September 6-8
When any IMCA racer says the word Boone, they all know what it means.  We have a better idea now, though there was still a lot more to experience.  We are heading home now, very tired, a little disappointed, but overall glad we went.  Here are some highlights.

We arrived late Sunday evening to a pit that was already full and luckily found a place to park.  With no sleep, it really felt odd due to the number of trailers, people and what seemed like mayham wherever you looked.  80 acres packed with race cars, trailers and campers.  People are racing golf carts and bumping each other, fires burning, and parties everywhere.  We park the trailer, unload the car and head for the motel.  It is late by the time that is done.

Monday morning we go through the most extensive pre-tech ever.  We only have to put some silicon on the battery side posts and buy Matthew a new neck brace because his didn’t have a label showing it was fire retardant.  Next stop was registration where in typical Matthew fashion, even with a computerized draw, he pulled the back of a heat race.  Got a great draw for the race of champions though with a seven which would later gave him the pole for that race.

Next stop, we rent the gear and the boys go to work changing it as well as car prep as they haven’t done anything since replacing the motor the night before.  It all feels like a blur.  Lineups are posted and there is a driver’s meeting.  142 Hobby Stocks are trying for 27 positions in the Saturday Feature Event.

The heat races begin.  Top 3 from each heat transfer to A-Main that night.  From the A-Main, top 9 get in the show for Sat.  Matthew runs 4 laps of his heat race and is black flagged.  Steve had put too much fuel in the fuel cell and on the high banks, it would spill over coming out of the vent hose and on to the track.  Steve felt really bad.  Matthew was mad, but he didn’t have the setup right either.  First time on the track, but he figured it out in those few laps and made a lot of setup changes.

The track itself was really heavy.  They farm the track after so many races.  Just about the time it was a good track to race on, they would tear it up, water it down, and repack it.  You needed a lot of motor to deal with that kind of track.  We needed the motor that blew up.  Other drivers were frustrated with the track as well and many of the Kansas racers were ready to go make it dry slick!
We end up in the B-Feature which we run around 11 that night I think.  Matthew was really tired by then.  He started on the last row and made his way to 3rd.  He did a lot of passing and drove through two wrecks avoiding both somehow.  But that top 3 didn’t transfer us anywhere.  This just gave us points along with passing points which determined line ups for the next day.  First lesson learned – that first heat race really, really matters!

Matthew really showed he could drive with the big boys though in that B-Feature.  Unlike other tracks, they rarely throw a caution flag.  If you get spun out, you just keep going.  If you stop on the track, you get kicked off.  So, guys would bump other guys hard, spin them out and drive by them. 

That is the end of our first day at Boone.  We stop by the post-tech tent to view the show.  The top 9 cars from the A-Feature are getting torn down.  I mean everything is torn down.  We had never seen anything like it.  BJ is waiting with his car patiently outside the tent as he came in 10th.  If anyone is DQ’d, then BJ is in.  That doesn’t happen that night.

Tuesday morning back to the track.  We check-in and find Matthew has 566 points which ranks him 61 out of the remaining 124 cars.  He ends up starting in the middle of his heat race.  Last chance heat race.  Top 3 transfer to A that day, but Matthew doesn’t make it in finishing 9th.

He runs his race of champions race. Top 5 from each qualifies for Saturday race of champions.  Matthew finishes 5th, so he qualifies for that race.  He drove as hard as he could and didn’t make mistakes, but guys were passing him on the straightaway like he was standing still.  He joked that he would look to his left and felt liking waiving as they drove by him.  Since he didn’t make the big show, we don’t plan to return.  At least he can say he qualified for an A-Main show though!  We have already been pressed to bring him back for it, but too expensive to return for one run.  Matthew has a furious text exchange with Brian as we walk around.

Post-tech that night is really crazy.  Five cars are DQ’d that we know about.  They are still doing tear downs when we leave.  Another lesson learned – if you finish the A Qualifer but aren’t in top 9, don’t leave until they are done because you might still make it in!
As the boys are pulling the rented gear, Randy LaJoy stops by and I finally get Matthew’s picture with him.  We ordered our second seat from him on Monday.  He talked about the track and said its crazy, but these guys will put $3K on an engine to run here and then get it claimed. 

There are a long line of people stopping by talking to Matthew.  He has met a lot of people in two days.  It is a lot of fun just getting to visit with so many people from so many places. 

A local television station stops by and does an interview with Matthew.  He is one of the youngest drivers there, so that is the reason they want to talk with him.  I chat with the interviewer a bit and turns out his family is from Hays.  He said the interview will air on Thursday and promises to send me a DVD of it.
 
We pack up in the dark, watch a few more races, and view the post-tech circus a few more times.  Then we go on a hauler viewing tour through the pits.  The jug jiggler offers me a ride and I decline as being too old, but they didn’t agree with that excuse.  I was flattered but then declined due to my teenage son being along which they agreed was a valid excuse.  We buy a couple t-shirts for souvenirs and thus ends our racing vacation!

Later in the week, I’ll try to post some pictures and maybe even a video – although my camcorder hates filming at night and doesn’t focus well.  This weekend, we are going to get Jacob set up and go run at 81 Speedway.  He can get in at least three races before the season ends.  Matthew will take the weekend off. 

~CBR Mom