Posted by Keith Shampine on September 25, 2008, 11:15 pm
Message modified by board administrator September 25, 2008, 11:16 pm

LATOUR HEADED TO MARTINSVILLE FOR BAILEY’S 300 [img]http://www.latourmotorsports.com/support/home/card-front_thm.jpg[/img] MARTINSVILLE, Va. – David Latour Jr. and the Latour Motorsports No. 89 late model team will debut a brand-new Billy Hess-built chassis this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. The three-day Bailey’s 300 for NASCAR late model stock cars marks one of the most prestigious events of the season for short-track stock car racing, and Latour is hoping for good results in his second trip to the half-mile oval after an encouraging open test session at the track last Wednesday. “We’ve been working on this car nonstop over the last few weeks and I think we’re ready to go,” David said. “We’ve changed motors and got everything sorted out. Now it’s time to see how things go. We’re hoping to time trial into the field and we’d be really happy with top-20 finish.” Over 100 cars are expected to be in attendance vying for 42 starting spots. Latour believes his chances of making the field through time trials are good if his team can continue to improve on last week’s test. “Ed Cox went with us and gave us a good hand and we got better and better all day. Our crew chief, Barry Elvis, will be there and his knowledge really helps, too. We’re trying to learn the new car and we made some improvements from the test so I think we’ll be pretty good this weekend,” David added. Latour’s younger brother, Dillon, has experienced some recent success. Dillon garnered a second-place finish in the INEX bandelero feature Saturday night at Concord Motorsport Park. He crossed the line side by side with the winner of the race, finishing second by just inches. “It was my best race of the season and I’m very happy,” said Dillon. “We were running fourth and the two leaders wrecked and there was a green-white-checkered finish. I got under the number 4 car and we drag raced to the finish and he got me by just a little bit. It was a good race.” Dillon’s racing will resume when the Winter Heat series gets underway in November at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. David is tentatively planning two to three more races after this weekend at Martinsville, most likely including the Fall Brawl at Hickory Motor Speedway and the Myrtle Beach 400 Nov. 20-23 at Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway. David Latour Jr. is a 17-year-old native of Riverhead, N.Y. Now residing in Advance, N.C., Latour is in his second season racing late models full time in the South. A former quarter-midget champion and micro-sprint winner, Latour was Hickory’s Rookie of the Year in 2007 and has five top-three finishes to his credit in 2008 at the legendary NASCAR-sanctioned oval. David is a member of the Team Full Throttle NASCAR Driver Development Program and is represented by Driver Development Services, Inc., Charlotte, N.C. Marketing partners for the Long Island native are Jeffrey Cornatzer Auto Body of Advance, N.C.; Hess Race Cars, Inc.; and Global Graphics. Team Full Throttle is a Mooresville, N.C., based driver development program that specializes in all areas of personal and professional development, including leadership, teamwork, and communications as well as marketing, promotion, and on-track driving skills. TFT currently comprises over 30 racers who reside and race in all regions of the country. For more information on David, visit www.latourmotorsports.com. For more information on Team Full Throttle, visit www.goteamfullthrottle.com or contact (704) 664-1755.