SEYMOUR, Tenn. — In the two months since the last World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model event in Florida, series regulars haven’t stayed quiet.
Before making next weekend’s stop at 411 Motor Speedway (April 20) and Talladega Short Track (April 21-22), drivers have taken advantage of the extra time to prepare their programs for the rest of the season.
Reigning World of Outlaws CASE Late Models Rookie of the Year Tanner English has spent time racing in Tennessee and Missouri.
The Benton, Ky., driver scored a win at Clarksville Speedway and has only finished outside the top five once in those races. That time inside the car has allowed him to regain his killer instinct.
“We haven’t panicked or anything like that,” English said. We just put our heads down and went to work, and I feel like we’ve made our car better. It’s big just knowing we can qualify up front and put ourselves in a position to run good. I started on the front row of both heat races, and with a lack of racing, I wasn’t as good as I needed to be. I just learned from that, and that’s what happens when you kind of lose your killer instinct.”
It’s a killer instinct he’ll need to put himself back into championship contention.
He’s currently 11th in points — 90 points behind Chris Madden. But it’s a situation he’s familiar with after climbing to a second-place finish in last year’s standings.
“We just caught some breaks (last year). I don’t feel like we were any better,” English said. “It’s still a long season. I feel like we came from a pretty big deficit last year and still had a shot at winning the title. It makes it harder, but it’s not unattainable.”