Crowell Bros. Racing Blog

Congratulations Jacob!

Crowell Bros Racing — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 16:16:29 GMT

October 1 - It is official. Jacob finished 2^nd 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

Crowell Bros Racing — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:41:55 GMT

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 12^th. 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 5^th 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 2^nd 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 2^nd 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!

Crowell Bros Racing — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:16:31 GMT

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!

Crowell Bros Racing — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 16:16:08 GMT

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 13^th 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. 4^th 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 6^th. 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 9^th, 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 7^th. 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 17^th, and back to Wakeeney on the 18^th. 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!

Crowell Bros Racing — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 10:19:41 GMT

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 18^th 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 6^th 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 4^th. 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

Crowell Bros Racing — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 16:31:42 GMT

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 5^th 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 9^th 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 4^th position. By this time, he is quite a ways behind the 3^rd 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!

Crowell Bros Racing — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 15:45:51 GMT

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 3^rd 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!

Crowell Bros Racing — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 22:32:07 GMT

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

Crowell Bros Racing — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 17:49:17 GMT

July 31 - Pics of the car and some other favorite photos now updated on http://www.crowellracing.com/. I didn't take any right after the roll over as we were too busy getting it ready to race. It looked a little worse with four flats and Steve did a little pounding on hood to get net secure. But, as you can see, she is holding up pretty darn well. When you see Jacob next, be sure to ask him if he is dizzy.

We are on to Wakeeney now. No one can say we ever give up easily!

~CBR Mom

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

Crowell Bros Racing — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 15:11:35 GMT

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

Good finishes for CBR

Crowell Bros Racing — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 15:19:16 GMT

July 23 – Boys seem to have overcome Jacob’s over-heating problems. He drove from the back in his heat race to take 2^nd place. This got him a 3^rd row, outside starting position in the feature. He drove an amazing race. The race was for second between three cars for the majority of the race. They were even three wide going into the turns. Jacob eventually made it around and took the second place position, but he could not hold on to it. The other guy made his way through. Jacob was able to take 3^rd. He was very happy with that. I think the track had every type of condition possible from mud to dry. Jacob just looked as smooth as possible and it sure did not look like he made any mistakes. Back in tech, they are going to ensure they find something there every time. It makes Steve laugh. Last time, it was more driver padding in Matthew’s car but then this time, one tech guy overruled the other saying he did not need it because of the type of seat. They definitely enforce all the rules. Actually, we wish every tech was like this. It is the best thing about this track.

The worst thing about the track is their heat race rule. If you stop for any reason at all, you are black flagged. This guy spins out on the back stretch (yes, on a straight away – basically, he about lost it coming out of turn 2 but it was right before turn 3 when he finally lost it) and there are at least four cars dodging him with Matthew in the worst position in the middle of them so he spins out to avoid hitting the guy. So, Matthew does not get to race the heat race either. Now, with 21 cars in the feature and being put to the back, you can imagine how frustrating that is. I was flat out pissed. The rule makes absolutely no sense. Some other guy can ensure your finish if they choose to drive dirty. I do not mind it if you are taken out for causing the caution, but others should not be penalized. Anyone out there that can talk some sense into Mayetta on that one, please go for it!

Anyway, Matthew had fuel pressure problems all night plus only second gear since we had to put in an old, worn out transmission. Even with that, he managed to drive it up to 9^th place. The weather all day was miserable. I wonder if it ever cooled down below 100. Grandma Effie, Grandpa Carl, Aunt Dorothy, Uncle Clarence and Uncle Rich made the long drive and endured the heat. I sure hope they had fun.

We have decided not to push our luck by going to Osborne. Jacob has had the chance to run a half-mile track and now that the car is running right, we do not want to risk being torn up. So, next weekend, we will travel back to Mayetta and then on to Wakeeney where we hope to gain two more top fives. Now, it is time to wash their gear. I teased Jacob that when he passed the other cars, they probably had to back off just from the smell. Both boys were dripping wet as you can imagine. Now, we have today to get caught up on such things!

~CBR Mom

Just Running Hot

Crowell Bros Racing — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 18:36:25 GMT

July 15 – The weather is hot and the car is hot. The only thing not hot is our luck. Boys worked hard all week to try to cure our mechanical woes. Traveled to Wakeeney and got second in the heat race, so I thought our luck had finally turned. But car still didn’t sound right to the boys. They changed the spark plugs and checked the timing. Jacob had the pole for the feature, so I had my expectations way too high. He had a bad start as he got down too far on the inside getting into the mud and spinning his tires which caused him to loose a lot of spots very quickly. It was a full field of cars if I remember right. He managed to drive back up and get 6^th. But afterwards, the car was overheating again and no one was happy with it.

Next morning, they dive in on repairs and find the distributor is cracked. Had to have happened near the end of the race so I guess we are lucky he was able to even hang on for 6^th! They change it along with all the plug wires. Had a flat tire for some reason overnight, so change that as well as springs. Run the valves and there is more than one that needs tightened. Clean the radiator and basically try to go through everything to prepare for Sunday.

Jacob comes out of the heat race and car is really hot again. I’ve never really seen the boys this frustrated or stumped. He starts mid-pack in the feature and pretty much it is follow the leader. It is a one lane race track and not a lot of racing, just a lot of dirt flying. Afterwards, the boys find the car wasn’t running any where close to the RPMs he should have been running so things seem to continue to get worse. We must have ruined something.

Boys travel home Sunday and are back out in the heat pulling the engine. They will go through everything and try to get it ready for next weekend. Hopefully the hard work will pay off soon. We really need to finish strong to get some Rookie points. We’ll travel to Hutchinson on Friday night and more than likely, make the long haul to Mayetta for Saturday night. Twenty-one races left that can count towards a better points standing, so Jacob still has a shot at it.

~CBR Mom

Beat by a Junebug!

Crowell Bros Racing — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 19:54:04 GMT

July 8 - We travel to Goodland for a two-night show there and the boys stay on for a 3^rd night race at Colby. I had to return on Sunday because I had to fly out for work. On Friday night, the storm clouds rolled by the track with a lightening show all around. It cooled it down and made for a pleasant weather evening, but I was sure hot at our car. Jacob would go out and run a lap and then it would just die. Boys had worked so darn hard on it all week so it is incredibly frustrating to not even get to race. Steve found a fuel line leaking and also changed the fuel filter.

Grandpa Carl, Grandma Effie, Uncle Rich and all of us retire to the hotel a bit disappointed. The next morning, Jacob and Steve go immediately to the track to go through the car while the rest of us hit the garage sales of Goddard. Then, we had a nice relaxing lunch and celebrate Grandma Effie’s 87^th birthday a day early. Next, we went to the track and played some cards while waiting for race time. About that time, the clouds start firing up again and it looks to be a repeat of the night before – in more ways than just the weather!

Jacob goes out to hot lap and the car dies. At this point, Steve moves from thinking it is a fuel problem to electrical and buys some parts and makes changes. He has the pole for his heat race and once again, makes a lap and it dies! By this point, there is nothing left to change except the brand new carburetor. I ask the track to let Jacob do one lap behind the Econos to see if it is fixed this time. Steve looks at the carburetor and finds a junebug stuck in it! I’ve always hated those bugs.

Since he didn’t get to run his heat, he starts in the back of the feature with ten cars. Jacob makes his way to 6^th place when the checkered flies. At the same time, they announce the races are over due to a storm moving in and at the same time, the tornado sirens go off! You never saw stands and pits cleared out so fast. It was kind of spooky but no worries. We all drove away and didn’t even see hail.

Now, I am packing and waiting for the phone call with race results from Sunday night at Colby. I just hate it when I can’t be there. This is only the second race of the season I have had to miss, so I guess I can’t complain. I’ll post updates about Colby on Facebook.

Next weekend, we’ll be at Wakeeney on Friday night and Hays on Saturday. Already looking forward to an Effie Cheeseburger and weekend at home!

~CBR Mom

I Couldn't Be More Proud!

Crowell Bros Racing — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 23:15:44 GMT

July 1 – What a great way to start a new month! We travel to Hutchinson and once again, the car count is extremely low. The track is extremely rough. But, both boys take it to victory lane, so somehow it still seems alright! After a hard week of repairing both cars, it would great to see the boys run so well. Matthew put in an older transmission in order to run again. Jacob had to go through his entire car after the roll over. Turns out when you go upside down, there are a lot of things to fix like ball joints and changing the plugs.

At Hutchinson, Jacob was mixed in with the bombers and it was all about survival missing several spin outs in front of him in both the heat race and the feature. We wanted him to practice hitting his mark and driving consistent laps, but between dodging the ruts and the bombers, I’m not sure there was much he could learn. As he drove to the grid for the feature, I heard Matthew, Rich and Steve all turn to each other at the exact same time and say “did you see that.” I was texting Kim so I had no idea what they saw but they all took off running. They brought him back to the pit and the Wilson crew dove in to help as well. Turned out his upper a-arm was not tight. This was just one of the parts Jacob had changed in the last week. They barely got him out in time. Perfect example of a win being a win because you still have to be able to get on the track. After the race, Jacob is losing water and overheating.

Matthew felt his car missing out, but they haven’t quite diagnosed the problem. Did something just rattle loose? Just not sure and of course, he is mechanically paranoid now about a part or transmission breaking! He runs a solid feature. Took him a couple of laps to take the lead, but once he did, he held on strong. He was as smooth as anyone I saw that night and did a great job hitting his marks and pulling away.

After the races, the boys went to victory lane for pictures and the fans were allowed to go down. I heard one couple comment, “look how young those boys are” and another family with young children stopped by to get autographs. Then, they go car by car with the trophy and take the feature winner picture. Afterwards, each of the boys handed their trophy to one of the kids and it was great fun to see those kids’ faces light up. We’ve seen B do that at other tracks, and I think Matthew and Jacob really got some extra satisfaction in getting a chance to make a kid smile. It added some extra fun to the win quite honestly.

Saturday, we head to Mayetta. The first time we have been there and not scraping mud all night. It was a dry, slick track and Jacob showed them he knew how to drive it. That is definitely one advantage of running so many different tracks is learning how to adjust to a lot of conditions. The boys really paid attention to the track that night and made the right changes all night long. Jacob started 6^th in the feature, but didn’t have a good start and was shuffled and blocked in the middle of the pack of fifteen cars. Then, he started picking them off one-by-one driving his way to the front. He dodged a couple of wrecks along the way.

He was smooth and consistent driving a perfect race. It felt like the longest feature ever as he made his way to 2^nd place! And, the checkered flag was flying as Jacob came around the last lap and was coming out of turn 4 when the 3^rd place car drove in too hard, lost control, and the guy’s rear end spun around hitting the back quarter panel of Jacob’s car and spinning him out in the process! I was so incredibly disappointed. Jacob handled it extremely well. Once he knew it wasn’t intentional and just one of those “racing deals” he handled it better than I did. I guess you can say racing is a metaphor for life off the track because it doesn’t matter if you deserve it or have done the right thing, it just doesn’t always work out like that.

When we got in the track, Jacob said “That air conditioning feels good.” Made me laugh the way he said it. Like he just realized it had been darn hot out there. Too cute.

Since we had a holiday weekend, I finally had the chance to upload some pictures. You can view some of my favorite pics from April and May at: http://crowellracing.com/photos/2011_Season/2011Q1Pics/index.html. See if you can spot “Sweet Cheeks.”

And more of my favorites continuing from May and all of June are at:

http://crowellracing.com/photos/2011_Season/2011Q2Pics/index.html

Next weekend, we are on to Goodland for a two-night show on Friday and Saturday and then Colby on Sunday. Chasing those Rookie points and gaining some great experience.

~CBR Mom

Just Can’t Make This Stuff Up!

Crowell Bros Racing — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:11:24 GMT

June 24 – Make-up features are the first to run at Hutchinson. Jacob’s competitor didn’t return, so Jacob took his first win by default. As we learned long ago, a win is a win. Matthew led his race on his way to the first win of the season when the car dies with only a couple of laps to go. Seriously, I just can’t make this stuff up. Luck has not found Matthew this season. Turned out to be a bad module even though it was BRAND NEW! Let me repeat, it was brand new.

No drama in the heat races. Boys found another problem on Matthew’s car and fixed it. Jacob changed his setup and after what felt like a flurry of activity, it is feature time. Matthew is out first and runs a solid race taking second place behind B. It took Matthew a little too long to find his line and when he did, he closed the distance a bit, but B doesn’t make many mistakes so if we ever do beat him, it will be a hell of an accomplishment! It just feels good to run up with him.

Jacob also took a second place finish in his feature. The first three laps of the race were incredibly exciting as he ran side by side with Cheeseburger. It was a heck of a race with Jacob driving it in so hard, that I swear my fists were locked up with tension. But, he couldn’t hold it at the level he was pushing it, and he lost it between one and two. Luckily, the other car missed him and Jacob didn’t flatten any tires when he spun out. Ran the rest of the race well and definitely keeps learning and improving with every race. And both boys ended up with 2nd so that was kind of cool.

Saturday we travel onto Jetmore. I am so excited to have all of us together. Rylee is able to come as well even though she has to return the next day for work. But in the end, Jetmore was just painful. First, they didn't mud in the track and it was breaking up and rough. Jacob was mixed in with thunder cars so I am not even sure where he ended up. They watered the track right before the feature and we didn’t know it. Really missed the setup and Jacob just kept loosing positions. Later, we tried to get the check which would show where he finished, but couldn’t find the pay out window and just gave up. But, I am getting ahead of myself.

Boys saw some problems with Matthew’s gear going bad but decided to run feature anyway which was a decision we would soon regret. Pinion gear came apart causing driveshaft to break and ripped out tranny. At least, that is near as I can explain what happened. All I know is I saw sparks and parts fly as he quickly tried to dive off the track. Barely made it off out of turn 4 and the track didn’t throw a yellow. Thankfully, nothing happened but I made sure to comment to a passing IMCA official that that was sure dangerous (and he agreed with me).

So, we loaded up the cars all of us pretty fed up and frustrated and damn trailer door breaks! You have no idea how heavy that thing is until this happens!

Next day, I saw something I had never seen. Steve, Uncle Rich and Grandpa Brandt couldn't figure out that darn door! Took four hours and thought they had it fixed. Got to the track and yes, it broke again! My first thought was we should just go home now given how the weekend just kept getting worse. But, of course, there is no way to act on that thought.

Now, I started taking some notes about the weekend because by Sunday, I was exhausted. So, at the time I am writing this, we are traveling home at the end of the night after the race at Wakeeney. We are joking with Jacob about a Ricky Bobby flip and running from the car screaming I'm on fire like in the movie but it wasn’t so funny a couple of hours ago.

Jacob is running his heat race and gets bumped going into turn and next thing we know he is airborne flying off the track. From where we were in the pits I couldn't see it roll but next thing I know the ambulance, fire truck and wreckers were all rushing toward him. I actually looked at Steve and said why are they going over there with the ambulance and about that time, we see Randy running over! I told Steve they can kick me out forever as I jumped on the 4-wheeler and took off! I was sure he was fine and didn't even feel worried until I saw him come around the ambulance with an EMT on each side. Then my insides started shaking. He was telling them he was fine but something about that moment was just a small wave of scary for me.

Anyway, the first official on the scene had tried to keep him in the car until Jacob pointed out it was on fire. Yes, when it rolled, the fuel in carburetor I think started the air filter on fire. If I am not technically correct, forgive me! They sprayed fire extinguisher to put it out and thankfully, Randy retrieved Jacob’s gear so it didn’t get covered. EMTs talked to me about when the adrenaline comes down and what to watch for as Jacob insisted he was fine. We got back to the trailer and I started packing up while the boys are all pulling tools out! I was SO done while they figure they can get it fixed for the feature! The driver that hit Jacob came over and apologized. He felt really bad. We also tried to coach Jacob as I think part of the problem was he over corrected but I am honestly not sure. This is where I get so frustrated with Steve when he doesn’t park where I tell him to (ie beside Randy) though I am sympathetic to pulling the long trailer and not being able to leave easily.

Anyway, port a power goes to work pushing roof back up and fenders back out. They had to blow out fire extinguisher stuff and dirt and change air filter. Matthew gives advice via text as he was clearly concerned about Jacob being ok both physically and mentally. What an awesome big brother. I need him with us.

In the feature, there are 17 cars and Jacob had to start 15th. He ended up getting 12th which we were all more than happy with of course! We think he might be down a cylinder, was definitely out of tow and who knows what else. They will need to go through it all this week. I have to make some stickers again of course! But, you definitely have to admire the fact they didn’t give up. I couldn’t be more proud of them and I did finally stop shaking before the feature.

Of course on one hand it was a good weekend because no one got hurt. But as far as racing and points and finances go, I think this one tops it and not in a good way. I sure hope it is a long time before I have to experience such a weekend again! Wow.

So, boys already have jumped on repairs. It is going to be a lot of late nights to get ready for next weekend. I was told we had Hays, Mayetta and Hutchinson; however, the web site doesn’t show Hutchinson moved from Friday to Sunday so I am still not sure of our schedule!

~CBR Mom

CBR is Back!

Crowell Bros Racing — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 14:54:00 GMT

June 17 – Both cars loaded and Crowell Bros. Racing has both brothers racing again. Everything is going perfectly as we arrive at Hutchinson. Well, except for the extremely small car count. Only two Hobbies and only four SportMods. But, we are almost all finally together and feeling good about just getting to have a night at the races. Just missing Ry. Wilsons are racing too so great night for learning and seat time. Plus, the entire fan club shows up – which if I haven’t mentioned this season, consists of Great-Grandma Effie, Grandpa Carl, Uncle Rich, Grandma Carol, Grandpa Gary, Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Clarence. In addition to this group, Tammee was there and Chet, Joseph and Carla. So, everyone turned out to see both the boys. The fun part started with the heat races because both of the boys won their heat races. I was already looking forward to both of them adding their stickers to the board – not only for the heat race but also for the feature! Never got to see it. A storm came up and we probably shouldn’t have even been running the heat races given the lightening. They finally couldn’t go any longer and called it just minutes before it hit. Winds up to 70 mph, hail and rain. We made it out before the hail. Grandma and Grandpa Crowell weren’t so lucky and ended up under a bridge. Everyone was scattered in all directions and Kim was giving me weather reports as we all was calling each other for an hour trying to dodge the storm. So, we were racing home I guess. Not near as much fun as racing at the track. Hutchinson will make up the feature races I assume this Friday.

Saturday, the boys changed the gears, made up some tires and other spare parts, washed the cars, loaded up and we were off to Mayetta. Uncle Rich, Grandma Effie and Grandpa Carl also made the drive. You could tell Matthew was having Rylee withdrawal as he was just a little bit grouchy. But, I wish I could have captured his smile when we came over the hill and he saw the track for the first time. The expression on his face was truly priceless. Just like Jacob a couple of weeks before. Car count was decent in Hobbies with eight cars and huge in SportMods I think with 26 checking in. Matthew went through his pre-tech with Super Dave. I am not sure why, but we seemed to be running non-stop the rest of the night. First, I had to run to the other side to get Matthew his chicken fingers.

Jacob’s heat race went fine and really just had to scrape mud and clean his helmet afterwards. I think he ended up 3rd if I remember right. I know he was gaining and remember saying we just ran out of laps. In Matthew’s heat, a guy spun out right in front of him. There went another bumper and hood (and sticker). But, he was still running and they waived him off the track. Their track rule is during the heats, it doesn’t matter who stops, you are out. Lesson learned. But, now Matthew had to go the B-Feature. A guy spun out in front of him again and he got stopped enough that I think it just pushed the bumper in a little more. He made his way to finish 2nd in the B which was great.

Feature time and Jacob starts 3rd row inside. The boys had to adjust an upper a-arm on Matthew’s so I carried one of Jacob’s tires up and by the time I got back, the race was starting and I realized I had forgotten the video camera. I ran back to the pits and Matthew was trying to get ready alone as we had all left for Jacob’s race. It is hard to have two cars running! And from the damage on the hood, he couldn’t see so I ended up standing on it to push it down. Got him in the lineup and ran back to video Jacob’s race. As I have often complained, it is hard to see the race when you video it. All I know is Jacob drove great. He worked his way up to 2nd place and avoided a big wreck along the way. A guy flipped his car. After that, the race went green and Jacob gained a bit on the leader, but it was a wide gap and just couldn’t close the distance. But we are thrilled and he is back in tech with Super Dave! My cousin Ronnie and his buddy Carl was there so I handed off the video camera to Ronnie and I ran to get the water can in case Jacob needed cooled down. Then they needed a jack stand and jack so I got that hauled up to post-tech. By then, Matthew’s race had started so I climbed up on the cement block to watch it. I kept looking back as they did the tech on Jacob. At the caution, I walked back and they were asking questions that neither Jacob nor I could answer. So, I flew down on the ATV to Steve in pit lane and traded places with him in case Matthew needed a tire changed during the race.

Matthew went from 18th place to 6th place in that race! VERY cool. Ronnie said he hated video taping. I could relate to that! Jacob finished tech and boys started loading up. Both boys ran out of tear offs during the race and Matthew was laughing about how he was trying to scrape mud off while driving. I ran to get Jacob his hamburger and then I finally got to have a beer! After we got loaded up, we said our goodbyes to Ronnie. He is being deployed to Afghanistan so we won’t see him for a little over a year now. We teased him about hunting without him this Fall and promised to send him lots of pictures. He promised to call us opening night and check in. I already wish he was back.

Started the drive home and of course, the storms explode again. More wind, hail, lightening and rain almost the entire drive home until we pulled into our driveway where it didn’t rain a drop.

Sorry for the long blog, but it was covering two cars now! And overall, pretty darn good finishes! But, the best part of the night is when I can see the boys helping each other. I love that they can both be racing, learning, and working together. Next weekend, we return to Hutchinson on Friday night and then Jetmore on Saturday and WaKeeney on Sunday. Need a really good points weekend for Jacob to gather some good Rookie points. So, feel free to send that good luck for three top fives his way. Oh, and if we could schedule the weather to wait until Monday, that would be really great too!

~CBR Mom

Lovin' That Post-Tech

Crowell Bros Racing — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 02:51:53 GMT

June 10 - Friday night at Hays was ok. Ended up with 9th place but was torn up with bent upper a-arm, spindle and shock. Jacob drove out of turn four too hard and just lost it. But have to give the kid credit. He never gives up and when he is put to the back, he sure works hard to move forward.

Weather had us flipping a coin to try to figure out where to go Saturday night. In the end we made the wrong choice as we ended up rained out so no points. But before that, we got to have fun trying another new track for us. And Jacob drove a great heat race with a 2nd place finish. Some great coaching from Randy really showed. He still had to try to come out hot on the last lap but backed off quicker this time and he held on to it. Then came the rain and the hail. Good seat time and great coaching but sure would have liked to see that feature! And the rain cost us lasagna from Kim too. Thanks to Grandpa, we had fried egg and bacon sandwiches and some beer.

On Sunday after Grandma took care of us with an Effie Burger, it was off to Wakeeney. Eighteen cars in the feature and it was one long race. Jacob drove the best race yet and no major mistakes which landed him a 2nd place finish! It felt like a win. It was awesome. Big thanks to Randy and B because their coaching paid off. Just couldn't do it without them. And in tech it was awesome to hear so many people telling Jacob how well he drove and how clean he drove ‘em.

I texted Matthew on Jacob’s finish and got the best reply back "Thats my brother lol"

The entire fan club stopped after the race to congratulate Jacob. It is so great to have our family there and know we have their support. Without all the hard races, I guess a great night wouldn’t feel as great as this!

Next weekend, we are off to Hutchinson and to Mayetta. Matthew joins us as he has a different job and now has weekends off! I need to feed Randy so he has the energy for coaching two boys! LOL. Kim, I need help! It is going to be fantastic to have CBR going together again. I can’t wait for the weekend!

~CBR Mom

Jacob Make It to Tech

Crowell Bros Racing — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 19:33:00 GMT

Friday, June 3 – We all got to experience our first race at Hutchinson Speedway for CBR. Unfortunately, the car count was extremely low. Fortunately, we got to come home without any damage but unfortunately, one major problem!

Jacob pulled out for hot laps and made it to the back stretch when the car died. I thought here we go again! Turned out to be a bad module. Have I mentioned we are running out of parts? LOL. They replaced it. Jacob looked really good in his heat race and he won the heat race. It was a lot of fun to watch him drive it. For some reason, when he starts up front, he doesn’t do as well. I think he puts too much pressure on himself to stay in front. He made some mistakes and then, started over driving it. He doesn’t agree with us as he didn’t like his setup. By the final 3 laps of the race, he had settled down and they looked really good. He said through the race he was trying different lines on the track until he found it. Anyway, it was good practice and seat time for him. He works so hard on that car. Summer finally decided to come and it hit 100 here yesterday. He was out all day preparing for the race. Anyone watching this sport truly has no idea of the work it takes to get ready for a race. I am so proud of how hard Jacob is working and how much he learns every single day.

Matthew raced from work to the track. He didn’t make it in time to hot lap, but at least he made the heat race. He ran ok in the heat. He was losing fuel so I was worried he was going to get black flagged. It was a draw, redraw and he managed to draw the pole! He is out of tires and rims. The boys pounded on an old rim trying to get ready for the feature. In the feature, he ran second to Brian almost the entire race. It was awesome to watch while it lasted. Then, with only two laps to go, Matthew’s transmission blew apart. Think of Looney Tunes…”That’s All Folks.” Matthew came out of the car smiling and laughing which I have missed seeing for a while now. He raced great and he knew there was nothing he could do about that! Parts will be on order so once again, Matthew is side-lined through no fault of his own! I think I was once again more disappointed than he was. I just wanted the 2’s to have the one-two finishes.

We got to see the Wilson brothers race each other. That was a lot of fun. I can’t help but envision Matthew and Jacob racing against each other like that some day. I hope so. Never take fore-granted one second of the time we have together.

Matthew is off to work and Steve and Jacob are up and in the shop trying to get ready for another new track tonight. We are on our way to Mayetta!

Thunderhill at Mayetta turned out to be a really great night. The track was heavy and tacky. I have never scraped so much mud! And the humidity was so high you would sweat just standing there. My cousin Ronnie joined us in the pits. Their tech there is like Boone so they really went through everything before the races started.

Jacob had to start in the back since it was his first time there this year. He ran a strong heat race. Put him up in 6th position for the A-Feature. He ran a great race and ended up getting 3rd. He made one small mistake or he might have gotten second. Not sure he had the horsepower needed though on such a heavy track to get past that car. It was great to see him in tech and we hadn’t expected that so when it happened, I went running to get water can to cool him down. Ronnie had to get B’s tires to Steve in pit area and then I swapped out with Steve so Steve could go help Jacob in post-tech. Lost Ronnie somewhere along the way and there I am in pit lane during B’s race praying he doesn’t have a flat tire! He won the B-Feature, then had to swap out a bad shock and it was all a bit chaotic before the feature. Luckily, he jumped into the lead pretty quickly and never gave it up. So, we all got to enjoy having great finishes that evening. If we had just had some beer on hand, the night would have been perfect. Ronnie couldn’t believe a Brandt would not be more prepared. I promised him I’d get right on that for next time!

Next weekend is a 3-night show in Hays, Jetmore and Wakeeney. I can’t wait. Hopefully we can take this momentum with us.

~CBR Mom

Racing Isn't For No Sissies!

Crowell Bros Racing — Tue, 31 May 2011 01:02:30 GMT

May 28 - Back to Minneapolis where the night didn't start very good. Lost 3 tires, a-arm, and spindle all in the heat race! Thinking it was going to be a really bad night. Really bad track for heat but it really came in at feature time.

Jacob started in 14th position and the pack of cars seemed to hang together forever. Jacob was driving great and I actually felt my heart racing as I counted the cars and he had made it up to 9th! Then I saw a yellow and at the same time saw jacob had a flat! He pulled in to the pits and I took the bolts off while Steve and Josh then finished the job. I didn't even ruin a nail!

Turned out Jacob ran over a bumper which came off someone's car and had caused the caution. There was a bunch of cut tires. Jacob went back out and then worked his way up to 7th! It was an really exciting race. Jacob held his own through some pretty good bumps. I actually felt my heart racing as he was going 3-wide in the turns. I wondered at one point if anyone nearby knew CPR - that was how fast my heart was racing. Best finish so far this season! What a great way to end the night.

On to Wakeeney. First race picked right up where we left off with a good heat race and Jacob finished 4th in the heat. It was a draw, redraw night and he drew the outside pole. First lap, the guy behind him drove into turn two and punted Jacob off the track. They tried to put Jacob in the back, but he stopped and told the official no way and got his spot back. Well, after 3 restarts, they finally started them single file. By then, I think Jacob was already bent up. He held his own though and was right there in the pack for a little while.

Then he got too high and spun off turn four. This caused a caution and he was put to the back. He started really driving a lot better then and drove hard into the corners. He passed some cars and then a car spun out right in front of him. I had enough time to say watch it baby, watch it and Jacob luckily just clipped him as he drove through it. Had he stepped on the brake, he would have t-boned him head on so I let my breathe out then. He finished I think in either 13th or 14th position. Not sure as we were planning to pick up the check the next night and then it was cancelled due to high winds. Thank goodness as I'm pretty sure someone would have blown off the trailer the second night. We were close a few times and the wind wasn't as bad Sunday night!

Had a little excitement in the pits after with some idiot yelling at the boys. The guy that spun out all by himself that Jacob drove through was mad at us. Tried to tell Steve how Hobby Stock wasn't a beginner's class and how many thousands of dollars was torn up on his car cause of Jacob. I was so pissed. No one yells at my kid - especially for something he didn't do. And on top of it, the guy didn't even make any sense. Steve and Jacob kept their cool. I don't know how they could be so patient. I truly wanted to hit the guy so bad. Jacob doesn't need his confidence taken away from an idiot putting crap in his head that isn't even true. If Jacob had caused the wreck, we would have been sure to admit it and apologize. Interesting how the majority of drivers get that and all can run together so well. It is only that small minority that are idiots. So true in so many things in life! The majority of racers are just such hard working, dedicated, great people. It is fun to meet new people (not the idiots), but good people. We met some this weekend and it really is just a joy to be around them. And to see the spirit of racers that never give up. Sometimes life is hard, but with hard work, you really can pull things back up and go forward. Racing might just be a hobby, but I sure can't think of a better way to spend the weekend with family and friends! Even covered in dirt and wind blown, it just feels so good to be around these great people.

So next weekend, we try out two new tracks! Hutchinson on Friday night and Mayetta on Saturday! Last week I asked for some luck to get our best finish so far and it worked! So, can we go for 2 great races this weekend with our best finished yet? (and we are out of spare parts so two great finishes with no damage - I know I am asking for a lot but hey, just a little prayer goes a long ways!!)

~CBR Mom

CBR Together Again

Crowell Bros Racing — Sun, 22 May 2011 22:55:24 GMT

May 20 - Finally we all got to go to races together. Didn't have the finishes we were hoping for though.

Jacob was driving great in the heat. Made one little mistake and then just got into another car which cut down our tire. He hung on to finish heat shredding the tire. But he sure doesn't give up! Gotta love it.

In the feature, the starts were not good and just struggled to hang in there. Still seem to have a problem with distributor so will be changing it and going through everything. Jacob dodged a couple of wrecks and held on through a lot of taps. You can sure see the good drivers from the bad. Drivers like cheeseburger can get around Jacob clean while others have to hit him. Kinda frustrating. Ended up with 10th finish.

Matthew had a decent heat and then dove in on his setup to get ready for feature. He worked his way up to 6 and was looking good like he would have a top 5. Then car spun in front of him and he was the middle of the sandwich. Tore a lot up again. He pitted to change flat and managed to finish the race with 8th place finish. I'm not sure how given the damage.

So neither boy was very happy at the end of the night. So very many things have to go right to have a good finish and we just haven't seemed to make it happen yet this season. But it will come. Need patience and luck.

Saturday we had an all day graduation party and got to see Matthew, Rylee and all of their friends cross the stage. It was a good day. So proud of our kids.

Sunday Steve tore in to the cars between the graduation parties. Found Jacob was down a cylinder. Had a broken rocker arm. Matthew's repairs are too numerous to go in to.

Memorial weekend Jacob will be back at the track while Matthew has to work.
We'll be trying to get Jacob his best finish of the season.

~CBR Mom