RYAN LITT: Geared up for the Little 500

By Tommy Goudge (May 19, 2009) – Another strong run went sour on Ryan Litt and the #07 BS&B Radiator/OTC Tools Sprint Car team on Sunday afternoon at the Winchester Speedway, but there’s no time to dwell on it - It’s time for Ryan and the team to get ready for their biggest race of the season: the 61st Little 500!

“We were quickest in both practice sessions, and in the heat race we started sixth and finished second,” said Ryan on Monday of his day at Winchester. “In the feature we started third, and I was running in second behind (Dave) Steele when the right front tire got cut and we hit the wall in turn three...So today we are fixin’ it at the hotel!”

Little 500 week at Anderson really kicks off on Wednesday evening with the first running of the MustSeeRacing.com 60 for winged sprint cars.  Although he’s not a stranger to Anderson, the event will mark the first time Ryan will compete with a wing at the high-banked quarter mile speedplant.

“I'm looking forward to running at Anderson with a wing on,” says Ryan. “It will be a lot of fun, and I'm sure it will be very fast. I know it's going to take some luck to run well, so I’m hoping to get a good starting spot and stay out of trouble and see how we end up.”

While the winged event on Wednesday night is important, especially with the MustSeeRacing.com cameras once again rolling, the team’s real focus this week is of course the Little 500 this Saturday night, featuring traditional wingless sprint cars.  With the largest purse in pavement sprint car racing, the grueling 500 lap affair is also by far the longest race the teams and drivers run each season.

“I think we have a really good shot at winning the Little 500,” says Ryan. “We now have the experience, and we know what the car likes to have in it to run well for a long period of time.”

One key to success in the Little 500 is doing well in qualifying time trials, especially during the first round on Thursday afternoon.  Another unique part of the Little 500 is the qualifying format, patterned after the Indianapolis 500 format which dictates the field will be lined up according to the fastest 4-lap averages.  Last year Ryan was able to lay down 4 very fast laps that would have placed him in the middle of the front row, but missing the weigh scales after his qualifying laps cost him that spot, and forced him to take part in “Bump Day” on Friday.

“I learned a few tricks last year that helped me qualify well, so hopefully we can have another strong qualifying effort. I know one thing is for sure, I will definitely go across the scales this year!” laughs Ryan.

The qualifying problem was only a brief setback for Ryan and the team once the green flag dropped in the big race last year.  Some crashes and mechanical problems in the field aided Ryan’s charge to the front, as he was able to avoid those issues and find himself in the lead of the Little 500 for the first time in his career.  Pit stop issues kept Ryan from challenging for the victory at the end, but he was able to come home with a fourth place, his best finish in the Little 500 to date.

“Our big problem last year was that we weren't getting enough fuel into the car,” says Ryan.  “We did some practice runs at the garage and we have that fixed. I think we will be pretty good in the pits this year. If it wasn't for running out of fuel twice last year we would have won the race, so we really focused on that this year.”

“I’m really hungry to do well at the Little 500,” says Ryan. “I got the taste last year, and I want to do better this year. I know we’ve got the car and the crew to do it…now it's up to me to make the right moves.”

Ryan and the team would like to thank all their sponsors for their support during Ryan's 2009 season, including OTC Tools, BS&B Radiator, Linton Media, Linde Gases, Leaf Racewear, Xtreme Metal Worx, and Huron Produce Ltd.

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