“This place is awesome; I love the banking and the turns,” added Pope.  “You can really drive it off in the corners and let it drift up and mat the gas coming off the corners.  It’s a lot different then what I am used to.  By lap 30 we were already slipping and sliding through the turns.  Tire management is key here just like at Pensacola (FL) and Peach State (GA), which are some of my favorite tracks.”

“Our car started off really good,” said Pope.  “It fell off a little bit in the center of the corner and up off, but we were still hanging out up front. Then, around lap 64, coming off turn two some other cars got together and I had it missed, but then I got hit.  I hit the inside wall and the hits just kept coming.  We know it got the front clip on the car and possibly the motor. It’s pretty tore up; we are probably done for a while until we can save some money.”

Despite the bad luck that forced Pope to settle for a 20th-place finish, he hasn’t let that change any of his feelings about his first experiences at the historic racing facility in Tennessee.

Michael Pope Nets Top-20 Finish at ASA SAT Nashvile Event

Young Driver Undeterred After First Race at Music City Motorplex

Michael Pope headed to Music City Motorplex (Nashville, TN) for the ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour event with high expectations of what might happen in his first time out on the track. His luck before at tracks news to the Georgia driver has been pretty impressive, and the same was expected this time around.  His weekend got started off right, as he was able to put his machine up in the 18th spot.