When we get back Monday they annouce no hot laps and to get the cars to the starting grid at 3:35pm with heats starting at 4pm. Kool. Well Jim's in the 5th heat #3 start position and on the green flag finds out he brought a stock motor to a Stock 4 race(go figure). In other words all the other cars in the heat went away and left Jim. But Jim didn't let that bother him, he just stood on the gas ran it haaaarrd for the 8 laps but did finnish ahead of 2 or 3 other cars that dropped. He still missed the cut off for the main. He also noticed the motor was running a little warmer than he would have liked. After adding a little water in the pits he heads off for the one of the Last Chance races. He's in the 3rd race 7th start position. At the greem flag he gets a little better start but still slides back a few positions. Once again he stands back on the gas for some hard laps but finds that he has company in the way of a 14 yrs old Pearson (? I think) Mahan in the 14 car. Well I get watch a lot of position swapping with these 2 for at least 7 laps. They never touched each other but swapped inside, outside, back and forth until Jim went a littel high in turn 3 coming to the white flag. Of course we missed the main event but Jim said after, that it was the most fun he's had all week.
Jim said he learned so much this weekend and has made a ton of notes as to what works and what dosn't and what needs to be changed etc. and he said the track time was priceless. So time to pack it up and wander down the ol' interstate and before we leave here, Jim says we has too say thanks to all our help this weekend so to the Sunday crew, Thank You to Chris, Duck, Jimmy, Bubba, too Jim's Daughter-in-Law (and Chris' wife) Donna for the fantastic veggies. Also Jim's wife Judy attempted to go to her 2nd race with Jim. This is now the 2nd rain-out she has expereanced (Hmmmmmmmm is there something there?). Too our Monday crew, Chris (and he brought tools this time) and Bill O'cain. We'll do it agian next for sure.
OK Friday night it's back to the Doc'. See ya at the races and have a Scooby Do Day!!
July 8, 2005; Here we are with Tropical Storm Cindy to our north and Hurricane Dennis coming from the south and we have a BEAUTIFUL day and night for racing, so here goes. Jim decidied to keep the setup from Charlotte under the car and to play with air pressure some. Really not a bad choice and after runnibg 5th in his heat with a real slick track, he could not decide what changes to make. So at feature time we go out with the same. Not a bad choice but not a good one. Now like 2 weeks ago it seemed every time he tried a pass, out comes the caution. After 3 cautions the car started to feel like a tire was going down and with a couple laps to go, Jim slide up in turn 3 and fell back to 7th and finished that way. So really not a bad night, just not a good night. Now tonight the track also put on a Powder Puff race for the ladies. One of our area Late Model drivers, Phillip Seifert, mom Lynda Ivey got the opportunity to drive the ol MaSCOM Racing 36. Jim got Lynda situated with the car, the flagman explained the Flags and Lynda gets lined up 7th. At the green all the ladies start out ah, cautiously. On the 2nd lap Lynda starts to put on her moves and passes one car, then another, and another and pulls up into 3rd about half way and also has lapped a couple. There's a yellow about halfway and on the restart one of the ladies gets by Lynda but she hangs on and finishes 4th. So that's it for tonight, we're going home with a little dent, some changes Jim has to make, and next Friday is not that far away. So have a Scooby Doo Day, and we'll see you at the Doc'.
July 15, 2005; A good day to stretch out in the sun, get a good scratch and sleep. Sun out, humidity up, Jim's working on loading the car and the truck, golly a dog's life is good. With that thought in mind, Jim straps me in and we're off to the races. The wheather report is for LIGHTLY scattered showers and as we motor to the Doc' Jim notices the western sky is a little dark, but hey he remembered they said LIGHTLY scattered showers. Well we get to the track, draw pill 23 and it's good for the 3rd row outside 2nd heat. Fill the car with fuel, even get to mud pack a little and Jim is just waiting for the heat race and does a little socializing. Jim checks out the track one last time and goes and buckles in with me and starts to go to line up for the heat and here comes one of them LIGHTLY scattered showers. Ok, he puts the car on the trailer, just in case, and hustles over to Possy's Posse Pit truck and climbs in out of the rain. And then the LIGHTLY scattered shower turns UGLY. Rain, lightning, thunder, rain, rain, rain and there's nothing LIGHT about it although the track did leave the lights on for the next 2 hours so that after the LIGHTLY scattered shower (mini hurricane) ends we can load up in the light and tuck in our tails and go home till next week. Arf, or maybe Scooby Dooby Pooh. See ya'll next week at the Doc'. Hey have a Scooby Doo week.
July 22, 2005; Friday night again and outside of a couple dark looking clouds, it's hot even for a Dog. Anyway Jim's got the car ready, he's ready, I'm ready and we get to the track early enough to do a little track packin and get a couple hot laps and Jim comes in and has a BIG smile on his face. Hmmmm, I have seen that before. Jim's does the old pill draw thing and gets a # 18, not bad, and it's good for 3rd row inside second heat. So he gets in line up for his heat, notices the water temps a little high but it is still steaming out here so Jim makes a mental note to keep an eye on it. On the green and Jim falls into 5th, tracks a little slick yet but he's stayin with everyone. Two laps in there's a yellow and Jim see the first little puff of steam out the overflow. He also notices the water temp, 220deg and rising. Well he makes sure the fan is on and when he notices it is, it's then time for the pits. After getting out of the car and a little investigation, Jim sees that the radiator is allowing steam and water to exit in in the front. Not good and it singnals and end to racing tonight since the hole is really unrepairable at the track. Next week is a coming and outside of a little radiator repair the worst thing is that Jim will drop out of the top ten in points.
Before we go, seventeen year old Chris Hicks was killed in an early morning motor vehicale accident. During intermission many of the drivers includung Jim, went up in the stands and passed around the helmets to help the family in thier time of need. Chris was a crew member along with his dad Im, for the Holdens brothers, Jackie and Harley our Stock 4 brotheren. Our prayers and hearts are with the family, friends and crew.
Have a Scooby Doo week and see ya Friday at the Doc'!
July 29, 2005; Well we where ready to rock and roll tonight, but mother nature seemed to have different ideas and she decided we needed more rain. So until next week have a Scooby Doo Day!!!