OXFORD — Vanna Brackett’s first crack at the TD Bank 250 came literally to a screeching halt on Sunday, July 22, 2012.

Brackett, who was trying to become the second female ever to qualify for the 250, couldn’t recover after her car suffered heavy front end damage in the first consolation qualifying heat.

Brackett got caught up in a stack of cars after the caution flag came out when Shane Clark spun out in Turn 4. That’s when a sudden stop by Matt Sanborn led to the collision, Brackett said.

“They just locked ’em up in front of me. I had nowhere to go then,” she said.

Brackett immediately headed to the pits and was able to make it back onto the track, sans hood and a few other parts, just before the green flag came out.

“We just ripped everything off it that was sticking up so I could see. I couldn’t see anything,” she said. “Everything on the front end was pushed up, the shroud and that sort of thing.”

She ended up leaving the consi heat again in the final five laps with hopes of getting a head start on repairs for the last chance qualifier. She had a hood and a more serviceable front end for the first last ditch race, but never challenged for the lead and finished seventh.

All weekend, the 25-year-old from Auburn downplayed the significance of becoming the first female to make the 250 since Karen Schulz got in on an owner’s provisional since 1989. Her disappointment with how her weekend ended didn’t have anything to do with being a pioneer, either.

Brackett moved from pro stock to late models in 2012 and was ranked 17th in the division last year. She said her focus was on moving up in the standings in the 2012 season.

“This was definitely a learning experience,” she said. “You don’t know if you don’t try. We’re pretty happy anyway.”

Six inches = one mile

While Brackett was chasing history last year, there were a number of drivers who have already made history at the 250 who also never made it to “the show” in 2012.

The most decorated racer who failed to qualify was two-time winner Jamie Aube of North Ferrisburg, Vt. The 1987 and 1989 champion couldn’t chalk it up to bad luck.

“I had the best draw of anybody over the weekend,” Aube said. “I started up front in every heat race, every consi, and every ‘B’ feature, and I just couldn’t get a handle on the car.”

“We went pretty radical and I just think we missed it,” he added.

Aube drew the pole in the third qualifying heat and held the early lead. With five laps to go, he was second, but dropped back to fifth at the checkered flag as Auburn’s Travis Stearns edged him for the fourth and final qualifying spot at the line.

“I missed it by six inches,” Aube said. “Six inches is as good as a mile.”

Nick Sweet, the 2011 TD Bank 250 runner-up to Kyle Busch, thought some good fortune had carried over from 2011’s race after drawing the fifth row in the first qualifier. But he went home to Barre, Vt. without a 250 berth for the first time in five appearances.

“We have no excuse besides me. It’s my fault,” he said.

Sweet admitted taking qualifying for granted after his strong showing in 2011.

“The unfortunate thing is I did (have high expectations based on 2011). I tried to keep it in perspective, though. You must first get into the race to have good expectations, and we just didn’t do it,” he said. “I just feel bad for all the guys that helped here, the sponsors and all that, who worked hard to get us here, and I unfortunately couldn’t follow through.”

Just three days removed from a win at his hometown track, Thunder Road International Speedbowl, where he is the points leader, Sweet put his frustration and disappointment into perspective.

“I just have to come back next year and try to do better. I’m kind of humbled right now, obviously,” he said. “I’ll get past this one. This is what’s going to make me better.”

Ashline offline

One of the biggest favorites for the 250 never made it to Sunday night.

Ben Ashline went four-wide to the outside during the fourth qualifying heat and ended up paying for the risky maneuver.

Riding high coming out of Turn 2 in the backstretch, Ashline lost control and went headlong into the wall. The Pittston native emerged from the car unscathed, but was unable to salvage the front end of his No. 15 and return for the consolation or last chance rounds.

Editor’s note: This article is being reprinted here to remind fans of last year’s TD Bank 250 events and results.

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