The first 2 weeks of racing at the Beatrice Speedway were apparently an experiment in farming. Even though there had been plenty of rain, I’m guessing maybe the valve on the water truck wouldn’t shut off. After the first week, I must have scooped about 300 lbs of mud off the garage floor. Believe it or not, you can’t put dirt in the garbage! I got a nasty-note from the garbage company once because I had dirt in the garbage. Now I have to hide it a lot better.
Anyway, we loaded up all the mud and took it back to the track when we returned the next week. That week, the track was still plenty wet, but this week, it looked like they finally got it right!
I got 2nd row of the 2nd heat race. Seems like I always get the first heat race, but for once, I got to watch the first heat while I was buckled in my car. I’ve made some modifications to my RaceCeiver ear buds so they will stay in my ears and block out the engine noise, and that has helped tremendously in helping me hear what is being said as well as blocking the engine noise.
The 48 car started on the pole, and he was in only his 2nd race. I wanted to be careful of him, as he almost took me out on Test-N-Tune, even though it was not intentional. We get our one lap, then the lights on the back chute are out and we’re anticipating the green. In the middle of turn 4, the field is on the gas and the green flag waves. We’re racing!!
The 48 washes up in front of me and everybody goes to the inside to pass him. I’m momentarily caught on the outside behind him. Out of 2 and down the back chute, I start to go under him, but he drops to the bottom and I’m blocked. I don’t want to take chances because I’ll be in the A Feature no matter where I finish the heat race. I move higher going through 3 & 4, then try to go under him on the front chute. We’re almost side by side going into 1, but I back off and let him into the corner ahead of me. Out of 2 I take a high line and make the pass on the back chute. The next car is already over a half straightaway ahead of me, but the car feels good and I’m confident I can catch that next car. Through 1 and 2, and back on the back chute again, and I’ve closed half the gap already. Into 3 and through 4, then back on the gas - TOO HARD!! I’ve just committed a stupid rookie mistake and spin out , hitting the inside wall at the beginning of the front chute. The car is still running, but by the time I get turned around, the field is coming through 4 and the yellow is out. In the heat race, if you cause a yellow you’re done, so it’s back to the pits for me.
Fortunately, there wasn’t any serious damage that would keep me from running the A Feature. When the line-ups came out a little later, I found myself starting on the outside of the 3rd row in the A Feature. During the rest of the heat races, I kept an eye on the track and it looked like it was staying fairly smooth. It was a lot dryer than the first two nights, but not dusty dry. We decided to top off the fuel cell and drop the air pressure in the tires by 2 lbs all the way around.
Time to strap in for the A Feature. With the RaceCeiver, it takes a little extra time as I have to be careful not to pull the ear buds out of my ears. Even with the medical tape holding them in, they tend to move around a little. So, settle into the seat, find all the belts and hook them, be sure somebody puts the window net up, helmet on CAREFULLY, then the neck brace, gloves, and be sure to get the steering wheel on SECURELY! Then double-check everything again!
The field is pulling onto the track. They’re telling us on the radio to move high to roll the track in a bit. It looks like it is a great track, and everybody is anxious to get the green. Out of 4 slow and in front of the grandstands and everybody is waving. We’re going green next time around. I grab my belts one last time and give them a tug to be sure they’re tight. Through 3 and out of 4 and the green flag flies and we’re racing!
The first lap or two always seems like a blur to me. Cars are usually side by side and bumper to bumper and you may not be running where you want to be on the track. I’ve always felt more comfortable on the bottom on a dry slick and was able to get there after a couple of laps. However, after a lap down there, the car felt tight and I moved back up a bit and found a spot to run. With just a handful of laps gone, the L2R makes a run on my outside going into 3, but blows in way too hard and goes clear to the top of the track. I don’t see him the rest of the evening. The 00 is off the track on the bottom just before 4 as a result of an on-track skirmish with another car. However, there’s no yellow. The next lap around, the 00 pulls back onto the track just ahead of me. He’s always fast so I try to follow in his tracks. A few more laps down and we’re half way to the checkers. Into 1 and through 2 and there are 2 cars spun to the bottom of 2, causing a yellow. When the field is set, I find myself in 6th. I’m not sure that I can hold it as the two cars right behind me are fast, having finished 1 - 2 last week.
We’re green again and back on the gas! I’ve moved my line up a bit - perhaps a little too much - but I’m comfortable where I’m at. The 69 and 4t pass me on the back chute and I try to get in behind them. They’re running about the same line as me, and the track has a lot of grip there. Meanwhile, the top 3 cars are battling it out, running side by side every lap. Out of 4 one more time and the flagman gives us the “2 to go.” I’m not sure if anybody is close behind me and don’t want to make any mistakes the last 2 laps. I’m still within striking distance if either the 69 or 4t have a problem on the last lap. The white is out and as I come out of 1 and into 2, one of the top 3 cars is sitting at the bottom of the track and they’re telling us on the radio there is a car there. We stay green and I go under the checkers in 8th place. Another fairly decent night at Beatrice Speedway for the R & R Racing, Fashionette Salon, Nancy Gerdes CPA, Shew Towing, Blue Knights Monte Carlo. Just normal maintenance and replace the front bumper this week, and we should be ready to go. Plans right now are for me to race at U.S. 30 Speedway in Columbus on Thursday evening and Jason will race the car at Beatrice on Friday June 4th.
Saturday turned out to be very nice, with the high temps near 90. There was a wind, but not so bad that it interfered with riding the Gold Wing a bit. I didn’t get as many miles as I’d have liked, but I did get to ride and my arms are starting to tan. Or is that rust from all the rain?
On Sunday I rode to Wilber for a family reunion with some of Mom’s cousins. When I left Beatrice, it was close to 80, but the sky was overcast. I left Wilber to go to Lincoln and the temperature had dropped 10 degrees. Luckily, I had a sweatshirt that I brought with me. Later, coming back from Lincoln, I ran into about 5 miles of light rain near Princeton. Wasn’t enough to stop and put on rain gear, though.
We’ll see what the rest of the week brings. Hope it stays dry for a while.
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