NEWS: PETERSON JR TO MAKE WILLIAMS GROVE DEBUT IN THE TOM & FRAN CHIAPPELLI 98

Photo Credit: Jeremy Cross Photography

Coming off of a grueling 9 nights of Ohio Speedweek, consecutive top fives in West Virginia, and a 2nd place run with the FAST Series at Wayne County, Ricky Peterson Jr is gearing up for a trip to Pennsylvania this Friday. 

Peterson was one of 12 drivers that competed in all 9 Ohio Speedweek events. He earned two top 10 finishes and ended up 9th in the Speedweek points standings. For a small team such as Peterson Motorsports, making 7 of 8 A-Mains was an impressive accomplishment.

“Speedweek was brutal,” said Peterson. “It was only myself, Luke and my Dad that did all 9 nights. We had some solid runs and good speed, but it was nothing spectacular.”

Ohio Speedweek was an opportunity for Peterson and his team to learn more about their engine program. Instead of taking a weekend off to recover, Peterson and his team headed down to West Virginia to race with the OVSCA at Ohio Valley and Beckley. On night one, Peterson earned a 5th place finish at the Pete Smith and Larry McPeek Memorial. 

Night two brought a new challenge for Peterson and team. It was their first time at Beckley and they didn’t have any notes going into the night. Despite the obstacles, Peterson was able to finish 2nd from his 4th place starting position. 

“Beckley Speedway is awesome and I hope I can go back sometime. I really think we can win a race there!”

Moving on to last weekend, the Peterson Motorsports team headed to Attica to race with the AFCS. They had high hopes going into the evening after their top 10 performance at Attica during Speedweek. The night did not go as planned, but the team still hung on for a 13th place finish.

On Saturday, Peterson headed to familiar territory at Wayne County with the FAST Series. During the feature, Peterson was in a heated battle with Brandon Spithaler and Zane DeVault for the lead. After leading some laps, Peterson ultimately fell one position short, ending his night with a 2nd place finish. 

“2nd at Wayne County stung a little bit. Being that close to another win and not sealing the deal is a tough pill to swallow. Still, I am just happy to be in contention for a win.”

Looking ahead to this upcoming weekend, Peterson has earned the opportunity to drive an iconic car at an iconic racetrack. Peterson has been very open about putting himself out there as an available driver, and his hard work and performance on the track have finally presented one. 

This Friday at Williams Grove, Peterson will get behind the wheel of the Tom and Fran Chiappelli no. 98 car. 

“I am so thankful to drive for Tom and Fran Chiappelli at Williams Grove this Friday. It is a car with so much history in our sport and it’s at one of the most historic tracks. It really will be a dream come true and even if it is a one night ride, I will forever be grateful and have a ton of respect for them (Tom & Fran).”

Friday will be uncharted waters for Peterson, as he has never raced at Williams Grove. It’s a track that even the best drivers in the sport struggle to conquer. If there is one guy up for the challenge, it’s Ricky Peterson Jr.

“Being able to race sprint cars and be surrounded by great people is a blessing. The rising cost and what it takes to be competitive with my own team is super tough. Getting to be a driver for a night and not having to worry about every little detail is going to be a huge weight lifted off my shoulders! Plus, having Luke come along with me to help with the car is a huge bonus.” 

As for his plans after Friday, Peterson, along with the Chiappelli team will be playing it by ear. The plan is to see how things go. Be sure to tune into DIRTVision on Friday night to catch all of the action from Williams Grove. 

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