2002

DATE: 05/03/02
DIVISION: MINI-INDY
TRACK:  COLUMBUS 151
CAR:  1996 FASTWAY-1

HOT LAPS:  WAS TRYING TO GET AROUND THE SLOWER CAR OF MIKE NELSON, SO I COULD TURN SOME GOOD LAPS.  I STUCK MY NOSE ON THE INSIDE, AND THEN HE CAME DOWN INTO MY LANE, EVEN THOUGH HE HAS MIRRORS AND A SPOTTER.  WE MADE CONTACT.  I BENT AN A-ARM AND RADIUS RODS.  ONE OF HIS CREWMAN CAME DOWN TO MY PIT VERY UPSET.

HEAT:  CAR DIDN’T WANT TO START VERY EASILY.  MADE IT OUT IN TIME.  DIDN’T HAVE A VERY GOOD RUN.

FEATURE:  CAR STILL DIDN’T WANT TO START VERY WELL.  THE RECOIL ROPE ACTUALLY BROKE TOO.  ONE GUY FROM ANOTHER CREW GOT IT TO FIRE.  MADE IT OUT ONTO THE TRACK AS THE OTHER CARS TOOK THE GREEN.  SPUN OUT ON COLD TIRES.  GOT GOING AGAIN AND JUMPED ON THE GAS.  THE THROTTLE CABLE ENDING UP BREAKING.

DATE: 05/04/02
DIVISION: HORNET
TRACK: ROCKFORD
CAR:  1886 CHEVY SPRINT

DECIDED NOT TO TAKE THE MIDGET TO A RACE IN BEAVER DAM, BECAUSE IT WOULDN’T START.  (WE ENDED UP FINDING IT TO BE AN ELECTRICAL WIRE DAYS LATER)  HAD THE HORNET READY TO GO SO I TOOK IT OUT.
  
HEAT:  STARTED IN THE BACK.  TOOK AWHILE TO GET AROUND A COUPLE CARS BUT ENDED UP PASSING ABOUT FIVE.

FEATURE:  STARTED TOWARDS THE FRONT.  AVOIDED A WRECK ON THE FIRST LAP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CHICANE, BUT WHEN I TRIED TO MERGE BACK INTO TRAFFIC, GOT HIT IN THE LEFT FRONT CORNER.  GOT STUCK BEHIND A CAR THAT WAS TAKING UP THE WHOLE TRACK AND COULDN’T GET BY.  WAS RUNNING IN THE TOP 10, UNTIL GETTING SPUN OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CHICANE.

DATE: 05/27/02
DIVISION: HORNET
TRACK: ROCKFORD
CAR:  1886 CHEVY SPRINT

HEAT:  STARTED INSIDE THIRD ROW.  THOUGHT I HAD A GOOD CHANCE TO WIN BUT CHECKED UP GOING INTO, YOU GUESSED IT, THE CHICANE, AND GOT SPUN OUT.  GOT BACK UP TO ABOUT 5TH OR 6TH.  CAME OUT OF TURN 4 SIDE BY SIDE WITH A CAR AND DRAGGED RACED HIM TO THE START FINISH LINE.  I WAS ON THE INSIDE AND HE KEPT COMING DOWN ON ME.  I LOST THE SPOT BY INCHES.  ANOTHER CAR FLIPPED ON THE LAST LAP GOING INTO THE CHICANE.

FEATURE:  STARTED TOWARDS THE BACK.  TWO CARS WRECKED IN FRONT OF ME FORMING A POCKET THAT SUCKED ME IN.  WE BOUNCED OFF EACH OTHER AND I BROKE THROUGH THE MESS.  MOVED UP A FEW SPOTS BUT AFTER A MID RACE RESTART GOT STUCK BEHIND A CAR THAT DIDN’T ACCELERATE TOO QUICKLY AND HAD TO PASS A BUNCH MORE.  THEN GOT STUCK BEHIND THE SAME CAR FROM THE LAST FEATURE THAT WAS ALL OVER THE RACETRACK, AND LEAKING GAS OR WATER AS WELL.  MY CAR JUST ISN’T FAST ENOUGH TO PASS LIKE MY OLD HONDA, FROM 2001, DOES.  SIMILAR TO THE HEAT RACE, CAME OUT OF TURN 4 SIDE BY SIDE WITH THE CAR AND DRAGGED RACED HIM TO THE START FINISH LINE.  I WAS ON THE INSIDE AND HE KEPT COMING DOWN ON ME.  I AGAIN LOST THE SPOT BY INCHES.

DATE: 05/31/02
DIVISION: MINI-INDY
TRACK: LAKE GENEVA
CAR:  1996 FASTWAY-1

HEAT:  FINISHED FIFTH.

FEATURE:  FINISHED 4TH.  HAD A FUN RUN.  TOWARDS THE END OF THE RACE THOUGHT ABOUT HOW GLAD I WAS TO HAVE BOUGHT THE CAR.

DATE:  06/08/02
DIVISION: MINI-INDY
TRACK: ROCKFORD
CAR:  1996 FAST-WAY-1

HEAT:  STARTED IN THE BACK, STILL BECAUSE OF THEIR "ROOKIE" RULE THAT REQUIRES A NEW DRIVER TO HAVE TO START BACK THERE FOR 6 RACES, PASSED A COUPLE CARS AT FIRST BUT COULDN’T GET AROUND SOME OF THE PRO-AM CARS, A LOWER DIVISION WITH LESS HORSEPOWER THAT RACES WITH US BECAUSE THE CAR COUNT IS SO LOW THEY HAVE TO RUN EVERYONE TOGETHER.  TOWARDS THE END OF THE RACE HAD A BATTLE WITH STEVE LEMKE, WHO WAS IN A USUALLY MUCH FASTER CAR BUT I’M ASSUMING HE HAD AN EARLY RACE PROBLEM.  HE PASSED ME FOURTH BEFORE THE CHECKERED FLAG.

FEATURE:  STARTED LAST, AGAIN BEHIND THE PRO-AM CARS.  SLICED THROUGH A COUPLE BUT TOOK A WHILE TO GET BY THE TWO THAT WERE RACING FOR THE FRONT POSITIONS IN THEIR RACE. WENT BELOW AND THREE WIDE WITH A VERY SLOW LAPPED CAR WHILE WE WHERE ACTUALLY GETTING LAPPED BY THE REAL LEADERS.  THE FOURTH PLACE CAR, WALLY REITZ, IN A CAR ALMOST SIMILAR TO MINE, LAPPED US AND I KIND OF FOLLOWED HIM THROUGH AND SNUCK BY THE SLOWER PRO-AM CARS.  ENDED UP 7TH.  I REALLY THINK WE COULD RUN TOWARDS THE FRONT OF THE PRO RACE IF I DIDN’T HAVE TO START BEHIND ALL THE PRO-AM CARS.   

DATE: 06/15/02
DIVISION: HORNET
TRACK: ROCKFORD
CAR:  1886 CHEVY SPRINT

FEATURE:  STARTED IN THE BACK BECAUSE OF MISSING THE HEAT TO WORK AT UPS.  PASSED A GOOD NUMBER OF CARS BEFORE AN EARLY RACE CAUTION.  WAS UP TO ABOUT THE TOP 10 WHEN I GOT INVOLVED IN AN INCIDENT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CHICANE, AND BOUNCED INTO SOME NONMOVING CARS.  ONE OF THE CARS INVOLVED ROLLED OVER.  I ENDED UP BRINGING THE CAR HOME 12TH, OUT OF 25, BUT THE FRONT END ACTUALLY GOT BENT TOO BAD AND IS RUBBING THE HALF-SHAFT NOW.

DATE:  06/19/02
DIVISION: MINI-INDY
TRACK: ROCKFORD
CAR:  1996 FAST-WAY-1

QUALIFICATIONS:  RANKED 5TH.

HEAT:  FINISHED 5TH.

FEATURE:  FINISHED 4TH.

DATE: 06/30/02
DIVISION: POLICE VS BUSINESSMEN
TRACK: ROCKFORD
CAR: 1886 HONDA

WORKED HARD, BETWEEN EVERYTHING ELSE, REPAIRING AND GETTING CAR READY AFTER 2001 ENDURO.

QUALIFICATIONS:  RANKED 3RD OUT OF ABOUT 40 CARS.  SOME EVEN EIGHT AND SIX CYLINDERS.

DASH:  FINISHED FOURTH.  WAS WEIRD RACING WITH THE BIGGER CARS IN MY LITTLE FOUR CYLINDER.

HEAT:  DIDN’T FINISH WELL.  IT WAS A SPECIAL EVENT WHERE WE HAD TO GO BACKWARDS THE LAST TWO LAPS.  THIS CAR DOESN’T REVERSE WELL.

FEATURE:  MOVED UP TOWARDS THE FRONT QUICKLY, USING THE BOTTOM OF THE TRACK.  WAS LOW, BUT APPARENTLY NOT LOW ENOUGH, AND GOT TAGGED IN THE LEFT REAR.  WENT ACROSS THE TRACK IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE FIELD AND HIT THE OUTSIDE WALL.  THE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS BENT VERY BADLY AND OF COARSE A HALF-SHAFT WAS BROKE.  NOT READY TO JUNK IT YET, BUT IT WILL NEED A LOT OF WORK TO GET READY.
 
DATE:  07/04/02
DIVISION: MINI-INDY
TRACK: ROCKFORD
CAR:  1996 FAST-WAY-1

FEATURE:  STILL STARTING BEHIND THE PRO-AM CARS.  PASSED A FEW CARS, FINISHED FIFTH AND ONE THE LEAD LAP.

DATE: 07/06/02
DIVISION: HORNET
TRACK: ROCKFORD
CAR:  FORD TEMPO

HEAT: TOOK OUT A CAR I GOT THAT WAS LEFT OUT AT THE TRACK.  WAS JUST OUT TO GET SOME CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS UNTIL I GOT MY OTHER "GOOD" CARS DONE.  IT WAS WELL OFF OF THE PACE AND I PARKED IT AFTER THE RACE.

DATE:  07/17/02
DIVISION: MINI-INDY
TRACK: LAKE GENEVA
CAR:  1996 FAST-WAY-1

HAD LOTS OF TROUBLE GETTING CAR TO START.

DATE:  07/17/02
DIVISION: MINI-INDY
TRACK: ROCKFORD
CAR:  1996 FAST-WAY-1

"TROPHY DASH":  BECAUSE THE "FAST GUYS" DIDN’T WANT TO RACE, I GOT TO RUN.  EARLY IN THE RACE I HAD BAD JUDGMENT AND MY RIGHT FRONT TAGGED THE LEFT REAR OF JOHN ZELINGER.  I WAS STILL TRYING TO GET APPROVAL TO REMOVE MY "ROOKIE" STATUS, SO I BACKED OFF AND LET HIM REGAIN CONTROL. 

FEATURE:  THE CREW PULLED AND PULLED ON THE ROPE, TO NO AVAIL.  PRETTY MUCH DECIDED I HAD ENOUGH OF THE DIVISION AND DECIDED TO SELL THE CAR.

DATE:  08/11/02
DIVISION: BMARA MIDGET
TRACK:  SUN PRAIRIE, WIS
CAR:  1991 CHALLENGER/FONTONA

THIS WAS THE FINAL OF THREE NIGHTS IN A ROW OF RACING.  IT WAS A CO-SANCTIONED EVENT AND THERE WAS LOTS OF CARS.  DAD DROVE THE OTHER TWO NIGHTS AND DECIDED TO LET ME TAKE IT OUT.

C-MAIN:  A FEW "BIG NAMES" INCLUDING MIDGET KING, MEL KENYON, WERE IN THE ALMOST 20 CAR FIELD.  STARTED IN THE BACK , THIS TIME BY CHOICE, BECAUSE OF LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN A MIDGET.  NEVER REALLY GOT GOING VERY WELL AND GOT STUCK UP HIGH ABOVE THE GROOVE IN THE ROUGH STUFF WHILE THE FASTER CARS LAPPED ME A COUPLE TIMES.  JUST TRIED TO STAY OUT OF THE WAY.  WAS VERY UNHAPPY WITH MY PERFORMANCE AND VERY UPSET WITH THE RESULTS. 
 
DATE:  09/20/02
DIVISION: MARA MIDGET
TRACK:  JACKSONVILLE, IL
CAR:  1991 CHALLENGER/FONTONA

HEAT:  STARTED IN THE BACK. WAS WITHIN A FEW CAR LENGTHS OF DAVID GOUGH, A CHAMPIONSHIP PAVEMENT DRIVER MAKING ONE OF HIS FIRST DIRT TRACK STARTS, AND A COUPLE OTHER CARS.  GOUGH SPUN OUT AND THE CAUTION CAME OUT EARLY.  I LET HIM GO BY ME BEFORE THE RESTART.  SHORTLY AFTER THE GREEN HE HIT THE INSIDE MARKERS AGAIN AND FLIPPED IN FRONT OF ME.  I ENDED UP FINISHING 10TH, BEHIND LEE BECKWITH.

FEATURE:  ONCE AGAIN STARTED IN THE BACK.  EARLY IN THE RACE ANOTHER CAR FLIPPED AND I LET THE CAR SLIDE TO A STOP CAUSING THE USE OF A PUSH TRUCK TO RESTART ME.  WHEN THE GREEN CAME BACK OUT I WENT INTO ONE A LITTLE TOO HARD AND SPUN AGAIN.  THE CLUB HAD A TWO-SPIN RULE AND WOULDN’T RESTART ME.
ALL-IN-ALL WAS HAPPY WITH MY FIRST "FULL" NIGHT OF MIDGET RACING.

DATE:  09/28/02
DIVISION: UMARA MIIDGET
TRACK:  GRUNDY COUNTY
CAR:  1991 CHALLENGER/FONTONA

HEAT:  STILL STARTING IN THE BACK.  THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME WITH A MIDGET ON PAVEMENT AND COULDN’T GET THE CAR TO TURN VERY WELL.  THE WEEK BEFORE, ON DIRT, WHEN I GOT ON THE BRAKES IT WOULD TURN, BUT NOT HERE.  DAVID GOUGH WAS THE ONLY ONE TO LAP ME THOUGH.

FEATURE:  WAS STILL FIGHTING THE "PUSH" AND AFTER JUST A FEW LAPS IT GOT AWAY FROM ME AND I COULDN’T KEEP IT FROM BOUNCING INTO THE BACKSTRECH WALL COMING OUT OF TURN TWO.  BENT A FEW PARTS.

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