all of the crew engaged with previous commitments, T.J. and his dad struck out on a father / son weekend of racing. On Friday night, they traveled to Tuscumbia, Alabama to support North Alabama Speedway in their efforts to bring weekly Modified racing back to the clay oval on a full time basis. After pulling off a convincing win in the Heat, the Atwood Outlaw did the same in the Feature by eventually opening up a sizeable lead as he crossed the stripe for the win. Herndon was followed by the “Mantachie Missile” Ray Alexander, the “Rogersville Rocket” Tony Simmons, with Greg Wilhite and Eric Hughes rounding out the top five.
On Saturday, while traveling in the direction of home, T.J. and his dad moved on to Corinth, MS to compete in their weekly Modified show. Much like the night before, Herndon won his Heat and rode a convincing lead from flag to flag while taking the #1 Roddy Ranch Shaw to a second Feature win of the Father’s Day weekend. Following the Atwood Outlaw to the checkers was the #12 of Junior Lemmings, Anthony Jones, Ray Alexander with the #21 of Cole Long rounding out the top five. This weekend, T.J. plans to enjoy racing at his home track as he plans to compete at Clayhill Motorsports in Atwood, TN on Thursday and Saturday nights while also running at Camden Speedway in nearby Camden, TN on Friday night.
--------------------------------------------------
SOGGY START
JUNE 15, 2009 --- The UpFront Performance team got off to a soggy start as they kicked off their weekend at Clayhill Motorsports in Atwood, TN on Thursday night. After drawing dead last in the last Heat, Herndon managed a second place finish qualifying him to start fourth in the Modified Main event of the evening. Unfortunately the skies opened up prior to the Feature preventing the race from being contested on the track and all drivers were paid according to their qualifying positions earned in the Heats.
On Friday night, T.J. and team traveled to Camden Motor Speedway in Camden, TN to compete in their weekly show. In the first qualifying Heat, Herndon jumped out to an early lead which he maintained throughout most of the Heat until trouble came calling as he entered turn three coming to the white flag. A right rear tire that had been going down throughout the race finally rolled off forcing Herndon to complete the final lap without a right rear tire. Amazingly, he was able to maintain enough momentum to finish the Heat in 2nd as the 5h of Danny Howe took the win at the flag. As the Feature event got underway, it appeared that it would be a long night for the Atwood Outlaw as his frame bottomed out while entering turn one causing a major push. Herndon would initially fall back deep into the field while struggling to adjust for handling problems. Meanwhile out front, the #18 of Matt Cooper who has had a death grip on the Camden clay oval for the entire 2009 season set sail. By lap three, Herndon had adjusted his driving style, moved to the cushion and started a march toward the front. Right after mid-race, Herndon had cleared the second place car and set his sights on the #18 who had opened up a straightaway lead by that time. As the field continued under a long green flag run, the Atwood Outlaw managed to run down the #18 of Cooper, make the pass and start to open up a comfortable lead himself as the two front runners lapped deep into the field. A late race caution would bunch the field back together with approximately two laps remaining to give Cooper one last shot to turn up the heat on Herndon. Herndon once again assumed the preferred line around the Speedway and piloted the #1 Roddy Ranch Shaw to victory for the fifth time this season.
On Saturday night, the UpFront crew made their way up to Middle Tennessee to compete in the Southern Modified Promotions “Cabin Fever 30” at Thunderhill Raceway just outside Summertown, TN. Due to arriving at the track late, Herndon had no opportunity to take advantage of the hotlap session forcing him to be on the time clock the first time he hit the track. After time trails, the Atwood Outlaw qualified mid pack of the twenty one drivers in attendance which relegated him to the second Heat race of the evening. Herndon went on to win his qualifying Heat which allowed him to secure the eighth place starting position in the Main event. After a couple of quick cautions hindering the start of the Feature, Hunter Rasdon out of Jonesboro, AR capitalized on his pole starting position to take the lead on lap one with the #74 of Doug Harrington and the #17 of Chris Moore in hot pursuit. Moore would apply pressure early before a mechanical failure would force him to the pits for the remainder of the event. As the race fans enjoyed a long green flag run, Herndon continued to push his Mullins powered #1 Shaw toward the point. Herndon advanced into the third position by mid-race and started to work on the #74 of Harrington. For the next several laps Herndon made many attempts to make the pass on Harrington but was unable to overcome the preferred groove of the #74 as they lapped deep into the field. With three laps remaining, Herndon finally executed the pass for second but had little time to run down the leader. As the checkered flag waved over the field, it would be Hunter Rasdon leading flag to flag for the win as the leaders eventually lapped all the way back to the 11th position at race’s end. Rasdon was followed by T.J. Herndon, Doug Harrington, Eddie Rhinehart, Randy Todd, Eric Hickerson, Jeff Weaver, Ray Alexander, Jacob Cooper with J.J. Hall rounding out the top ten. The Atwood Outlaw also picked up the American Racer Tires “Hard Charger” along with the FSR Radiators “Cool Move of the Race” contingency awards during his charge to the front. For the latest news regarding each of the above listed venues, please click on the link to each track located on the tour page of this site.
[ home | team | tour | photos | gear | sponsors | marketing | g-book | links | contact ]
