Grand Bend: Dwayne Rice post race

GRAND BEND, Ont. - While a first round exit is always a tough pill to swallow, Grove City, Ohio's Dwayne Rice will continue to smile at the fact that he's enjoying a tremendous season. Awaiting the delivery of a new Grand Am, Rice can still hold his own against a slew of later model competitors.

Rice hopes for better fortunes in his next outing.

"I think for the conditions that we had to encounter this weekend and the successes that we enjoyed, I have to feel optimistic," explained Rice, who has reached the semis once this season. "I knew that we were going to be encountering some tricky conditions and we did our best. We will certainly try to do better next time out"

In qualifying, Rice showed the Pro Stock contingent that he doesn't need the latest aerodynamic design to keep up with the class. He landed in the 4th spot with a 6.718, 206.23 in the Friday's shortened program.

He made a strong run in Saturday's initial qualifying session, but it wasn't enough for an improvement. His 6.733, 205.76 proved to secure a measure of consistency. He likewise failed to improve in the final session, but he remained close to his best effort with a 6.719, 206.51.

His eighth qualifying position matched him against Elijah Morton. Rice faltered on the starting line and that was the break that the rookie Morton needed to take the win. The former Modified standout Rice gave a valiant effort but lost with a 6.834, 204.68.

-www.riceracing.com.