PARADISE, Texas – Cody Shoemaker decided he wanted to try something different after five seasons in a Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMod.
What he’ll try to decide next is where to display the trophy he received as rookie of the year in the Razor Chassis South Central Region for Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds.
“We had been in a SportMod for a few years and just wanted to try something different,” explained the Paradise, Texas, pilot. “The Modified handles a lot different than a SportMod but it’s a lot of fun.”
Shoemaker won three of 42 starts, taking the first checkers of his career in the class on March 26 at Kennedale Speedway Park.
He was runner-up to regional king Matt Guillaume at Boyd Raceway and finished eighth in the points at KSP.
“We ran with a lot of good guys, like Matt, Kevin Sustaire, William Gould and John Gober,” Shoemaker said. “Our goal at the start of the season was to get some top 10’s or maybe some top five’s but we outran ‘em all a few times. That made us feel pretty good.”
Shoemaker was a regular at both Boyd and KSP during his SportMod days. He made four treks to Grayson County Speedway before ending his first Modified season at 281 Speedway, the site of his first SportMod win in 2011.
“I feel like if we’d figured out the dry slick sooner, we would have pulled off another win or two this year,” said Shoemaker, seventh in the regional standings, “but we’re well satisfied with this year.”
Starts: 42
Wins: 3
Additional Top Fives: 10
HIS CREW: Parents Jerry and Naomi; wife Brittan; daughter Blakleigh; and aunt Dee.
HIS SPONSORS: Jerry’s Bit Service of Paradise; Mark Herring Race Engines of Plainview; and Affordable Water Well Service of Boonsville.