Not a Hobby! Day 10

Possible turn of events for the location of our Labor Day weekend races.  

We have been invited to Aztec Speedway in New Mexico.

We have raced there several times when we were part of the ASCS Rocky Mountain division so we are familiar with the track. But we are weighing our options to decide which tracks present the best opportunities. Keep tuned in for further details!

It’s been a rough couple of days because I’ve been down and out with flu symptoms. Better now than on a race weekend!

Aztec, NM

Friday on the way to the track, Justin’s parent’s Yukon/team push vehicle broke down outside of Aztec. They had it towed to a shop so we picked them up to go with us to the track. Luckily the shop was able to fix the minor transmission problems before the drive home on Sunday.

We arrived in Aztec along with 36 other cars to contend for Friday’s race. It was a packed pit area and we were excited to be there after a few weeks of no racing. We started second row outside in the second heat. When the race started, the car felt good for the first lap and then the car quickly went away. We butchered the setup which made the car very difficult to handle. It felt like a boxing match inside a metal cage. It took all Justin had to keep the car on the track. We’ll be uploading the video of the heat soon.

With the poor finish in the heat race, we started in the second B, second to last place. This race was better than our heat after some improvements but we finished 9th. They were only taking the top 2 of each B into the A so we were done for the night.

We have been amazed and thankful for the input and wisdom of follow drivers and teams. Many have been willing to share their knowledge and give us some important information about what we have been doing wrong and how to improve our setups.

Some friends from our Bible study group came out for the Saturday race to hang with us in the pits. They were amazed at Justin’s improvements from the past season. They helped us out and were treated to a crazy night of racing. April also got to meet up with an internet friend that she has known online for years now. It was great to meet her family and let them check out the racecar. She took many of the amazing photos in this week’s blog post!

The heats before Justin's heat involved some pretty outrageous wrecks. It all started with a pit official on an ATV getting hit by a tow-truck. Then we witnessed one of the craziest wrecks we’ve seen. Two cars collides and one of them became completely airborne, sending his front wing flying OVER the fence, landing just a few yards from where our crew and friends were standing. Thankfully the safety fence did its job and kept the car from going over so he ended up hanging off the ground, caught in the fence. There were several other wrecks before the night finished but thankfully we managed to avoid them.

Our friends were sitting in the stands and got these tumbling action shots. You can actually see the car flying through the air. Amazing!!

You can see just how close our Yukon was sitting next to the wreck in this photo. Our pit stall was just down the hill so we saw all the live action right there. Crazy!

Justin was in the 4th heat, third inside row. Justin finished fifth and started second row outside in the first B event. He had a bad start due to a slow car in front of him but after a red flag wreck they started again. He restarted 7th and this time Justin took off and finished in 4th place. The car was amazing and he thinks he could have gained more positions if he had a few more laps. It was a great end to the Rocky Mountain season.

A special thanks to those out there who made this weekend possible. You know who you are!

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!!

Aztec Speedway, NM

To God be the Glory!!
God has been so good to us with provision for every race, protection and guidance. He continues to amaze us as we walk this journey of learning, growing and shining for him. This racing team belongs to Him and it becomes more obvious every day that we could not do this without Him.

We drove 7.5 hours straight and were amazed at the views over Monarch Pass. We we got to the track, we started setting up and getting the car ready. What an awesome track! So professional and knowledgeable. They even prayed before each race! There was another series there with us so we got hang with some truly professional people. We were by far the smallest rig around and could not believe the rigs that kept rolling in. From semi trucks to these giant haulers which were complete with flat screens, leather, full bathrooms and such. But also cost $600 to fill their diesel tanks compared to our $100.

We got to know some people and J already had a safe driver reputation so he had people coming up to him. This group is great! Many of them have taken a liking to us and are flowing with info and help. Friday Justin still wanted to stay at the back of the pack and discovered the difference a good track can make. He got a good feel for the car and decided to pull a pill the next day. They kept messing up his name from Wolfendock to Merdock but now call him Wolf-Medlock and has been dubbed The Wolf a few times.

We put up the EZ-UP because it was so hot out. Tazzer wondering what I was doing.

We stayed the night at a KOA up the road but did not get there until midnight. It was kinda like something out of a bad movie but we were so tired we didn’t really notice until the next day. The next day at the track was awesome!! He also pulled a great pill and was in the first heat, second row. He discovered that he was in the same heat as Johnny Herrera who used to be a World of Outlaw driver. He dominated the weekend and even came up to Justin and complimented his rookie skills and gave him some pointers. There was a girl driver who’s car stalled out after she came out off the track. She jumped out of her car to push along with a push car and fell under the racecar and got ran over! She bruised ribs and broke her nose. Poor girl!Anyways, Justin placed in the B Main and did incredibly well. They only took the top 4 to the A main and he placed 5th. Arg!!

I thought he’d be upset but after he came in he was hooting and hollering because he finally ‘road the cushion’ and totally felt the car at it’s finest. Sprint cars perform best at high speeds and he finally got there. Riding the cushion is when the outside tires groove into the piled edge dirt and get sling shot around the corner. He was thrilled! Right now he stands 15 out of 35 drivers in points which rocks!!

Justin’s parents, Hank and Pat, have committed to joining us at every race. They are a huge help and we are so blessed by their willingness, commitment, and support. They have been there since Justin’s first days of karting and stand beside me as we cheer Justin on. It has been quite a treat watching Justin and his dad work together on the car while Pat and I try to keep things clean and organized. We all make a great team and we are blessed!

Justin and his dad waiting for the main event.

That night after the race we drove to Bayfield Colorado and stayed the night at a gorgeous resort.

Are we there yet?