Quaker State team Gets Vandalized At Velocity Week End
September 22nd/23rd
Race #26
This weekend was the final Sunset Speedway race for 2012. It was a two day event featuring six divisions, including a 75 lap main event for the Late Models. After last week’s engine failure we had to install a new engine Chev engine and break it in before we could race it. Unfortunately with the track schedule so busy, we missed our warm ups, but were granted a 30 lap low RPM practice session during pre race intermission. The engine needed 30 laps of no more than 4500 RPM. We were very appreciative to the track management team allowing us to get the engine broke in properly with Quaker State full synthetic oil.
Gehrig Helps Putting In New Engine
Qualifying was done through double heats. Because we still needed more break in time with the engine. We used our first heat race as an opportunity to get in some faster but limited fast laps. It was good for the engine but we finished at back. In our second race we finished 4th. With no practice, and slow laps, we had not set up our chassis yet. Our heat race finishes were not good enough to qualify putting us in the Last Chance. However, we were glad to have broken in the engine as suggested by GM.
Once our engine was properly broken in we finished 4th in our second qualifier.
Sunday Last Chance Race
We started outside pole in the Last Chance race. Our car was much better because we made some changes on the chassis from the heats races Saturday.
White Flag Lap We Finish 2nd
Our second place finish put us in the feature, starting 20th of 26 cars. I was able to follow the #29 of Sean Grosman, the car that won the Last Chance. We were much faster than 20th place cars and worked our way through the field of good race cars.
Green Flag Start Of 75 Lap Velocity Feature
We ran well most of the race but had to make 2 pit stops for incidents that we were caught up in. The first accident saw 2 cars tangle, sending cars scattering everywhere. My only opening was to the inside and though avoided the mishap, collected a pylon that our crew had to extract from under the car.
Battles continued all race for us. We would get clear and then another mishap. This time the #10X in front of us had a flat tire and almost stopped on the back chute at full speed. I checked up and had to spin to avoid crashing into the back of his car. We survived that accident, but once again had to go scratch.
Breaking Hard In Turn 3 No Car Hit Us We Were Thankful Sliding On Grass And No Hard Contact
We would get by the 10X on the next green flag and encounter other battles.
It seemed no matter how hard we tried we were in the middle of either fierce racing, that I like, or avoiding wrecks, that are good as well, but sooner or later they catch up to you.
Two Misses, At Both Ends Of The Track….Fast & Furious
We survived these two mishaps…but!!!!
Not this one!!!
Vandalism At Velocity
Our day comes to an end with a bent spindle and tore up body after we’re ran over under yet another accident on the front chute that we avoided but the car beside us did not.
Our Quaker State crew inspect the car with me and realize even though we wanted to go back out, the bent spindle forced us to park our car for the race.
Quaker State Team Parked For Final 20 Laps Of The Velocity 250
Our season would end much like it started with a ton of bad luck. We learned a lot at Sunset Speedway and will return in 2013 to not only celebrate our 40th year with Quaker State, but to claim the Late Model Championship.
Special thanks to all our fans and the wonderful track staff and management team at Sunset Speedway, our race team salutes you all.
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