It is always something!
August 11 marks the beginning of four-nights of racing. I decided to blog about the first three days so I could close them out and we could have a fresh start tonight. The week didn't start out very good as the boys worked to get the car ready before we left and ran in to problems with the brakes not working. It was after 11 before they got it figured out and Steve still had to get up to work Wednesday morning, so started out pretty tired. Headed to Stockton for the 2-day fair show there and a draw-redraw each night. Matthew drew as he usually does - well, actually better. Instead of the last number, I think he was a little past mid-way. Anyway, he made it up to 5th place the first night.
On the second night, he had Jacob take the first draw and it got him a good starting position in the heat. He won the heat race after a long rain delay. Lightening everywhere you looked and here we are standing on top of our trailer watching the races! They had a small window between the storms and somehow, they got all of the races in. Matthew drove it up to 3rd place. Who would have thought with all the rain the track would be so slick, but it was. There wasn't a lot of passing going on by any class. Matthew worked hard trying to get around the 2nd place car, but nothing he could do. It was good to be in tech. After the race, we joined Grandpa Brandt and Great-Grandma Crowell under an awning for some fair food while the storm opened up again. Pretty funny to have so much rain in one night. It was a lot of fun.
They combined the points from both nights and Matthew actually got 2nd in overall points for that fair show. Pretty cool and a great start to this rally for points. Friday took us on to WaKeeney. When we arrived, they did a pre-tech we had never seen before. They whistle the motor. Cool. I like to see more tracks doing more tech.
Took a long time to get the track ready and it was after 9 before we even ran our heat race. Came in 3rd in the heat, but with the point average, it worked out great as Matthew ended up with the outside pole! Finally, a great starting position. Matthew was really working through the race in his head and trying to get the setup right. He knew this could get him another win at that track and was working hard to prepare. Steve and him were really going around on the setup a bit. I was trying to coach and run interference, but we all knew this would be great for points so were a bit tense and anxious and hopeful I would say. As he gets ready to line up for the feature, he hits the button and nothing! The car won't start! I had a sinking feeling.
Steve immediately got a hammer and banged on the starter. When that didn't work, he changed the starter. We were running out of time. Then, all of a sudden, a dozen people descended on that car and there were guys everywhere and tools flying everywhere as those boys worked everything they could trying to get that car to start! If there can be a shining moment, there it is as you watch the help we received.
Beside us, a fight was breaking out after the previous hobby stock race and I felt like I was in the middle of a tornado! Steve said Friday, the 13th was a bad luck night to race and I guess he was right! Anyway, at the risk of missing someone I should thank, I do have to call out Corey Lagroon and his entire crew. His wife is amazing and I have a lot to learn about tools that she could teach me! Corey said what was wrong right off and he was right. Hard to believe, but the battery was no good! It was a brand new battery this year and that is just something that doesn't happen! Well, obviously never say never. Frustrating doesn't begin to describe it. For whatever reason, Matthew wasn't suppose to race that feature.
Once it was clear we weren't going to get it started, Matthew moved on and started setting up for the next track. We borrowed a battery from Richard's golf cart Saturday morning and sure enough, it fired right up! Still hard to believe that happened. But, I am closing out the last 3 nights with this blog and tonight is a new night. We'll head to Dodge City and try our best to get two wins in a row. Can't change the past, so all we can do is move forward and take one race at a time. Races start to blur this far in to the season and several nights in a row. But, there isn't much season left so we really need everything to go right. Wish us luck! As Rhonda and I said, when it comes to racing, it seems like it is always something! You can count on that. LOL.
On the second night, he had Jacob take the first draw and it got him a good starting position in the heat. He won the heat race after a long rain delay. Lightening everywhere you looked and here we are standing on top of our trailer watching the races! They had a small window between the storms and somehow, they got all of the races in. Matthew drove it up to 3rd place. Who would have thought with all the rain the track would be so slick, but it was. There wasn't a lot of passing going on by any class. Matthew worked hard trying to get around the 2nd place car, but nothing he could do. It was good to be in tech. After the race, we joined Grandpa Brandt and Great-Grandma Crowell under an awning for some fair food while the storm opened up again. Pretty funny to have so much rain in one night. It was a lot of fun.
They combined the points from both nights and Matthew actually got 2nd in overall points for that fair show. Pretty cool and a great start to this rally for points. Friday took us on to WaKeeney. When we arrived, they did a pre-tech we had never seen before. They whistle the motor. Cool. I like to see more tracks doing more tech.
Took a long time to get the track ready and it was after 9 before we even ran our heat race. Came in 3rd in the heat, but with the point average, it worked out great as Matthew ended up with the outside pole! Finally, a great starting position. Matthew was really working through the race in his head and trying to get the setup right. He knew this could get him another win at that track and was working hard to prepare. Steve and him were really going around on the setup a bit. I was trying to coach and run interference, but we all knew this would be great for points so were a bit tense and anxious and hopeful I would say. As he gets ready to line up for the feature, he hits the button and nothing! The car won't start! I had a sinking feeling.
Steve immediately got a hammer and banged on the starter. When that didn't work, he changed the starter. We were running out of time. Then, all of a sudden, a dozen people descended on that car and there were guys everywhere and tools flying everywhere as those boys worked everything they could trying to get that car to start! If there can be a shining moment, there it is as you watch the help we received.
Beside us, a fight was breaking out after the previous hobby stock race and I felt like I was in the middle of a tornado! Steve said Friday, the 13th was a bad luck night to race and I guess he was right! Anyway, at the risk of missing someone I should thank, I do have to call out Corey Lagroon and his entire crew. His wife is amazing and I have a lot to learn about tools that she could teach me! Corey said what was wrong right off and he was right. Hard to believe, but the battery was no good! It was a brand new battery this year and that is just something that doesn't happen! Well, obviously never say never. Frustrating doesn't begin to describe it. For whatever reason, Matthew wasn't suppose to race that feature.
Once it was clear we weren't going to get it started, Matthew moved on and started setting up for the next track. We borrowed a battery from Richard's golf cart Saturday morning and sure enough, it fired right up! Still hard to believe that happened. But, I am closing out the last 3 nights with this blog and tonight is a new night. We'll head to Dodge City and try our best to get two wins in a row. Can't change the past, so all we can do is move forward and take one race at a time. Races start to blur this far in to the season and several nights in a row. But, there isn't much season left so we really need everything to go right. Wish us luck! As Rhonda and I said, when it comes to racing, it seems like it is always something! You can count on that. LOL.
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