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Off Season in America 2010
Thursday 12th August 2010
I have been back in Joliet a few days now after my long haul to Nebraska and Kansas states to catch up with Davey Ray for one of the best midget races of the year, The Belleville Highbank Nationals.
I watched races at Mc Cool Junction the first few nights and checked out Speedy Bill Smiths American Museum of Speed in Lincoln Nebraska which blew my mind. You could seriously spend a week or more in there but the tour only takes around 2 1/2 hours.
Then it was off to Belleville. I met Davey and his family there and we had a few beers and watched the 360 and 410 winged sprints race the night before. The Belleville Speedway has a great atmosphere to it with a fair outside, which has all the classic games to play and farm animals and rides.
During the 2 days of midget racing at Belleville I was lucky enough to help out with the Kieth Kunz Team which had Dave Darland, Henry Clark, and Davey Ray as its 3 hot shoes. I went back to the local residents that was looking after the Kunz Team and dismounted and mounted all their tyres for the racing that night and had a great feed and even bumped into a few Kiwis which was unexpected. This is Belleville though so I should not of been that surprised.
Davey ended up 5th in the Saturday night A main behind winner Bryan Clauson, Brad Sweet, Jerry Coons Jr and Brad Kuhn. Henry came home 8th and Dave had an incredible run from the back after restarting at the rear twice after slicing a few right rears on the wall. He was up to 4th when the motor started having ignition trouble. I believe he may have won the race though. He was lightning fast.
Thanks to the entire Keith Kunz Team for having me along. I had a great time.
Sunday 25th July 2010
The last month or so has been pretty busy. I’ve mainly been working at the MWR workshop in Joliet. The 2 cars have been in a lot of incidents this season. When we’ve finished we’ve won heats and top 3s in features but wrecked a lot of gear in the process.
Rain has been all over the place and rained out a lot of racing but I’ve managed to get out and about and see some great shows. The Outlaws at La Salle Speedway must have been the best Sprintcar racing I have ever seen. The 2 Kasey Kahne cars slide jobbed each other lap after lap but eventually Joey Saldana pulled away for the win.
There’s been some changes with promotion at Angel Park but to cut a long story short the weekly Sunday show is not happening at the moment but I did get up there to watch the Saturday and Sunday USAC show and hang out with some of the drivers in the bar after which was pretty cool. Davey had another hard luck run on the Sunday after leading the entire feature he had a drive line failure 5 laps from the end. Brad Sweet won in style after coming from 3rd to win on the white flag lap.
They would be the highlights in the last month. I was at Jacksonille a few nights ago to watch the Powri Midgets. Brad Kuhn had a cracker of a crash wrecking his Beast chassis. Daveys Raypro Chev came 3rd in the feature with David Budres behind the wheel.
Coming up is the week of racing in Lincoln and the Belleville Highbank nationals and maybe a trip to Knoxville for the Knoxville Nationals .
Saturday 19th June 2010
Well here I am outside McDonalds in Rockford IL in the wrong end of the country for midget week. It was not Team Fattfros week at all. we were gonna run macon before Indiana Midget Week started but that was rained out. First event on Wednesday at gas City was a bad dream as everything that could of happened to prevent us racing happened. we worked our butts off and didn’t even turn a lap with 2 cars giving us grief. Next night at Putnaville we qualified after grabbing a spot through the B main. we finished 16th on a slick track after starting at the back. On to Bloomington we were feeling good and ready to kick some ass. Davey Qualified 8th. ran 2nd in his heat from grid 6 which was enough for grid 2 in the A Main. By this time there was a cushion the size of a right rear high. Davey was working the top in third place and slid up into the cushion which was enough to turn him over and do some decent damage to the chassis so that’s us for the week. we'll be busy getting the car in shape for some events coming up in the next week or so.
Mean time I will be heading back to watch the last Midget Week round at Kokomo Speedway.
Well seen as I have let this get behind a little bit since the last update I must have heaps of news. After the Barry Butterworth 40 lapper at Waikaraka I was a bit down after doing so much damage to the car. I think I had a lot more to give but that’s the way it went that night so I hope we can make it back again to prove ourselves again one day.
Since then the chassis has been repaired. We still like our chassis and its really the only one I fit in comfortably. We’ve made a few minor changes to it but it will be the same to look at. The Fontana power that weve had for the last 6 or so years has been sold to Tim Degraff. In the mean time we have to work out what were going to use to power us next.
In other news I have been up in America for around 3 weeks now. Im living in Seneca IL. I’ve been hanging out and lending a hand with the BALDWIN BROS team. Justin Grant drives the Sprintcar and Shane Cottle drove the Silver Crown car at Indianapolis fairgrounds. Justin flipped it out the track onto a car at Terre Haute on may 27 but scored a 4th in the A main at Tri City on Friday after bending the right rear after 8 laps of 30. He’s a kid to watch I reckon.
I went up to Beaver Dam WI on Saturday as a lot of racing has been washed out in Illinois and Indiana. I watched davey Ray win the feature from Scott Hatton. It was hard to pass as there was only one lane on the cushion. Davey did a great job. Starting tomorrow I will be crewing for him on the Fattfro Team #14 for the entire Midget Week.
I also am working at a race workshop in Joliet IL. MWR Technologies builds all sorts and works on all race cars but they build there own pavement chassis named LIGHTNING CHASSIS. Founder Mike Wallace races his midget along side Patrick Wilder and Terry Ahearn in a 3 car team in the National Series. Our home track is Grundy County Speedway.
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