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Friday night did not start out the way any driver or crew wants it to, a lap one wreck in the heat race destroyed the front suspension on our car. This took us out of the evening’s action at Lernerville speedway.
Another Saturday was spent rebuilding the car and preparing it for Saturday evening’s race at Mercer Raceway Park, which is one of the biggest shows of the year, it’s the Bill Emig Memorial. We pulled a bad pill for our heat race and had to start 8th, by the end of the 8 lap event; I had worked my way into third and was very happy with the handling of the car. By luck of the redraw for the feature event, I pulled a number one and started on the pole of the feature. We made a few minor changes to the car and rolled to the lineup area. I was leading the first 5 laps and riding a comfortable pace, and then the 2nd place car drove into my left side, moved me up the track and took the lead away. Under the next several cautions I adjusted my car, with 9 laps in the event, I tightened my belts down, sat tall in the seat and prepared to put the Bicknell chassis, Kriner powered car through its paces. On the restart, I drove straight to the cushion in turns 1 & 2, took the lead back and hammered the car the whole way around the track on the top side. As we entered lap traffic, I had to change my lines and run top and bottom, but the car handled perfectly everywhere I took it on the track. At the end of 25 laps I had finally won my first ever race at Mercer Raceway Park, and to top it off, it was the Bill Emig Memorial.
Sunday was not as productive; we were having a great battle for the lead in the heat race when the right rear axle tube broke in the rear end. Not causing and damage to the car or myself, I was able to bring the car in, and decided there was not enough time to change rears before the feature event. So we had to scratch from the night’s event.
The weekend was one of up’s and down’s, but the victory Saturday night was one that was much needed. And Mercer Raceway Park has not been one of the kindest tracks to me, but with two 2nd place finishes and now a win in three races there, I’m starting to have a new view of the place.
This weekend we are traveling to central NY to Brewerton, Canandaigua, and then Sunday back home to Tri City speedway. This is our last Sunday race at Tri City before the BRP Tour race there on Friday, September 4th. We are trying to get the car tuned in for this race, it’s a big paying race and more importantly we are currently 3rd, 19 points out of 2nd place and only 21 points out of 1st with four events remaining.
So until next week, hope to see everyone at a track soon.
Later,
Del
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