Photo courtesy of Fletcher Motorsports

TJ Hartman Racing - Update: Coming Back For More!

Puyallup, WA - November 15, 2009...

A season ending crash back in June didn't dissuade TJ from making sure he fulfilled his obligations. The crash, which damaged the teams only ASCS360 engine, sidelined the Emerald Ridge High School student from the drivers seat, but that didn't mean he got to sit back and watch. TJ's desire to race kept him involved throughout the Summer working for Paul Silva and Shane Stewart. He was also able to make sure his own sponsors were receiving the publicity they deserved as well, despite not having been in his own race car for most of the season.

TJ talks about his abbreviated season: "It wasn't going to do any good to sit back and say 'what if', so I decided to just make the best of the situation. First I want to say thank you to all of my sponsors. This week I finished up my contacts with my sponsors from the 2009 season, and they're coming back for 2010! That is just great news and it's nice to hear them say how committed they are to my racing program. I'm hoping that next year I can get them the exposure on the race track that they deserve."

The support to TJ's race program went beyond expectations for the Puyallup teenager. "Something that really stands out to me is when I visited with each of my sponsors, the first thing they asked me was how I was feeling." TJ states. "That means more than anything to me. All of the support I've gotten from them and the fans since the wreck has been great. The traffic through my web site didn't slow down one bit, even though it's tough to come up with things to talk about when you're not racing."

TJ found plenty to do with the rest of his Summer. In addition to planning for his final year in High School, he gained a ton of experience with the help of Shane(Stewart) and Paul(Silva). TJ explains: "It couldn't have worked out any better for me. I was planning on getting hooked up with a team for part of the year next season anyway, and this actually worked out perfect. Shane and Paul and all of their supporters treated me just like a part of their team. It was cool making new friends, and learning from them. I don't think you could ask for a better team to gain some experience from. Plus it was fun being around them."


Photo Courtesy of Roger Kolb - Silva Motorsports Team prepares at Knoxville

The team of Silva and Stewart is preparing for the final weekend of ASCS National Series competition, where they currently lead the points chase. If there is one disappointment for TJ, it is that he can't be with the team for the final. "They had me all set up to fly down to Tuscon next week to be with them." TJ explains. "But I've got a couple of tests in my College classes that I can't miss, so I'm gonna have to text them and tell Stewart to 'stand up for himself', and for Paul I'll just say 'good luck Babe'."

2010 is right around the corner, and the team will have everything in place shortly, while TJ decides which direction he wants to go. "There are some people who have been working on some different stuff for me." says an enthusiastic TJ. "Right now we're not sure what direction to go, but it was a nice surprise to find out people were thinking about me while I was out of the car. I'll just have to figure out what the best direction for my team is. First and foremost we'll make sure to have all of my stuff back together, and then see where we can go from there. I want to focus on building some additional long term support for my race team, and having my 2009 sponsors on board again in 2010 is a good step."

One thing is for sure - TJ didn't miss a beat this year. His smile and enthusiasm kept everyone coming back for more. TJ Hartman Racing thanks all of our friends for their continued support.

Next scheduled stop - Back to the Shop!

TJ Hartman Racing