The Wide Rear View Mirror

Well, we finally had a chance to go racing. Made it ALMOST to my feature race, but then it rained.

I had my team, (Steve, Dan, and Dana) and MOST of Frank's regular team. (Frank, Ray, Kenny and Jr) I was quite....umm.. humbled? Appreciative, for sure! Honored! Excited! Thrilled ! It made me proud (?) that so many of the "big" guys wanted to be a part of my first day.

It was the smart thing to do, for me. All that experience helping me and my crew members. Helping us learn. Helping us with routine. Helping us with EVERYTHING.

Sooooo... we did a few things with the car. Had the same gearing in it as before. First practice, I was chipping it way early again.

Second practice, we put a 6700 chip in it. That gives me 300 more rpm to use. But it wasnt legal for the racing part of it. Have to have a 6400 chip. But wanted to see how much more the car had. It took me a few laps, but I ended up chipping with that chip too. And was able to handle the car. So Ray decided we needed more gear in the car. He scrounged around with the other racers, and came back with a set of gears to put in the car. Then we were able to keep the legal chip in it, too.

So the guys did that. (I am told.... "You are the driver. Right now you just worry about driving. We will take care of the car") SO I get shooo'ed away from the car.

Then..it's conference time. I get corraled into the trailer, by Frank, Ray, and Kenny. Kenny is spotting for me today. He stands in the spotters tower, and tells me whats going on around me. "Clear high" "Car on the outside" "Clear by 1 (car length)" stuff like that. My "Eyes in the Sky" He does an awesome job!

They explain to me what the change will be with the different gears. And want to know what the car is doing, and how its handling, and all types of things.

I explained, sometimes with animation even, that the car is a touch loose going in, but it might be the way I enter the corner...not sure. A little tight IN the corner, and great coming off the corner. It just depends on how I hit my marks. (When I brake, when I turn, when I accelerate and how hard I hit the gas)

The whole day, everyone is picking on me, saying i have to lay off the caffeine. HA!!! The way I was shaking has NOTHING to do with caffeine. It was all excitement and adrenaline !!!

Time to line up for time trials. (Qualifying)

Frank is on the radio, talking, "Coaching", me.

"I want you to get pumped up! Get yourself in qualifying mode! Spin those tires going out onto the track! Get after the gears! And get after the car! You can do this!"I am next out. My heart is racing! I am shaky with excitement! Breathe breathe BREATHE damnit lol I am running my lap in my head. Gas hard, drift up the track, turn into the corner and brake hard, let off the brake, feel the car rotate into the turn, wait wait, hammer on the gas, steer it off the corner, drift to the wall, set up for the corner, turn in, brake, let off, wait wait, hammer on the gas...

Flagman waves me out. 1st gear, rev it up, 2nd gear... hit the throttle again, and started spinning the rear tires. ( I thought I was going to hit the flag man with the rear of the car) Onto the track, kinda sideways... 3rd gear into corner 3...rev it up more.... chipped it coming off the corner for a second (LOL OOOPS) 4th gear.. down the front straightaway. Green flag. (we get 3 laps. The first is basicly a throw-away, you get set for the last 2 laps)

Went into corner 1 kinda easy. The tires dont have any heat in them yet, and you just dont quite know what the car might do. It stuck, and I hammered on it coming off 2. Down the back straight, into 3. ( Brake hard, but early, so I can get a great run OFF 4 for my 2nd lap)

From this point on, I cant say EXACTLY what happened. I was focused on the track, and I know I was holding my breathe. Turned 2 good laps tho. 14.69 and 14.66. The lap times make it seem like I ran identical laps, but they were really really different. I felt that my 2 lap was solid, so I wanted to try to get a 'little' more on the 3rd lap. I know I went into 1 and 2 harder, and jumped on the gas coming off. The car kinda scooted up the track on me. And I went into 3 way faster. Slammed on the brakes while turning into the corner, and the car was a little loose thru the corner. But I stayed with it, and hammered on the gas coming off 4. Basicly just HUNG ON for dear life! Checkered flag.... ran around the track one more time to exit off between 1 and 2.... go into the pits, and drive over to my stall... shut the car off... BREATHE !!!!

OMG I was shaking. At that point, I was 6th in times. But there were a lot of cars to come still.

Ended up 12th when qualifying was all done. Out of 24 cars. So right in the middle of everyone. Top 16 make the show on times. There are 2 or 4 transfer spots. (you race your way in) So I made the show on my first try. I was so proud of EVERYONE that helped! I thanked everyone at least twice.

I had to run a heat race (10 laps) and then the feature. (35 laps)

I think everyone was concerned about how I might race. Being out there with all that traffic and everything. I was! Only because I hadnt been there yet, with these cars. Not that everyone was as nervous as me, but just concerned. I had a lot of speeches, and I 'think' they were just trying to calm me down.

We got lined up. I was 2nd row, inside. Frank gave me another pep talk over the radio. Kenny was calling front high above. I was all butterflies!

"Just run your line, and run your own race. It's only a heat race. Let's just see how things go"

GRATEFUL !!! Thats the word I couldnt think of earlier!! Grateful for all these guys helping out !

Back to the race.. sorry about that.

We go out on the track. I am trying to judge the distance between my front bumper, and the guys rear bumper in front of me. I dont want to be hitting him, or anything, but want to be able to stay close to him. A few slow laps to scrub the tires, then they let us run full speed to get heat into them. I wasnt quite ready for that. 2 guys went blasting past me. (make mental note to self to go faster on the warmup laps)

They slowed us back down, and I had to jockey around those 2 cars to get back to my starting position. (My mom thought, at this point, "Oh dear" )

One lap under caution, one to go. Breathe... relax... breathe .... relax... you can do this.

Kenny is in my ear...."get up tight to the leader.. be ready coming thru turn 4,.. I will call the shots and let you know when to go"

"10-4"

Creep up to the leader on the back straight, 4th gear.... watch for him to take off... stay close going into 4.... pace it...readyyyy readyyyy

The leader took off in the middle of the corner. I wasnt quite ready for that. I hit the throttle a bit hard to try to stay with him, and the car pushed coming off the corner. I had to 'burp' the throttle (quickly get off, then hit it again) and lost a bit of ground.

Green flag ! Going into one, I lost about a car length on the leader already. The bright orange car on the outside of me came shooting down into my groove. He wasnt quite clear of me, and I had to check up hard, so I didn't hit his rear corner and spin him. Gave up that spot right off the start. I ran a lap trying to stay with HIM now, but the caution came out before we finished the first lap. A car spun in corner 1 and 2, from behind me somewhere.

So we got to line up the original way again.

Kenny was in my ear again. "not bad, try to stay with the leader better so you dont give up that spot"

I keyed up ..... " can I hit these guys??!!!??!!!"

"relax.... just stay with the leader and dont let that hole open up again. You will be fine"

I already know my first mistake. That was on the start. So I had to try to do better. Pulled up real close this time on the back straight. Even bumped him going into 3. Rolled slow thru the center, and he hit the gas coming off. I stayed with him much better this time. Up to speed at the start/finish..... and HOLY crap the guy brakes early into the corner. I had to seriously check-up, regroup, then throtle off the corner. Did ok. Still about a car length, plus. Got closer into 3... staying with him....I can see/feel that bright orange car on my outside. (You aint getting it so easy this time, buddy!! went thru my head) The front row was still side by side. a lap or so into it, and the orange car dropped back.

"clear high" ... but the thought went thru my head, REALLY quick, that I didnt want to get high on the track yet, and let someone under me. So I just followed the tire tracks of the leader, who was still held on the inside. I was 3rd. I kept with them, pretty good. A few times I thought I was going to run OVER the guy in front of me, going into the corner. (the 33 car) He was having a hard time holding the corner. He would push one time, and be loose a different time.

I was still hanging in there.. (not sure what lap we were on already) The 2 leaders were still side by side....going thru 3 and 4, the 33 pushed hard off the corner, and slid up into the guy on the outside. I thought for a SECOND about going for it. The bottom opened up, and I really had the urge to shoot for it. But 3 wide on this track is not a good idea. So I feathered the throttle a little, to stay with them, but not run them over, and they got it straightened out, without a problem. But because THEY slowed down a little, and I was stuck behind the bottom car, someone came shooting up along my outside. Going into 1, the 33 car braked early again (so he didnt overshoot his corner, I am guessing) and the 2 outside cars managed to clear him on the next straighaway. But that orange car came up along my outside again. I fought hard with him ( I think) and also to stay with the 33 car.

All I hear is Kenny "outside...... outside..... outside...no pressure from behind... car outside...."

I was not giving up my spot. He was going to have to take us (me and the 33 car, still right in front of me) on the outside. But he still wasnt quite getting around me, and at the same time I was trying to get an advantage on the 33 car, in case I could pass him low off the corner. I spun the tires a few times off the corner, and I remember thinking "try not to slide into the orange car". He cut me low a few times into the corner, and we got together at least once. He put a perfect doughnut on my number. I mean PERFECT. Couldn't have asked for a better one !! Complete circle, and almost centered on the number.

The 33 braked hard going into 3, and the orange car passed me, and had a run on the outside of the 33 thru the corner.

"Clear high" and right away this time I drifted to the high side, and followed the orange car around the 33. I snugged it close in turns 1 nd 2, had a good run off the corner, drove it in a bit deeper into 3, and cleared the 33 off of 4.

"Clear low" and I dropped it low into corner 1.

Made my FIRST pass on the track!! That was pretty cool!

White flag, too. One more lap. I was actually trying to see what I could do to catch that orange car already. Or at least not lose him at all. Run it hard on the last lap, and drifted a little high off of 4. I knew it, and felt it.

Checkered flag! Finished my first race 4th! I think there was 8 in my race.

So again. Right in the middle.

But I was impressed that I stayed in the fight the way I did. I could have done some things different, I learned... but I survived, and I battled too.

I was so pumped up !!!!! I can do this !!!!

Kenny was telling me "good job" and stuff. I keyed up, screaming, ( which doesnt help the sound quality AT ALL) "YAHHHH BUDDYYY!!!"

Noboby could understand me, and Kenny keyed up again (thinking I was MAD about something) "whats the matter??!!" I tried to calm my voice... and keyed up.. "Nothing guys !! Awesome Job everyone !! This is going to be great" As I came off the track, Steve keyed up -"you earned your first doughnut buddy. Way to go"

I got back to my stall, and I was so excited I couldnt figure out how to get all unhooked from everything. I wanted to get out!! Frank got to the car before I figured it all out.

"Calm down! just sit still and catch your breathe! What was the car doing?"

So I paused for a few seconds and took a few big deep breathes. Then told him about what I felt and saw in my car. It got loose a few times, but it felt great otherwise. Everyone was by the car before I got done with that. Taking tire temps, and stuff. Ray was listening too.

Frank is more about 'driving style' -- Driving your line, and how the car feels. Ray is more about getting the car to handle your driving style...or at least finding a happy medium. So I was getting quizzed, and trying to share all the info I could. And still not out of the car.

Finally able to get out, and let off some energy. Lots of "atta boy"s and 'good jobs' I was so excited. I was ready for the feature. I had a good car, and I learned how it could handle in traffic. I was thinking I could possibly hold onto a top 10 finish. I couldnt wait!!!

BUT..... it started raining as we lined up for the feature. And it didnt quit. So the race got called once again. But it was a good day! I got a little further. And the car was in one piece. AND I had a perfect doughnut on it !!

I have no idea what the outcome of the feature might have been, but I was/am pretty psyched! Sooooooo until next time... I will run a few hundred laps in my head again, and see how it turns out at the track next weekend.

We will be on our own, though, next time. Frank and his crew are racing at Jefferson on Sat. So lots of luck to them, and tons more luck to us.

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