DIRTcar Pro Stock standout Luke Horning has found his stride early this season. The Gloversville, NY native has already notched two Feature wins at Albany-Saratoga Speedway, three at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park, and is currently leading the Hoosier Tire Weekly Racing championship battle for his division.
Horning is no stranger to success in the division, capturing multiple wins and a Super DIRT Week pole in 2021, but there’s still one elusive prize he hopes to finally attain this year.
“I really want to get a win at Oswego (Speedway, during Super DIRT Week, Oct. 2-8),” Horning said. “We’ve been on the pole at Oswego, we’ve been battling for the lead with a couple laps to go, and stuff has happened. We’ve always been one of the faster cars, but at the end, it just doesn’t work out.”
To accomplish his goal, he is focusing on one particular portion of the race that has kept a victory out of reach more than once.
“We’re always good at the beginning,” Horning said. “It seems like as the race goes on, we fall off or aren’t able to maintain… We have to put a better finish together at the end. I think I get too patient there. Being a longer race, I tend to settle down, and I think that hurts me because you lose some track position where you’re not trying to take any chances. We need to be right up on the wheel, from beginning to end.”
In preparation for the prestigious October race, Horning is focusing on keeping his consistency strong in his weekly racing and performing well on the Series matchups when they pick up in August.
Until then, he’ll continue to grind away at his weekly tracks and aim to capture the Hoosier Tire Weekly Championship. He credited his crew as key to their successful early stride in that hunt.
“My crew is second to none,” Horning said. “Those guys are always putting their time in and no matter how we do, it’s not fun when we’re not doing good, but their heads are never down… That definitely helps. The financial part, the people around me, that helps, too.”
When the fall comes and it’s time to make the trek to Oswego, NY to compete in the DIRTcarPro Stock 50 during Super DIRT Week 51, Horning and his team plan on being as prepared as possible.
“(Super) DIRT Week is the biggest race of the year in any division,” Horning said. “So that’s a big deal. They sell those books there every year, and you can read who did what every year from the time they start until the time they end. You’re in that book forever.”
UP NEXT: The DIRTcar Pro Stock Series returns on Monday, Aug. 14 at Brewerton Speedway in Brewerton, NY and then head to Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, NY on Sat., Aug. 26.
Super DIRT Week 51 at Oswego Speedway will be Monday to Sunday, Oct. 2-8. For tickets, CLICK HERE.
For the full DIRTcar Pro Stock schedule, visit dirtcar.com/schedule.
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