August 1, 2007

Yes we ran two races tonight, we made up the rained out race from July 11th.

Well my season has just taken a turn for the worse as of late. First off let me start by saying I am at a loss of words, for both the racing and a certain team that somehow thinks I wrecked them in the first race, and then tried to wreck them in the second race. Secondly let me officially mention that I am leaving the X-Car division for another opportunity that has come up. I will finish out the season and on September 5th will make my final start behind the wheel of the number 30 X-Car. I will have more on my future plans later in the month.

So as for tonight, well in practice the car felt funny like a wheel was loose, then I thought I blew up the motor with the smoke that was coming out of it, come to find out I burned a rear wheel barring. Of all the spare parts I had, that was the one I didn't bring with me. My dad ran home to get another one while I got set up in the number 13. I would like to Thank Mike Yost, the car owner, and Jeffery Mehlenbacher for letting me use the car. I would also like to thank Glen, my dad, and Racecar Rob for getting my #30 back together for me to use in the second race.

For the first race I was driving the #13 car. It was going good for the first few laps, slowly picking people off and riding in the top ten, which was all I wanted to do, seeing as I have never driven that car before. I kept getting better each lap as I adjusted the the cars handling. Then there was a restart and we were three wide coming off of turn two when I was in the middle and got driven into in the rear quarter, it sent me sideways quicker then I could catch it. As I was heading towards the infield the number 17 was there and we got together. Instead of him letting off the gas and just letting me spin to the infield and he keep going along with everyone else, he kept his foot in it and pushed me sideways down the entire back stretch, I just sat in my car waiting for a hard hit as I was pushed up into the turn 3 in front of everyone. And that hit came soon enough, and it hurt, and messed up the car real good. Not only did the 17 push me up into everyone, but he also clipped the #78 Neon of Pat Williams, the points leader, and wrecked his car. All the 17 had to do was let off his gas, I would have spun out and everyone would have kept racing, but no he kept his foot in it and caused a huge wreck, so I dunno what he was thinking. Glen, and Jeff, and the rest of the crew worked to get the car so I could somewhat drive it for the final laps, and it didn't work too good. I went back out and basically drove on the bottom hoping to not get into anyone, and I finished a few laps down in 29th. As I was coming into the pits the 17 and his crew basically told me what part of the body I was as well as my number. Confused by this I went to explain to them I got turned coming out of turn 2 and that's how we got together, but they were so hot headed it didn't work.

For the second race I was back in the number 30, and they started me dead last saying I didn't qualify the car. Since when was a feature race considered a heat race. I thought it was soo dumb how the first feature was a "qualifier" and the second race was a "feature." Not to take anything away from Brad but seriously he won the first race and starts pole for the second? I don't get how they run these races, I mean the two lineups should have been set before we got to the track, the July 11th race had less cars registered to race it, but they let everyone race in it, that's not right. But whatever I will play this game for a few more races. I started last and worked my way to the top ten, traffic was hard to get around but I was able to get through. With a few laps to go I find myself behind the #17, who was racing with the #8. I kinda knew the #17 was mad at me for who knows what reason, so I minded my P's and Q's and thought to myself, "self its not worth trying to even attempt to race him" so I backed off and just sat behind him for the final two laps. I tried to get one run coming to the finish line but I wasn't able to get him, I got the #8, but not the #17, and I was fine with that because I rather have seventh and car then a sixth place and a wrecked car.

At the end of the night I tried again to talk to the 17 about what happened in the first race, but they didn't want to talk, I figured ok. They then told me how great it will be when they wreck me back and then flipped out about how I tried to wreck him in the second race during the final two laps. Shocked by them thinking I was trying to wreck them when I backed off and just followed him for the final laps blew me away and I was like "fine I tried to talk to you." As I walked away, because they were yelling at me pretty loud, people from other crews were just staring with a bewildered look on their face like I had. Afterwards so many crews were coming up to me telling me that they were shocked by what the 17 was saying and that I shouldn't worry about them because they are hot headed bunch. But I'm gonna say this, I'm not out their trying to wreck anyone, and I expect the same in return. So if anyone from the 17 is reading this, this shit stops now!!!! You want to come talk we can talk (and by talk I mean a conversation, not a yelling and calling me names and not making any sense garbage), but don't flip out saying I tried to wreck you in two races tonight because that is just foolish. I'm not playing this call each other names then try to take them out in a race because I'm not going home each week to fix my car, and I know they don't want to either. I have no problem with the 17 but they feel I am out to get them. I tried to be the bigger person and talk.

Thanks Mom and Kimberly for the photos!!!

Warming up the #13	Still Warming it up
Again	Craig warming up his car for action
Racing the #29	Still racing with the #29
Racing with the #71	Brad (#87), with the battle scares from our last race when we tangled for the win, racing the #44
Racing in the pack	Didn't take long for Brad (#87) to get around me
Lets just follow Brad (#87) thru traffic	Racing the #17
Still racing the #17	The start of a restart that I wish didn't happen
Bunched up for the restart	A lap later, I was sideways from turn 2 all the way back to the front strech past the start/finish line :(
I was able to keep the car running but it was tore up bad	It drove... just not stright :(
It was pretty hard to stay on the track	Everyone stayed pretty far away from me
It finally broke all together as I crossed the finish line	I have never started this far back in my life, 40th position!!! But got to look on the bright side, I was back in my Saturn :)
Car doesn't look that bad at night	Racing Mike Marvin in the #8
Sweet fan club I got	Just trucking along
Still trucking along	Oh ya check out the new front end all painted and decaled up... Thanks Shantok Motors for all the support this year!!!

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