Saturday June 9th
With the car for sale...I have to get a couple races in to get it on the track. We can only race 2 races in 2007 without paying
the money to join UMP. With all the Quarter Midget racing the kids are doing, I would only be able to make 3-4 races anyway, so
I have decided just to run 2 shows and avoid the cost of joining UMP. I am very dedicated right now to getting my kids going on the
Quarter Midgets. So my racing is pretty much on the back burner for now.
We raced the June 9th show and did pretty well. It was a last minute decision to go. Put the car on the scales Saturday at noon, made a couple
adjustments and called it good. Tried to fire it for the first time...no go! The fuel pump went bad sitting on the shelf over the winter! So we quickly
slapped on a new pump and it fired right up. Loaded and left for the track. Ran hot laps to get the blood flowing again and the car was very fast. Started
10th of 11 cars in the heat race and had to finish in the top 5 to make the feature. We made it up to 5th late in the race and took the final transfer spot!
Started 15th in the feature. On the start I took it easy so we could be there at the finish and lost a couple spots. But then started passing a few cars and by the
end of the 20 lap race we were in 13th. So we moved up a couple spots after putting things together to run just a few hours earlier in the day. Not a bad run, nothing
like we used to be able to do running a full schedule, but I was happy to load the car straight and having made the 20 car feature with 35 cars trying to make it in.
If we do not sell the car first, the Twin 25's on September 15th. We have won the Twin's twice, they are fun to race. I am sure we will not win this year with having only
run one other show all year, but if we can go and make the race, I will be very pleased.
Saturday September 15th
Tonight was the 6th annual Twin 25's, we have won this event twice.
I got there late due to being at the Quarter Midget track all day. We had to rush around and only got 3 hot laps. There were 32
cars there trying for the 20 starting spots. Went out
for qualifying and cut a really good turn 1 and 2.
But I went into turn 3 way too fast and I blew
the cushion. Had to pedal the throttle a little to keep from sliding off the track.
Ended up qualifying 5th! This was a shock after blowing the lap! Ran in the fastest
heat race of the night, so staying in the top 5 was going to be tough. Started 5th, finished 6th.
Only top 5 advanced to the A-main feature. Started outside front row of
the Consi and finished 2nd, this put us in the feature, but in 17th starting spot.
Started 17th in the first 25 lapper. We ran low for about 10 laps and was running 14th or 15th. We were pretty much just playing follow the leader. Then one car blew by us riding the cushion. I hate it up that high, but I decided to quit playing follow the leader and go try the cushion. It worked...it was fast up there! We managed to pass a couple cars and was moving up. The top 2-3 feet of track by the wall had a lot of grip! I had incredible RR bite and dad said I had the LF off the ground quite a bit! But I only got to enjoy that high line for 2 or 3 laps. I was buzzing down the backstretch when I heard a loud BANG in the rearend and the car shot right! I kept it off the wall, but now it would turn right when I hit the gas! Not good when you need to only turn left! The next lap I spun off the top of turn 3 because the car would no longer turn left at all! Went to the pits thinking I had a flat RR tire. Dad said all tires were up, so I went back out but could tell something was very wrong with the car. So I went back to the pits and parked it. Turns out I had so much bite with that RR that I actually tore the right rear upper 4 bar mount off the frame! It was gone! Tore the welds at the bar and even tore away the gussets! The upper bar was wrapped around the rearend housing, but the heim and mount were gone...spit them out on the track somewhere. Minimal damage, one car tagged my LR quarter as I spun in turn 3. I was just pleased to be that fast in qualifying and make the race. I accomplished my goal of making the race and we were running well in the race till the car broke. The car is now fixed and is back on the market for sale if anyone wants a really fast car!!! If I still have it in 2008...we will run it again between running Quarter Midget shows.