Grand Finish of 2009~THE FALL CLASSIC
The Fall Classic is held at Yakima Speedway in Yakima Washington, although not the most luxurious racing facility in the country, Yakima has something my Evergreen Speedway needs, nostalgia. The Fall Classic is the end of the year get together for racers from all around the Northwest and Canada, and dozens show up. 2009 showed that car counts in the NW are available.
The first time I attended the Fall Classic was in 2004. After working with Roger for the three previous seasons racing at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe we set out to this prestigious race. That year we had one of the best cars in the field after lap 125, but an error in the pit caused us to go a lap down, leaving the race to another to win. We went back in 2006, again a great car in the field, but late race motor trouble and a lap down car would move us from 2nd to 4th in the final lap. In 2007, I made the trek to Yakima for the Saturday Limited Late Model race, but early race trouble left me laps down. In 2008, we rained out and I couldn't go back for the make-up race.
Fast forward to 2009. When our final race at Evergreen Speedway was in the books I gathered the team together to begin preparing for the Fall Classic. We were going to put my high horsepower engine in my car for Sunday's 200 lap event, and set up the purple car--Natalie raced at ES--as our crate motor car for the Limited Late Model race on Saturday night. Two weeks of preparation ended, and we left the shop at 2:20 AM, yes AM, on Friday morning. I pulled into Yakima at 5:45, practice was to start at 11 am.
After 3.25 hours of sleep we signed in and unloaded our trailer. The cars looked good, and the team was ready for a great practice day. This would be the biggest practice of my racing life, right up there with my rookie season. I was going to drive a "big motor." The difference between my crate engine that I race at Evergreen and the "big motor" was about 200 hp. That's a ton, and I'd never driven anything with that much power.
I started out practice and looking back tonight, the first two sessions were like drag racing. I would push the throttle to the floor on the straights and go like a rocket, but to win in Late Model Racing you have to get the car around the corners. Friday I made some ground, but I was not fast. The car seemed to be driving me instead of me driving the car. I had all this power and I couldn't use it. Consequently, I was struggling mentally, not being able to give good feedback to the crew. The learning curve was really steep.
Saturday we qualified for both races. Just prior to qualifying I ran both cars in two separate practices. The purple car was awesome. I was on 100 lap old tires and cutting some good numbers on the stop watch. I really thought that car was going to the top-5 in the Saturday show, but I made an error in judgment. We didn't scuff our race tires and decided to qualify on stickers (new tires). We gave up a ton of time, and I qualified 20th. Not good in a 31 car field.
After the Limited Late qualifying we were up to qualify the "big motor" car. We scuffed tires for that car, but I was terrible on cold tires, just no confidence. I left at least .5 seconds on the table qualifying 29th out of 41. Both my dismal qualifying efforts showed me how tough it is to go between both race cars with different power plants and setups. It was a steep learning curve.
Saturday night was the Limited Late Model race, where I raced the purple car. We started a ways back, and I was just riding around, saving the car. About 25 laps in I had some brake issues. Pedal to the floor now and then, but I could pump it and they would come back. After the first caution I moved from about 21st to 12th in the ensuing laps. Car was awesome and we were picking off positions left and right, even with limited brakes. Roger talked me through changing my line a bit to make up for the brake issues. While passing another car I got to his inside on the back stretch and going into turn three he pinched me down pretty good, more like chopped me. We hit, he spun and while I was avoiding the his spin I got off the high side of the track and into the wall. The nose was crushed, throttle stuck. I got out of the car, fixed the throttle, got back in and went to pit. Now that's old school when a driver gets out of car, fixes it and gets back in to race. Turns out the oil pan had a hole in it and our night was over. I'd finish way back.
That night we went to dinner at Outback. I was disappointed my night was shortened in the car I had the most confidence in. I was reeling a bit about racing the big motor. With 41 cars starting the event it was sure to have huge attrition, the race is notoriously dubbed the Fall Crashic. I didn't want another wrecked car, seemed to be the theme of my 2009, so I even considered getting out of the seat and not racing it. I told no one.
Sunday morning I woke up, just like every Sunday. I went through the same routine as I do preparing to go to the church and preach. After a shower and some breakfast I opened my bible and started to look for some assurance/confidence in something I know a whole lot better than racing, my Bible. Sure enough, a perfect word.
1 Samuel 14:12.
Then the men from the outpost shouted to Jonathan, "Come on up here, and we'll teach you a lesson!"
"Come on, climb right behind me," Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "for the Lord will help us defeat them!"
This is what I got from it, "Small Steps Lead to Great Victories." I wrote it on some tape and put it on the dash of the car. We went out for practice and I was a different driver, really different. I turned a 19.3 in the first practice session, which was 5th quick. Since I'd qualified at a 19.8 it was obvious I was out of sync until now.
One problem. We spent the whole day on Friday and Saturday making the car comfortable for me when I was lacking confidence. Now that I was making "small steps," the car needed some changing. The whole team went to work. By the end of 2 practices the car was good, way better than the 29th we qualified. Although I had fallen to 21st in the final practice, I knew that was because a lot of teams were scuffing new tires. We had not done so, and were running on old tires. My confidence was where it needed to be to start my first 200 lap race.
The day was filled with racing action as the other three classes ran. I was relaxing in the pits knowing that the night was going to be a good one. 200 laps at the most prestigious race of the year with 39 cars starting, including a late entry of our own, Roger Habich. The team had fixed the purple car from the previous nights damage, and he was racing with me. He would start in the back of the field because of the late entry, just a few rows behind me.
Here is a huge key to this race, make it to the break on the lead lap. Near the midway point we have a 10 minute break for fuel and tires. My goal was to make it to the break on the lead lap. Early on the car was strong, but I just held my position only passing what was given to me. There were cars everywhere. I was two and three wide multiple times. After several cautions, one spin, and a bunch body damage to the 70 I was still on the lead lap. The car was pretty good, but needed to be better. The team went to work. They made multiple changes to the chassis at the break.
We restarted after the break, and early the car wasn't very good, it was tight. In fact, I gave up 5-6 position because I couldn't keep it on the bottom. During another caution Steve assured me the changes we made would come to me. They did. We were better in and off the corner than most at the end, and in the second groove I was wicked fast if I got it through the middle. As long as I could be patient through the center of the turn I had good grip off the corner.
After a long green flag run the lead 3 cars had gotten by me. After a caution and about 35 laps remaining I would learn I was sixth, one lap down! Sixth? I was like, hole smokes, I've just been passing the next car on the track. If I was over taken, I assumed it was a car multiple laps down on fresher tires. Sure enough my strategy was coming to me. We went green and then there was another caution, I was the first car one lap down, so I got the free pass. I went to the the lead lap in 5th!
Fifth place at the Fall Classic is an unbelievable racing achievement for me. We started the next green run to the end. On lap 192 another car who was 38 laps down was racing me like it was the final lap of the Daytona 500. I was better in and a ton better off, but my car was wore out and bad tight in the center. Behind me was the 6th place car, but I wasn't sure if he was on the lead lap or not, at the time. Turns out he was not. I should have let the 76 go, not because she was faster, but because there was no need to battle with her if I didn't have to stay ahead of the car behind me. I could have let them both go and not lost a spot, but I was uncertain so I had to do my best to maintain my position. She raced me really clean for 3-4 laps, and I was convinced she would continue. Problem was my car was better as the tires heated. I know she thought she was better the first couple laps after the restart, but eventually it was obvious I was going to pass her. In fact, crossing the start/finish line I had cleared her, but pushed up in the center, she came back inside.
I was racing super clean. Tight, but clean. On lap 192, she drifted into my left rear tire coming off of turn two. She turned me real bad and I slid down the back stretch, hitting a big tire. The car stalled, and I sat there thinking, "Unbelievable, yet another crash!" Eventually the car started, after I went 1 lap down. The race went red, so I drove to the pit and the team went to work, with about 25 others on pit lane who wanted me back out there. Turns out I had a flat and a ton of body damage, but since I only needed 8 laps we had a car to restart. Honestly, I couldn't believe the thing held water in the radiator.
With steam coming off the radiator and dirt all over the windshield we went green, and I coasted to my first finish of the Fall Classic, 7th. Not bad for a guy who drove a "Big boy motor" for the first time less than 72 hours earlier. My learning curve was huge, but "Small Steps Lead to Big Victories." Every red flag, I would sit and think about that phrase focusing on the next lap.
All in all it was the funnest night of this season! I was pretty stoked and really proud of our team. Roger had some early race mayhem and had to come in to fix the car before going back out, he finished back a bit.
I know I showed up at the Fall Classic 200 without the experience to win the race, but I got some of the best guys and gals of any team in the Northwest. To have a shot at the podium of this prestigious race in my first attempt is something I'll cherish forever. Thank you to my whole team, and my great sponsor Snohomish Pie Company.
A lot of you have asked me what's next. I'll summarize. The NASCAR"s Drive for Diversity has changed, so we will not be involved directly in 2010. Evergreen Speedway will most certainly race a 18 race NASCAR schedule, which is a huge commitment. I'd love to win a Championship at the track I grew up around, so that entices me to run Evergreen. However, the ASA NW Late Model Tour is an option, and I would love to run with that group of drivers.
I am not quite sure what 2010 holds, I will weigh all option and make some announcements at the beginning of the new year.
As far as what I will do right now. I want to go to the Evergreen Speedway awards banquet and honor my team from the podium while receiving the 2nd in Championship points trophy. We accomplished a lot in 2009, and watching Naima Lang win the Limited Show on Saturday reminded me I was runner up to the best Limited Late Model team in the Northwest. Naima is a masterful champion, and I've had a blast racing against him.
This week I want to bring the cars into the shop, winterize the motors, tear off the tore up body panels, and put some covers over them for about 30 days. It's been a great 2009 season at Evergreen. Some weeks after Thanksgiving the team and I will strip the cars down for inspection, repair and get them ready for 2010.
Sorry for the long post, but this concludes the 2009 race journal. What a season...
20 Races
0 wins, shucks!
5 Top-3
12 Top -5
19 Top-10
