Lansberry third for season at Barona

Chad Lansberry completed the 2006 Barona Speedway season with a third-place finish in the 600 cc Modified Midget standings.

Lansberry, who led the division for much of the season, crashed in his final three races, including the October 28 main event. Three main event wins during the season helped the Fallbrook driver spend part of the year in first place.

“The last half of the season didn’t go as I had planned,” he said. “It just steadily went downhill from there. Lots of it’s just racer’s luck.”

Only one other driver in the class won three main events during the year. “I just wasn’t consistent enough,” Lansberry said.

Lansberry finished fourth in the 2005 standings and fifth in 2004. “Consistent improvement. Winning the three main events is pretty big to me,” he said.

His fall from first to third in the standings indicated to him that consistency throughout the year and adapting to differing track conditions are areas to master in the future. “The learning curve continues, year number four,” he said.

In late December Lansberry will travel to Tulsa for the Tulsa Shootout, which will have 600 cc Modified Midget drivers from throughout the United States. “If that doesn’t make me so humble, nothing will,” he said.

Due to a decreased car count, the 600 cc Modified Midgets will run a shortened schedule at Barona next year; when the 2007 schedule is released the 600’s are expected to have 12 races rather than the 18 scheduled for 2006. Lansberry plans to run the 2007 season at Barona.

Lansberry’s crew consisted of Dale Lansberry and Warren Roll. He is sponsored by 3 West Surveying and Mapping and by Lansberry Land Surveying.