ASCS Rocky Mountain Banquet

We had our banquet in Denver which was nice for us only being an hour away. It was at Splitz where we watched the World of Outlaws while hanging out. It was good to catch up with everyone since we had not seen them since September. It was also strange seeing people out of their race gear and in normal clothes, cleaned up.

They also gave out door prizes. We won a hat, a drop work mat that goes under the car, and some tear-offs. Then they took all the names of the top ten drivers and drew their names for high-end prizes. Justin’s name was called first so he chose... a Triple X Axle.. Sweet!

Justin, me and his parents.

The rookies of 2008 including Danielle. You go girl!

Justin getting his trophy.
Link to more photos on the ASCS website.

Aztec, NM: Last '08 Races

I’ve been meaning to update about our last 2 races of the season. They were at Aztec, NM which also was our second track of the season. What a difference this time around after having many other tracks and experiences under our belts. This is such a great track with professional owners. We got their early on Friday afternoon and set up the rig. Since not too many people were there yet, I let Tazzer run and play ball in the open pits. He had a blast!

The Wolf Parents came out for the weekend to watch their very first sprint races ever. They have been very supportive and have invested in us from the start. It’s been a blessing to have them praying for us and knowing they are excited about this opportunity. The first night they sat in the stands and then on Saturday they hung out in the pits with us.

Friday night was crazy for us. Justin did incredibly well in his heat and would have started at the front row of his main event. But when he got back to our pit stall we discovered that the break caliper was shot. There was no time to fix it and we did not want to risk his safety. Sadly we had to sit out the main event and it was such a bummer because he was doing some of hin best driving ever.

The next day, Justin scrambled to find parts to fix the car. Thankfully we are a part of a series of people that are awesome and so very helpful. Derrick let us borrow the needed parts and we got the car back together just in time. Whew! My parents came to help out and be part of the Shadow Racing crew. Dad helped keep the car clean while mom help organize with me. They were thrilled to be a part of it but were completely overwhelmed. They were shocked at how much work when into everything.

That night we did ok, still having issues with the car. Justin hung with the mid-pack but finished 5th in his main which was one step away from the A main. Bummer! At first we were heavy-hearted but then began to look back at our season. We originally would start at the back of each pack and now Justin confidently competes with the best of them. He has learned so much from the other drivers and the veterans of this sport. Our goal was to finish in the top 10 and he took 9th place out of 36 teams. Starting this season we were fish out of water, struggling to learn, understand the car and complete on a low budget. We are also very thankful to Justin's parents for the help and knowledge Hank has brought to the team.
I think we did great and now we are getting ready for next season. This first run was the learning curve and now we will be a team to keep an eye on. We are excited to start with the knowledge we have gained, the friends we have made and the gifts God has given us.
Go #05!!