Date: 03-28-09

Track:  DuQuoin "Mini Magic Mile"

Division:  POWRi Midget

Car:  1999 Stealth/Gaerte

Thanks to the help of JJ Precision Grinding's Andy & Tracey Jones, my girlfriend Felisha (all who went with), and the help of many other supporters (some "silent"), including John Huss Inc. Ent., we actually made it to the DuQuoin "Mini Magic Mile" before the end of the "draw" and with plenty of time to get ready before the driver's meeting!  We were one of the many set-up outside in the wet gravel (only got rained on once, but battling wind most of the night, I was reminded why Chili Bowl is as big as it is...almost 300 teams all pit inside), but enjoyed the comforts of the enclosed trailer and made our last minute preparations.    

Hot laps:  I drew a high number, but with this race paying passing points, I did not feel that was a bad thing.  We were set to run the last heat and hot lap session though (after 9 groups of Micro 600s and 5 other midget practices, we adjusted my baseline set-up to the dry slick track).  It also seemed to me that we were placed with a group of cars that I should have had a fair amount of chance to race with.  There was not even really a "big name" driver to follow around the track and try to see how they got around.  Before the green, I lined myself up behind POWRi regular Daniel Adler in the well funded Edward Jones #401K car.  As I started off (I will mention, mostly for later reference, the car did not start so well...indications of our notorious fuel system problems that were to plaque me through-out the night) pretty close behind the youngster, it was not long before the two of us were engaged in a fairly heated battle.  Daniel was in the upper groove, so I had to try the bottom.  After a few laps (POWRi gave us plenty of time) and a leap off of the 3-4" high inside berm in turn 4, I finally made my way under him and slid up coming out of turn two.  Other than the brand new exhaust insulation baffling burning in and fire spitting out the exhaust when I backed off (probably  too much), I thought the session was a blast.  Turned out though, my best lap was 10.577 (the fastest cars were in the 9s).  Although during the hot-laps it seemed the track had more grip than it looked like, with it continuing to dry out (did not even use a tear-off racing with Adler), we attempted to adjust the set-up of the car (including taking some gear out of it, as I turned 8300 in that session) and then made an effort to adjust the fuel system.       

Heat:  My adjustment to the fuel system was the wrong direction, as the car was even harder to start and did not have a real crisp low-end throttle.  Starting behind Adler on the outside of the third and last row, I was hoping to charge through the field and gain a fair amount of passing points.  Things got interesting going into turn one, as "my buddy" Johnny Murdock (who started inside the 2nd row) had a problem going into the corner, collected another car or two and flipped.  Momentum carried them up the track, and I slowed down too much causing the car to stall.  I really do not think I even touched another car though.  They lined me up in my original position, but POWRi had Adler on the inside of row two and Johnny directly in from of me (unlike BMARA, they do not a rule that any driver that flips has to go in the ambulance)!  I gave race director Jim Siner the "what's up" signal going by on the front stretch before the one-to-go.  Without a working radio (another problem that has plaque our team, and has been addressed multiple times, since the middle of last season) and any other reaction from POWRi officials; I decided (recalling a previous POWRi race at Bellville, IL where I had to give up a front row starting spot due to an officiating call) to take matters into my own hands and passed Johnny going into turn three going to the green.  After the re-start, I gave it my all (too much according to many) towards the top side of the track.  I was making too many mistakes and the car was too loose for my "style" up there though.  I could not get a good enough run going to power around the rest of the field (many who were playing huggy pole on the bottom, as there really was not cushion or anything to speak of).  A mid-race yellow brought a head shake from Siner in the infield (for the re-start issue...after I got in the shower at 5:30 this morning, I figured out that I was most likely restarted in the back because I was PART of that caution.  We are used to BMARA with the flip deal.  I don't know who I thought I was...thought my "buddy" Johnny would give me the spot).  Still focused on getting some passing points, I continued to use up the car and wear myself out chasing the cars in front.  With the fuel system issues, I really could not get the car to take off on the bottom, most likely due to me slowing it down too much in the lower groove, instead of trying to keep some of the throttle on through the center of the tight, slick corner.  Back up on top, I would gain on them as I bombed into the corner, but-like usual-they would pull away coming off.  Towards the end of the race I actually did try to back off sooner going in, and I believe that may have been one of the laps "crew" Andy & Felisha thought maybe was a better lap.  I knew that I had plenty to work at behind the wheel and also that we needed to tighten the car up.  Consulting with multiple time midget champ and eventual feature winner Brad Kuhn, he suggested to not "drive it like I was at Sun Prairie".  At the time I was not too upset with myself, as I guess I do not mind too much when I have to attempt to slow down...compared to an inability to speed up.  We adjusted the fuel system, took about an inch of stagger out, and brought the RR in a little bit.  Otherwise, we really did not do anything else to the chassis or car.

Heat 6 - 11A Felker, 401K Adler, 1T Roney, 35 T. Robbins, 56 Dull, 0 Murdock DNF

B-main:  2008 POWRi champ Brett Anderson was slated to start in front of us, but having knocked a rod through the side of his recently freshened state of the art Fontana, I not only borrowed the team's radio, but moved up to outside row two starting spot.  The way I looked at it, we only had to pass one of the cars starting in the row in front of us to make the feature (as they were only taking two cars from both B-mains).  On the start, I concentrated on holding off one of the King's (representing family patriarch Dean King, whom the night was named in memory to), that started underneath me.  Running in the middle of the track, instead of just ignoring them and getting my rhythm going up top, I held the white #91 off.  Meanwhile, the frontrow starters pulled away.  I settled into at least a respectable, but by no means close, third place run behind defending POWRi RoY Zach Daum.  Doing all I could to get a rythm going, my effort towards the top was derailed as the car was bouncing around off the RR real bad (they had re-done the higher side of the track before our B, but it did not at all seem rough or take a cushion.  As previously mentioned, we did not make any changes to that corner - having only changed the LR - after the heat.  I also can not believe that it was the ongoing fuel system issue that could have caused the vibration).  I did my best to feather the throttle coming off the corner, adjusting to the bounce and trying to get traction (had spun the tires and turned 8800 at one point in the heat).  None the less, I could not reel in Daum, and moved towards the bottom of the track.  I got the caution I needed, but it was not before Austin Brown powered around the outside in one of POWRi official Kenny Brown's Budweiser sponsored mounts.  Trying to not let the extra car integer with my A-main aspirations, I gave it all I had behind Brown on the restart.  With the top 3 now up toward the top of the track (and a wave from Andy during the caution that gave me the confidence to overcome the bounce and run the top), we actually did keep up with the frontrunners for about a lap and half.  I was on the edge and focused on a way around Brown, but I can not say I felt the bounce then (not sure if the RR shock gas pressure "heated up", tire balance "equalized" and could only run certain speed - with Brown in front, maybe he kept me from charging into the corner too hard? - etc.), but I ended up diving back towards the bottom too soon (hoping to pass Brown).  I should have stayed on the high-side longer, as the response of the fuel system was just not enough to hook up under the front three.  As the car all but shut off at some point, they pulled away towards the end of the race.  Adding insult to injury, I even gave up 4th to someone I have never even heard of, on the last lap!  

Semi1 - 11C Criswell, 5D Daum, 7B Brown, 14C Cockrum, 56 Dull, 11R Cole, 91K K. King DNF, 91X R. King DNF, 25 S. Knepper DNS, 11 Anderson DNS, 75 Gough DNS

Surviving whiteout conditions the last 100 miles or so, of the 6 hour drive home, Andy did his best following tire tracks and side markers so that a bad trip was not made worse.  Feeling responsible for all in the truck, I gave up (having ran the first 3-3.5 hours) my stint behind the wheel after losing traction more than a couple of times (seem to have a problem with that).  Even with front tires that are not so good and the outside dually's all but wore out, we made it home about 5:30 a.m.  White knuckling it for that part of the return trip, I wondered if my dad and uncle's boycott of all the indoor races we have attempted was valid.  Anyway, if I was 16 and the track was 15 minutes from our shop, maybe it was not a bad first race of the year.  Although I am far from a rookie, I should be only able to get better from here.  Will have to think more about these long trips...especially considering when I have not raced a midget on dirt for 7 months.  I also am thinking about trying to look into the Jerry Coons driving school that he started up last fall (I didn't have any money then.  I'll at least look into it now).