FRANKLIN—A racing team with area ties has won four out of the first seven events in the NASCAR-sanctioned Pro 6 Series at Langley Speedway in Hampton.

The local team, which includes crew chief and Courtland resident Steve Bailey, car owner Butch Ore of the Holland area and driver Doug Warren of Norfolk, leads the 13-car series in points halfway through the season.

Ore has spent his life in racing but gets more out of the building of the cars, so he handed the keys to the No. 51 custom-chassis 3.0 V6 Nissan to Warren.

“I enjoy building the car,” Ore said. “I’m 63 years old and I know what it feels like to stop real fast. I’ve already been there and done that.”

Ore has participated in the series for four years and helps keep it going by selling cars he’s built. The team also has used other drivers and owners who want to race in the series.

Bailey’s interest in racing started back on the dirt at the former Southampton Motor Speedway. After serving in a pit crew there, he became a track official and chief technical inspector at tracks throughout the region. He got tired of the travel.

“It was wearing down on me,” Bailey said.

He got involved with Ore, whom he has known for 13 years, on the Pro 6 Series as crew chief for the team.

Bailey said the toughest part about being crew chief is making sure everything runs smoothly with the car and the team.

“It’s about making sure the team bands together,” he said. “It’s a team effort. If the car’s not set up right, it can be frustrating.”

Bailey was quick to attribute much of the car’s success to Warren’s experience at Langley.

“A lot of it is Doug Warren because he’s been at that track for years,” Bailey said. “He’s driven everything there is at that track. He tells you how to set up the car.”

Bailey said although the team leads in points right now, it’s a tight race and any driver can claim the title by the time the season is finished.

“You spend time on the car every day because in one race you can go from first in points to last in points,” he said. “It’s a rush to see your car going around the track. One minute you’re in sixth place and then you’re in first.”