2016 Racing Results

It has been three months since our last race, but the new season is here and we got busy at Showtime Speedway on 2-13-16.  Tonight was the innagural race of the Southern Sprintcar Shootout Series, and it was my first trip back to Showtime in 3 years.

The series kicked off with 19 cars.....a good start!

I chased the set-up all night.  My car was so tight in practice that I moved the wing all the way to the forward position, then I spun it out the first time I got back in the gas.  Things got a little better as the night went on....but not much!  I  started 13'th, and had a good time on Showtime's tight 1/4 mile surface.  After I got up to 8'th, we had another caution flag, and after that I was a disaster.  In the end, I finished where I started, 13'th.  Oh well, everything is together and we had a good time, so we are off to the next one.

Alas....my car is still black.  I had hoped to paint it during the off-season, but real life took over, so here we are.

March 5, De Soto Speedway

We were a "2 person" team tonight!  Roslynd took on plenty of work: changing tires, pressures, stagger, wing installation and 4 wheel driver.  She was great!

It was not a very good result.  I got us there late, and we seemed to be chasing it all night.  I ended up 16'th out of 21.....ouch.

April 16, Showtime Speedway

My first win in sprints!  It took almost 5 years, but Showtime, BG Products and the SSSS put on the series first "Dash for Cash".  Ok, so it was a little race, but at least I finally broke the ice and won something.  I was joined in victory circle by Roslynd, Robin, Steven and our dog, Sky.

The feature was a little different.  I started on the pole and hoped to lead a few laps, but instead I settled in ran second forf a while.  By the end, I was on the lead lap, but managed to battle my way back to 7'th.

5-14-16  New Smyrna Speedway

Oh man....it was one of those nights.  Not much went right all weekend.  It started on Friday night when my truck got destroyed on I-95, then the racecar would not run in practice.  I mean it would not start at all; I had made a mistake on the fuel system, so we didn't get it cranked up until the heat race.  It did run well in the feature, but the handling and the driver were both off, so I finished where I started, in 11'th.  On to the next one.

I did get some new graphics at least.

6-18-16  Showtime Speedway

So check out the heat race results on the scoreboard.  I finally won a heat tonight!  The picture below shows the pass for the lead (with the left front off the ground).  The teams in this class are really fast and skilled, so I was very pleased to get this, even though it was just a qualifier. 

I lined up to start third in the feature, and looking forward to a great race and a good result, but the clouds moved in and the rain began to fall on the LAST pace lap before green.  So close! 

7-16-16

We were back at Showtime Speedway for double features: the 35 lapper that was rained out in June, and the first edition of the SSSS Senator's Cup 50 lapper.  Yeah, it was a long, hot night!

​I took the lead early in the race, and lead the feature for the first time.  As the race went on, I ran third for most of it, but towards the end, I caught second place and passed 'em with two to go.  So, I finished a career best second place!

Then I went to tech....  It was fair and square, but I made a minor mistake that pushed me back to 13'th.  I didn't check the position of the right-rear wheel, and it didn't fit the gauge provided by the series.  I fixed it for the next race, and the car was faster.  Oh well!

In the 50 lapper, I started on the outside front row.  It was a good run and I ended up 6'th at the end of it.  Overall, this was a night where I didn't put a mark on the car, and everything worked pretty well.  I love this track!

8-13-16

Wow, Jim Jones takes good pictures!

Our series was back at New Smyrna.  We showed up with 14 cars.  I ran 9'th in the feature and forth in the heat.  I think I was better than our race here in May, but I am motivated to get going at this great track!  It is frustrating.

9-17-16

Showtime Speedway

I ran third in the heat, and 5'th in the feature.  Overall, we had a very trouble-free night.  Good thing too; it was just Roslynd and I.

Southern Sprints had 15 cars tonight.

10-15-16

Showtime Speedway

"It was a dark and stormy night...."

We had two flat tires on the trailer on the way over, then I got two practice sessions in before the rain ended our night at the track.  We ended up at Chili's with Roslynd's daughters 

11-5-16

De Soto Speedway

​Back here for just the second time in 2016.  Its odd; I love racing on this track, but I have not had a good result for a while.  Fourth in the heat and 13' in the feature out of 19 cars.

11-19-16

Showtime

A heat race win!   This was my seond of the year.

I started fourth I the feature, and steadily went the wrong way.  I ended up 9'th at the end of a quick 40 laps.

Now this guy is a friend of sprint cars: Showtime Speedway owner/promoter Robert Yoho.  He is colorful and unpredictable.....good!  Because he is also a showman, and his track is fun! 

So that pretty much wraps up the 2016 season!

I have really liked running with the Southern Sprintcar Shootout Series.  They have been low-key, but professional.  We had a year without drama and stress so we could all just focus on racing and having a good time.  It worked!  

I was very pleased to win two heats and a trophy dash.  No feature wins yet, but crossing the line in second this summer was encouraging for the future.  In the final point tally, I ended up 13'th.  I missed 5 or 6 events; there is no way to be competitive in points running like that.

The good news is that I finished every race I started, and the only body damage I got all year was on the last night....from the push truck driver!  The off-season work is already underway, so I am looking forward to pushing off again in January with SSSS!

10-22-16

South Florida Karting, Hobe Sound

It had been over a year, but we finally got Steven back in the seat.