The outcome of the 2020 Radley Chevrolet 125 at Dominion Raceway surprised many, including the race winner.
With only one Top 5 CARS Tour finish to his name entering the weekend, Jonathan Findley pulled off the biggest upset of the 2020 season by leading the final 49 laps to secure his first career victory.
The euphoria from that triumph has still not worn off for Findley nearly one year later.
“It still feels unreal just from the simple fact of how far we started back,” Findley said. “I had a lot of friends and family that came to support me that night, so it really meant a lot to get that win.”
Findley’s win at Dominion kicked off a solid second half to the 2020 CARS Tour season, in which he finished no worse than 15th and added another Top 5 in the season-ending Old North State Nationals at Greenville-Pickens Speedway.
A key part of Findley’s consistency last year came from his decision to partner with Lee Faulk Racing for the full CARS Tour schedule and being able to lean off the organization and teammate Nolan Pope for advice on how to improve his driving style.
Findley believes that he is a much better driver today compared to the beginning of 2020 because of LFR’s expertise. He had hoped the partnership would continue in 2021 but Findley now finds himself back with his family-owned operation.
“[The decision] came down to budgeting and financing but more than anything, we wanted to run at our own pace,” Findley said. “Racing with Lee Faulk was great and I’m very grateful for the opportunity. If something arises in the near future, I wouldn’t mind driving for them again but some things just aren’t meant to be.”
Findley’s first season back with his own program has been filled with an even mix of positives and negatives. He has three Top 10s so far but the other three races have seen him finish behind the wall with mechanical issues.
Re-establishing the consistency he discovered in the second half of 2020 is a primary focus for Findley, who is optimistic that the site of his first CARS Tour win can help him get going in the right direction.
“Dominion really suits my driving style,” Findley said. “I’m really aggressive and always up on the wheel. Dominion’s pavement is also pretty new so the track has a lot of grip but I also have a lot more laps there than many other CARS Tour drivers, which I think is advantage as well.”
Findley expects the 2021 edition of the Radley Chevrolet 125 to be just as challenging as last year’s race with the rest of the CARS Tour competitors also looking to build momentum during the summer.
A victory is the goal for Findley but he does not intend on settling for anything below a Top 10 in front of his home crowd.
“You always try your best to finish in first wherever you go,” Findley said. “When you go to your home track with all of your friends and family there, that just pushes you even more.”
With experience and confidence on his side, Findley said that it should not come as a surprise if he is the one holding the trophy once again at Dominion on Saturday evening.
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