6/27/2019
Matt Covington
Heartbreak for Covington at Dirt Cup
CG Motorsports-Glenpool, OK (June 27th, 2019) Matt Covington came within laps of picking up his first Dirt Cup Championship this past weekend. After two solid efforts on Thursday night and Friday night, 2nd and 4th, Covington was able to grab the pole position for Saturday night’s finale. He was leading the feature before a parts failure occurred late in race, derailing his champion run.
“We did everything right and put ourselves in position all weekend with a fast and dominating car,“ stated Matt. “It just wasn’t meant to be I guess.”
Covington started off Dirt Cup on Thursday with an 8th to 4th heat race effort along with a 2nd place in the qualifier, earning him the 3rd starting position in the feature. Matt ran a smart race, ultimately coming in 2nd on night one of the 3-day affair.
“We were good Thursday and had a car to win the race,” Matt commented. “I found the rubber first and was able to get by Solwold and then run-down Hahn. I had a run when I got to Blake and drove beside him coming off the corner. But then a lap car kind of boxed us both in, pinching us low and taking my momentum away. The exchange showed Blake where the rubber was and took away our shot at the pass. I just showed him my nose too early. After that, I drove conservatively the rest of the race to save my tires.”
Friday saw Covington finish 2nd in his heat, followed by a win in the qualifier. Those combined results put him outside row three in the 6th position for the feature. Covington patiently battled, mixing it up with the top-5 before rallying late and crossing the checkers in 4th.
With the first two nights in the books, Matt was the overall high point driver, locking himself in the pole starting position for Saturday’s $15,000 to win finale.
For the finale feature, Covington battled for the lead from the drop of the green. Settling in 3rd a few laps in, Matt found his rhythm and was able to get back up to 2nd, chasing Hahn once more. But an entanglement with a lap car thwarted Hahn and the lead position was handed to Matt. After a couple back and forth slide jobs with Robbie Price, Covington’s lead expanded as the track started to come to him. With nearly a straightway lead, Matt’s hopes were soon dashed when a catastrophic parts failure ended the 95’s night and stole his chance at a Dirt Cup Championship.
“I have mixed emotions about last weekend,” remarked Covington. “To come so close, be leading, and have a shot at that big of a win was a punch to the gut when I suddenly rolled to a stop. I probably feel worse for Mike because of his hard work, and all our partners who have been behind us even when we’re not doing well. But, at same time, I’m very pumped about how well we performed all weekend. I felt all three nights we had a car to beat, so I can’t be too disappointed. I mean, you try to do everything right and bad things just happen sometimes. But hopefully we’ve gotten all our bad luck out of the way for Elma this weekend.”
Up next for Matt and the team is the Fred Brownfield Classic at Grays Harbor Raceway on Friday and Saturday June 28th and 29th.
Matt and his CG Motorsports team would like to thank and mention all partners who have helped make this year and the 2019 season possible. We look forward to the continued relationship throughout the year, along with future seasons to come: Triple X Chassis, A-Rock Materials, Oilfield Equipment and Manufacturing, All-Star Performance, Outlaw Wings, Winters Performance, DMI Components, Smiley’s Racing Products, Hoosier Tire, Keizer Wheels, PAC Racing Springs, Lucas Oil Racing Products, Factor 1 Racing, Wilwood Brakes, Smith Titanium, Best Graphics, Simpson Race Products, Shark Racing Engines, Huggins Cams, Bob Hurley RV, Eaton Industrial, Hot Rod Powder Coating, Rod End Supply, Maxwell Oil, Schoenfeld Headers, CSI Shocks, KSE Steering, STW Trailer sales, Edison Auto Body, Miller Truck Lines, Brodix Cylinder Heads, and T&L Foundry.
2019 STATS: Starts-20, Wins-2, Top 5’s-11, Top 10’s-13
ON TAP:
6/28/2019 Grays Harbor Raceway - Elma, WA
6/29/2019 Grays Harbor Raceway - Elma, WA
LIVE RACE COVERAGE: Visit http://www.RacinBoys.com for free, live audio (Select Pay-Per-View video) during the season to catch all the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour events.
MERCHANDISE: New 2019 shirts coming soon. Current shirts available now on the website at www.mattcovingtonracing.com or at the races on the grandstand side in the Racinboy’s t-shirt trailer along with pit side shirts in the team trailer.
STAY CONNECTED: For all the latest news of Matt Covington during the 2019 season, visit his website, www.mattcovingtonracing.com, like him on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/mattcovingtonracing, or follow him on twitter, @mattcovington95.
Submitted By: Eric Covington