Peter Portante met with WMFD-TV during his trip to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for USF2000 testing with Belardi Auto Racing.

(Avast! Communications – Stafford Springs, CT) Peter Portante competed in the Stafford Motor Speedway’s Tech-Net Spring Sizzler 2013 this past weekend in his #24 Intercity Lines, Inc Late Model car. He is no stranger to Late Models having completed a limited schedule in 2012. Peter felt confident going into this event having come off a successful practice with the team a few weeks earlier. He was also ecstatic about returning to a race car from his long break with the Cooper Tire’s 2013 USF2000 Series powered by Mazda.

Peter started the weekend with two practice sessions where he finished P6 and P2 respectively. He felt good going into the qualifying heat race where he would finish (and qualify) P2. “The car was strong, some minor tweaks tonight and we will be good for the race,” Peter said of the qualifying heat, “starting on the outside will be tough, but we can work through it.”

Sunday was the big race day for Peter Portante at Stafford Motor Speedway. His race started with a little bad luck when he got a “love tap” from one of his competitors which sent him back to P12 on lap two. Peter was determined to not let that ruin his race so he fought his way back up to a finishing spot of P7. “We had a fantastic car all the time, just got plagued with some bad luck. We never gave up and fought back to finish seventh,” Peter spoke of the race. “The guys worked very hard so I am happy for the top ten but I also wish we could have come away with a better result.”

Overall the Stafford Motor Speedway’s Tech-Net Spring Sizzler 2013 was a positive race for Peter Portante. The high level of competition renewed a confidence in Peter which will help him going back to the Cooper Tire’s USF2000 Series powered by Mazda in May. It also helped to hone his Late Model race craft for future races.

Next Peter will make his way to the Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course on May 7 for two days of testing with Belardi Auto Racing. This will be the first of two test sessions before the “Night Before the 500” race at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, Indiana. To keep track of Peter’s movements join us on Twitter @portante24 or @avastcomm.