MOHAVE VALLEY RACEWAY 5.09.09

The temperature gauge in the truck hit 100 for the first time this season as we headed down to Mohave Valley Raceway for the second straight week.   A slightly smaller field of cars in the pits, but still 15 very solid rides.   I lined up last in my heat and the track was pretty quick.  Was in a tight battle for the lead with the four of us in a big bunch.  Jumped to the high side and just barely jumped the cushion sending me off to the top of turn 3.   By the time I climbed back onto the track I was at least a half of a lap behind the lead trio.   Never say die and I went for it.  Slowly but surely the trio made their way back to me and with two to go I had caught the group and joined the battle.   The lines were blocked everywhere so finding a way by was tough.  Got a sniff on the low side only to have that line get taken up.   Going to the white we were in a tight pack and I drive it in hard on the outside.   Was side by side for 3rd and right on 2nd places bumper.   It was like an initial start line up only at race speed.   I slipped by third and was just a tick behind the leaders as they crossed the finish line.   

Filled the car up with fuel for the main and took to the grid in the 10th starting spot.   At the green the entire field disappeared in front of me.   The heat had created a little dust that needed to be blown off.   It was very Days of Thunder-esque as I tried to find cars and the track through the haze.   After a couple of laps I just had to go for it.   Was up to about 7th when a car began to spin in front of me in turn 2.  I was already committed and had to spin the car to avoid head-on contact.   Just cosmetic damage to the right side.   To the rear I went, again!   Since MVR went to outlaw / double file restarts I could at least see the leaders up there.   Going into turn 1 on the restart, WHAM!  I got side slammed pretty hard and wasn't sure the car would still be moving when I went back to the gas.  But it went and things seemed ok.   With the field running very tight passing was tough but I slowly moved up towards the front.   Used the high line a couple of times but it began to go away so I shot low.   On a couple of restarts I was forced to line up high and did what I could to get down quickly.   With 5 laps to go it was intense.   Cars EVERYWHERE.  Three and four wide fighting for every inch you could find.   Coming to the white I went from 5th to 3rd on the inside and had a shot at the leaders.   They were running the middle and high so I stuck it in low.   It was close!  I was inside of 2nd place but his momentum carried him into turn 3 ahead of me.  I got the car turned and shot off the bottom of turn 4 side by side with 2nd as he was inside the leader.   We crossed the line in a staggered three-wide with me just that much behind in third.   What a race!  I survived and managed a decent finish.   

Thanks Mom, Blake, Zach, Julie, Walter and Nicole for their help and support in the pits this weekend.   Also to all the fans who stopped by to chat and buy shirts!   I appreciate it.    Despite me not winning, shirts are selling fast!  Do you have yours?    CLICK HERE!

MOHAVE VALLEY RACEWAY 5.02.09

Spent a lot of time going over the car this week and felt like it would be....well...different at least.   Went out for hot laps and the car felt pretty good.   The track wasn't quite in race ready condition so I figured I would wait for the heat.   The track was slick slick slick for the heat.   I lined up 6th of 7 and laid back early on as the starts were hairy.  Cars bouncing off one another and the wall.   On the second start cars stacked up again and I fell back to last.   Went to work on the high side and got myself up to 5th before moving to the bottom.   Slowly worked through the field and into the 2nd spot.   The leader was long gone so I settled for 2nd in the heat.    

Lined up 8th for the feature and didn't get a great start.   I had made a change to the car before the feature and I knew going into turn 1 the first lap that it was the wrong move.   But I stuck with it and eventually knocked on the door to the top 5.   Again working the bottom of the track I was able to move up slowly and eventually into the 4th spot.   They did double file restarts with the leader out front so I was on the bottom for the restart.   Finally slipped into third when the yellow waved again.   I would line up outside and hung tough for a little bit before falling back.   Was actually in 4th but was saved by a yellow.   On the final restart I got a great jump and moved to the bottom before entering turn 1.   Once in 2nd I was really close to the lead but a couple of mistakes of my own over those last few laps cost me a shot at the win.   Congrats to Frank Russell for his 2nd win!   Great job.   

Thanks Mom & Blake for their help and support in the pits this weekend!   I appreciate it.  

MOHAVE VALLEY RACEWAY 4.18.09

I was able to leave the truck and trailer in the pits and return home with my mom.   Normally I have some school work and some website work to get done, so it's easier to just come home.   Didn't make it home until 2:00am and got the results posted to the MVR site, one job accomplished.  Got a little rest and then began preparing for the Saturday departure.   Arrived at the track by 4:30 and went to work changing a couple of springs and a bar angle or two.   The track was a little bit heavier and they changed from 6 heats to 4 heats.   So instead of a bad draw getting you a 3rd row start, it got you a 4th row start.   I started inside row 4 for the 10 car heat with only 3 advancing to the A.   At the green I moved up hoping to slip by a few cars and good thing I did as the leader spun taking the two cars in front of me with him.   One continued so I wound up inside row 2 for the restart.   There was heavy front end damage to the leader and I knew I would have to get by quickly.   As the green waved I jumped low and passed him going into turn 1.   The outside rows came down and I was all over the brakes not to hit them.   I was into 3rd and was pretty good for a couple of laps before I began to fade.   However I was able to stay in 3rd and transfer.   Made a couple of more changes for the feature and hoped for the best.   A good draw of #3 gave me a good spot to get things going.   I slipped up going into turn 1 and allowed a car inside that put me into the middle and I had to fight my way through but did and was into 4th.   The car was pretty good and I was holding my own for a while.   Started changing my braking point and then started driving with two hands.   It seemed to help and I stabilized not losing ground but not gaining ground.   Survived a few restarts and a slip and a bad break here and there cost me a couple of spots.   In the end I wound up 6th in a very good field of cars.   A nice run and the car was at least better.   Certainly not great, but better.   After unloading today and checking the car over I believe I found another problem that needs to be fixed.   It should really help the car out, at least I'm hoping.   We just have to keep our heads up and keep working.   Many teams would have traded us their finishes for our 9th and 6th place runs in 40+ car fields.   So I guess I should just smile and move on!   

Thanks Mom, Blake, Kelly, Walter, and Zach for their help and support this weekend!   I appreciate it.  

MOHAVE VALLEY RACEWAY 4.17.09

Night 1 of the Wild West Modified Tour at Mohave Valley Raceway brought in all the heavy hitters.   Over 40 cars signed in and were split into 6 heats with the top 2 advancing.   I lined up 5th for my heat and was up to 2nd within a couple of laps.   However I couldn't hold the car on the bottom and I went backwards.   Wound up barely hanging on to 4th, two away from the transfer.   Got to the pits and decided to make some changes to the suspension.   So while everyone went to work knocking the mud off, Blake and I began moving bars.   I didn't know if it would help or hurt, but I went into the first turn with my fingers crossed.   The car was actually pretty good and I was a little cautious at first as we were racing pretty hard for the lead.   After a couple of laps I got into the lead and pulled away for the win.   The win would earn the team the 14th starting spot for the feature event.   With the star studded field passing would be at a premium.   I seemed like I was passed, being passed, passed, and being passed most of the race as we all diced around for top 10 finishes.   At the end I had risen to 9th in the 25 car field.   Not too bad.   We will try again tomorrow (later today).  

Thanks Mom, Blake, Kelly, Zach, Julie, and Walter for their help and support in the pits.  

The day first spoke of in September of 2008 finally made its way to fruition, the day of the wedding!   It finally REALLY hit me that I was actually MARRYING two people mid-week.   So I went to work writing the ceremony.   On Saturday morning I woke up at 5:30am thinking that what I had wasn't personal enough.   So I worked on rewriting it.   After a couple of hours I had that done and then began loading the car.   I was nervous.    Got the the track and was downright sick to my stomach nervous.    Lined up 4th for my heat race and tried to shoot the gap coming off turn 2 as did someone else.   We ran out of room and got together.   I was on the outside and eventually fell off the top of the track into turn 3.   I fell back to last (6th) about a 1/2 a straight behind.   Got back on track and ran down the 5th place car.   Passed him down the backstretch and then took a couple of laps to get by 3rd and 4th at the same time.  Raced by 2nd and one lap later I had moved by the leader coming off turn 4.   Won the heat race from the rear!   YES!  

I had arranged to do the box races early so I did those before the Karts ran their event.   Six older kids and no less than ELEVEN of the little tykes ran in the box races.   It was great.   Just one crash and burn in the little tykes, but a good time was had by all.  

It was time for the wedding.    We drove out onto the track and awaited Nicole driven onto the track by her father in Walter's super cool Galaxy!   Julie and Zach were the bridesmaid and best man.  I was beyond nervous and was shaking in my boots, but I delivered the ceremony and in the end Walter and Nicole became Mr & Mrs Walter Greener........and I helped!    Amazing.   Thanks guys for letting me be a part of your special day and I wish you nothing but happiness from here on out.  

Lined up 8th for the main event.   The starts were wild and cars were all over the place.   The first couple of starts I missed the wrecks and wound up as high as 3rd in one lap.   It was intense.   I narrowly missed a huge melee on the backstretch and then another in turn 3.   The worst part was my side of the line up avoided the carnage and the inside line kept moving up on the restarts.    Finally under green and of course I get the worst start of the 5 starts.   I was having a really hard time getting into the turns.   The car was really loose under braking and I was adjusting the bias as best I could.   I was a mess.   Not moving up and actually fell back a couple of spots.   I finally got going pretty well and moved up into the top 5.   Slipped by the 4th place car and then sort of leveled out.   There was a great battle for the lead and I just couldn't get into the turn well enough to compete with them.   The yellow waved and on the restart I managed to slip by the third place car on the high line without using the brakes.   However it was really slick and I needed the brakes.    I wound up finishing third which was a great run.   It will keep me in top 5 in points too, which is a plus.   I am NOT worried about points, but the top 5 in track points will have their Wild West Tour entry paid by the track.   YIPPEE!  

Thanks Mom, Blake and Kelly for their help and support and to everyone involved with the wedding ceremony conducted by "Deacon Dan."