Joseph Joiner: Mid-Season Review

Milton, Fla., - July 2, 2009 - At the beginning of the 2009 racing season, Joseph Joiner and the Joiner Racing Team set what they thought were lofty season goals. Their aspirations consisted of winning at least five feature races and winning the Late Model championship at Northwest Florida Speedway in Blackman, Fla. With the halfway point of the season come and gone, Joiner and his team have realized those goals might not be as lofty as they originally thought.

The 15-year-old Milton, Fla., native has already surpassed the five-win mark and has held the lead in the championship standings at NWFS since the second race of the season. In addition, Joiner is currently second in the Late Model standings at Southern Raceway, even after skipping a number of races there. He also closed out the first half of the season by winning Southern Raceway's Mid-Season Championship race on June 27th, his fourth straight win in Late Model competition at his hometown race track.

"I don't think our season could have gone much better than it has so far," Joiner said. "We've had a few bad nights, but we've really had a fast car at every race. We've gotten so much better with the car setup this year and that's what has helped the most. I feel like I'm driving a lot better too, but having a good handling race car makes a huge difference."

This year Joiner has also made trips to race tracks he had never raced at including a trip in May to compete in a FASTRAK National Touring Series race at The Dirt Track at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. Joiner recorded a second-place heat race finish and a 20th-place feature result in the event, which saw more than 50 entrants. Joiner and his team also traveled to Avenger Motor Speedway in Greenville, Ala., in April, where the young driver recorded one of his seven feature wins he has earned so far this season.

The first half of 2009 also saw Joiner make the first and second Super Late Model starts of his career. Even though his race car was still powered by the same 400-horsepower crate motor he uses in regular Late Model competition, Joiner was able to finish sixth at NWFS on June 12th and fifth the following night at Southern Raceway against race cars with engines that produce nearly 800 horsepower. Both races were Mississippi State Championship Challenge Series events that drew nearly 30 entries.

"The Lowe's trip and the Mississippi series races were all really good for us," said Joiner. "There were a lot of good cars at all three of those races and we were right there with them. At Lowe's we had a top-ten car before we had some motor problems,and to run with the Mississippi series guys with a crate motor just shows how strong we're running right now."

Never one to be content with his achievements, Joiner is hoping to accomplish even more in the second half of the season. On July 11 Joiner will compete in the Derek Henley Memorial race at Southern Raceway. Last year Joiner qualified fourth and finished sixth in the 44-lap, $4,400-to-win race. With the momentum from the first half of this season, Joiner is confident about his chances in this year's version of the prestigious event.

"The Derek Henley Memorial is the biggest race around here," explained Joiner. "Winning it would be huge for us. It would pretty much top off the season. I wouldn't care if I didn't win another race this year, I'd still be happy."

Along with continuing his Dirt Late Model campaign through the remainder of the season, Joiner is also looking to make the next step in his racing career by making his debut in asphalt racing in the Pro Late Model division at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla. The team is currently exploring options that could put Joiner in a Pro Late Model race car for one or two races later this season.

"After the year we've had so far, we've started to look at some different ways for me to move up in my career," Joiner said. "I think giving Five Flags a try would be a good move. Dirt racing is a lot of fun, but if you want to make it anywhere in this sport you've got to get in an asphalt car eventually.

"We have a motor we can run in the Pro Late Model class at Five Flags and we've talked with some people about running it in their car. We don't have anything set in stone yet, but we're hoping to get something put together soon."

For now, the young driver is focused on doing what he enjoys and what he is good at, winning races in his Dirt Late Model race car. He will continue to compete at NWFS in hopes of maintaining his lead in the championship standings, while also competing on a limited basis at Southern Raceway. He also plans to make a number of trips to other dirt tracks throughout the Southeast.

Joseph Joiner and the Joiner Racing Team would like to thank All Pro Tune Up, Car City Engine and Machine, A-Plus Party Rentals, Pit Stop Parts and Services, and Siding 4 the South for their continued support. For more information about Joseph Joiner and advertising opportunities available with the Joiner Racing Team, please visit www.JoinerRacing.com or call Joshua Joiner at (850)232-9331.