Weekly Results
View complete points listing here: SMS Points
| Date | Pts. Stdng. | Start | Finish | Event | Team Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08/15/2009 | 1 | 8 | Heat 2 | ||
| 08/15/2009 | 5 | 7 | "B" Main | ||
| 08/08/2009 | 1 | 3 | Heat 1 | ||
| 08/08/2009 | 12 | 1 | 12 | Main | |
| 07/25/2009 | 1 | 7 | Heat 1 | Not quite what we had in mind. The first start got called back due to the guys behind the first row not paying attention. On the restart I got pushed out of the way by the car behind me, which should have been another restart as the pole sitter sets the pace and starts the race. Plus we were loose off due to a change we had made during the week. | |
| 07/25/2009 | 13 | 17 | 15 | Main | We went back to the setup from a few weeks ago when we won our first heat race and started at the back of the pack. The plan was to finish the main even if it was at the back. The car worked much better and I was a little off my game. We worked our way up to 11th or so by passing a car or two, attrition, and other drivers being sent to the back. The plan was working fine until lap 22 (of 25) when another car went up over my left rear wheel and landed on the left front wheel! Needless to say we were done for the night and went off on the hook. Thank goodness we are off next week. How does that saying go? If it wasn't for bad luck... |
| 07/18/2009 | 1 | 7 | Heat 1 | Due to my low point average I got to start on the pole. Alright we'll pick up where we left off last week. Coming into turn 4 I mash the gas and we sort of take off. Huh? The engine is not as snappy as usual. After a few laps I am running second when the back of the car starts to come around and down across the track, over the berm, and into the infield I go! I gather it back up and pop back onto the race track only to find myself towards the back of the pack. Yep, that will earn you a 7th place finish! | |
| 07/18/2009 | 12 | 4 | 8 | "B" Main | We figured out the sluggish engine response was due to running open headers. (The muffler supplier had an emergency and didn't get the replacement built in time.) Okay, so I don't have the throttle response I need. All I have to do is finish in the top 7 and I make the "A" main. I am driving a good race. Corner entry looks good, middle is good, as is exit, but I can't pull anybody. I am actually slowly going backwards! Turns out the right rear lost more than half of the normal tire pressure early in the race. No wonder I couldn't get off the corners! Finished one spot out of a transfer position. For the second week in a row we sat in the stands and watched the "A" main. :( Next week it is game on! |
| 07/11/2009 | 1 | 1 | Heat 3 | FIRST MODIFIED HEAT RACE WIN!!! Not much more to say. I drove my butt off and even with a few mistakes I held off the driver who is second in overall points. We have waited a season and a half for our first win! | |
| 07/11/2009 | 13 | DNS | Main | DNS - Did Not Start. There was a pile up on the first start of the heat race, which closed off half of the left side exhaust. During the heat race the oil temp was slightly higher than normal. We decidied to not risk damaging the engine and scratched ourselves from the main. The power went out at the entire facility during the mini stock main! After an hour the power was restored and the mini main was completed. The modified main was a wreckfest! Only 10 of 17 cars finished with only 2 requiring minor repairs. The rest were torn up! As tough as it was, sitting this one out turned out to be the right call. | |
| 07/04/2009 | 7 | 7 | Heat 1 | We went from "that night" to "one of those nights". It all started in hot laps. We were experimenting with a visor to restrict the amount of mud that comes into the cockpit. I entered turn 1 too hot for the greasy conditions and was pushing up the track with little control. As I progressed through the turn the car rotated and I lost sight of the wall and the top of the track due to the new visor. Then bam, bam! The first hit bent the rear clip. Physics continued to play out and the front end slapped the wall bending a rim, spindle, lower control arm, and ball joint. Without a spare control arm, spindle, or ball joint we changed the tire/rim and reset toe. I gave up my 2nd place starting spot not knowing how the car was going to handle and started last. Apparently there was an extremely slick spot between turns 3 & 4 and I was the first one to find it on lap 2! On the restart I was following a car into turn 1 when he exits stage left just in time for me to get a good look at another car stopped sideways directly in front of me! I don't think hitting the brakes did much good as the impact could be heard through out the stands, folded my bumper back over the front panel, and caused quite a bit of damage to the other car. Not even 3 laps complete and my heat race is finished. |
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| 07/04/2009 | 12 | 12 | 10 | "B" Main | From the few laps I ran in the heat race we knew the car was a little loose so we tightened it up, a bit too much. About mid race I spun at the same place in turns 3/4. I managed to keep the car running and continued on knowing the leaders would be by shortly. They didn't disappoint me as they sped by. I finished with no additional damage to the car and did not qualify for the "A" main. A far cry from the previous night of racing. My confidence was shaken and the car was damaged in hot laps. The track was more difficult to navigate than normal as evidenced by the amount of carnage in turns 3/4 in the "A" main. The best looking car contest was held after the "B" main and due to an oversight we weren't invited to participate. We had won (or tied for first) in the contest the previous three years and the team takes a lot of pride in keeping the car looking good even though I keep tearing it up! It truly was one of those evenings... Time to regroup as we race the next 3 weekends straight! |
| 06/20/2009 | 3 | 2 | Heat 1 | "That" night finally arrived last Saturday. That would be the breakout night we have been waiting for since last year! The last round of changes to the race car provided me with something I could drive. What a rush. Things happen really quick when you get the car hooked-up on a tacky track! We were passing cars two at a time! I was leading the heat for awhile and made one error on turn 1 entry and finished the heat in 2nd place. Our best heat race finish in a modified! |
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| 06/20/2009 | 1 | 3 | Trophy Dash | Due to the mechanical misfortune of the first place team we were starting on the pole for the trophy dash! The dash was for the top 4 drivers. To say I was nervous was an understatement. Most of the season I have been running towards the back of the pack. Now I am on the pole with the top drivers. (I haven't always had the best of luck starting up front. Spinning in front of the pack is no fun!) The dash is run in segments. I finished 2nd in the first segment and just missed 2nd in the next segment! We could have loaded the car on the trailer right then and there and sat in the stands with huge grins on our faces. | |
| 06/20/2009 | 9 | 6 | 18 | Main | I started 6th in the main and fell back a few spots in the first lap or two as the slower cars made their way back through the pack and everyone jockied for position. I worked my way back to 6th and the top 6 cars were pulling away from the pack. It was tough to see as the heavy track produced lots of flying mud which covered our face shields and the white wall turned to brown. I ran out of tear offs on lap 22. As I closed in on the 5th place car on lap 24 of 30 the wall jumped right out in front of me as I exited turn 4! Needless to say we were done for the night. (Usually not a good sign when the wrecker has to back your car onto the trailer!) The next dry slick track will let us know just how good the new setup is or isn't. Until then, thanks to everyone for their patience and support. I know it has been tough on the crew to spend the amount of time working on the car that we do only to struggle at the track. This is a video I don't mind watching! |
| 05/30/2009 | 2 | 7 | Heat 2 | Although it was overcast most of the week and Sat. we had a dry slick track to race on. Mom was visiting from PA and was watching me race for the first time. Started 3rd in the heat and got hit on the start by the car spinning next to me! Had an uneventful restart and finished 7th as the car was tight in and loose off of the corners. | |
| 05/30/2009 | 9 | 19 | 18 | Main | Started 19th in the main and was still loose off the corners on an even dryer track. We missed the setup in both the heat and the main and the driver missed low corner entry often, which is part of the loose off problem. One thing I didn't miss was the car that spun on one of the restarts. I stalled the car from braking so hard and took my eyes off the track to locate the starter button. I assumed it was just a go-stop-go type of start and figured it was better to keep moving. Apparently I was incorrect and rammed the stopped car head on in front of the grandstands! Not a racer's proudest moment. Car, body, and ego all bruised. Went back out for a few laps and after my own spin was relegated to the infield on lap 13. Not the show I had in mind for Mom. (Now she is probably going to worry even more!) We'll be busy repairing the front end damage. Transmission worked fine. Again good thing we are off for a few weeks... |
| 05/16/2009 | 3 | 4 | Heat 2 | Its a HOT one! Sat in the truck with the AC on to escape the heat for awhile. The track dried out more than we expected and the car was loose, which was a challenge. Managed a 4th place finish which puts me somewhere in the top 12 to start the main. | |
| 05/16/2009 | 12 | 5 | 16 | Main | The learning experience continues. We tightened the car for the main and started 5th. The first few laps went well as I looked to settle into some rhythm amongst the normal chaos. Then things slowly went south and I was moving backwards. I searched the track for more bite, changed my corner entry, and changed my driving style to no avail. Still going backwards and fighting with the car on a rough track. The car was way too tight. After taking a hard hit I considered pulling off the track figuring I wasn't doing myself or anyone else any good since I had gotten loose and set myself up for the hit I just took. We decided I should just run at the back, put in the laps, and finish the race. This was working reasonably well. I got some sort of handle on the car and just hoped the leaders didn't catch up to me. With 2-3 laps to go, I lost high gear in the transmission and retired to the infield to finish 16th. Post race inspection did find that the right rear screw jack backed off an inch while I was driving which was over tightening the car as the race went on! A jam nut will fix this problem. The freshly rebuilt tranny will come out of the car again... Good thing we have 2 weeks until the next race. |
| 05/09/2009 | 1 | 4 | Heat 5 | We have 36 cars tonight! Only 22 start the main so 14 aren't going to make it. Missed my entry into turn 1 twice. Each time cost me a position and I missed the automatic transfer to the "A" main by one position. | |
| 05/09/2009 | 3 | 8 | "B" Main | I hit another car (friend of mine) under yellow and had to go to the back of the pack. Worked my way back to the last transfer spot for the "A" main. | |
| 05/09/2009 | 14 | 22 | 10 | "A" Main | We moved forward and equaled our best finish of last year! I ran many laps just behind and next to the guy I hit under yellow. Both his crew and my crew were quite nervous through out the race! After I crossed the finish line I hit the brakes fairly hard and spun myself into the turn 1 wall!?! Post race maintenance uncovered a malfunctioning right front brake causing the unexpected spins. |
| 04/25/2009 | 2 | 9 | Heat 3 | Opening night with 31 modifieds and only 22 qualify for the main event. The track was dry slick from the beginning and with no inside berm we were running up against the tires. I was running mid pack when I spun to miss another car on the last lap. | |
| 04/25/2009 | 26 | 11 | 10 | "B" Main | The track officials put orange cones on the track to make us move up the track away from the tires (and the moisture). I personally ran over half the cones in turn 4 as we moved the racing line back down to the tires. I worked my way up to the last transfer spot (6th) and then went into the corner too hot and slid up the track out of the groove. I sat in the stands and watched the "A" main with minimal damage to the car. Last year we went off on the hook on opening night! |
