It can be hard for drivers to have instant

success as they quickly move up the racing

ladder.  Mason Mingus was a champion in

2010 and ran well in all the Super Late Model

major events he ran towards the end of last

season.  2011, on the other hand, was a

learning experience that included his first

ARCA start and his second Winchester 400

start.

The season was to end at the Snowball

Derby, but bad luck in practice left Mingus'

primary car destroyed and the crew having

to prepare a back-up.  Mingus would overcome

that only to get swept up in a multi-car crash

in the Snowball Derby last chance race, thus not making the Snowball Derby Sunday. 

"We had a really good car for the long runs in the last chance race," said Mingus. "We had a wreck right in front of us and we had nowhere to go.  That's why the Derby is so tough.  You can't make any mistakes."

It was a disappointing end to a season that saw Mingus grow as a driver.  Over the course of the season he visited new venues almost every week and was able to battle and contend each week despite limited track time compared to the CRA veterans. 

"The progress that we made from last year to this year was really good," added Mingus. "We always had really good cars in the race and we were always right there in contention.  We did have things go wrong, from mechanical failures and mistakes on my part which cost us along the way, but we overcame that as a team."  

Mingus will not be "Wrest-less" in the off season as he will be looking to win a state individual Wrestling title and of course and overall state title for his high school team.  He'll be thinking about racing during the off season so stay tuned to MasonMingusRacing.com for news on 2012.

Mason Mingus Ends Season With Reflection on Learning Year

2010 Ken Ten Pro Late Model Champ Took the Next Step to Learn

Mingus running at Five Flags Speedway (FL). (Speed51.com  Photo)