After finishing well last week, we arrived at the track hoping our good fortune would continue. With this in mind we decided to break in a spare tire that was given to us when we got the car. The tire had good rubber, but was as hard as a rock. So we put it on the right rear to get it good and hot and went out for the first set of hot laps. On about the third lap I got on it a little quick coming off of turn two and spun it like a top. It has been a long time since I drove a car with this short of wheelbase and didn't remember how fast they come around. I just through in the clutch and coasted to a halt. After finishing that set of hot laps, we went back to the pits, changed the tire and done the setup for this weeks race.
While getting ready to go back on the track, the legend photographer, Joe Johansen, came by and said he though he had caught my spin with a speed shot and he was right. We scanned in the picture and will e-mail it to all concerned.
We started fourth in our heat and finished second. The car was running fine and we decided to leave it alone and hope that the track didn't cool off too much before out main event, which was held early in the evening.
We started fourth in the main event and by lap three I had the lead. I immediately dropped into smooth mode, saying to myself every lap "Just stay smooth, don't get crazy." As we made more laps, I was extending my lead, while keeping an in the mirror watching the pack. It wasn't long before I saw the yellow 52 break loose from the pack with the 22 right on his bumper. We continued to make laps while I watched them coming for me. In the 15th lap the 52 got by. It wasn't long after that the 22 got by, with the 40 car on his bumper. Just then we got a yellow flag for someone spun out on the backstretch the 52 car pulled to the infield with something broken. The yellow closed up the field and put a couple of lapped cars between us and the leaders. On the green flag the 0 car got by us while I was trying to hold off the 15 car. The 15 car and I went side by side, lap after lap. The 15 car squeaked by and the race was over leaving us finishing 5th.
I hope you enjoy these little stories and pictures; they are kind of fun to write and give us something to do during the week when we were not working on the race cars.
Fred #55