Congratulations Jacob!
October 1 - It is official. Jacob finished 2nd in National Rookie Points. I think this is a great achievement at his age and shows he has built a good foundation of skills for next year. Who knows what he’ll be able to do with a straight car! The boys are already hard at work building it.
So, as I close out our 2011 season, I want to be sure to say thank you to our family and friends. I need to give special thanks to our engine builder, Randy Wilson and congratulate him on being the IMCA Northern SportMod Engine Builder of the Year. To Bryan LaRiviare, thanks for the coaching and support and also congratulations to him on his National SportMod Championship. Wow – it sure feels great to be in such great company! Actually, it is an honor. And, I could not be prouder of both of them along with their significant others who make it all happen, Angie and Amber. Thanks to Richard Wilson for building us a great chassis that has held up through a lot of beating and banging. And, I definitely recognize that none of us would probably be racing if not for their Dad, Rich Wilson, so a thank you to him. I know he is proud of what his boys are doing. I hope he is watching along with my Mom and Tim and we are keeping them all entertained as they watch over us.
A huge thank you goes out to Frying Pan Racing, Xtreme Motor Sports and Photos by Red. We appreciate all you do for us. Every weekend, Uncle Rich gets Great-Grandma and Grandpa to the races and works hard for us in the pits as well as rounding up parts for us along the way. I can’t thank him enough. Thanks also to Grandpa Brandt for finding us those hard to find pieces! And to Grandma Effie for feeding us. And to our fan club, especially Aunt Dorothy, Uncle Clarence, Grandma and Grandpa Crowell, Ms. Rylee and the Henderson’s for all of their love and support. I treasure every moment we have had – both the good and the bad – and it is fun to laugh now at the bad times. Some of the best stories even come out of those nights! I love Ryle’s no yelling rule. She supports, coaches and helps Matthew in so many ways and it is so wonderful to watch them win together. I appreciate all she does for us.
The kids are at hunter’s safety so they are already getting ready for winter activities. Racing never really ends as we have a lot of work to do to get ready for next year. And I have a lot of video from this season if I can find the time to post it. My final words of 2011 season would be to thank the three men in my life that make me so very proud each and every day. To my wonderful sons, Matthew and Jacob, and the best husband ever, Steve, I am so very blessed to have you in my life and love you more each and every day. I mostly only write about the races, but behind the scenes Steve works harder than anyone I know to make all of this happen. He never gets enough credit and thanks. We ran our first race in November of 2001. I never dreamed it would all lead to what we are doing today, but Steve really led the way and gave us all quite a decade. I love you more than words can express and am so very thankful for you. I am looking forward to the next decade - on and off the track - TOGETHER as only CBR can do it!
~CBR Mom
Bittersweet Season Finale
September 23 – We all travel to Mayetta for Thunder on the Hill’s two-day show and the last points racing of the season. Friday night we had a pretty decent night considering how it started. First, the officials came over and informed Steve and Jacob that they needed to remove the regulator for tomorrow’s show as it is now illegal to run. This would be three years of running it that way, through tech at Boone and how many times in tech now at Mayetta, yet all of a sudden, it is illegal. Steve was a little worried about getting the carburetor to run right with it off. He also pointed out he would appreciate it if they would spell it out in the rules next year.
Now, as I have written about before, in the heat races there, if you spin out or stop for any reason, you have to leave the track. Due to the car count, only top 2 went to A-main. During Matthew’s race, there were two wrecks at the same time on opposite ends of the track. That only left Matthew and one other car that didn’t stop, yet for some reason, two cars get their spots back and Matthew is put at the back even though he wasn’t involved in any of it. There are bad calls in every sport, and I truly feel we got completely screwed on that. So, Matthew went on to the B-main where he ran up to a second place! Then, in the A-feature, he was doing great, working his way through traffic and was clearly a top five car. Guess what happens when Matthew is running 6th. A guy spins out and Matthew stops to avoid hitting him. Matthew is put to the back! Apparently now the rule is anyone that stops in the A feature also goes to the back. Seriously, I am still mad about it. Matthew could have drove through the guy, or he could have dived up hitting two cars on the side and kept going, but he did the right think in controlling his car and hitting no one and is then penalized for it! For a track that I am so impressed with in terms of running a fair tech lane to then have such a completely unfair ruling on the track could not be more contradictory. I am really impressed with so much of what they do at the track, so I want to be clear on that. But, this night, all I can say is, Matthew was not treated fairly and as a result, he ended up 12th. He lost first gear early in the night and was leaking fluid. We wouldn’t learn until the next day why.
Jacob just couldn’t look smoother on the track. I am so impressed with his driving. He can pass everyone clean, unlike the 27 car. I literally watched that man hit every single car in order to pass them, including Jacob. I posted on Facebook I would like the definition of aggressive driving. Ok, I’ll just stop on that one. Let me just say that Jacob worked hard on his car and then drove it to a 5th place finish. You could tell when something went wrong during the race, because he was higher up and then you saw it start to slow down, so he had to drive hard to maintain. Turns out he broke a rocker arm.
The next day, us girls found a hard tub, while the rest of the fan club found the casino. The boys, however, went to work on the cars. Jacob did all of his prep work by himself. He replaced the rocker arm and set the values. Matthew and Steve tore into the SportMod to try to find the problem. Steve broke some part while fixing the brakes, so Grandpa Brandt and Uncle Rich made an emergency parts run to Topeka. In the end, the part wouldn’t matter. Just as they were getting ready for hot laps, the find they crack in the transmission. He is done for the night. Wow, what a way to start the evening. I think I was probably the most disappointed one in the pits.
Matthew went straight to work helping Jacob. A really crappy evening (the bitter part) eventually turned out pretty sweet. Jacob drove that car up to 2nd place. I am hoping the video will be on You Tube. It was one heck of a race and he made some unbelievable passes. It felt like 50 laps. I didn’t think the white flag was ever going to fly. We were all very proud of him. What a great finish. And, I am pretty sure this will get him enough points to move into 2nd place in the nation in Rookie points. I wish we could have gotten him to first of course. But he is 15, so he has a lot of races ahead of him. And he finished the season with a very impressive record overall.
Jacob ends his 2011 season with 3 wins, 16 Top Five’s, 16 Top Ten’s, 9 Top Fifteen and 2 top Twenty. Steve has already started building him a new car for next year. He’ll have to practice to learn to drive something that is straight! Matthew will continue to run a limited schedule as he focuses on college. We had talked about running the race in Salina in October, but losing another transmission took care of that. We’ll concentrate now on school, getting ready for 2012 season, wrestling season, and hunting season.
So, to close out this season, I only have one final comment. There are a lot of people to thank as we wouldn’t be racing without them. Our family and friends are so supportive and I feel so lucky to spend almost every weekend with them. There is one name I need to point out though and that is to thank the Wilson Family. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be racing at all. I wish we could have brought them the Rookie title to add to the engine builder awards and to their legacy. Hopefully, we can pull a title sometime in the future. But, even if we never get a title, they have given us a gift and I hope they know how very much we appreciate them.
Enjoy the off-season. We’ll be hard at work getting ready for 2012. I think I already can’t wait!
~CBR Mom
Outstanding Weekend!
September 16 – Note: This is last weekend's blog. I tried to post Monday morning at 3 AM but Web Site was down. So, here is the original write-up. Should get you excited for tonight!!
Matthew has to work and has also joined the race team at WSU, so he plans to meet up with us on Saturday. Jacob, Steve and I head to Hays for the last race of the season for us at RPM. In the heat, Jacob’s tires were spinning and he just couldn’t go. As a result, he starts 18th out of 19 cars in the feature. He did a great job working his way up to 9th! There is one car that can’t go one single race with hitting him, but this time, Jacob gave him a shove back. Good for Jacob! Everyone that matters knows he races clean and the rest will never have a clue.
Saturday, we all travel to Mayetta where Matthew and Rylee meet us. The night starts off perfectly with both boys winning their heat race! It was so much fun. The mist starts and the track does a great job keeping the races going ahead of the rain. Rylee says all she wants is a picture with Matthew in victory lane. He told her he starts in the middle and would do his best to get to the front and she coached him until he said, “I am going to go out and win.”
Matthew runs his feature before Jacob and out of a full field of 19 cars, he picks them off one by one and takes the win! It was so exciting. Rylee got her picture and her trophy. Could not be more proud. Our pic is posted on ThunderHill’s Web Site.
Jacob has ten cars in his feature and also starts in the middle. He does a perfect job working his way through and ends with a solid 3rd place. They just didn’t have the right gear for the way the track ended up that night. He couldn’t get closer to the top two cars. But, he made it in post-tech and the goal was always top fives.
You can watch both of their races on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAH9FgxHuqI
Matthew’s is the second race in the video and Jacob’s is third.
Grandpa Carl, Grandma Effie and Uncle Rich all joined us for a family picture to close out the night. The smiles on our faces say it all. And as we start driving, the texts start flying. B and Amber have won the National Championship! Congratulations to them. And that gets our engine builder, Randy Wilson, his championship. Wow. What an incredible night. Wish I could bottle it. I am so proud and so blessed to be a part of this amazing group of family (and our friends are part of that family as one of them pointed out back to me!) so when I say family, you all know who you are – there for the good and the bad times. I could not love or appreciate this group of people more.
Started off Sunday wishing Randy a Happy Birthday with everyone at Effie’s. Hearing his stories is awesome. I could listen all day. Blake and Rylee drove Matthew while Matthew finished his homework. At the track, Jacob worked on his homework. At Wakeeney, Jacob brought in a 7th place while Matthew finished 8th. Did a gear change between races on Matthew to try something new. Never done that before!
I’m on a flight in less than an hour so no sleep for Mom and Dad! Gotta run, but next weekend it is the final points races of the season and we’ll end it at Mayetta!
Making Memories!
September 2 – Jacob, Steve and I travel to Hays while Rylee, Matthew and his pit crew travel to Salina to race. This will be the first time Matthew has raced without us, but he could not make it to Hays after work and since he is not running for points, Salina is the closest option for him. He has had a full week of college, work, and getting race ready on his own. Rylee helped him out as well and the two of them just could not be any cuter together. Jacob and Steve had a full week putting in a new engine and repairing the right side after a major wreck at Wakeeney last Sunday. Jacob was hit so hard from behind that it pushed his hans into him bruising his shoulders and it caused a tire to roll off the rim which in turn, caused him to lose control. Then, he was hit full on so hard it broke the roll cage away. So, the repairs were extensive and after school and homework, Jacob worked all evening on his car. When I landed, the first job that I had was to make a new number sticker for his door. I think it was fair to say everyone was exhausted going into the weekend.
The conditions at Hays were poor. It rained off and on and sprinkled most of the evening. The mist and the sprint cars is a bad combo and it made for a tough track to figure out. Even veteran drivers said it was hard to setup their car. Jacob looked perfect in the heat race, but by the feature, it was evident everything was wrong. He just kept losing spots. He was also getting bumped and hit constantly. He finished 13th out of 18 cars. It is fair to say he was disappointed, mad and frustrated. After all that work, it was not the finish he expected. Steve and Jacob went to work the next morning on the car and found the upper trailing arm was bent and bearings pushed out so rubbing metal on metal. This combined with wrong setup and likely the wrong gear as well was more than Jacob could overcome trying to figure out how to drive it. Steve tries to look for that kind of stuff being bent, but there are an awful lot of parts on cars so no way to catch everything I think.
During the whole evening, I kept waiting on racing updates and getting more nervous by the minute when I had not heard anything. But Rylee’s first text made us all laugh. 4th in the heat race and there are only port-a-potties in the pits. She is so cute! Since it was Matthew’s first time there, he starts in the back and the feature sounded pretty exciting. He made his way up to third and was passing for the lead when the car in front spun out putting Matthew and the other car into the wall. Then, they put Matthew and the other car to the back as they could not tell who caused the wreck. Matthew made his way back up to 6th. The car only had a bent tie rod. Rylee said it was so exciting to watch him get to the front, then she was mad when he was wrecked, then excited again. Overall, great night and I could not be prouder of all the kids. His friends Clayton and Blake helped in the pits and Caitlyn cheered Matthew on.
Saturday, we were all planning to meet up at Mayetta. After changing gears and getting ready, the track announced it was rained out. So, we had to change the gear again and Matthew had to do the same as we all decided to head to Minneapolis. We were going to conquer the track. No, we did not succeed.
It started off great. Jacob won his heat race. But Matthew was the middle of a sandwich in his and took a bad hit that bent the frame. Steve thinks his SportMod is totaled. Frame is bent too far forward and does not think he can straighten the frame. Matthew had the pole, so he went on out and ran, but just kept fading back. Ended 9th, but it is no fun to race if you cannot be competitive. His season is probably over and we are not sure what we are going to do. The car was supposed to last longer than that.
Matthew told Jacob to drive the bottom or the top as it was slime in the middle. Jacob’s car was tight so when he got up top, he could not turn it and lost a lot of spots. He found his line and then was looking pretty good until he made a mistake. Then, he recovered and made another mistake and went off the back stretch. He came back on and luckily there were no cars around him as he recovered control. He finished 7th. I was so proud of his attitude. He knew what mistakes he had made, so he talked it over with his Dad and it was all good.
Steve’s summary of the night really said it best, “The racing was crappy, but the evening was quite pleasant.” We all worked together, everyone knew what the problems were and what mistakes they had made, and worked to try to fix it. At one point, Matthew was coaching Jacob and Steve laughed telling me he sounded exactly like Randy. I heard the advice and I can tell you with 100% certainty that I had heard Randy tell Matthew the exact same thing, but I never thought Matthew heard it. Just goes to show, they really are listening!
So, it was a great evening being together as a family. Great reminder of how lucky we are. Remember the saying, “Making memories with every mile.” My emotions were tangled being so disappointed and worried about how we are going to deal with the SportMod, but at the same time, being so happy to have all been together. We have made a lot of sacrifices in order to race, but seeing how hard the boys work and how much they have learned makes it all worthwhile. Oh, and I can’t forget to point out that Rylee ran the impact for the first time. Her fingernails are messed up, but the toes still look great! Orange with racing numbers. LOL.
Big thanks to Uncle Rich for always helping us out so much. Grandma Effie and Grandpa Carl drove a long way to cheer us on and finally got some relief from the heat straight to coats and blankets! Gotta love Kansas weather! We actually have next weekend off. Then, we return to Hays on Sept. 16, Mayetta on the 17th, and back to Wakeeney on the 18th. Hope the weather will be more cooperative. Only five races left for us in the points season for Jacob. Last race at Hays and Wakeeney for the season, so hope we see you there!
~CBR Mom
Good finishes for CBR!
August 27 – All of us travel to Mayetta with Rylee fighting to keep Matthew awake most of the trip. It is a fairly decent evening. A bit humid, but that seems to be the weather there most of the time. The heat races went well and the whole evening went pretty smoothly. Matthew’s engine was cutting out in the heat race, but while they never really figured out why, they seemed to have solved it for the feature. Matthew had 27 SportMods start in his feature and he started in 18th position. Before the race ended, there were only nine cars left running and Matthew had dodged his way to a third place finish. I know I have said longest race before, but this really was the longest race ever!
Jacob had twelve cars in his feature and he started in 6th position. But, on the first turn, he got hit it felt like from all sides to me, but we quickly saw he had a tire cut down from it. He stopped and caused the caution to fly. He came into the pit and Steve and I dove in and changed that tire as if we had done it a few times before. He started at the back of the field then and he worked his way up to 4th. I think if he hadn’t have run out of laps, he could have gotten a couple more positions. He was pretty frustrated after the race, but we were just pretty proud. It was a great evening with the kids. We had fun all evening and I just love being together.
Back on the road, Rylee quickly secured her position first for a quick nap. I bumped Jacob from the front seat as we will arrive home at 2 AM and I am up at 4 AM to catch a flight for work. Worst part is I miss the race tonight at Wakeeney!
Next week, we are in Hays and back to Mayetta. Gotta run to catch my flight now!
~CBR Mom
Two Great Finishes at Stockton
August 17 – Steve and Jacob travel for a two-night show at the Stockton Fair. It will be Jacob’s first time on a half-mile track. I was in New York for work anxiously awaiting results. He finished 5th in the feature! Top five on his first time on the track is super. He had a lot to learn and did it really quickly. For example, a half-mile track can get up to some pretty high speeds and knowing when to let off and get back on in the corners is different. Jacob’s experience and seat time driving different tracks is paying off. Everyone was really happy with his finish.
The next day, the boys picked me up at the airport, Grandma Effie joins us and we travel back to Stockton. It is a draw-redraw again, and Jacob doesn’t draw well for the feature. He will have to start in the 9th position. The feature was one of the most exciting races yet. Jacob works his way through the field one by one. This takes a bit of time, but he works his way up to a solid 4th position. By this time, he is quite a ways behind the 3rd place car which happens to be Cheeseburger. For those that do not know him, Cheeseburger is the current State points leader and veteran racer so when we are running up with him, that is quite an achievement. Jacob is flying and each lap, he gains on Cheeseburger. Of course, this is one of those times when you wish there was a caution to bunch the field back up. Of course, you never get a caution when you want it and the race goes caution free. With three laps to go, Jacob has closed the distance and is close to Cheeseburger. With two to go, he is on his bumper, and with the white flag, he is diving in beside him. As they exit the last turn, they are side by side across the finish line with Jacob about a half a car ahead. You truly cannot imagine the concentration it took for Jacob to run that race the way he did. There was no room for error at all and he did a fantastic job. It was great to be in post-tech with the other drivers. It was great to have two nights in a row with such great finishes.
Friday morning, the boys are changing the gear and going through the car to prepare for Hays. We arrive at the track ready to keep the momentum going for a third night when the storm moves in and they have no choice but to cancel the race. So, the boys decide to change the gear that night to prepare for Mayetta the next day and this way, they can sleep in the next morning. However, we wake up to a text message that Mayetta is cancelled. So, now we are in search of a race as we try to gain National points. And, yes, they get to change the gear yet again.
Not an easy decision as there are three tracks running, yet we need the car count so we end up choosing Minneapolis after much debate and even consultation through text messages and phone calls. Matthew can catch a ride with B and join us at Minnie after Matthew gets off work. Well, I think it was a decision we wish we could take back. But, that is racing and for whatever reason, our bad luck at Minnie seems to outweigh the good. Matthew had another transmission break in the heat, so he did not get to run. Jacob had two cars crash in front of him and as he came up the front stretch, he had the wall on one side and cars on the other, so while he tried to slow down, he still hit the two cars that had crashed head on. They can fix the damage, but at that point, I think exhaustion, frustration and disappointment over-ruled and the boys loaded it up. As they say, that is racing. If you cannot take disappointment, do not race. How many times have I written that one?!
It is a new day, so time to get to work on the cars. Obviously, there is a lot to do before next weekend. And Jacob already has a load of homework as well while Matthew starts college tomorrow. So, as if we could not get any busier, I guess we will juggle more! The points season ends on September 25, so only one more month of racing left in the season. We hope the weather cooperates and lets us get in the remaining scheduled races. Next weekend, we will return to Mayetta on Saturday and the boys will travel on to Wakeeney for a make-up race while I race to the airport. I couldn’t schedule work around that one since it is a make-up race. Hopefully, Hays will be able to add a make-up race as well, but we don’t know yet.
~CBR Mom
Jacob Wins at Thunder Hill!
August 13 – We made the long journey to Mayetta with high hopes for another top five. Matthew had all four of his wisdom teeth pulled the day before, so we had to sit him on the bench. That morning, he told me he thought he could race if he could get his helmet on! Well, his cheeks were swollen and painful to touch, so I told him even if he got his helmet on, I am pretty sure his head would move and it was not really a good idea.
Jacob ran his hot laps and really was watching for the track changing all night to be on top of adjustments. Even with one car, the whole night seemed to be busy and fly by. In Jacob’s heat race, two cars got into each other right in front of Jacob. I saw it coming and did not think there was anyway Jacob could miss them. I grabbed Steve’s arm and my heart rate soared as Jacob flew off the backstretch – which by the way has a solid concrete wall not far off the track – and Jacob went around the wreck and back on the track. I let my breathe out that I had been holding for those few seconds or milliseconds – whatever it was, I was actually shaking! He finished second in that heat. There is an element of skill to avoid such a wreck, but also luck as well because that would have sure ruined our night. You can see how Jacob continues to improve his driving skills with every single race. I am so proud of him.
He started fourth row, inside for the feature with 13 cars. It took him about half the race I think to work his way up to second place. Then, I was just hoping to keep second and wanting that white flag to come out. But the lap before it flew, the 3rd place car got around Jacob. So, of course, I wanted more laps then! The white flag flew and they were side by side through that last lap. Jacob got him coming out of turn four and I think he was a full car length ahead when the checkered flew. I am going to have to watch the tape to be sure. I was pretty excited. We felt great thinking he brought home another second. But the story does not end there.
Now I might have mentioned that this is the best post-tech in the whole state – if not the whole nation. Jacob pulled in and they are going to whistle the motors which in my layman’s terms (sorry if I get this wrong), means they check the compression because there is a tolerance you have to stay within by the rules. If you are over 90 I think it is, then you are cheating as your engine is running too hot which is making you faster than everyone else illegally. Jacob gets teched first and of course, with a Wilson built engine, he passes just fine. He pulls back to the trailer and we start loading up. Now, this type of tech of the top four cars takes a while so we are just getting ready to load the car when we realize all the races are over and they are still in tech with the hobbies so Jacob’s check is not ready yet either. He runs to get some food when the track official comes by asking where Jacob is because he has just won! First place was disqualified!
Jacob went back on the track for his picture (which is already posted on Thunder Hill’s home page this morning!) Gotta love that too. I got to follow on the ATV. Now, we all look at that track and see the banking, but it is a whole lot more fun to drive on it. WOW is all I can say. Jacob takes his first win at Thunder Hill. I know there are plenty more to come, but it was so great to see. He had just been talking about how close he has been there now several times so I am glad his hard work paid off.
And, without Randy Wilson, it would never have happened. Can’t thank him enough. Words don’t express our appreciation for all he does for us. The more I have learned in this sport the last few years, the more my admiration has grown for the Wilsons. So, I know B is racking up the wins for RPM and glad we can contribute as well as this is part of Randy’s record as well as ours. THANK YOU!
Boys are already up going through everything on the car to get ready for Wakeeney tonight. I am hoping weather cooperates with us this time around. Again, our goal is a top five. I have to fly out at 5:30 AM Monday morning for work, so again, this might be the only blog of the weekend (unless I don’t go to bed at all tonight). Next week, we have four nights of racing! Wednesday and Thursday we will be at the Stockton Fair Races, then Hays on Friday night and return to Mayetta on Saturday. That is how Jacob will start his first week of his sophomore year of school! Pretty good deal, huh! 
~CBR Mom
Best weekend yet!
August 5 - We return to Hays and the heat race was a good indicator of the weekend ahead as Jacob raced side by side with Cheeeseburger for several laps. It was quite exciting for most of that race until water was spirting from the car as he pulled through tech after the heat. The boys changed the radiator cap and everything else looked fine but that had me worried. It did not seem to be anything though.
Eighteen cars in the feature and Jacob started 3 row inside. He ran in 4th place for most of the race. He got spun out getting hit in left rear quarter panel coming out of turn two but the other guy was charged with the obvious and Jacob got his spot back. We teased him later that he spun in circles about as many times as he had rolled. Jacob is tiring of the rolling jokes. The top four cars to finish are top four in points at this track and very few points seperate them. Jacob was right there with them and while Pfannenstiel got him on last lap coming out of turn four, we were proud of that 5th place finish. Perfect driving with the big dogs. He showed his talent racing them clean and never giving them a centimeter! He left some orange paint on the front stretch wall a couple of times that night. They can try to push him up but he isn't backing down! Too much fun to watch.
On Saturday, we travel back to Mayetta. Matthew couldn't get off work on Friday, but him, Ty and Rylee drove up to meet us there. Ry had a blond moment when we went to visit Grandma Effie and Grandpa Carl in the stands wondering what had happened to her name on Matthew's car. They were mudding in the track going backwards, so her name was on the other side. I teased her that was how she would find out if they broke up - if her name was no longer on the car. It was a good for a laugh and later, when we were watching Matthew race, I said, "hey - you're name is back!"
Ty and Uncle Rich were both huge help in the pits that night. We just had a fantastic night with both boys making it to post-tech! (That means you score in the top 4 in the feature). Matthew ran first and had 22 cars in his feature. He drove a fantastic race earning the 4th place finish. He dodged several wrecks and it was exciting to watch.
Jacob had nine cars in his feature and started in the middle. He drove it up to first place and I'm not really sure what happened as he was coming out of turn 2 pretty early in the race, but him and another car got together. Jacob held on to it but dropped back several positions. He then drove it up to third and it was looking like that would be it when the front two cars got together and the one spun out which moved Jacob up to second. Unfortunately, then we ran out of laps or I am sure he would have battled back for first.
Both boys are in tech. Thanks to RPM for giving us such great motors to be able to race! What a great night. Nothing tore up. That reminds me, Andrew Towne posted some great pics that he took of Jacob's roll. I added them at the bottom of this page. Just scroll down:
http://www.crowellracing.com/photos/2011_Season/UpdatesandRollPics/index.html
If that doesn't make you cringe, I don't know what will! Boys went through every inch and every bolt of the car this past week after seeing those pics just to make sure nothing was bent or goofed up. It is hard to believe, but the damage is really just the roof and sheet metal. In the end, the hard work paid off with great finishes. Hope we can keep this momentum going! Next weekend, we will return to Mayetta on Saturday and then Wakeeney on Sunday.
~CBR Mom
Pics Added
We are on to Wakeeney now. No one can say we ever give up easily!
~CBR Mom
Rollin', Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'
July 30 - Generator would not come on which meant no air. So boys head on up to do hot laps while Steve and I hang back trying to get generator going. Keep in mind that neither of us has ever missed watching hot laps but for some reason we were going to get that generator fixed. One of the guys Jacob races against comes walking up to us and tells us Jacob was rolled 4 times. I said "but it is hot laps!" As we walked to the track, he said a guy lost control, went off the track, then came back on still squirrelly and hit Jacob on the right side which instantly caused Jacob to roll. Wrecker brought car to us and ambulance delivered Jacob. He later told me he answered their questions before they asked them. No I am not dizzy; I do not feel nauseous or light headed. They really checked him out completely - blood pressure, eyes, etc. He was of course, frustrated and finding no humor in the situation. He dove in working on the car along with his brother, Uncle Rich and his Dad. It took at least 30 min before he felt the pain in his knee and we saw it swelling up. He must have hit it on the drive shaft. The guy immediately came over and apologized and we know he did not mean to do it. He obviously felt bad and was very nice which makes a bad situation a whole lot better. Jacob was great and told him it was just one of those racing deals. He handled it with more majority than I have seen out of a lot of grown men. Rylee was impressed on how many strangers came by offering help or anything we needed to get it back together. Again, another part of racing that is awesome. We were running so fast to try to fix it all, we did not have time to talk to anyone or thank them, but we do appreciate all the offers.
First thing I looked at was the roll cage. We definitely send a big thank you to BJ Dauer for building it so well. We had to change all the tires and Steve changed the spark plugs and wires and I am not sure what else as he worked his way through the engine. One of the tires had so much mud, you could not even get to the bolts. Keep in mind that the humidity must have been like 100% because when we arrived, our tiny Rylee was sitting there sweating and said she had never felt so hot just sitting before. So, you can imagine how wet everyone was.
We just missed the heat race. He was on his way to the grid when they were taking the green. We got him out at end of intermission to ensure it was all running well enough to race.
In the middle of it all, Matthew was racing. He had put in a new transmission and engine this week all by himself, and while Dad was directing him for some finishing items at the track, overall, he must have done a darn good job. There were 23 SportMods starting the feature and Matthew started 18th. He worked his way up to 9th. He felt he had the wrong gear in so he knows what to try next time so he can break past and into a top five at that track. Overall, this was his best night there though with no breakdowns and no wrecks.
Jacob started last with ten cars in his feature. There were some wrecks and you could see most cars struggling to drive on the track. But Jacob just looked as smooth as he could be. Steve felt like he was down a cylinder as he did not seem to have much power. But, his driving made up for it some and in the end he was able to take 2nd place! The guy that won was the one that came to find us to tell us about his roll. He told Jacob that during one of the cautions, he looked to see who was in 2nd and when he saw it was him, he thought wow, that is fantastic. That was really fun and of course, being in tech can sure make up for a lot!
Afterwards, a young fan, Natalie, was brought over by her Dad as she wanted to meet Jacob. He said she was his greatest fan. I took a pic and will try to get it posted on the web site soon. Then the boys went to talk to Grandpa Brandt and Grandma Effie as I knew they would want to see Jacob. Grandma does not think much of those rolls, but she seemed to handle this one better than the last time. LOL.
The five of us pile in for the long drive home. I cannot describe the smell, but it was unique. I was soaking wet, so just imagine how the boys were. I teased Jacob his new nickname should be rawhide (from the song, rolling, rolling, rolling...) We are open to better suggestions. I also told him I hope there were no more rolls. Makes me a lot older a lot faster when my heart races like that!
Steve was up at the crack of dawn and is working on the cars. I am headed out to see what I can do so the boys can sleep a little longer. I am anxious to see Jacob's knee. And Matthew was bit by a brown recluse earlier in the week, so I was worried about an infection with him! What a week.
Oh - boys are getting up as I write this. They are going to see if they can get it ready for Wakeeney tonight. I fly out at 6 tomorrow morning, so likely no blog or very short one from Wakeeney. Next weekend, will be back at Hays on Friday night and then on to Mayetta on Saturday.
~CBR Mom
