2001

DATE: 04/21
DIVISION: MIN-INDY
TRACK: ROCKFORD
CAR:  1995 FASTWAY-1 POLARIS

QUALIFYING
LAP 1: 15+
LAP 2: 14.7
PLACE: 6 OF 11
TROUBLE WITH NEW ROLLER CLUTCH. ANDY AND I CHANGED BACK TO OLD SECONDARY.

HEAT: STARTED 9TH OF 10 CARS.  SURPRISED OF THE TORQUE AT FIRST, GOT A LITTLE OUT OF SHAPE GOING TOWARDS THE GREEN FLAG.  HAD TO WORK ON MIKE PALMER AND JOHN ZEILINGA FOR A COUPLE LAPS.  PALMER WASN'T AFRAID TO USE HIS MIRROR TO HOLD ME BACK.  SLICED AROUND THEM.  QUICKLY CLOSED THE GAP ON KEN LOSCH JR.  HE WAS RUNNING HIGH AS WELL AND I RAN OUT OF LAPS BEFORE I COULD PASS HIM. FINISHED 6TH.

FEATURE:  STARTED TOWARDS THE BACK BEHIND ALL THE PRO-AM CARS AS WELL.  WORKED MY WAY THROUGH THE FIELD.  SPENT A LOT OF TIME WORKING ON PALMER AND THE ZEILINGA AGAIN.  FINALLY WENT THREE WIDE, ON THE HIGH SIDE, COMING OUT OF TWO DOWN THE BACKSTRETCH.  PASSED THEM BOTH.
NOTICED 12 LAPS WERE LEFT.  CLOSED THE GAP ON THE 3RD & 4TH PLACE CARS OF KEITH HOWARD AND STEVE LEMKE.  WAS SURPRISED I COULD RUN WITH THEM.
WORKING ON LEMKE WITH 5 TO GO A CAR BROKE DOWN IN THE HIGH GROVE IN THE MIDDLE OF THREE AND FOUR.  I WASN'T LOOKING FAR ENOUGH AHEAD AND QUICKLY HAD TO DRIVE AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF HIM, JUST ENOUGH ROOM BETWEEN THE CAR AND THE WALL.  PASSED HOWARD.  KEPT RACING.  CAME AROUND AGAIN AND HAD TO DRIVE AROUND HIM COMING OUT OF FOUR.  HOWARD PASSED ME BACK, RACING TO THE YELLOW SO I TOOK MY SPOT BACK.
GOOFY RESTART, I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOURTH AND THEY HAD ME SECOND TO LAST IN LINE BEHIND ALL THE LAPPED CARS.  TOOK THE GREEN COULD HARDLY SEE BECAUSE THE VISOR WAS ALL FOGGED UP.  TOOK ZEILINGA, A LAP DOWN, ON THE HIGH SIDE HE DRIFTED UP A LITTLE BIT IN TWO AND WE TOUCHED.  I SPUN, HOWARD MISSED ME.  I LOOPED IT AROUND AND FELT THE CAR OUT.
THE WINNER TOM CORMACK DID LAP ME WITH TWO TO GO.  FINISHED 5TH.


DATE: 04/29
DIVISION: MIN-INDY
TRACK: COLUMBUS
CAR:  1995 FASTWAY-1 POLARIS

GOT THERE LATE, MISSED HOT LAPS.  FIRST TIME EVER AT THE TRACK.

QUALIFYING
LAP 1: 15+
LAP 2: 14.8
PLACE: 6??? OF 12???

WANTED TO TRY NEW ROLLER CLUTCH WITH DIFFERENT HELIX.  WE CHANGED BACK TO NEW SECONDARY.

HEAT: STARTED IN THE LAST ROW.  HAD TO WORK ON ZEILINGA AGAIN.  DECIDED TO TRY THE HIGH LINE BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE WAS RUNNING LOW.  SEEMED LIKE I PASSED A LOT OF CARS.  MIGHT OF BEAT STEVE LEMKE TO THE LINE FOR 6TH OR 7TH???

FEATURE: STARTED INSIDE THE LAST ROW, WITH THE ADDITION OF THE PRO-AM CARS THERE WAS ABOUT 16-17 CARS IN FRONT OF ME.  WENT TO THE HIGH LINE AGAIN.  PASSED SOME CARS.
GOT UP TO JACKIE CARLSON AND STEVE LEMKE.  KNEW I WANTED TO PASS CARLSON SO NOBODY WOULD SAY I COULDN'T OUT RACE A GIRL.  HAD HER BOXED IN BEHIND A LAP CAR FOR A  LITTLE BIT.  SHE DIDN'T GIVE UP.  THINK WE WENT THREE WIDE WITH ME IN THE MIDDLE COMING OUT OF TWO ONE TIME.  TIGHT TRACK.  LEMKE AND CARLSON WERE BACK IN FRONT OF ME GOING INTO 3.  SHE PUSHED UP A LITTLE BIT AND BANGED HER RIGHT FRONT AGAINST LEMKE'S SIDE-POD.  HE SLID TOWARDS THE WALL.  I PASSED HIM AND GOT ON THE INSIDE OF CARLSON IN 1 & 2.  ALMOST DRIFTED INTO HER IN 3 & 4 LIKE SHE DID THE LAP BEFORE TO LEMKE.
TOOK THE SPOT BUT GOT TOO LOW IN 1 & 2 AND SPUN OUT.  WAS ON A MISSION TO GET BACK UP FRONT AND IT WASN'T TOO MUCH LONGER BEFORE I DID THE SAME THING IN 3 & 4.  THE CAUTION WASN'T THROWN AND THE LEADERS HAD TO SPLIT ME.  VERN BROWN COULDN'T MISS ME AND DRILLED MY LEFT FRONT.  CHASSIS LOOKS ALL RIGHT JUST BOLT ON PARTS.
CORMACK WON AGAIN, BUT NOT BY MUCH.  JIM BASS RAN SECOND.  AND THE CAR I PASSED BEFORE MY FIRST SPIN, JACKIE CARLSON, GOT UP TO THIRD.


DATE: 06/09
DIVISION: MIN-INDY
TRACK: ROCKFORD
CAR:  1995 FASTWAY-1 POLARIS

JUST PLAIN NOT FAST, MADE LOTS OF CHANGES, BAD SPARK PLUG WIRES & PULL CORD BROKE TO END THE NIGHT.


DATE: 06/16
DIVISION: HORNET
TRACK: ROCKFORD
CAR:  1986 HONDA CIVIC

FEATURE:  DIDN'T RUN HEAT BECAUSE I WAS AT WORK-UPS.  NOT FAST, STARTED LAST, WASN'T DRIVING IT RIGHT.  ALMOST SPUN OUT A COUPLE TIMES.


DATE: 07/04
DIVISION: HORNET
TRACK: ROCKFORD
CAR:  1986 HONDA CIVIC

BOUGHT THE CAR FROM LORRON STRAHORN.  AFTER THAT BAD RUN TALKED TO HIM AND HAD HIM TAKE IT OUT ONE THURSDAY TO SEE IF IT WAS ME OR THE CAR.  IT WAS ME.  I WAS DRIVING IT LIKE I DID THE REAR WHEEL DRIVE DATSUN A COUPLE YEARS BEFORE.  AFTER HIS ADVICE IT STILL TOOK 3 OR 4 SPIN OUTS, HITTING THE WALL IN 1 & 2, AND 10-12 LAPS BEFORE I FINALLY FIGURED OUT HOW TO DRIVE IT.
  
HEAT:  SLOW CAR HEAT.  THEY START THEM BY POINTS AND I DIDN'T HAVE ANY SO I WAS WITH UNCOMPETETIVE CARS.  STARTED FOURTH.  TOOK THE LEAD ON THE SECOND LAP.  MISSED ONE WRECK GOING THROUGH THE CHICANE.  LAPPED MOST OF THE FIELD.  TOOK THE CHECKERED WITH THE SECOND & THIRD PLACE CAR RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.

FEATURE:  STARTED MID-PACK.  UP TO FIFTH PLACE FIRST LAP THROUGH THE CHICANE.  LED UP UNTIL THE LAST LAP.  HAD GOTTEN BUMPED AND THEN A LITTLE OUT OF SHAPE, THOUGHT A TIRE WAS GOING DOWN.  HEARD SHEET METAL-PART OF WHAT USED TO BE THE REAR BUMPER- RUBBING THE LEFT REAR.  SLOWED DOWN A LITTLE.  DIDN'T WANT TO SPIN OUT & THROW IT ALL AWAY LIKE I HAD DONE IN MY SLAMMER DAYS.  TOOK THIRD IN A SIDE-BY-SIDE RACE FOR SECOND AT THE LINE.

DATE: 07/20
DIVISION: BMARA MIDGET
TRACK: LANCASTER, WI
CAR: DAD'S CHALLENGER

MAG WAS GOING BAD WEEK BEFORE & DIDN'T GET ANY BETTER.  WE KEPT TRYING TO TIME A GOOD ONE ON THE WRONG MARKS.


DATE: 07/28
DIVISION: HORNET
TRACK: ROCKFORD
CAR:  1986 HONDA CIVIC

HEAT:  MID GROUP OF CARS.  STARTED 1OTH.  3 WIDE ON FIRST LAP-TWICE.  RACED PRETTY HARD AND FOR A WHILE WITH #101.  FINALLY GOT A GOOD RUN GOING INTO THE CHICANE.  PUSHED UP JUST A LITTLE BUT HE SPUN OUT UP HIGH ON HIS OWN.  ALMOST CLIPPED ME.  ENDED UP FOURTH OF FIFTH.

FEATURE:  STARTED 21ST.  PASSED CARS BEFORE GETTING TO START LINE.  GOING INTO THE CHICANE A CAR SPUN OUT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME IN THE HIGH GROOVE.  DECIDED TO CUT THROUGH THE GRASS.  TRIED TO GET BACK ON THE TRACK TOWARDS THE END OF THE CHICANE.  ANOTHER CAR SPUN OUT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME AGAIN.  FINALLY GOT BACK ON THE TRACK BUT AHEAD OF THAT YET ANOTHER CAR WAS SPINNING.  THE CAUTION CAME OUT.  I LINED UP FIFTH.  HAD IMPROVED 16 SPOTS IN ONE LAP.

ON THE GREEN THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME DIDN'T REALLY GO ANYWHERE.  I WAS BOXED IN ON THE OUTSIDE AND CHAD RUEBAR GOT A GOOD JUMP.  IT TOOK ME JUST A LITTLE BIT TO MOVE LOW AND FOLLOW HIM INTO ONE.  HE HAD A CAR IN BETWEEN HIMSELF AND I & TOOK THE LEAD ON THE 3RD OR 4TH LAP.  I TUCKED IN BEHIND.  DON'T NORMALLY AND DEFINITELY KNEW I DIDN'T WANT TO GET INTO CHAD.  RACED CLEAN FOR A COUPLE LAPS.

GOING DOWN THE FRONT STRAIGHT HE WENT HIGH AROUND A SLOW CAR.  I KNEW I WOULDN'T WIN IF I FOLLOWED HIM THE WHOLE RACE SO I FIGURED I'D TRY TO GO LOW AND HOPE HE GOT HUNG UP HIGH.  WELL THE SLOW CAR GAVE HIM ROOM BY CUTTING RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.  ONLY THE THIRD PLACE CAR WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO START WORKING ON ME.  THEN WHILE I TRIED TO GET BY THE LAPPED CAR CHAD PULLED AWAY.  HE MADE IT THROUGH THE TRAFFIC VERY WELL.

FINALLY WITH 3 LAPS TO GO I HAD A CLEAR TRACK BETWEEN HIMSELF & I.  CLOSED UP WITHIN TWO CAR LENGTHS BUT IT WAS TOO LATE.  TOOK SECOND. 


DATE: 08/11
DIVISION: HORNET
TRACK: ROCKFORD
CAR:  1986 HONDA CIVIC

HEAT:  STARTED TOWARDS THE BACK.  WAS MOVING UP A LITTLE SLOWLY BECAUSE THE TRACK WAS REAL SLICK.  COMING OUT OF THE CHICANE SAW ONE OF THEM IMPLEMENT TIRES BOUNCING AROUND THROUGH THE SMOKE.  HAD CARS ON BOTH SIDES OF ME.  HAD TO SLOW DOWN AND BUMP IT OUT OF THE WAY.  ENDED UP FOURTH.

FEATURE:  HAD A GREAT START, PASSING CARS RIGHT AWAY.  I REMEMBER IT SEEMED LIKE THE CARS IN FRONT OF ME ACTUALLY OPENED UP A PATH, COMING OUT OF FOUR TAKING THE GREEN.  TOOK THE LEAD ON THE THIRD LAP.  GOT A LITTLE SIDEWAYS IN TURNS ONE & TWO A COUPLE LAPS BECAUSE OF A SLICK TRACK.  HUNG ONTO A HEALTHY LEAD UNTIL A CAUTION CAME OUT ON THE 7TH LAP.  HAD A GOOD RESTART AFTER THAT, THOUGH.  ANOTHER CAUTION CAME OUT, WHICH I REALLY DIDN'T WANT, AND BASICALLY I WAS A SITTING DUCK.  A LAPPED CAR-#32 JASON MARTIN-AND THE GUY THAT EVENTUALLY WON-#55 RICK WISHARD-, JUST PLOWED INTO ME WITH 3 LAPS TO GO.  BROKE THE CV JOINT.

WELL, IT WAS A BLAST FOR THE 7 LAPS THAT I LEAD.


DATE: 09/02
DIVISION:  BADGER MIDGET
TRACK: ANGEL PARK
CAR:  NORM'S FORD/ELLIS-CHALLENGER

FINALLY MADE IT TO SUN PRAIRIE AFTER 4 YEARS OF LISTENING TO NORM SHRAWTZ TALKING ABOUT TAKING HIS CAR UP THERE.  KEVIN OLSO FIRED IT UP THE DAY BEFORE.  IT STARTED RIGHT AWAY BUT  I PULLED IT OF BEFORE THE HOT LAPS STARTED.  POPPING & SPUTTERING.  LET NORM WORK ON IT A LITTLE. 

FOOTRACE:  PEPSI NATIONAL NIGHT THEY HAVE THE ANNUAL FOOTRACE.  MADE SURE I HAD THE INSIDE LINE.  THEY SURPRISED ME WITH THE HORN TO START.  NO REAL WARNING.  ENDED UP RUNNING THIRD.  THOUGHT I MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET LANCE ALTMAN FOR SECOND BUT WASN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO CATCH DAVEY RAY FOR FIRST.  THIRD PLACE PAID $50 THOUGH SO I WAS HAPPY. 

QUALIFYING:  SURPRISED MYSELF WITH A 19.1.  THE REST OF THE FIELD WAS IN THE 15-17 RANGE, BUT I WAS GLAD TO BE IN THE TEEN'S.  FELT LIKE I GOT IT PRETTY SIDEWAYS, BUT FIGHTING IT TO MUCH.  PULLED OFF THE SECOND LAP.  CAR STILL NOT RUNNING THAT GOOD.  FIGURED OUT THAT MY KNEE WAS BUMPING THE COCKPIT FUEL SHUTOFF AND TURNING IT ABOUT HALFWAY OFF.

C-MAIN:  STARTED BEHIND 13 DECENT CARS.  TOOK THE GREEN.  SURPRISED THAT I WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH SOME OF THE CARS-SLOWER CARS-THAT RAN UP THERE ALL YEAR.  MID-PACK ONE CAR WAS SMOKING SO BAD I WASN'T TRYING VERY HARD BECAUSE I COULD HARDLY SEE.  NOTICED HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO PULL OF THE VISOR TEAR OFFS-ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU FORGET WHAT SIDE THE TAB IS ON.  ALSO REACHED DOWN AND TURNED THE FUEL BACK ON-WHILE RACING- A COUPLE TIMES AFTER BUMPING IT.

CAUTION AFTER ONLY ONE LAP.  A COUPLE CARS DROPPED OUT.  ON THE RESTART I TOOK NOTE OF HOW CLOSE TO THE WALL THE RESTART CONE ON THE BACKSTRETCH IS.  RIGHT WHEN YOU WANT TO GET ON IT, YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE BACKEND KICKING OUT AND TAPPING THE WALL. 

NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT ACTUALLY PASSING THE CARS IN FRONT, LIKE LANCE ALTMAN, RICH GEIRTZ, & HOGSTEAD, BUT JUST WANTED TO KEEP WITHIN A FEW CAR LENGTHS AND GET A FEEL OF HAVING THE BACKEND WANTING TO COME AROUND.

AFTER 3 MORE LAPS GOT TO THINKING-GOING SLOW ENOUGH GOT TO MUCH TIME FOR THAT-I DIDN'T WANT TO GET IN THE LEADER'S WAY.  ALSO THAT CAR IS THE MOST UNCOMFORTABLE CAR I'VE EVER DRIVEN AND I WASN'T PHYSICALLY 100% AT THAT POINT, AFTER BEING SICK ALL WEEK & THEN THE FOOTRACE.  SO COMING OUT OF TURN 3 DID A 180.  SITTING SIDEWAYS IN THE RACING GROOVE I QUICKLY FOUND OUT THAT I WASN'T AS CLOSE TO BEING LAPPED AS I HAD THOUGHT.

AFTER THE RESTART RAN A COUPLE MORE LAPS.  STARTED TO NOTICE HOW THE TRACK RUTS UP AND HOW STIFF THAT CAR IS, I'M THINKING IT MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT HE PUTS ABOUT TWICE THE AIR PRESSURE THAT YOU NEED IN THE FRONT TIRES.  BUMPED THE FUEL SHUT-OFF AGAIN BUT DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT THIS TIME.  USED TO THAT CAR NOT RUNNING GOOD.  DECIDED I HAD ENOUGH & PULLED OFF.


DATE: 10/21
DIVISION:  HORNETS
TRACK: ROCKFORD SPEEDWAY
CAR:  1986 HONDA CIVIC/1986 CHEVY SPRINT

250 LAP GOBLIN ENDURO. 87 CARS WERE ENTERED.  THEY GIVE OUT LAP PENALTIES TO CARS THAT MAY HAVE AN ADVANTAGE.  MY CAR WAS A FIVE SPEED AND DIDN'T HAVE A REAR BRAKE LIGHT-MANDATORY FOR HORNETS.  SO I HAD TO START 4 LAPS DOWN.  ALMOST DEAD LAST.

ONCE I GOT ON THE TRACK JUST STUCK ON THE LOW LINE TRYING TO AVOID ANY WRECKS AND THE MAJORITY OF THE OTHER CARS.  WAS DEFIANTLY CATCHING UP AND PASSING A LOT OF CARS.  GOING THREE AND FOUR WIDE.  LOTS OF DEBRIS AND WRECKED CARS.  TWO OR THREE CARS FLIPPED.
 
RAN 51 LAPS AND HAD A FLAT TIRE.  PULLED OFF TO CHANGE IT AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR.  THE GUYS NEXT TO US TOOK ALL OF MY TOOLS SO ONCE THEY WERE FOUND THE TIRE GOT CHANGED BUT I PULLED OUT ONTO THE TRACK AND THE BRAKES WERE GONE.  PULLED IN AND HAD TO HIT AN IMPLEMENT TIRE TO SLOW DOWN.

DECIDED TO TAKE MY OTHER CAR-ONE I BROUGHT JUST IN CASE AND TO MAYBE TRY TO SELL-OUT.  I WAS TOLD I WOULDN'T BE PLACED BECAUSE IT ISN'T LEGAL TO RUN TWO.  SO I WAS JUST OUT THERE FOR FUN.  WENT OUT AND RAN 43 MORE LAPS.  THAT CAR WAS ALSO ONE OF THE FASTEST CARS OUT THERE BUT AFTER SOME HARD LAPS THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE GAVE OUT. 

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