September 13, 2013 (Friday the 13th)

Friday night started the same as the other Fridays since school started, pick Connelly up from Brother Martin at 3:10 and get on the road to SSR. We made a safe and uneventful trip to Grand Bay and arrived at the track after filling up the truck for the return trip at about 5:15. We had plenty of time since we did not have to break in tires. Went through the usual ritual, unloading, registering, getting through tech and finally getting on the track for a couple of test laps. The car was good even with the track temp of 109 degrees. We put the fans on the engine and when the track had cooled off a little went out for another quick test run and laid down a lap in the 13.05 range, so we parked it until qualifying.

THE COMPETITORS: Tonight we had on hand the usual cars, #7 Hunter Lewis, #44 Joseph McArdle #32 Connelly, #66 Andrew Johnston, #94 Brad West, #96 Robbie Johnson, and from Monroe La the #96A (I don't have his name).

QUALIFYING: In qualifying Connelly laid down a fast lap of 13.085, good enough for the pole, #66 was second with a 13.129, #7 was third at a 13.159, #44 fourth at a 13.280, #94 fifth at a 13.439, #96 at a 13.603, #96A at a 13.651. A good close field for tonight's race.

HEAT RACE: In the heat Connelly started on the pole as his qualifying called for followed by the rest of the field in the order noted above. Connelly led for the first six laps when the #66 spun in turn 4 bringing out a caution. Connelly didn't need that as he had a lead of about three car lengths over the #7 and was in a good rhythm. A couple of cars took the "choose" Connelly held on to the lead for a couple of laps then got a little high coming off of turn 2 allowing the #7 to get under him and he got by, in the process #44 got by also and we were now in third. Coming to the checker flag the #44 broke his right rear trailing arm and spun and crashed hard into the back straightaway wall doing significant damage. We wound up second behind the #7 followed by the #66, #94, #96A. The #96 experienced a mechanical problem before the start and did not start.

FEATURE RACE: Hunter Lewis threw the big dice for the invert and rolled a six, meaning that he would start 6th, we would start 5th, the #66 would start 4th, the #96A third, the #94 second, and the #44 on the pole. As a result of his crash in the heat race the #44 was unable to answer the call to post and the entire inside line just moved up one position. Giving us the third starting spot. Coming out of turn two on the first lap the #94 got real loose and almost spun, Connelly checked up and got nailed in the rear by the #7 pushing Connelly into the infield, the whole field got slowed down, and Connelly just drove through the infield to turn 4 where he got back on the track, no harm no foul. Since they did not complete a lap a complete re-start was ordered. By the end of the second lap Connelly had taken the lead and held on with the #7 never more than a couple of lengths back. At just about halfway the #96A spun bringing out the caution. A couple of cars took the "choose" and after the restart the #7 was glued to our rear bumper. Connelly got up out of the groove coming out of turn 2 and the #7 got by, Connelly stayed right on his bumper for a couple of laps and re-passed the #7 again leading for a couple of laps and the #7 got back by for the lead. Connelly tried to pass back and got hung on the outside and ran a complete lap on the outside of the #7 at one point getting almost by but he had overheated his right rear tire being on the outside for that long and coming to the white flag he almost spun and fell from second to fourth, which is where he finished. Finishing order was #7, #66, #94, #32, #96 and #96A. It was a great race from a spectator's point of view. Connelly passed the #96A once for the lead, passed the #7 three times for the lead, unfortunately the #7 passed us once more than we passed him. If we had finished second it wouldn't have been too bad, but this was a double points race and by loosing those two positions with one lap to go cost us 12 points. The spectators definitely got their $10 worth tonight. I guess we just got Friday the 13th ed. We will just have to get em next time. Looking forward to 9-27 already, only that race and the big weekend of Oct 4th and 5th left in the 2013 racing season, so come on out and treat yourself to some exceptional racing.

August 30, 2013

Since school has begun we have had to pick up Connelly at Brother Martin High School which isn't bad as it is on the way to the track. We left school at around 3:10 and arrived at Sunny South Raceway slightly after 5pm, got to our pit area, unloaded, got the car registered, went through tech and got ready to go on the track. We didn't have to break in tires as our newest set was just about ready, but we did put one heat cycle on the new tires just to let them know we still loved them, It was good not to have to thrash to do tires and get the car ready, it was a lot more low key.

The cars available tonight were: the #7 of Hunter Lewis, the #44 of Joseph McArdle, the #32 of Connelly Dubuisson, the #66 of Andrew Johnston, The #04 of Dawson Keener, the #96 of Robbie Johnson, the #94 of Brad West. Unfortunately the #96 burned up his wiring harness in his last practice session and couldn't get it fixed in time to compete tonight, leaving us only 6 cars to race.

QUALIFYING: Connelly overdrove the car in his three lap qualifying session, it is easy to do, but the fast way around is smooth, smooth, smooth. He wound up third behind the #7 at a 13.095, the #44 at a 13.124 the #32 at a 13.125, and the #66 was fourth at a 13.277.

HEAT RACE: Connelly started third behind the #7, the #44, with the #66 to Connelly's outside in fourth starting position. At the start Connelly was able to keep the #44 to the outside and make the pass for 2nd by the end of lap 2, the # 44 was able to pass us back by the end of lap 4, where they raced #7,1st, #44 2nd, #32 3rd #04 4th with the #66 5th followed by the #94 in 6th. Connelly mustered up a run for second and by the end of lap 7 had taken 2nd place, which is where he finished. The finishing order is the same as above with the exception of Connelly being 2nd, a good entertaining race.

FEATURE RACE: Hunter Lewis driver of the #7 was called upon to throw the big dice to determine the invert for the feature, he threw a 5 which put him starting 5th, Connelly 4th, the #44 third, the #04 second and the #66 on the pole. Fourth starting position is as tough as it gets, you are behind several cars, on the outside, you will probably have to fall back to last to get to the inside where you can race, but it is part of learning how to compete successfully. We took the start and fell back to 5th, but by the end of lap 2 was back to 4th, by the end of lap 7 was up to third, by the end of lap9 had gotten by the #44 and was in second place. Shortly after halfway a caution came out for the spin of the #04, This was probably good for us as it let our right rear tire cool down a bit, upon the restart the #66 took the "choose" which let him go up to outside front row. After two laps he was back to fourth, Connelly and the #7 raced nose to tail for several laps and going down the back straightaway with two laps to go got by the #7 for the lead, however coming out of turn four he got a little loose and wiggled slightly, but it was enough for the #7 to get back by us, we just didn't have enough laps left to mount another charge to the front, and we finished second, followed by the #44, #66, #94 and the #04. Not the finish Connelly hoped for, but we learned a lot about ourselves tonight. First of all we can start deep in the field in an outside starting position and get to the lead, we need to learn how to protect that lead and not overdrive turn 4 and be able to hold on for the win. We did have a good points night and we need to continue doing so. We are looking forward to the next race---Friday the 13--I am not superstitious, but I have my lucky socks ready.