A real top ten finish?.
Friday night 5-6-11 at Orlando Speedworld we had 14 E-mods show up to race. The track split the group into two heat races and I assumed my position in the second heat in the rear of the field?by choice. It?s the best place for someone new to start until they have enough seat time to be competitive.
During the warm up laps for my heat, my car shut off completely. It got quiet and dark rather quickly. I coasted into the infield while checking the switches and the master. A track official approached my car and I ask him to tell the race starter I was done for now. No 12 volt power to anything. I watched my heat race from the infield, which is a really good place to be a spectator. After getting a push from the tow truck back to the pits, I discovered the battery cable had pulled loose from the crimp terminal at the battery. Nobody to blame but myself as I was the one that assembled the cables. Another lesson learned?..but thankfully it happened before the heat and not in the feature. Bad luck and good luck all at the same time?
I assumed my position at the rear of the field for the feature. When the green flag flew, I noticed the car in front of me pulling away slowly. It reminded me to quit slowing the car with the brakes and roll into the corners. Humm?it was working because I started gaining on the cars in front of me. Something happened just in front of me that caused a few cars to spin. The smoke was thick and I thought came to mind ? drive through the smoke Cole?, knowing better and already on the high side, I slowed the car without spinning and found just enough room between the wall and a car to make it through clean. It was all good, no damage and I picked up a couple of spots. When the race restarted, I put on my game face and held my own. With Sean Bass returning this week as my spotter, he coached me up to 7th place, mainly due to other cars spinning but I did gain a few spots on restarts. About half way of the 25 lap feature the car in front of me slowed quickly for some unknown reason, I got into his rear bumper, and the car behind me got into me pretty good. It caused cosmetic damage to my right rear but it did not effect the handling. No big deal, but it might be a good time to invest in white aluminum sheet metal stock since it appears I will be purchasing many sheets this year. I hope that?s not considered ?Insider Trading? in the stock market. I made multiple attempts to pass the 6th place car even getting into him coming off turn two. That?s NOT my driving style and I really don?t want to make contact with another car much less spin anyone out. When I contacted him I lifted, he held on and we continued our battle. I made one last attempt to pass on the high side in turns three and four on the last lap, I rolled in beside him, door to door, but I could not make it stick. He held on and I finished 7th. My first real top ten finish. I?ve never been so happy to finish 7th at anything?.but this shows improvement, seat time is crucial, and I?m slowly getting competitive. The challenge is high, and the fun factor is even higher. After the race I made my way to the trailer of the gentleman I contacted, I apologized and he had no hard feelings. He actually gave me an ?attaboy? for trying so hard to pass him. As I returned to my pit, I thought to myself??what a great guy?.
Orlando Speedworld has a contingency program in place. All you have to do is place the free decals on your car?.its that easy. This week I did just that, and received a contingency package that included MANY coupons for parts. Some are valued at $25-$50 towards parts and some coupons can be combined for double the value. Many also offer half price parts ordered through the manufacturer at jobber pricing. The program is better than I anticipated and its foolish not to participate. Free decals resulting in some free parts and you don?t have to win. They will be giving out the certificate packages throughout the field?.you just need to have the decals on your car.
I always purchase the video of the race. It?s a great learning tool to actually see my mistakes and the mistakes of others. It also very exciting to watch yourself race?.kinda like standing naked in front of a mirror flexing your muscles?..well, maybe not in my case and maybe not the best analogy but I hope you get the point.
Until the next race, support your local short track, the track photographers, track video people, and the concession stands. They need our support as much as we need the support from our family and friends in order to race. Thank you to Sean Bass, Mike and Kristen Sydnor, and my wife Barbara for their help on and off the track this week.
Jeff Bailey
#10 E-mod
The videos do come quickly and I go straight from the mailbox to the computer. I can’t stress enough how much the videos help. It’s almost funny to try and remember how the race went… Then compare my memory to the video. It makes the old saying of my side of the story, his side of the story, and what really happened very obvious.