Speed51.com Story – Golfers dream of one day being able to don the legendary green jacket that is awarded each spring to the winner of The Masters at Augusta National in Georgia. Quinnton Bear, a huge golf fan, has dreams of wearing a nice green sport coat, but in Lebanon, Missouri instead of Georgia.
Bear has been racing Super Late Models this season, but he’s going to step back into a Pro Late Model on Saturday, May 14 for the Champion Racing Oil Masters of the Pros 144 at Lebanon I-44 Speedway to try to win himself that green jacket in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour event.
“This will be my first Pro race this year,” said Bear. “I’ve run Supers all year. I ran Pros all last year. I’ve just decided to go to Lebanon because it’s a big Pro race and there will be a lot of big Pro guys there so we’ll see what we can do.”
The 19 year-old driver will be racing for Scott Neal Racing in this weekend’s $8,000-to-win 144-lap race and he said he couldn’t be more excited.
“I like going to this track,” Bear said. “It’s a great facility and there will be a lot of cars there. I’m driving for Scott Neal Racing and this will be my first time driving for them. I’m looking forward to working with Scott and his team and obviously this year they’ve been running really well. They ran well down at the Derby too in the Pro car so I’m just looking forward to seeing what we can do and getting a ‘W.’”
The Avon, Indiana native said he thinks he might have a little bit of difficulty at the start of practice adjusting to the slower Pro Late Model, but he should be able to pick up right where he left off last year when he finished second in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour points.
“I feel like I have the Pro car down pat, and I know what it needs and what I need to get around the track as fast as possible,” he said. “I think at the very beginning I may either under-drive or overdrive the car, one or the other, but I’ve been to Lebanon before and I feel like I know what to do to be able to get the win.”
After seeing an entry list with more than 40 of the best Pro Late Model drivers in the country, Bear said winning on Saturday night would be the biggest win of his career to date.
“It would mean the most to me and my career,” he said. “It would definitely be the biggest win of my career. I’d just be so excited for the guys on the team because they’re all really looking forward to go out there.”
Bear also said he thinks he’ll look good in that green jacket.
“I think green is a good color for me,” Bear said with a laugh. “I love golf and I watch the Masters each year and I see them put that green jacket on and that would mean so much to me to be able to put that green jacket on.”
Be sure to follow Quinnton Bear on Twitter, @QuinntonBear94 and on Facebook, Quinnton Bear Racing.
-51 Sports Press Release. Photo Credit: Quinnton Bear
