Things are coming together?.
Good luck started with a lucky draw for the pole in the heat race. I decided to not relinquish my position and start in the rear as I?ve done in the last few races. Its common practice to start in the rear if a driver is new to circle track, but I seem to find myself replacing body panels on a regular basis when racing at the rear of the field. When the green flag waved for the heat race, the car outside of me jumped the start big-time. I got passed on the outside by the car behind him as well. Lucky for me, someone brought out the yellow with a spin before we completed the first lap. At the restart, the outside pulled me about a car length and I raced side by side with the 3rd place car for a couple of laps until I cleared him. Then a couple of cars in the rear of the field touched and brought out a yellow. I restarted on the outside and held my position chasing the leader. Once again, two cars in the rear of the field touched, spun, and brought out another yellow. As we regrouped for another restart I thought to myself, I?m done with that starting in the rear stuff. I would rather work on my driving and chassis set-up instead of replacing body panels. During the final restart, I was able to once again hold on to 2nd and finish the heat with my best finish yet?.a strong 2nd place. The best part was when I pulled up to the trailer in the pits, my wife Barbara was at my car before I had time to drop the window net. She was wearing a big smile ! That?s what this is all about ?.making her smile ! Humm?I guess she was smiling because I had a good finish, I guess it could have been that I did not tear up the car again. Anyway?she was smiling.
The good luck well ran dry when the heat winner drew the 9 pill for the inversion to start the feature. This placed me starting 9th out of 11 E-mods. The heat winner and the points leader started behind me. The plan was to follow them through the field during the race. When the green flag flew for the start of the feature, I passed one and did not challenge the heat winner and points leader for position. I dropped in behind them for a hopeful charge to the front. It did not happen, a car up front cut a tire and brought out a yellow. At the restart I was 9th, when the leader fired coming out of turn four he had a right front suspension failure causing him to hook a hard right which collected the car beside him into the wall. It took a while to get their cars off the track since they both needed the flatbed wrecker. The good thing is that neither driver was injured and their cars only had suspension and body damage. It could have been much worse. Nine cars restarted and I was in 7th. I ran 7th a few laps until a couple of cars contacted up front, both continued and I was able to pass one but in the process got passed by one car myself. Still in 7th for a few more laps until the half way point. I?ve got Chad Pierce spotting for me again this week and he is reminding me to let the car roll into the corners?..I?m still working on getting the road course driving disciplines out of my system. As the laps are winding down the 5th place car develops a misfire which allows me and the 6th place car to pass him coming out of turn four. Now I?m in 6th and working on the 5th place car. I try to pass on the outside a few times and the bottom a few times?.Chad comes over the radio and tells me to try a crossover move. I drove the car deep into three and was able to get under him with my right front tire at his door?.I was on the bottom line, he pinched down slightly, we touched and his left rear contacted my right side nerf bar resulting in a shower of sparks?..I completed the pass and assumed the 5th position. Chad replies ?That?s how you do it ?! I can now see the 4th place car in my cross hairs but there is just not enough laps for me to gain the ground. Chad tells me to ?Bring it home?. I did just that and finished 5th ?my best feature finish yet. As I said before, things are coming together?..but I still need ?mucho seat time?.
THANK YOU to Chad Pierce, Mike Sydnor, and my ?smiling? wife Barbara for their help at this race. I could not have done it without their assistance.
The E-mods are off until July 15th at Orlando Speed World due to a couple of rainout make-up dates for other classes and the Crash-A-Rama. I will be doing some testing starting in a couple of weeks at New Smyrna Speedway in preparation for the chance of a lifetime. I?m going to participate in Rich Christensen?s upcoming television pilot episode that is based on circle track racing. Rich?s television show ?Pinks? was very successful and his plans for the new show sound even more exciting.
