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10/29/05
|
Donnellson IA. Zemo Motorsports made
their last trip of the season to Lee County Speedway for the
Shiverfest. Yes, we did shiver although temps were better than
average. A number of QC drivers showed up for a chance at the
$1000 purse. Our problem during feature time at the Pepsi Nationals
in Memphis MO reappeared, although Mike Sr had purchased a new
battery for tonight's event. As you can imagine when the car
didn't start Papa Mike was livid. Michael did get out on the
track and accomplished a move from 5th to 2nd in his heat. Time
was of the essence and the old girl could not keep her charge
leaving Michael vulnerable to Bob Hillyer who passed the Z71
in the last few laps. Top two were taken for the feature and
Michael placed 3rd so he would have to try his luck in the "B"
main.
"B" main arrived and we borrowed
a battery from Keith Haislip to stay in the running. Michael
would start 7th, but for the first time this year we would not
qualify (or so I remember). Top eight were taken to the feature
and Michael finished tenth. Hard running, we were pinched and
bumped around more times than I care to imagine, but hey that
is racing and my boy and the car came back safe. Tough little
track for Michael's first visit, but the first time the car
didn't leave the track damaged. Thanks to the crew who have
stuck with us this season!
Tonight's finish did fare better for
QC drivers so I'll post a little joy to share: A-Main – 1. Fraise
2. Burgtorf 3. Jeff Morris 4. Milo Veloz Jr. 5. Bruce Hanford
6. Foster 7. John Bull 8. Walker 9. Donovan Lodge (Donavan drove
the B&K open wheel).
|
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10/15/05
|
Memphis MO. Thanks to Dave, Danny, and
Alex for supporting us this weekend. Being out of town with
the support of people who we consider to be our family makes
our racing even more enjoyable.
Our Semi passing points from last night
put us up front in the "B" main (which meant Michael
was 13th quickest and he led every lap, winning by 7 car lengths..
Michael held on to his position and rolled on past the checkered
flag.
The past three days were absolutely beautiful;
sunshine and blue skies but by sundown it was pretty darn cold;
tonight being the coldest. A very long night and our feature
did not begin until close to midnight. You never know in racing
what can happen in any given moment; so sure enough when they
fire the old girl up for the feature her battery is dead. It's
late, it's cold and we are ready for line up. Papa Mike's attitude
was quickly squashed and his comment was his best hope was to
get out on the track, run a lap, and collect at least that payout.
As noted in the results below, somehow someway the old girl
might not have been full power but she got us through to the
very end. Ninth was great for everyone of us and we loaded our
girl up and headed home.
"B" Main 1:
1. z71-Mike Zemo Jr. (1); 2. 12-Bob
Dale (3); 3. 99-Martin Bennett (11); 4. 7w-Mark Widmar (2);
5. 4R-Ron VerBeek (4); 6. 22-Brandon Banks (5); 7. 21x-Jeff
Gerhardt (6); 8. 27x-Johnny Smith (9); 9. 9-Charles Baker (7);
10. 61H-Mike Helm (8); 11. D1-Tim Greif (10); 12. 27M-Roger
Moser (12)
Feature: 1. 21M-Dean Mahlstedt
(2); 2. 69M-Mark Burgtorf (5); 3. 61-Bruce Hanford (4); 4. 17P-Brad
Pinkerton (12); 5. 6-Kevin Cale (6); 6. 18-Michael Long (3);
7. 35-DeLonjay (15); 8. 10M-Jeremy Mills (11);
9. z71-Zemo Jr. (13);
10. 82M-Meyer (18); 11. 10-Gillenwater (25); 12. 9G-Gustin (19);
13. 50-Bakken (16); 14. 26B-Blackburn Jr. (24); 15. 00-Jesse
Stovall (8); 16. 45-Tony Fraise (1); 17. 69-Goble (26); 18.
55-Stecher (22); 19. 4R-VerBeek (23); 20. 33z-VanderBeek (20);
21. 7T-Jeremy Tibben (10); 22. 99-Martin Bennett (21); 23. 12-Dale
(17); 24. 5R-Roberts (14); 25. 19-Darin Duffy (9); 26. A50-Darin
Thye (7)
|
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10/14/05
|
Memphis MO There were 196 cars in the
pits on Friday, pushing the total to more than 230 cars so far.
Whoa, our first heat didn't end the greatest
and I must say tempers were simmering. However, you sit back
reflect and stay focused and things do change. Michael started
7th in the heat race and in one lap was up to 2nd when a restart
put us back and we received a flat after that. Michael's semi
was simply exhilarating although for me the race seemed to last
an eternity (16th to first!). I could have had the race finish
as soon as Michael was in the top three for a seat in the feature,
but Alex insisted we didn't want it to end...she wanted Michael
to win. She got her wish! He tried hard in the feature to make
the same accomplishments. He did move from 18th to 12th...but
top six is what he had to be. We'll try again tomorrow night.
Heat 6: 1. 19-Darin Duffy (3);
2. 4R-Ron VerBeek (6); 3. 57B-Dennis Betzer (; 4. 61H-Mike Helm
(2); 5. 21-Lynn Monroe (4); 6. 9-Charles Baker (9); 7. 51-Olin
Husband (5); 8.
z71-Mike Zemo Jr. (7); 9. 1x-Bob
Helm (9)
Semi 2: 1. z71-Zemo
Jr. (16); 2. 21-Monroe (9); 3. 99H-Hibner
(1); 4. 99-Martin Bennett (4); 5. 50-Bakken (3); 6. 37F-Foote
(6); 7. 22-Banks (20); 8. 1x-B.Helm (19); 9. 21x-Gerhardt (5);
10. 33z-VanerBeek (17); 11. 5s-Sands (1; 12. 27x-Smith (12);
13. B4-Roach (2); 14. 012J-Schaefer (15); 15. 8s-Phillips (11);
16. 14-Brown (7); 17. 51-Husband (13); 18. D1-Greif (10); 19.
5M-VanDenBerg (14); 20. 9-Baker
Feature: 1. 19-Duffy (5); 2.
61-Hanford (7); 3. 6-Cale (; 4. 7T-Tibben (4); 5. 10M-Mills
(13); 6. 17P-Pinkerton (3); 7. 9G-Gustin (11); 8. 26B-Blackburn
Jr. (6); 9. 77z4-Foster (21); 10. 44-C.Potter (25); 11. 105-Peters
(15); 12. z71-Zemo
Jr. (18); 13. 7w-Widmar (2); 14.
55-Stecher (19); 15. 82M-Meyer (16); 16. 21-Monroe (20); 17.
12-Dale (10); 18. 32M-Mike Bennett (23); 19. 99-Martin Bennett
(24); 20. 7-Holder (17); 21. 57B-Betzer (1); 22. 99H-Hibner
(22); 23. 50-Bakken (26); 24. 69-Goble (14); 25. 35-DeLonjay
(9); 26. 4R-VerBeek (12)
|
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10/13/05
|
MEMPHIS, Mo. -- A record 176 cars and
drivers in six classes jam-packed the pit area Thursday for
the opening night of the inaugural Memphis Nationals at the
Bentz GM Country Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo.
To make it free and clear to Saturday
night's feature the 54 modified car count would have to place
with a top six finish. Top two of each heat were placed in front
for the "A" main race. Our best hopes were to make
it to the top six of the "A" main and sit Friday's
races out. It wasn't to be the case but Michael's finish in
the "A" main by moving forward 9 cars was enough to
make our night a good one. We had few little hiccups during
the evening, one being alcohol spewing out in Michael's face
as he ran the heat and another with a driver at the waive of
the checkered. A lesson well learned
our first night.
For my memories, a reminder to myself
of how quickly my son can work his "tear offs" when
he is in a pickle. He made me laugh at his speediness all night
long.
Heat #4: 1. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt
-- Garner, IA (8) 2. 82m - Ryan Meyer -- Liberty, IL (5)
3. z71 - Michael Zemo -- Geneseo, IL (2)
4. 10M - Jeremy Mills -- Garner,
IA (6) 5. 55 - Scott Stecher -- Muscatine, IA (1) 6. 7w - Mark
Widmar -- Ottumwa, IA (4) 7. 20-20 - Chris Eggers -- Lancaster,
MO (7) 8. 57B - Dennis Betzer -- Central City, IA (3)
"B" Main #1: 1. 10M - Jeremy
Mills -- Garner, IA (3) 2.
z71 - Michael Zemo -- Geneseo, IL (2) 3.
17P - Brad Pinkerton -- New Sharon, IA (1) 4. 4r - Ron VerBeek
-- Oskaloosa, IA (9) 5. 7w - Mark Widmar -- Ottumwa, IA (10)
6. 17 - Steve Stewart -- Washington, IA (5) 7. 33 - Steve Wetter
-- Platteville, WI (8) 8. 12 - Bob Dale -- Gorin, MO (14) 9.
21x - Jeff Gerhardt -- Niota, IL (6) 10. 1x - Bob Helm -- Milan,
IL (11) 11. 21r - Glen Ridgway -- Eldon, IA (12) 12. 05 - David
Wietholder -- Liberty, IL (17) 13. 51 - Olin Husband -- Colchester,
IL (7) 14. D1 - Tim Greif -- West Liberty, IA (13) 15. 61H -
Mike Helm -- West Liberty, IA (18) 16. 32 - Lonnie Heap -- Media,
IL (4) 17. 8s - Todd Phillips -- Ollie, IA (16) 18. 012J - Jim
Schaefer -- Waterloo, IA (15)
"A" Main: 1. 45 - Tony Fraise
-- Donnellson, IA (2) 2. 18 - Michael Long -- Quincy, IL (4)
3. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Garner, IA (7) 4. 69m - Mark Burgtorf
-- Quincy, IL (9) 5. A50 - Darin Thye -- Burlington, IA (10)
6. 00 - Jesse Stovall -- Galena, MO (18) 7. 35 - Hank Delonjay
-- Quincy, IL (6) 8. 50 - Brad Bakken -- Garner, IA (5) 9. 19
- Darin Duffy -- Hazelton, IA (16) 10.
z71 - Michael Zemo -- Geneseo, IL (19) 11.
5r - Billy Roberts -- Burlington, IA (1) 12. 82m - Ryan Meyer
-- Liberty, IL (11) 13. 10M - Jeremy Mills -- Garner, IA (17)
14. 7T - Jeremy Tibben -- Stanton, IA (15) 15. 33z - Zack Vanderbeek
-- New Sharon, IA (20) 16. 6 - Kevin Cale -- Donnellson, IA
(24) 17. 5s - Tim Sands -- Conesville, IA (14) 18. 17L - Brandon
Lennox -- New London, MO (22) 20. 7w - Mark Widmar -- Ottumwa,
IA (25) 21. 4r - Ron VerBeek -- Oskaloosa, IA (23) 22. 7 - David
Holder -- Clarence, MO (8) 23. 11 - Mike Hughes -- Rose Hill,
IA (12) 24. 9 - Charles Baker -- Labelle, MO (13) 25. 17P -
Brad Pinkerton -- New Sharon, IA (21) 26. 55 - Scott Stecher
-- Muscatine, IA (26) 27. 10 - Jim Gillenwater -- Keokuk, IA
(3)
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10/1/05
|
Quad Cities Racing Connection Spooktacular
II Rocks Davenport Speedway
by Mike McGuire
The 2005 racing season at the Davenport
Speedway, ended in style Saturday night with the second annual
Spooktacular Fall Classic. Two hundred and two racecars graced
the pit area of the track for the event, making it one of the
largest one-day racing events in the State of Iowa.
V-8 modifieds were also on the card with
Mike Zemo Jr. dominating the class to take the feature win.
Milo Veloz Jr. gave chase to Zemo throughout the race, but was
not able to pass the speedy leader. Chuck Hanna won a tough
battle for third, finishing ahead of Jim Willert and Dean McGee.
6. Dave Hammond; 7. Doug Crampton; 8. Wade Lee; 9. Dennis LaVeine;
10. John Bull
Thirty lap feature for A-mods and Little
Z finished the season at Davenport Speedway topless. Great race
as Michael took the lead and ran thirty laps from the waive
of the green to the checkered. No cautions in this feature giving
Michael the advantage he needed to capture a victory. Congratulations
Michael!
We'll finish the year out at Memphis
MO in hopes of at least making the show.
|
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9/18/05
|
Last race at QCS for the year. What a
line-up for the heat race. We started 5th but had Morris, Willert,
Crampton, Bull, and Woods. What can I say with a line up like
that?
25 lap topless race. Excellent night
for Michael considering he started 16th. Whoop Ass again as
he moved through the field to capture a 5th place finish.
Mechanics race and Danny Nelan climbed
into the seat of the Z71 to try his luck. Not as easy as it
seems...this mom was nervous he would crash into the concrete
wall. Luckily, except for a wild spin-out, Danny had a ball.
He said he chipped the car. Men!! Danny is always there to help
whenever we are in trouble and need someone to put in long,
long hours to repair the car before the next race day. Thanks
Danny!!
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9/16/05 & 9/17/05
|
West Burlington, 34 Raceway.
Fun this weekend as we traveled to West
Burlington for Michael's try at a new track. QC Boys to join
us were Ray Cox Jr., Bob Dominacki, and Chuck Hanna. This is
my kind of racing because you go in to have a good time, offer
support and advice, and it doesn't matter who of the 4 QC boys
win...you just hope one of them do.
Hot laps didn't look good for us when
Michael lost power to the car and pulled off. Luckily while
preparing for the heat he discovered a loose battery cable (nothing
major). Kudos to a friend who told us what track to compare
Burlington to; we came with a set-up that Michael used for both
the heat and the feature races, no scratching our heads on this
one. Michael started the heat 7 out of 10 cars and did a great
job of driving..placing 3rd, which gave us an in for the feature.
Bob Dominacki won that heat and Ray Cox Jr. won the second.
You go guys!
Feature we drew a 3rd, Cox 4th, Dominacki
11th, and Hanna started 16th (is that right?). Ray and Chuck
would go out early on. Michael would have an advantage the first
few starts to pull ahead but cautions would be called every
time. When the green finally waived the advantage was lost but
the kid hung in there and did an excellent job of placing 5th.
Bob Dominacki would place right behind us in 6th. Memphis Missouri?
You guys want to try one more time?
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9/11/05
|
Started 3rd in the heat at QCS. We didn't
do so well in the heat as we fell to 5th in the first few laps
and then got tagged in the left rear and spun out. Rerack for
the back, but Michael made his way back to 5th.
Again, to the back in the feature but
we did move up to 7th until another caution was called and the
rerack left us in a cluster of cars... all seeming to run the
bottom. One car would bounce sideways from the bottom to the
top and hit Michael causing him to spin-out, get t-boned, and
end in the infield. Another night of DNF for us.
|
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9/9/05
|
49 cars ran for a chance at the feature
tonight and Michael did not make the show to qualify in the
heat. A consi would follow with Michael starting in the back
at 19th. It is a special 50 lapper tonight so I wanted to conserve
the camera tonight and just tape the feature; however, Michael
informed me he was starting in the back of the consi so I probably
would not be taping a feature race. WRONG...Another night of
Whoop Ass as Michael kicked the Z71 into action. The Z71 made
her way from the back to a 3rd place finish. The car rocketed
on the bottom and the outside. Great job Mikey!
I think we started 18th in the feature
and stayed in the back for the first 10 laps. Michael began
to move forward and by lap 26 he had found an 11th place spot.
From there on out he continued to move up and when the checkered
flag waived he managed to reach 6th. Congratulations to Bob
Dominacki on a $1000 win!
|
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9/4/05
|
Whoa Nellie...Michael was given the opportunity
to drive the Late Model 90X compliments of Ron Gustaf. I didn't
have a clue he would be in the car until Michael's name was
announced during hot laps. A little irritated at Mike and Michael
for not telling me, but thought maybe they just wanted to spare
me the worry. Come to find out they didn't have a clue either.
Ronnie pulled up in Big Red and made an offer that Michael could
drive the 90X. Lets just say they were as shocked as I was.
Ronnie's only rule was to start in back and not screw up his
ride. True to his promise, Michael did just that.
During the late model heat race Michael
took her to the back and raced with the big boys. He did finish
with a 4th which gave him the draw of 2nd in the feature; although
he did decline and took the back.
Open Wheel feature time and Michael started
11th. Cars were running especially hard when one of the drivers
ahead of Michael was spun out. Michael checked up and I don't
think he did much damage to the other car but he was hit in
the rear by 3 other cars. That was the end of our night. Tons
of damage to the car but the boys worked non-stop through the
week to have the car back and running for next week. Thanks
to Danny, Russ, and Dave for getting the car back in one piece.
Because of Ron, Mike and Michael didn't
have any time to grumble with the turn of events in the open
wheel since Michael was back out in the late model feature.
There were only 9 cars tonight and I think Ron made a wise decision
on when to let the kid try his luck in one of the Gustaf cars.
Michael stayed to the back for the first 10 laps and then began
to take the bottom and started passing one, than two cars, eventually
passing a third. End results were Michael took a fifth, Murphy
4th, Eric 3rd, Ron 2nd, and Jim 1st. Great night for the birthday
boy Jim.
Thank you Ron for giving Michael a night
he won't forget.
|
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8/28/05
|
Finally updating. Had to sit and watch
video after video, but here goes. Season Championship at QCS.
Michael started fifth in the heat and moved to 4th; when a caution
flag appeared. With two laps to go Michael moved on the outside
and ended with a second place finish.
Feature time and we are lined up in the
5th spot. Got tons of fast guys up front tonight with Morris,
Willert, Lodge, and Crampton. Great runs by all and Michael
would get an edge when lap traffic began to appear. Michael,
Lodge, and Willert were all running close and lap traffic gave
them the opportunity to catch up with Morris. Michael got just
a little too close to the high side in turns one and two and
took a ride I never want to see again. All four wheels seemed
to be running the concrete wall; and, miraculously the car just
popped back down on all four and he continued the race to end
with a 3rd place finish. Congratulations on your win tonight
Jim Willert!
Michael ended the season with 4th in
points...Not bad Little Z!
|
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8/19/05
Davenport's First Feature
Win
|
Toland, Zemo, and Crawford Taste First
2005 Victories at Davenport
by Mike McGuire Davenport, IA (August 19, 2005)
Full Moon or no full Moon, Friday night was a wild night of
racing at the Davenport Speedway, that yielded three new faces
in victory lane. The V-8 modified feature at the Davenport Speedway
Friday night could be summed up in three words: crash, bang,
boom! Wrecks and attrition left only twelve of the twenty starters
running at the end. After a handful of early race cautions pared
down the field, Mike Zemo Jr., who started 18th, roared into
the lead and would not be touched the remainder of the way,
taking his first Davenport win. Tim Current managed to dodge
all the wreckage and take second, with Chuck Hanna third, Doug
Crampton fourth, and Ray Cox Jr. fifth.
The long awaited Davenport victory finally
came to the Z71. Michael showed his stuff on the track and ran
both the bottom and the high side to make it to the front. With
Michael driving, our Gustaf engine, and Papa Mike's set-up we
had the in tonight with track conditions. Admittedly a little
luck came our way within the first few laps, and bad luck for
others. Starting in the back was in Michael's favor tonight,
it was his protective armor. Mom was very excited that Michael
accomplished the goal he had set for himself and Dad thought
it was the best birthday present he could have received.
Congratulations to Craig Crawford on
his first win at Davenport. He and Michael both started the
same year at Blue Grass (if memory serves), so that was an added
plus to have him get his night in victory lane.
Last note: We are all thankful that Jason
Bahrs left the track alert and talking; it made our great night
even better.
|
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8/14/05
|
Mama
Mia.... Michael began the feature in third and after only a few
laps in he had problems with the distributor cap and was left
hanging on the outside of the track. With a caution called he
hurriedly went to the pits for repairs and had the problem taken
care of (thank you Dave!). Michael was back on the track before
the wave of the green but would now be in the back of the pack
(18th?)and that meant a different night would evolve. Michael's
followers, including myself, were all silently of the opinion
that our night was blown.. Miracle of miracles, my boy began weaving
in and out of traffic until I found him in 5th, then moving to
4th, and finally to second. HELLO...can I say I felt excitement
and a pit in my stomach? How in the heck was he passing excellent
drivers and what was, God forbid, the popping noise I heard each
time he passed. He was catching up with the number one contender;
and I believe given 5 more laps he could have, or better yet a
caution would have occured. Wow, what a night. I had visions of
Jim in our first year running the track tonight. Laurie gave Michael
the thumbs up and said she would never doubt our boy again (She
had secretly thought if Jim was in the car he could have moved
to the front and didn't expect Michael to. I bet her husband caught
heck for spilling the beans). From now on she said he has her
vote of confidence. The run had me singing the next day, and I
bet our trivia buff Mr. Shane Davis would know exactly what Beach
Boys song was humming. Congrats to Marty Thompson for the A-Mod
win, Michael a second place finish, and a special congrats to
Mitchell Morris on his first B-Mod win!! |
|
8/12/05
|
Much
needed rain finally arrived and left the track VERY muddy and
fast. Michael was unfortunate to get a flat tire in the heat race
and had to pull off. The feature was not any better. In the first
lap he hauled ass and passed a number of cars. In turns 3 and
4 a pile-up had ensued; although Michael looked like he had escaped
the pile-up he ended up touching just enough to receive another
flat. He was off the track for the rest of the night. As stated,
the track was fast and many cars left that night with tons of
damage. Mikey may just have been in luck with the flat tire. Thad
Wilson took tonight's checkered flag in the A-Mod division. |
|
8/7/05
|
Racing for our clan was on the edge tonight.
Michael started 3rd row inside and begin his first lap with
John Bull letting him live in turns 3 & 4. With that passed,
Michael quickly moved up towards the front and would hold his
own throughout the night running in first position until the
very last two laps when Jeff Morris would charge forward and
give Michael a run for his money. Excellent racing by both drivers.
Jeff who usually runs the bottom chose to try and over take
Michael on the outside. Michael's normal gear had broken and
he was running a gear that took him to the bottom. Go figure,
the guys switched lines tonight. The run to the checkered flag
was so close, our group thought Michael had taken the checkered
flag; however, it was announced Jeff had won the race. Being
a Junior fan, of course we would view it as Michael's race.
We reviewed the tape and it was too hard to even call for us,
so we aren't bitchin. Michael did a fantastic job, had the courtesy
to give Jeff a thumbs up for his win, and Jeff returned the
respect by giving Michael kudos while in the winner's circle.
Am I mad? Heck no, his Dad and I are very happy with what our
son is accomplishing and proud he is happy with his second place
finish and doesn't spit sour grapes. Whiners I can do without.
Jim, Michael's mentor, came away with
a second place finish in the late model division with Toland
taking the win. Kevin Dickey won another race in the B-mod division.
I know quite a few families who were happy with tonight's finish.
|
|
8/4/05
|
Racing in Knoxville IL for a USMTS. After
asking Mike every day whether or not we would be racing he decided
at 3:30 this afternoon to make his announcement that he was
headed down the road. I like to plan ahead ... and Mike just
loves spur of the moment. Jim was in the seat tonight and after
viewing the speed these guys hit on the 1/2 mile, I was glad
Michael wasn't in the car. It was announced drivers can reach
a speed as much as 115 miles an hour. I'm not sure if it is
the close proximity to the track, but Knoxville seems quite
a bit faster than Davenport's half mile. With over 40 cars showing,
Jim qualified for the feature and that secured our purse of
$300 take home pay. The track welcomed some of our QC drivers
who ended with the following places: 14. 105 - Kevin Peters
-- Monmouth, IL (15) 16. 61 - Bruce Hanford -- Davenport, IA
(24) (won the hard charger award) 17. z71 - Jim Sandusky --
Coal Valley, IL (17) 18. A1 - Rich Smith -- Davenport, IA (20)
19. 20. 5d - Bob Dominacki -- Bettendorf, IA (22) 21. 75 - Thad
Wilson -- Moline, IL (21) .
It was a great night of racing and I
was hoping one of our drivers would win the purse. Jim was whooped
by the time the 30 lap feature was finished. Racing is definitely
a harder sport than most would guess.
Congratulation to Donovan Lodge for his
win in the street stock feature.
|
|
7/31/05
|
Mikey's popped open a can of
Whoop Ass these
past ten days. Michael started 4th in the heat and finished
with a sixth; which means once again he'll be chasing the fast
cars. I expect more not-so-good nights as opposed to great nights
so it was the perfect time to let Paige try her hand at taping
(plus keep her occupied). Michael started 12 in the feature
and....Pop goes the can... I'm seeing Michael run his way towards
the front. Three wide in the front stretch, later overtaking
three cars in turns one and two....hello, the car is showing
what the boy has. I'm taking the good times while I can. Track
conditions, holes, opportunity, a lot of nights it's just about
luck. So Mikey enjoy it while you can and open another can of
Whoop Ass!! The 20 lap feature took Michael from a 12th starting
position to a 3rd, and in the interim he passed drivers that
are great on the track and usually winning. He may not have
got first, but damn, moving forward 9 spots on a track like
QCS without cars dropping out is quite an accomplishment.
Doug Crampton broke his bad luck spell
and took the feature win. Alright Doug!
Bobby Toland took his first feature win
at QCS and blew the doors off the competition, including his
dad.
Michael, Doug, and Bobby ......bring
me a can of what you're drinking.
|
|
7/29/05
|
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHAEL AND RAY COX
JR. Michael, the youngest in the family turned a whopping
21 today, which makes Mike and me older than we would like to
admit. I'm sure there are a few out there that understand our
dilemma.
Little Z had another awesome night from
a mother's perspective. He wound up 5th in the heat race so
he would start up front in the consi for a chance at the feature.
He only ran a few laps but maintained a first place spot when
the race was called. The consi was a tough one tonight with
only a few laps in and we had some end over ends that don't
set well with me.
On to the feature. Michael started 13th
tonight and as a friend said, he would be chasing the fast cars.
I would have to agree with the statement, and I know what happens
when you are in the middle of the pack at feature time. The
kid did an excellent job of slowly moving up and making his
way without any incident, in fact, he missed some lu-lus that
would take my breath away in anticipation. Way to go Mikey.
Perfect racing night for me as Michael took on some of those
fast cars and made it to a fifth place finish. With the Gustaf
engine and Mike's setups the boyhas prroved he's got what it
takes. Everybody is running for points position and of course
that means we will have major battles out there for a better
finish. Chuck Hanna took a win again tonight. Congratulation
Chuck and Danny!!
Sandusky took another feature win tonight
in the Late Model division. Way to go Jim!
Thank you Alex for taping tonight's races.
My girl did an excellent job and mom will hand over the reins
to her anytime. I so much more enjoy my night in the pits as
opposed to the stands.
|
|
7/24/05
Second feature win!
|
Oh my my, oh hell yes....... Michael
was amazing tonight.
What an unexpected night! No one dreamt
we would move to the front and finish first!! Racing was clean
and the 20 laps went by quickly (not what I thought Thursday
night). My son looks so much like Sandusky in the car sometimes
I have to pinch myself (action in turns 1 and 2 I could do without).
Congratulations Michael!!
Finding
Zemo: Geneseo driver gets first feature win at QC Speedway
By
Shane McDonough, shaner@qconline.com
Geneseo's
Mike Zemo, Jr. opened the door Thursday night at the Rock Island
County Fair races. On, Sunday at the Quad City Speedway he kicked
it open further. The 20-year-old open-wheel modified driver,
who is in his fourth year of racing, got his first feature victory
last Thursday and followed it up with his first-ever regular
weekly feature win at the Q-C Speedway on Sunday night. "Thursday
was a pretty big deal to me," Zemo said. "Once I got the first
one out of the way, I was hoping that the second one would have
been a lot easier. I didn't think that the second one would
come this fast." Natural progression of his skills as an open-wheel
modified driver is one thing that Zemo believes has put him
in position to start winning races. Zemo started out his first
two years racing his Werner Construction once a week, sharing
seat time with Moline's Rick Ratliff and Coal Valley's Jim Sandusky.
Last season, Zemo felt like he was working on building consistency.
Now, he feels like he’s ready to start challenging for the win
on a nightly basis. "I think the biggest thing for me was just
getting some seat time and learn more about the car and how
it works," Zemo said. "Now I feel very comfortable in the car,
and we have a great setup." Zemo, who plans to be an electrician’s
apprentice, is more excited about wins against some of the big
names of the open-wheel modified racing in this area like Long
Grove's Jeff Morris, Davenport's Jim Willert and Rock Island's
John Bull. "Seems like last season Morris, Willert and Casey
Schram were winning every week, and I never thought I would
get that first win," Zemo said. "These two wins are a big confidence
booster, and I’m just happy to get the win for my friends, family
and sponsors." Zemo and his Gustaf-powered engine finished second
in his heat and started the feature in the second row. He fell
back a couple positions before he felt that his chance to charge
to the front came. Colona's Milo Veloz, Jr., who was in front
of Zemo, had a flat tire, which was good news to Zemo. "Milo
was running that same high groove as me, so once he had to leave
the race that opened up the door for me," said Zemo. The top
five in the 15-car field was rounded out by Andover's Donovan
Lodge, Bull, Morris and Willert.
I'm a softy and very sentimental so when
Mike offered to sell our chassis a month or so ago to one of
our friends/competitors I was just a little sad he has to be
rid of the D&M Terminator Chassis (1997). These last two
nights proved my point, but old is old. The deal fell through
and I don't mind if the boyz want new, but why not keep the
old one just for (my) sentimental reasons? Hmmm, his reply was
if I want to buy it, it is mine. Okay, I don't think I'll win
this one because he KNOWS I wouldn't have anywhere to store
her and he has already taken my spot in the garage. Twenty-five
years from now I think Michael will look back and wish they
had heeded my advice. Your first is always special, don't you
think?
|
|
7/22/05
|
Not a bad night for the Zemo's. Michael
started 3rd row in the feature and did an excellent job of maintaining
his spot and then moving up. He blasted up to second and tried
to keep up with race leader Rick Ratliff, but we just weren't
as good as Rick in the corners. Michael did keep his edge enough
to stay out front with the likes of Wilson, Dominacki, Bull
, and Cox. Good Lord, I love them all but that was more pressure
on me than Thursday night. So, although Hanna would eventually
pass Michael on the outside near the end of the race I was happy
for a 3rd place finish.
Congratulations Rick on your first feature
win!
|
|
7/21/05
heat and feature win!
|
Zemo
posts win at QC Speedway
By Aaron Seidlitz, sports@qconline.com
Michael
Zemo Jr. had more to celebrate on Thursday night than just the
Rock Island County Fair. For the first time in his young auto-racing
career, Zemo took the first-place trophy in the Open Wheel Modified
division at the Quad City Speedway. Joy overtook Zemo after
a victory lap and after he had pulled back up to the center
of the racing track. He came out of the car, pounded the hood
a couple of times and raised his arms above his head. "I've
been close before. A couple of weeks ago I finished second,
then, the week after that, finished third," he said. "But this
time it was different and I was able to finish off the race."
Jim Sandusky, a long-time family friend and Late-Model division
racer, was on hand to witness Zemo's first win. However, Zemo
thought the night would have been perfect had Sandusky finished
off a first-place victory in his division as well. "I told him
to go and win one, too, so I think he was trying very hard for
me," Zemo said. "I first knew him because my father was in his
pit crew, and between him and my father, this victory is all
due to them." Zemo won the 25-lap feature race despite three
yellow caution flags interrupting the flow of the race. Each
time the caution occurred, he was able to build back his lead
and pull away from the pack. "All I have to worry about is getting
off to a good restart. Once I do that, then I can regain whatever
rhythm I may have had, and that is what I focused on during
this race," he said. Forming the rest of the top five in the
modified division were Jeff Morris, Jim Willert, Doug Crampton
and Milo Veloz Jr. Sandusky was not able to finish off Zemo's
proposition for dual wins between the friends.
An ultimate racing night for our team.
Words can't describe my thoughts, but I can offer thanks to
all of those who support us throughout the year. Friends that
show delight in Michael's accomplishment, our
sponsors
(Banks Plastering and Drywall were there to share in
our victory), Gustaf Motors, the Sandusky clan, Dave and Judy
for a 21st birthday gift of a new tire, Laurie and Wayne, Danny
& Austin, and the drivers and crew who offered their congratulations
and a handshake. The boy looked good and he earned the right
to the checkered flag.
|
|
7/17/05
|
Woo-Hoo. Mikey was smokin tonight! About
time the kid gets a heat win. He started second row outside
and moved to the front in no time at all. The boy looked awesome
tonight and I didn't have any concerns about him being passed....just
the normal worry of something freaky happening . Didn't happen!
Alright Michael ...and well deserved.
Hallelujah, the feature was just as exciting.
Michael started fifth and was fired up in the first lap, moving
himself up towards the front when a caution was called. He's
got me pumped and on the edge...and there is a yellow flag.
At the restart, he couldn't repeat that one moment's advantage
of finding the hole again and fell back to ninth. I resigned
myself to a night of a mediocre run, but the next restart he
was in seventh, and then fifth, and then 3rd. Drivers are all
fighting there way to a checkered flag victory and the track
was hopping with competitive adrenaline. Cars begin dropping
out, rear ends go, drive shafts appear on the track. Lo and
behold, with Michael running a good race, he suddenly slows
down on the front stretch and I haven't a clue what is happening
until I see one more drive shaft out of 4... and our night is
over. I must admit while he was on the track it was very exciting
or excruciating, I'm not sure which....and it didn't stop when
he left the track. It was a battle throughout the feature and
no doubt there were a few tempers flaring. John Bull took the
feature win. I see Brandon Durbin getting closer to a feature
win too. Hopefully Michael and Brandon will both get one soon....I
just hope they are not competing against each other!!
Back in the pit area I was amazed when
I was told the chassis had broke in half and spit out the drive
shaft. Devastating news to me, but Mike and Michael were calm
and cool. They had the care repaired on Monday night and plan
on racing Thursday at the QC Speedway.
|
|
7/16/05
|
Jackson County with Andy in the car tonight.
We owe a lot to Andy and it would be remiss of me if I didn't
say that we appreciate what he does for our team. He and Mike
seem to share the same wave length and they do very well at
communicating their thoughts on what to do to fit the car to
Andy. I had fun in the stands tonight, not taping, wanting a
win, and being vocal. It is an agreement by Mike, myself and
Michael to have Andy there representing us, otherwise the deal
would never have gone down. Michael expresses it's Andy's track
and he wants a win. So can you imagine how we all feel watching
the feature race, Andy is running first, and he is looking like
a win can be captured. We have competition coming from behind
but there was still enough distance that I wasn't too concerned,
but knew Andy better hurry his ass up. Restarts are bad when
you are leading. We have the same tires on that glazed over
during cautions which hurt Michael in past races. They would
do the same for Andy. He ran his little tail off but he can
only deal with what we give him. The race concluded with a respectful
4th place finish. Next week I hope to see Andy on the track
with new tires, and hopefully a start up front.
|
|
7/15/05
|
Seems
tonight it would be a repeat of last Friday's race. Michael managed
to pull through in the heat and qualify for a feature spot of
second row inside. His focus was on the track and he made no blunders
through the night that I could see. When the front runner had
to pull off because he lost a tire it was good new for us and
of course, bad news. Restart makes the line up head to head and
toe to toe. Earlier Ray Cox had pulled off a great heat race,
so I knew his car was fast tonight. We are front row inside with
Thad Wilson and John Bull knocking at his door, so I wasn't expecting
a shoe-in for Michael. Thirteen laps down and seven to go. Tires
cooling down aren't good for this race team. The last seven laps
were white-knuckle racing for all involved and there is no way
I'm going to be a cry-baby about where we finished (3rd). I like
it when we come off the track and can be proud of what we accomplished.
Congrats to Thad Wilson on his feature win |
|
7/10/05
|
Do you ever have one of those days where
you wish it would just end. Michael had an excellent heat run
tonight starting in 4th and moving forward quickly, so quickly
in the first lap he had second. He moved up running first, and
looking very well, no blunders that I could see. In the eight
lap his competition caught him in the turns and he would battle
with Doug Crampton trying to keep his hopeful heat win in sight.
No such luck, but his run was excellent nonetheless.
Feature time and we started in the
3rd row inside. The first lap and Michael set her sideways and
unintentionally put about 5 other cars in the back with him
(one being Jim Willert, who still managed to take the feature
win). First lap and a caution was an indication of tonight's
racing. Restart, and another caution without a lap completed.
Another restart, and again without a lap completed. At this
point in the deepest portions of my mind I'm almost hopeful
Michael wouldn't come back out on the track. Throughout the
night they had three tire changes. A starter that doesn't work
anymore. Michael getting punted. The feature ended with maybe
eleven cars finishing the race. Some of the best drivers on
the field didn't finish; some having
quite a bit of damage done to the car. No, tonight was one of
those nights. How we managed to stay on the track amazed me,
but we did. Michael finished ninth and I was very glad to see
the race end. The Late Model would be no better, but Jim did
move from behind to finish 3rd. And these guys want to go to
Peoria tomorrow. Lots of repairs if they plan on heading down
the road.
|
|
7/9/05
|
Jackson
County Speedway tonight. Nothing to do on a Saturday, a call from
Dave Cook, and we decided why not. At 2 in the afternoon we spoke
with Andy and agreed we try a little something different tonight.
Andy has always liked our car and usually will always accept the
offer of driving. The car suits him well too and Mike and Michael
both agreed that they had finally got her to where she is suppose
to be. Andy won the heat and was positioned in second row outside
when the feature began. Very good racing tonight and he did a
great job of keeping the car up front. Always close to first,
in second, and then battling back up towards the number one seat.
The track is dreadfully dark. I had really forgot just how poor
the lighting is. I guess maybe you could say it is my age, but
I'd much rather the racing occurred during daylight hours when
both myself and the drivers could see. Anyway, to finish my story,
Andy was running the high side ever so hopeful he could gain a
possible front runner position when he slipped over the edge in
3 and 4, pulled himself back out, but ended with a fourth. Good
run for Andy... maybe we will be back next week. |
|
7/8/05
|
Momma's happy to report tonight. Usually
I wait days to update, but I'm fired up. Michael ran his heat
and managed to pull in a 4th, which at least gives him a chance
to start closer to the front. I admit I was disappointed because
on the track I could tell the set-up wasn't quite right. He'd
falter and I was sure the car still didn't have the stuff to
get her up front. Every night my camera is on him and I know
when he is at his best. Thankfully, Cindy reminded me that the
heat doesn't mean anything, which gave me hopes they could fix
whatever was wrong. Later I would find they thought about changing
the set-up, but chose to go with what they had. Excellent choice
boys!!
Michael started the feature in 5th and
Alex and I were just hoping he wouldn't fall back; it can be
so discouraging. Woo-hoo, the boy started to smoke and was in
the zone. He ran the race up front with Hanna, Cox, Bull, and
Milo......and he held on. He may not have won the race tonight,
but I felt like he did when he captured a second place finish.
Ah, Mikey, I was so happy for you!! Hanna gave him a thumbs
up and Milo came over and gave congrats. The Zemo's are feelin
sweet after this race. I wanted to run down to the pits and
give my boy a hug.
To get this far we have to give thanks
to Ron Gustaf for our new motor and for the use of Milo's garage
and tips on a new way to run. High fives are for you guys tonight.
I love nothing more than to see a smile on my kids' faces. Mary
and Jess you better start joining me at the races!!
|
|
7/3/05
|
Congrats Jim Sandusky, Doug Crampton,
and Brad Pershy..all taking a feature win in their division.
Our night wasn't quite as exciting .
Michael started 4th in the heat race and ended fourth. Well
at least he qualified for a spot closer to the front for his
feature run. The guys made some adjustments to the car after
Friday night's race to make up for the heavier motor and went
back to an old set-up with a different bar. It still wasn't
what they needed on the track and Michael was having a difficult
time putting the car where he wanted her. Accelerating too soon,
too late, being loose, or too tight, keeping the left front
down, going with Michael's opinion, Mike's opinion, or someone
else; it is just a little to unnerving to me. I'll be glad when
they figure it out and we get to the point the engine, the set-up,
and Michael are all on the same page. Once the kid gets the
set-up he's meant for, Mom's expecting an exciting end of the
season. Dad and son would both like a win, so I'll be Michael's
biggest cheerleader and supporter until the day comes. Michael
ended with a 9th place finish. One thing about racing...there
is always another night to try again.
|
|
7/1/05
|
A new night for Zemo Motorsports. The
Z71 may have looked the same, but she was sporting something
new under her hood. The old girl has a new engine and we'll
see if she has an added punch to her laps around the track.
Werner Construction joined the boys in the pits for the Gustaf
engine debut.
Open Wheel show would be greater than
usual and a consi would follow the heats. Fortunately Michael
placed 4th in his heat and we got to watch the consi instead
of run it. These guys battle their hearts out, so I feel for
the ones that don't make the show. Tenacity is the name of the
game, and they never give up. Ian, I 'm watching. Michael started
4th in the feature and tried his damnedest to keep up with the
race leader. Gosh darn it, we have our new engine, two new tires
(from Papa Mike's 50/50 win), and the balls to want to move
to the front but we would end the night with 9th for the last
lap of the feature race. There was no zone tonight. I saw a
few others running tonight and I think they would attest to
the same thing.
Michael loves his new engine and says
she roars. Papa and son were both salivating over their new
toy so a 9th place finish didn't seem to break either ones heart.
Congrats to Ray Cox Jr. on another win. Ray, we are going to
have to talk.
|
|
6/26/05
|
Mid-Season
Championship at East Moline. Hallelujah, Papa Mike won the 50/50
tonight. I thought about sharing the money with Shane, but Little
Z needs new tires so I opted to fork over the money to the guys.
Slicks we've been running on so hopefully by Friday we'll have
some new American Racers. Michael tried his best in the heat but
the track and his tires just wouldn't let him do his thing. Feature
time we started in 7th but got to move up two spots because the
mid-season 1 & 2 positions chose to go to the back for a double
your money chance if they claimed the checkered flag. Ooh, he
was looking good at first moving up, but eventually we would fall
backwards. Michael ended with a 10th place finish. Donovan Lodge
would take the feature win. |
|
6/24/05
|
Mid -Season at Davenport tonight. Feature
win went to Ray Cox Jr. tonight with Michael capturing a 9th
place finish.
Congrats to Rick Ratliff on his heat
win.
|
|
6/21/05
|
Half
mile racing tonight and Michael wanted a second try on a bigger
faster track. Alrighty...not as bad as I expected since there
wasn't a huge turn-out for the Open Wheel Modifieds. We had a
lot of fun tonight giving Michael a chance on the bigger track.
We finished the race with a 10th place finish. |
|
6/19/05
|
East
Moline and a dirty, dirty night. Our heat race ended with a 5th
place finish which left us at the back of the pack for the feature.
I believe Michael started 16th in this night of cautions and restarts.
All good for us as we ended up in sixth when the car was unintentionally
tapped in the rear and spun out. Michael tried to get his place
back, but was sent to the back with two laps to go (that is the
track rules). He kept his head tonight and ended with a 12th place
finish. Not bad, Michael!! |
|
6/17/05
|
Davenport
tonight and we started 4th in the heat. Michael would get in the
dirty, be forced off the track, and then off the track in turn
3 & 4. Needless to say he ended up last. Bad news didn't end
there and the guys worked hard on the car to have her out for
feature time. A hole in the oil pan meant we were out for the
night. |
|
6/12/05
|
White
knuckle racing for me tonight as Michael started 4th in the heat
race.He went from third to second and battled for 1st. As he went
into turns 3 & 4 he was running 4 wide up front. In the middle
and no where to go he fell back to 2nd and then 3rd, where we
finished for the heat. Our feature started in 5th and again Michael
moved forward to 3rd. Jim Willert would end up giving him a run
for his money and in turns 1 & 2 he got into the dirty and
lost a spot. Going down the back stretch he would do a 360, recover,
and continue on. Awesome job Little Z!! |
| 6/10/05 |
Monster
truck racing. |
|
6/5/05
|
Hot laps showed the car looked good tonight
and we were ready for our heat run. Michael started in the second
row outside but couldn't quite finesse a move around a car that
was slower than he was. Eventually we would have to settle for
a 5th spot.
Our feature started the Z71 in 14th and
we didn't even complete the first lap when there was a 5 car
pile-up in front. Fortunately Michael was able to avoid the
wreck and sailed on by. Throughout the 20-lapper we began moving
forward. Another restart would occur toward the very end of
the race and we would be jumped at the start giving Michael
a 9th place finish. With so many cars on the track it can be
difficult for the officials to see everything, so you just have
to go with what is thrown your way, and make best of every situation.
East Moline seems to be a difficult track because there are
not enough lines; unless of course you want to jeopardize your
run, which you may have seen Michael do as he hits turns 1 an
2 to try and make his move.
Congratulation to Jim Willert on his
feature win. Late Model racing kept us on the seat of our pants
as well. Jim was close to getting the checkered flag tonight.
One day a restart can be the best news for you and the next
it can be your worst enemy.
|
|
6/3/05
|
Michael ran in heat 3 with some great
competition. He of course would run some laps with the ever
persistent Dominacki; who eventually always manages to pass
the boy. Papa Mike says the only way we will have a chance to
hang with these veteran drivers is to upgrade our 400 engine.
Hey, I like the little engine. She has hung on and is in her
fourth year and still screams even without being refreshed in
probably 2 years. My loyalty stays with the motor; she has had
her rpm's pushed to the max on one occasion or more and been
through 4 drivers.
The modified feature race was just as
exciting and again Michael moved up front to race with the big
dogs. He's sticking with them and just not letting them move
forward past him. Excellent driving Michael! He ended with a
6th place to the likes of:: 1. Ray Cox Jr; 2. Chuck Hanna; 3.
John Bull; 4. Thad Wilson; 5. Bob Dominacki. Ray Cox Jr. captured
a win that was near and dear to his heart. Ray's father, who
was also a racer, passed away earlier in the week. Congratulations
to Ray and our sympathies on the death of your father.
|
|
5/29/05
|
Races
cancelled. |
|
5/27/05
|
Helluva night for Michael! The kid started
5th in the heat race and in the first laps had positioned himself
to a lead run. Hello...can it be? He battled on the field with
Big Bad Bob Dominacki (BBB). Good clean racing, excellent confidence,
focused, and on the right line. Awesome run for Little Z and
I don't have any complaints with the heat run; even if we did
end with a second to Mr. Dominacki. Michael was running with
the big boys and BBB was kept at bay for many laps. Way
to go Little Z!!
Feature was just as good. Michael ran
up front, fell back, and ventured back up. Competition couldn't
get any better on the field. Top five for tonight were: 1. Thad
Wilson 2. Chuck Hanna 3. Kevin Peters 4. Mike Zemo 5. Donavan
Lodge
Sandusky performed just as well tonight
in the late model showdown as Jim ended with a second. Welcome
back to Ian Dittmer in the modified 75 and congratulations to
Rick Ratliff on his run to obtain 7th place in the feature.
|
|
5/22/05
|
I guess we had a night of ...are we
even going to make it on the track? It started with the
car not being able to fire up and the problem couldn't be solved
quickly so it was pushed on the track for the heat. As luck
would have it Michael didn't qualify, so he would make another
appearance in the consi. This race was wicked and we had so
many near misses, full moon or no, I'm surprised we survived.
Our good news, Gene did discover we needed a new starter; and
thanks to Ron Gustaf we were able to replace it at the track.
Michael also had his back bumper and nerf bar destroyed so he
had to rush home to get a replacement. Feature time and we started
in back at 18th. Michael did a respectable job throughtout,
moving forward with pretty much only one line racing. He ended
with a 12th place finish.
Stands were filled, emotions were intense,
and it was exciting racing tonight.
|
|
5/20/05
|
Full
moon...and it cast its spell on the Z71. Michael didn't qualify
for the heat race and we ran the consi placing 3rd. The feature
was not pretty either. Michael had troubles with the car and drove
off the track to ask one of the officials if there was a problem
with the cars front end. They said to go ahead and keep running
so he went back on the track to a last place start. When the checkered
flag waved Michael was holding a 13th place finish. Racing was
harder than usual tonight since the spindle was broke and the
car was not aligned correctly. Bob Dominacki took the checkered
flag once again. |
|
5/15/05
|
Good
night. Started 2nd row outside in the heat and got the jump for
the lead. Ray Cox and Michael battled for a tad and we ended with
a 2nd place finish. Feature had a few crashes and we were pushed
back quite a distance in our battle to stay out of trouble. Brandon
Durbin had a mishap of some kind but Michael was able to check
up and keep from taking him out (the mighty camcorder kept me
from seeing what happened to Brandon). We ran back as far as 13th,
but ended up at 10th for the evening. During the course of the
feature Michael did do a 180 on the track when trying to stay
out of what was coming in front of him. With oncoming traffic
he ended not getting touched as far as I could tell. It's amazing
how these moments appear in slow motion and I'm struck how these
drivers will miss each other by mere inches. I recognize there
is a lot of talent out there and I feel confident in most cases
that these guys may pass my son but no one will be worse for the
wear. |
|
5/13/05
|
Rain made the track completely different
tonight. Numerous crews didn't even try to go in the pit and
instead just set up outside the gate in the north parking lot.
Racing didn't begin until well after 7:30 so it was expected
the races would either be cut short or feature laps would be
shortened. Our night ended at 11 pm when the late model feature
was called until next week.
Michael started 4th in the heat and made
his way up to 2nd, even leading a few laps. We would fall back
to 3rd spot. The feature dropped us in the front row of the
feature and Michael took the lead on the drop of green for five
laps or so. Eventually he moved to a 2nd for 5 laps until a
restart got us out of the zone. Michael fell back to third battling
Andy Cook and later he would contend with John Bull. John and
Michael had a good run towards the end; they were door to door
when the feature wrapped up with Michael beating him at the
flag. Running with John and Andy is what we call a great night.
|
|
5/6/05
|
We
had to run a consi since we didn't qualify for the heat race.
Tacky night but Michael did his thing to make the line-up for
the feature by running 2nd in the consi. Feature time Michael
started 14th and ended with a run of 10th. Andy took the win for
the feature; Mr. Modest said he might have a front row start but
didn't foresee a win. Well, Andy, you were wrong , and we got
to see your victory win with a little dust thrown in our faces.
Good for you!! Michael fell back to 16th during the feature but
did work himself back up. The car was tight and coming on. As
a footnote we haven't had any camera to tape our events, so I
have had fun watching my favorite drivers on the track. At least
I now what is going on! |
|
5/1/05
|
Talk about a cold night. The last time
we were here it was beautiful and tonight you had to wear layers
of clothes just to try and keep from freezing. The car hung
in there and we were able to finish the race with 10th. Michael
is running harder and finding his place with his peers. He missed
a few accidents and the car came out without any body damage.
Can't say he has any luck drawing a good position, but one of
these days it has to come. Jeff Morris took the Open Wheel win.
Woo-hoo Brandon! Brandon Durbin did a
great job tonight and took a heat win. Jim was hooked up in
the late model feature and came from behind to capture a 2nd
place finish. It's coming for Jim. And, I have to mention Mike
Murphy showed his stuff again in his late model.
Good night, but a cold night. No serious
problems and we'll be ready for Friday night and a predicted
78 degree. Oh yeah!
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4/29/05
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Whoa...lets just say as Michael continued
running his laps in the heat race we were all wishing we could
run out and flag that boy in. Early on the car began to smoke
and it didn't get any better. Michael said between laps 5 and
8 he could tell there was something wrong. When the oil pressure
dropped and she overheated he knew he better shut her down and
get pushed back into the pits. Attitudes weren't the best and
we tried to think positive, but it sure didn't seem good. Andy
reminded us our trip to Farley we experienced the same thing,
so I was going with his advice. Mike took her down to Jim's
and he, Michael, Jim and Danny took her apart looking for a
cracked head. I'd say these guys were more than surprised when
they discovered they had only blown a head gasket. As far as
they can tell that was the only complication the motor experienced.
I guess time will tell, but the little engine is in her fourth
season and due to many refreshings we haven't been able to do
much for her in the past year. Hang in there girl, Daddy Nobucks
is trying to come up with a plan.
Andy was as unlucky as we were tonight,
but he pulled his car together and ran Maquoketa on Saturday
night. He took 5th...way to go Andy. As for tonight, we saw
some cars that were really hooked up. Congrats to Jim (he is
awesome this year) and Mike Murphy on a heat win. Kevin Dickey
was looking fine on the track too. Dominacki was screamin on
the outside when he could get position, its just too bad there
were so many restarts. Chuck Hanna did a great job for the Open
Wheel win.
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4/17/05
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We
had clutch problems and couldn't make it for hot laps or the heat
race. The Z71 had to be pushed started for the feature and we
started dead last at position 19. Michael moved forward with many
cautions along the way. This was a difficult run because we couldn't
stop due to a non-existent clutch!! Round and round he went as
he waited for the restarts to begin. Luckily, each time we were
able to remain in our position. Lots of cautions tonight, a few
wrecks, and some darn good racing. Without a clutch I considered
Michael to have performed admirably. We ended with a 9th finish.
Congratulations to Jerry Connors and the Weedon family. How befitting
that Jerry should have taken the win tonight and brought mom,
Dee, and brother, Rob to victory lane. As usual, the fans were
excited for the Weedon family and they showed it by another standing
ovation. |
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4/15/05
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It was our first race of the season,
so we were a little nervous about how things were going to turn
out; whether or not the car would stay together. But went out
for hot laps, car held together, motor held together, and we
had the new setup on the car so it was a new style for Michael
to get use to. Started 5th in the heat race and Michael said
after changes were made to get more forward bite off the corner
the car was very driveable. On the white flag Michael saw the
2nd and 3rd place cars push up into turn 1. Michael tried to
move under both of them and the middle car came down just enough
to hit the right front and we broke the tie-rod.. He managed
to finish the race and almost had a draw spot but one car got
by going through turns 3 and 4, so he finished 5th with a broken
car.
Started 13th in the feature with a one
lane track all around the bottom; tried to move up at the start
and fell back a couple of spots. So Michael brung'er back down
to the bottom and just picked them off. The officials cut us
short to a 15 lap feature to make time for the 50 lap Late Model
feature. We finished with a 10th place car although another
car in front of Michael spun out, but luckily we got by without
a scratch. Good positive night.
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