"The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see." ― Winston Churchill
 

For the first time since 2018, Timmy Tyrrell Racing will participate in a Late Model event outside of the CARS Tour. The team opted to enter the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway on July 3 for a chance at the $10,000 winner's purse, as well as valuable experience for the driver.

Although the #81 Quaker State team has a pair of starts at the famed 4/10-mile track, the most recent came in November 2019 using older chassis technology. Suffice to say, a great deal has changed for the driver and the race team since then.

"Staying mentally focused and not making mistakes is going to be the challenge of a 200-lap race," said Colin Butler, who serves as the team's Quality Control specialist. When it comes to winning strategy at South Boston Speedway, there's nobody better than Colin's father, venerable crew chief Brandon Butler, who leads the #81 team into Saturday night's race.

During his 2001 NASCAR Atlantic Seaboard Region championship season, Brandon posted 9 wins -- including an astounding 18 top-5 finishes in 19 races -- at South Boston Speedway where he was the track's NASCAR Whelen All-American Late Model Stock Car Division champion. Brandon capped off an incredible season with a dominant victory in the 300-lap Late Model showcase race where he smoked the competition at the historic short track.

"My dad is a previous track champion at South Boston Speedway and knows firsthand what it takes to win under the lights on a hot summer night," said Colin. "We're coming into the race with our two best finishes of the season and hopefully we can get another at the first race of the Virginia Triple Crown."

The team's recent partnership with R&S Race Cars resulted in back-to-back 6th place finishes on the CARS Tour as they carry momentum into the opening Virginia Triple Crown event for Late Model Stock Cars, which includes races at Langley Speedway in mid-July and Martinsville Speedway in late-September.

The Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 concludes a stretch of 6 races in a 10-week span for the #81 team. Following the race at South Boston, they'll have a short summer break prior to the next CARS Tour race at Hickory Motor Speedway on July 31.

LOGISTICS:
● Event: Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200. (200 laps / 80 miles)
● Date/Time: July 3. Green flag: Approx 8:30 pm/et
● Location: South Boston Speedway. South Boston, Va.
● Layout: 4/10-mile oval
● Banking: 12 degrees (turns), 10 degrees (straights)

PAINT SCHEME:
The #81 Quaker State Chevrolet will be decked in a base white with red numbers at South Boston Speedway.

HOME STATE CONSISTENCY:
In the last 7 races in their home state of Virginia dating back to 2019, the #81 Quaker State team has 6 top-8 finishes and an average finish of 6.7.

MEET AND GREET:
South Boston Speedway will hold a fan fest event to meet the drivers on Saturday, July 3 from 5:15-6:15 pm on the frontstretch.

THROWBACK ANNOUNCEMENT:
The CARS Tour Throwback event on July 31 at Hickory Motor Speedway is a mid-summer highlight on the schedule. In 2019, the team paid tribute to Jeff Gordon's 1997 championship season with the rainbow #24 car. The Throwback theme was canceled in 2020 amidst coronavirus restrictions. Timmy Tyrrell Racing will announce their 2021 Throwback on July 7.

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS:
The #81 team are thankful for support from Convenience Tire and Auto, Quaker State, Solid Rock Carriers, Absolutely Amish Structures, and BDL Motorsports.

ON-TRACK SCHEDULE:
Friday, July 2
Practice: 12:00-7:00 pm [rotating among divisions]
Saturday, July 3
Practice: 1:45-2:15 pm, 2:45-3:15 pm, 3:40-3:50 pm
Qualifying: 4:35 pm [group qualifying]
Green flag: Approx 8:30 pm

CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Website: www.minityrrell.com
Facebook: MiniTyrrell
Twitter: @MiniTyrrell
Instagram: MiniTyrrell

CONTACT TIMMY TYRRELL RACING:
Owner: Timmy Tyrrell
Communications/PR: Larry Graff