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Getting Back on Track for the #7 Shamrock Inn/ 1520 AM Vegas Radio Ford Thunderbird |
Good and bad night leaves #7 team excited for next
race on May 19th.
The bad-
two 15th place finishes. The good, we started DEEP in the field
in both features and went forward. In the first feature, Tony
and I started side by side and teamed up the whole race, it was
great. I was GLUED to his back bumper. I started to take it three
wide with 2 to go coming out of two, but I whoah'd
it up and thought better of it. Fun race, I had a blast, but the car
was getting tighter as the race went on.
I showed
up at the track at 6:40 and they wouldn't let me pull a pill
for qualifying for the second feature. I even made the
driver's meeting. So they started me 11th with 6 to qualify. I think
I made it to 6th, and then about took down the concrete coming out of
turn 4. By this time, the car was CRAZY tight middle- off. It is
like a tight car is more out of control than a loose car. The car was
tight, and I felt it and backed off. Even though I was slowing down,
the car never stopped pushing. Then I got into the loose crap and
then it got even more out of control. The wall was coming and I just
cranked the wheel all the way to the left and nailed the gas and slide
the rear end and it worked. It was INCHES I missed the wall. I had
it at an angle by that time where the tire or rear quarter would have
hit the wall, but it was bad. So I lost a spot. So back in the
consi. There were about 30 cars so the consi had 12 cars. I started
5th and finished 4th. Just got in a qualifying position and stayed
there. Tony (other Ford driver)
won his heat by the way, it was AWESOME. Pulled the window net
down on the backstretch and pumped his fist all the way around the
track... I was so happy for him. The crowd around his car after he
won was great. The track officials even came down to congradulate
him!
 Then
in the feature we started 2 from the back...
22nd. I knew I had to free the car up. I changed all 4 tires and
spaced the RR out as far as I could get it and tucked the left side
tires into the car as best I could... I wanted the most left side weight percentage
I could get. The more left side
weight, the happier the car is turning left. I even threw
some mud (20 lbs) on the left side (gotta
love dirt track racing!). I also increase stagger. The only
thing that worried me was using my
bent up wheel we bent at Winchester. But that son
of a gun hasn't lost a pound
of air in 5 months so I guess it is safe. The tire on that wheel is
great. Also, it has a small offset like a 1 or 2"
and I wasn't happy spacing the RF out and taking weight off the RF but
that is all I had. So we went
out and the chassis was AWESOME. Everything I did worked. It was so
cool not only to pass people
with motor, but also chassis. I passed about a car every two laps and
just ran out of time. If you look at the standings, you will see
guys like Mark Jones
finishing in 8th. the field is just super competitive like we knew it
would be this year and the track has been one groove and fast, so
it is hard to pass. I am marking those tires with a big 'F'
for feature tires in two weeks, they
matched great!
I know it
sounds crazy after posting two 15th place finishes that we can win,
but the car is FAST and as a driver, I feel I am driving it super
hard.
The other
bad news of the night was bobby buried his car in turn 2... the
throttle hung and he hit hard. It
happened after the checkered
flag too, terrible. He said
at first he thought someone was shoving him, then he realized what was
happening and he went to hit the kill switch and missed it, then
pushed the clutch in and it was too late. I drove by and about
freaked out. I stopped right on the track and ran over to him with
my helmet and HANS and
all. I was third one there. Totally
stinks. But his
wife Marueen said she doesn't want him missing a race, so the
car is going to Roy's on Tuesday. I
am sure the 3 car will be there on the 19th... the next race.
After Tony
won the heat, he started 4th. He
was running 5th or 6th and tranny locked up. Stinks. It
was a wild night, full of emotions. I
think that is why we race, it is the emotional roller coaster that is
a drug.
For the next race on May 19th, we
will be lined up in qualifying by point standings. Unfortunately I am
22nd in points, but that position should put me on the pole for my
heat. I really believe I can stay out front and have a great starting
spot for the feature. Don "The Savior" will be back on May 15th and I
should finally have some help!!! Bobby's son in-law helped at the
track immensely, but having Don to work on the car and help load up
before the race will be priceless. I am super happy with the
chassis and I only want minor changes. The brakes seem great and the
motor seems good. I have a slight miss early in the night I am still
trying to figure out, but it clears up usually in time for the heat. I
think it is the idle setting or jets or something simple like that.
The car and driver are really working well and I think that can be
seen in the photo gallery. There are things in those pictures that we
could not do the last two years.
So anyway, we are pumped for the next
race. I am not happy with two 15th place finishes, but the car doesn't
have a scratch on her and I think with a good starting spot next week,
the sky is the limit.
Brian
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