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10/11/98

Mr. Toad goes to Syracuse...as crewchief.  Just a couple of quick observations so you all have something new to read<g>.  Wednesday, no Dave Blaney.  Step in supersub, Mr. Jerry Higbie.  No big deal, just sticks the car in the top 6.   Awesome job.  Now all we have to do is have fastest 2nd day time and all will be right.  Enter a full day of rain to wash that deal away.  Now we have to start last in one of the triple 20's and finish better than 13th, no small feat.   Friday in warmups the track is pretty wet and looks like it will take some time to come in.  Even so, the car is pretty good.  Loose, but good.  So we wise veterans of the crew decide to tighten it up a little bit.  As you will see shortly, our "little bit" was kinda like trying to slice an apple with a sledge hammer.   Dave starts the race in 27th and starts to decimate the field immediately.   However it's readily apparent that the car is just  too tight, the track came in way faster than we thought it would.  We end up 9th, thanks to the talent alone of the the guy behind the wheel.  This puts us deep in the field for Sunday's race, 26th.  Now, I've seen the whole Dave Blaney thing previous years, but apparently I wasn't paying close enough attention.  This guy has to be seen to be believed.   He's in the top 10 before we pit on lap 31.  By lap 65, we're in the lead.   And nearly a second faster than the rest of the field.  A caution on lap 90 pressures us to make the questionable decision to bring him in for our last stop.   Unfortunately, we blow the stop and end up losing many positions in the pits.   This puts Dave at the end of the pack, pressuring himself to got the the front as quickly as possible.  The car is the best it's been all day and we're pretty confident Dave can get back to the front.  Then disaster strikes.  Dave miss-judges the inside berm in turn two, bounces the front end in the air, and skates across the track into the wall very hard.  Our race is over.  And now we'll have to wait 365 days to find out if we'll have the opportunity to try this again.  I sure hope so. 

And last, but not least, congratulations to Billy Decker and the entire Ross Motorsports crew for their win Sunday.  After working with Randy for the last 10 years or so, no one could be happier for their success this year than I am.  With track championships at Brewerton, Canandaguia, and Weedsport ( and almost a 4th at Rolling Wheels!!!), the 300 at Syracuse, the Skoal series, and at this point, just about a lock on Mr. DIRT, these guys have had a season that anyone will be hard pressed to match.   Way too cool.