WEEDSPORT, N.Y. -- Andrew Schartner returned to Upstate New York from his UNC-Charlotte campus home over the weekend to compete in his final ESDCA mod-lite event of the season Friday night at Cayuga County Fair Speedway.

Schartner won his heat race and started second in the special Super DIRT Week Open Wheels at the ’Port 25-lap feature. He led over half of the race until a fierce three-car battle for the lead ensued between him, Clayton Brewer and Doug Williams. The trio raced wheel to wheel for the last half of the race, with Schartner ending up third.

“We had an awesome car tonight,” Schartner said after the race. “We were lengthening the lead early, getting good restarts, and working really well on the high side. Brewer just slid to the inside of me around Lap 13 and he must’ve thought he was clear because he slid up the track and came across our nose. We got together and both almost spun, but we kept it going and kept battling all the way to the finish.”

Schartner, who is still in search of his first mod-lite feature victory, was still pleased with the result after an up-and-down 2008 campaign.

“It’s good that we have the car running so well now. It gives us good momentum heading into next season. We usually take the car apart over the winter and change a bunch of things, but I think we’re going to mostly leave it alone this winter because we’ve finally got it to where it needs to be. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t get the win tonight; it’s just one of those things. We’re looking forward to next year.”

Andrew Schartner is a former microd (quarter-midget style car) champion with approximately 130 feature wins to his credit. He moved to the mod lite division in 2006 and won the ESDCA Rookie of the Year award while finishing fourth in ESDCA points. Schartner accomplished a number of top-five finishes between Brewerton, Canandaigua, and Cayuga County Fair speedways and is now looking forward to the 2009 campaign.

Now in the midst of his sophomore year at UNC-Charlotte, Schartner resides in Charlotte, N.C., throughout the school year and spends his summers racing in Upstate New York.

Schartner is a member of the Team Full Throttle Driver Development Program and is represented by Driver Development Services, Inc., Charlotte, N.C. His marketing partners are Arnold’s Family Restaurant, Airgas, BBD Coaters, SAVES Auto Body Supply, and Fastline Performance.

Team Full Throttle is a Mooresville, N.C., based driver development program that specializes in all areas of personal and professional development, including leadership, teamwork, and communications as well as marketing, promotion, and on-track driving skills. TFT currently comprises over 30 racers who reside and race in all regions of the country.

For more information on Andrew, visit www.andrewschartner.com. For more information on Team Full Throttle, visit www.goteamfullthrottle.com or contact (704) 664-1755.