PENSACOLA, Florida (June 24, 2016) – – Loaded with confidence, Zach Knowles and his family-owned team trek to the Sunshine State this weekend to kick off a double-header weekend of racing starting at Five Flags (Fla.) Speedway.
From one of the most historic short tracks in all of the south, the team will then steer a few hours north to invade Mobile (Ala.) International Speedway for a Saturday night showdown with Knowles hoping to deliver and earn his first triumph of 2016.
It appeared that the likeable and vastly popular Texan would land in Victory Lane last weekend at Central Texas Motor Speedway, but a late race restart and an impatient competitor bulldozed his way through the No. 51 Grant Sheet Metal / Zach Knowles Motorsports Ford Fusion forcing the Houston native to hurry his way back through the field and collect his best finish of the season, second.
This weekend though, it’s no prisoners and Knowles is determined to make up for the misfortunate of nearly seven days ago.
“I was pretty upset last week, but as a driver you just have to put that behind you and look out the windshield,” said Knowles. “It’s disappointing to have such a dominating car like we had and then someone to get impatient and ruin our night. We still made the best of it, but I really felt like we should have been the ones in Victory Lane.
“We had the strongest car, just ended up with the shorter stick.”
Knowles is excited to head back to Five Flags, a place where he’ll make his 2016 debut on Friday night. The ZKM team planned to participate in a race back in April, but with the high threat of inclement weather, they decided to stay home and focus on building their race cars.
This weekend, the team is upbeat, confident and ready to run.
“You always like going out of your own backyard,” Knowles added. “Friday night is important race for us. From a local level, I’m still wanting to prove to others that I belong here, while we work hard on other interests behind the scenes. Five Flags is a difficult enough track where you have to pay total concentration and get that bite off the corner so you can nail the accelerator. Tires are important, but whoever has their handling figured out finds themselves near the front.”
Even with a double-header on tap, Knowles has continued his stringent workout routine and a healthier diet plan – all with the intention of helping improve his on track performance.
“There’s no hiding that it’s brutally hot right now in most areas, but in order for me to be competitive, I need to be at the top of my game. Being at the top of my game means staying hydrated, eating well and getting enough rest. I’m excited for a double-header this weekend, but know it’s important to make sure I’m equally mentally and physically prepared for what’s ahead.”
Away from the track, Knowles has been nose-deep in his full-time executive position at REDCO, but is well aware that his name continues to surface in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series garages, especially after receiving his clearance to compete at select tracks on a national platform.
“It’s still our goal by seasons’ end to hit up a national series NASCAR event,” added Knowles. “We have some sponsorship and we have a number of people who are working hard trying to make magic happen on the outside. We know what we’re looking to do and the achievable goals we want to set. Hopefully, I can get to another race next month to network a little more. I’d sure love to run Bristol in August.”
In addition to Grant Sheet Metal, ZKM is proud to welcome the support of Reynolds company, Wholesale Electric, Taylor Lightning Protection, Material Express Inc., Midwest Electric, REDCO Tool and Fastener, Frio Acres and HD Supply as associate partners this season.
Zach Knowles Motorsports has additional primary or associate marketing partnerships available for this season. Interested parties should contact zach@zachknowles.com.
Be sure to keep up with the latest through his website by viewing the driver’s all-new website at ZachKnowles.com.
