Clement Racing Dominates 99
Speedways 4th of July Show
This week the Legend Division returned to the famed 1/4-mile 99 Speedway where I
always run real well with the Black #3 Chevy Legend by REP-CO.
It was a mildly hot day
with a cool breeze blowing in from the Delta. The
track had been swept and was clean clear to the wall witch is good because that a great
groove if you can get the car to stick up there.
Practice started at 2 just
like normal and we all hit the track to test our cars. I've got to say I was really happy
with mine. On the next set of practice I noticed that I felt a little tight off the
corners, so prior to qualifying I talked it over with Dave Clement and he wanted to try
something he had been thinking about all week so we elected to make that chassis
adjustment; it was good for qualifying with a great lap of 16.080 which put me 7th on the
line up.
With the heat race coming
up I decided to use it as test season and see what our adjustment would do after the tires
got hot, boy was it fast, I finished 4th in the heat but knew it was going to be dynamite
for the main.
Back in the pits I put a
fan on my hot motor and ran over to see if I could help Fred get ready for the dash. After
filling him up with gas it was back on to the track for three quick laps. Fred took the
lead on the first lap and never looked back and it was over just that fast with Fred
winning by a big margin.
With a 10-car inversion I
started the main event in 4th place with Fred in 8th and Keith in 18th
Patty was on the track in 20th as the alternant. After they announced all our
names and sponsors we rolled off and lined up for start but nothing happened we just
circled the track lap after lap after a few laps I noticed the pit gate was closed then
the next lap it was open and Frankie in the 14 car was coming on the officials brought
Patty in and Frankie took his place in the lineup and we were finely ready to go. I would find out later that when Dave and Patty
ran to pits to put her in her car for the alternant spot they noticed that Frankie was
having a hard time getting his car back together after a wreck earlier in the evening.
Dave sent Patty to get in her car and get it on the tack and then ran over to help
Frankie. When asked later by a fan why help a guy fix his car that would cost your wife a
spot in the main event. Dave said “that’s just the way it is in this division if
a racer needs help you help and let the rest of it take care its self.”
When the green flag finely
flew I quickly started to gain positions. With a caution on lap 5 for Fred and Mosher the
52 car I was in 3rd but was put back to 4th because we hadn't completed the lap. This was
ok because it put me on the outside. On the restart I made my move to the top of the track
going into turn one and took 3rd place, getting a good run off turn two charging down the
backstretch I moved around the second place car 66 car on the outside. It took only 2 laps
to catch Kelly, the leader, and I passed him on the outside for the lead on lap 8. Pulling
away by a car length or two every lap I continued to lead, by the 20th lap
there was nobody in my mirror, now this is the time when you start hearing strange sounds
coming from the motor and wondering if the brakes are going to hold out. About the 25th
lap I saw Fred show up in my mirror and he was coming hard, I quickly calculated the
distance between us and laps left knowing there was no way he could catch me before the
end of the race, I just sat back and ran smooth until the 30th lap when the checkered flag
flew for victory.
I have got to thank all my
sponsors and every one who comes and watches, this has been a great year and were having
lots of fun doing it.
Thanks to: REP-CO TOWING;
MAC TOOLS; EVERY DETAIL; ALAN YORDY DRY CLEANING & REPAIR; THE NEED FOR SPEED;
TRANSMISSIONS BY HAL; THE MUFFLER MAN; WENTZEL FABRICATING; FINISH LINE TROPHY AND SIGN.
David Ball