Spring 2000 5/2000 6/2000 7/2000 8/2000 9/2000 10/2000 Current News
8/26/008/19/00
It's taken a couple of days for me to get over the shock of not wrecking Saturday (although I probably should have, more on that later...). I thought I might be in a little trouble around 2PM Saturday as I was sitting in Dulles airport waiting for my delayed plane to show up. Got home just in time to get my butt to the track. We tried a little different setup this week and the car felt pretty good. I started 6th in the feature and ended up 3rd. That had me starting 9th, behind Roy and next to Artie. Things went pretty good on the original start and I ended up picking up a few spots. I ran wheel to wheel with Roy for about 3 laps and then Stan got by me on the high side. A few laps later I got past him on the high side, only to throw it all away when I got into 3 a little hot and about spun out trying not to hit John Hotchkiss. I recover but lost about 3 spots. A few laps later I get another run going and pass a couple of guys on the outside of 2. Coming through 3 and 4, John gets a little out of shape and I check up so I don't get into the back of him. As I turn left to pass him I hook his rear bumper. It looked like it might me ugly for a second, but we are able to break free. More spots lost. At least we didn't wreck. :) By the end of the feature I get as far as 5th.8/12/00
Rain all day made the infield at the 'Valley look like the sippy hole for the swamp buggies. I went out for warm-ups and the motor was acting up, like it was running out of gas or something. It cleared up by itself, so I thought we were all set. As we were rolling around the track waiting for the green, the car quit, causing me to miss the heat. Eventually we figured out that the fuel pickup had moved to the top of the fuel cell. Unfortunately there was no consi scheduled for the Sportsman and that had me starting 29th. At least we were in the feature. First turn, first lap, big wreck. What a surprise. :) I'm able to miss this one and end up picking up 10 spots. I grab a few more in the next few laps till there's another jingle in turn 1. This time I wasn't so fortunate, I end up getting into Wayne Jelly pretty hard, but we both drive away. We race a few more laps till the next caution, when the back stretch flagger lets me know I have a flat (thanks Claude!). The boys get me set in the pits and once again we restart at the rear. I'm pretty sure there was at least one more incident, but I can't remember. :) After it's all said and done, I end up 10th. Congrats to Ronnie and the boys on their win!8/10/00
Threw some gear to the old girl and stuck a 650 on top and went to play with the 358 mods Thursday. First chance to run the car this year with gear in it. Warm-ups went well, drew 7th for the heat, passed a couple of cars and ended up 5th. This motor likes gear even less than last year's motor. :( Started inside front row for the consi and ended up chasing Stan around to finish second. I started 20th in the feature and the car was just awesome. It is so cool to be able to run good rubber, it makes it a totally different car. Of course the green flag was not without drama. When Stan hit the gas on the original start, a hunk of brake rotor flew up into my roll cage, bounced off my door and into my lap! Fortunately he was able to get woa'd down at the other end of the straight. Someone else got in trouble, and the caution flew right away. Got some good racing in for a few laps, the car was on a rail. It all came to an end too soon when I got collected in yet another wreck in the 3rd turn. Broke a shock, ripped a shock tower off, and finished us off for the night.8/5/00
Rain again postponed the Sponsor day till this coming Tuesday, adding to an already busy week with Mr. DIRT on Thursday. Looks like we're gonna try and run with the 358's. And that's about all the good news. Saturday was a mess. It started out okay but it wasn't long before it all went South. We had Jack with us this week, getting ready for Mr. DIRT. Everyone did okay in the heat races, Ronnie looked real good. The modified feature turned to junk before the cars got to the first turn. Ronnie and Jack were both involved, Jack's car not too badly damaged, Ronnie's was a mess. I started 8th in my feature and quickly moved to 4th going down the back stretch. I was working the low line trying to get the guy in front of me, allowing George get by me on top. A couple of laps later the first caution comes out. I restart 5th and of course, one of the guys in font of me spins, collecting me and several others in turn 1. Lap 3 finds me bringing up the rear once again for the fourth straight week. A few laps later, with the help of some more cautions, I'm up to 11th. Just about time for someone to spin and collect me again, don't ya think? Little Watson and Don Miller mix it up in front of me in turn 4 and I end up an innocent bystander. Back to the rear again on lap 10. Next lap a bunch on cars wreck on the front stretch and I spin my self out trying to avoid the wreckage. Back to the rear again. I start picking my way up through again, trying to salvage something out the whole mess. As I get to the end of the front stretch going into one I get blasted in the back bumper by Don Miller. I end up sideways in the turn 1 wall. Apparently Mr. Miller thought I was the one who spun him earlier in the 4th turn so punting me at the fastest part of the race track seemed like proper retribution to him. He gets black flagged, I head to the pits with a broken race car.