I went from the back to the front and from the front to the back. In this weeks drivers meeting we found out the Dwarf  cars will be qualifying.  Since the whole race program has been finishing on time, the track is adding some things like qualifying. Maybe each week a different class. When it was time to qualify, all of us went to the center of the track and started from there.

There’s 27 cars and I’m going out 25^th. So I got to watch everybody and as it got closer to my turn the harder my heart started to beat.

Now it’s my turn. When I start moving I forget about being nervous. It’s that way in staging to when my class is waiting its turn. I get nervous or butterflies or anxious, what ever you call it. But when its time to go, that feeling goes away and its time to focus. So I pull on to the track and run it through the gears. Several thousand eyes watching. I take the green to turn one and… spin out…DARN IT. Ok, I have one more lap. I run it through the gears, come around turn 4 the white flag waiving. Get to turn one and …spin out…oh well. My car hasn’t quit been the same since I flipped it opening night. It’s loose. I qualified 27^th out of 27. In the back again.

The top 14 qualifiers transfer straight to the ‘A’ Main. The top four of the remaining 13 running in the ‘B’ Main will transfer to the ‘A’ Main to make it 18 cars. The heats we run will be for points only, not placement to the Main. In my heat I start 3^rd out of 9. By the time we come around to lap one I’m in the lead. Holly smokes, I can’t believe it, I’m in 1^st place and not only that I had to pass my way there…not a freebie, although I would take it. I thing I felt the nervousness while I was racing. Usually I only feel that while I’m waiting. Going fast, getting sideways and trying to not cross the line into ‘loose land’. After 3 or so restarts I keep the lead and finish 1^st. And that was with a loose car. Its total throttle control. So since I qualified last, that means I start last in the ‘B’ Main...13^th. 

Just before our semi, they watered the track. The track vehicles packed the track but the track was slick. We get to turn one and I pass some cars and then a couple more. With in 2 laps I have passed 12 cars and I have the lead. Huh? How did that happen? I’m not sure, but I do know I’m driving as fast as I can. I survive a couple restarts. I’m going down the back stretch in the high line then all of the sudden my engine just revs up about ¾ of the way down the straight. That’s how slippery the track was. But being new and not thinking of everything, mostly just trying to survive, I went to the same high line, got to turn 3, let off the gas and went into a four wheel drift. Boom, hit the wall, but didn’t seem to be too bad, like I hit the wall just right. If that makes sense. The next thing I know, Bam, the second place car did the same thing and slammed into me and pushed me back into the wall. 

I’m in the lead and…Darn it, I hit the wall by my self.. I start coasting and realize my car has a small vibration but I think it will go. So I slam the gas. Its running ok but, I feel there is something wrong. With in a few laps I’m back in 3^rd. Its not running to bad for just getting slammed. I think there’s still 7 or 8 cars still on the track. All I need is to be in the top 4 to transfer. Come around turn 4 with a couple of laps left and the 2^nd place car spins out and I slide sideways into him. The impact straightened him out and he went on to transfer to the ‘A’. I’m just sitting there in turn three, engine not running watching the checkered flag waving. That’s it, finish 7^th in the ‘B’ Main. After all that. When I got to the pits and tried to get out of my car, I couldn’t. I had to get out on the right side. When I was up against the wall and the other car hit me, it bent and tore out the nerf bar and was blocking the door from opening. Also on impact he popped my left front tire. That was the vibration I was feeling. Even though I didn’t make it to the ‘A’ Main I still had a good time. I won my first race and raced back to 3^rd with a flat tire. This week I need to find out why I’m loose and do a couple of repairs. 

Talk to you later.

Jack.