7/23 Columbus Results - Ding! Ding! Ding!

We have a winner!

The night did not start off well, as has been the case. I had my Dad tow the car up to the track. When I got there and tried to unload it the battery was dead. I had charged it for about 10 hours before it was picked up from my house. So, apparently batteries taken from $40 cars are not to be trusted, lesson learned.

I threw in the back-up battery for qualifying. I turned laps of 18.0 and 18.1 seconds going clockwise around the track. As I was driving back into the pits the car died, no more juice. I coasted into my pit stall.

I borrowed a battery charger from Troy Yohn (#X) . The car got as much charge as possible as I was lined up in the third heat race (the fast heat). Starting on the inside of row two I took advantage of the rookie on the pole when he slid up the track going into the first corner. The lead was mine by the end of lap one. Brian Johnson chased me down and got by me with about a lap and a half to go. I finished in second place in the fast heat. Respectable.

My sister-in-law Tina won her heat race as did the guy pitting next to me.

I lined up on the fifth row on the right. They started us out by going clockwise, that put me to the inside and most of the competition faded pretty quick. Most of the cars I passed were sliding up the track. By lap five I had the lead and held it though a few lengthy cautions including a red flag situation for the #3 car in the wall. The ambulance came and checked her out and she walked into the ambulance.

At the end of fifteen laps I was running all by myself at the head of the pack. In victory lane a member of the Kids' Club came down and got her picture taken with me.

I think I just might put the alternator back in the car this week :)

Jim
Qualified: 9th
Heat: 2nd (of 8)
Feature: 1st (of 20)

Tina
Qualified: 8th
Heat: 1st (of 8)
Feature: 14th (of 20)

Full race report available via Racing Online