Rocky Springs, Wyoming

We left after work on Thursday and headed to Cheyenne, WY. Above is a view of leaving our gorgeous state to only view boring Wyoming flatlands.
We stayed at a peaceful rv resort that our rig almost didn’t fit into. After a good night’s rest and chatting with the wonderful resort owners we headed for Rock Springs. These silly signs were on the way out.

The rest of the travel was extremely windy and wreaked havoc on our gas mileage. But the rig and truck did great and Justin pulled off some great maneuvers to avoid killing all the little groundhogs that enjoyed hanging out on the edge of the road as if they were daring each other. When we got to the track we all had to wait in line to get into the pits early. Check out this massive rig complete with it’s own mural.

Here we are right behind a stock car looking tiny next to the rig. I took Tazzer for a run to get some energy out after the long drive. He wasn't too thrilled at the lack of foilage and things to sniff though.

Since we had some time before they opened the track, Justin and his dad opened the rig and began working on the car while waiting in line.

This t-shirt pretty much sums up all of our weekends.
Dirt, dirt, and more dirt!

We had an incident this weekend where I know that God was watching out for us. Friday night Justin was doing great, hanging with mid pack and gaining, when all of the sudden he dropped to the back of the pack. There were only 6-7 laps left and his car was all loose and squirrelly. He managed to hold on and finished the race but his dad had to go get him and push him back with the Yukon. The back end was making a horrible crunching noise and when we got to the pits one of the nearby mechanics came over and freaked out. He discovered that we were missing our lug-nut. The cars only have ONE nut and goes in the middle of the wheel. It was gone and the wheel should never have stayed on! Everyone was freaking out because he most likely would have rolled the car. Strong angels were on the wing of number 05 that night!

We were so tired after a long windy day and ready for bed. The wind mixed with dirt made for misery and stiffness. Plus after the missing lug-nut episode, extra time was spent trying to fix everything. Thankfully a nearby team loaned us a wheel so Justin could get the car in the trailer and work on it the next day.

We stayed the night at an onsite camping area but had to walk forever to nasty dirty bathrooms/showers. On top of that, after finally getting into bed at 2:30am, we were rudely awakened the next morning at 6:30 by a guy banging on our rig saying we had to move because they were doing construction. We were pretty upset but thankfully Justin’s parents had us park at their hotel and allowed us to use their facilities. We took a nap and then they worked on the car some more. I tell you what, it is God that gives us the strength to make it through weekends like this.

Sunday was so much fun! This track only had 2 push cars so Justin’s dad was asked to help. J had built a push bar for the Yukon and covered it with carpet so it was the perfect push vehicle. All these teams have ATVs but they are not big enough to push start only to roll them around. So for the main event they asked all the sprint cars to push out and park in front of the stands out on the track. I got to ride with Hank as we pushed J out and got to see first hand how the track feels and looks. Super cool!

They then announced each driver individually while everyone cheered. Then the 3 push cars had to get 25 sprint cars going. We would start one up and zip around and get another one going. Sometimes they needed theirs cars rocked into gear so I would jump out there and help. One time while we were flying around the track for another car, Justin came around us as I flailed and hollered out the window at him. I SO wish I would have had my camera for that.

More fun photos of us and even Tazzer can be found at this fun guy’s site.

Goose’s Pics

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?

Ouray Day Trip with Race Friends

After a long race weekend in Olathe Colorado we all smooshed into cars, leaving the rig at the rv resort and headed down to Ouray. It was such a blast hanging with our friends, seeing God’s gorgeous country and relaxing. This city is one of Colorado’s secret spots. It was absolutely amazing!! Everywhere you looked there were breathtaking views. The town was completely surrounded by mountains and wonders.

Our adventures started early when Justin was driving Michael-Ann’s car. We had only gone two streets when a cop pulled us over. J had not even hit the speed limit yet so we were confused. But the lady cop asked us if we left a drug container on the roof of the car. Michael got all wide-eyed about her vitamin box because she always realized where she left them. So it had flown off and shattered in the middle of their main street. The cop asked us to turn around and go pick it up. They even blocked traffic with 2 cars and 4 cops while MA and Justin picked it up. This is a safe town guys!

Lucky for us we had our wonderful Tour Guide Jenni. She loves this town and visits it every year so she knew all the sweet spots. She took us to see Box Canyon Falls which was too amazing for words. We hiked down into this crack in the mountain, rounded the corner and then viewed a spectacular waterfall. It was so roaring loud that it was hard to hear each other. There was a metal bridge that strung along the side of the canyon and took us deep into the walls of the earth. These photos do not even come close to showing the depth and layers of the rock we were in. Incredible!!

The bridge ended up turning into something out of Jurassic Park. I totally expected a pterodactyl to come flying at us.

The stairs led down to the bottom of the waterfall.

Dennis and Rob.

Me and Karla balancing on a slippery rock out in the waterfall’s base. Believe it or not, one bad move and we would have been swimming in the flowing river.

Me and my bestest friend Michael-Ann.

The sides of the cliff were covered grass and even had this tree growing out in the middle of nothing but rock.

We then took a drive up the Million Dollar Highway where our walkie-talkies came in handy. This stretch of road was gorgeous!! We got out and took photos along a blasting river. This river was flowing like crazy. The roar was so loud and powerful that the ground shook and it all came out of this hole in the side of them mountain which ran under the main road. Crazy! Karla and I were dubbed mountain goat and cliff jumper.

Dennis And Justin

Our pal Dennis shows us his impressive climbing skills...or not. :o)

J and I being silly throwing the ‘W’olf sign.

We also went to a wonderful hot springs spa that had amazing vapor caves. The water was so hot that only Justin and a few others were able to get in. It was so relaxing and enjoyable. It was such a wonderful time spent with wonderful people. Here is a group shot which I left big for printing. Check out the mountains in the background. Wow!

After God’s Own Heart Group

Olathe Race Weekend

Friday it took us about 6 hours to get to the RV Resort that we were staying at. We were thrilled to be on our way after years of planning and preparing for this season of life. It was a gorgeous drive over Monarch pass. You can see the resort and ski runs and snow on the mountain still. Blue Mesa reservoir was…gorgeous!

Tazzer hanging out his back window. He spends most of the rides like this. :o)

On Saturday we arrived at the track early to start setting up. We were so blessed to have 15 of our closest friends come to the races and start us off right. They split up with some in the stands and some joining us in the pits.

We soon discovered that this track was one of the worst around and many other drivers were upset to be there. They overwatered the track and when Justin came in after hot laps his car was dripping in mud. Thank goodness for our friends and the help they provided for us with scraping mud, airing tires and such. When the main event started the sun had gone down and we were horrified to find that one end of the track was not lit up very well. There were already two wrecks and the third caused a jumble of cars on the corner that Justin would have smacked into if his angels had not been watching out for him. He dodged the pile up at the last second and after sitting on the track and waiting for them to clear it he decided that it was not worth the risk to stay out there. Driving off the track that night gained him a ton of respect from the other drivers.
Thankfully the next day was a day race which Justin completed with no problem. This weekend he chose to start at the back of the pack in each heat and main event to learn and get familiar with the car. This makes it difficult to pass other drivers and you get no passing points but he was able to gain confidence in himself and get to know the other driving styles.

Justin's dad getting ready to push him out onto the track.

A professional photo of Justin ripping up the dirt track!
All finished, packed and ready to go home. Tight fit! I am sporting my 05 shirt and am exhausted. So is Tazzer. Let's go home.

Racing Terms…defined by April

I put together a list of terms that I am finally beginning to understand. It has taken me awhile to get the lingo down but after spending the first few races learning the track language, I thought others reading our blog may be interested.
Remember, I am still a rookie at these!

• Sprint car: are high-powered race cars designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks.
  
• ASCS Racing: American Sprint Car Series
  Our region is the Rocky Mountain Regional.
  
• Hot Laps = practice laps to warm the car and help pack the dirt/mud. Messy!
  
• Pulling a Pill =drawing a bingo type number which places you in a spot for your qualifying heat.
  
• Qualifying Heat =Small groups of drivers in a qualifying race of about 5-10 laps which defines your spot in your main event. The more cars, the more amounts of heats and main events.
  
• Main Event =The big race which defines your winning place and points. Sometimes there are two main events if there are a lot of drivers. They will take the top 4 drivers from the ‘B’ Main race and place them at the back of the pack in the ‘A’ Main for another chance.
  
• Points =If a driver is signed on for the regional series they will rack up points from every race. Points are given for passing, placement in heats, and standing in main events. This defines the overall winners at the very end of the season.
  
• Line Up =List of all cars racing. There are always other versions of race cars in between each set of heats/mains. The sprint cars are the big dogs that everyone comes to see and the locals race their stock cars, modified, minis and other groups in between us.
  
• Safety Equipment = Thanks to Justin’s brother Nick, J wears the latest in racing fashion. From his fireproof underwear, Nomex suit and his Hans Device plus lots of prayers, Justin is one of the safest guys on the track.
  
• Silver & The Rig = The Silverado Chevy Duamax which carries our home away from home on wheels. This truck rocks and is such a blessings as we travel the country. The rig is a 36 foot trailer with our living quarters in front and the shop in back. The shop houses the race car, wing, tools, and more.
  
• Billy Bob Angel = Justin’s personally assigned angel who is committed to keeping him and his car safe, skilled, and on track. He is also insists on seeing the sites so we tend to get occasionally lost on our adventures.
  

Fort Morgan Practice

Justin and his dad drove the rig to Denver to the engine builder. Part of their warranty is that we fire up the engine on their site, connected up to their machines. The engine fired up the very first try!! Justin called me and all I could hear was the overpowering deep chug-chug of the sprint car.
Awesome!

That weekend they went to Fort Morgan to practice. Justin said that the torque of the engine is so powerful that he actually popped a wheelie first time on the track. So glad he practiced!! The required racing numbers were going to cost us $180 which is ridiculous for something that’s going to get beat up. So J’s dad painted them on and they look sweet and so unique! He had such a blast ripping around the track.