Truck Racing News

Last race of the year was Oktoberfest at LaCrosse County Fairgrounds in West Salem, WI.  This race is a big deal with four full days of racing and hundreds of people camping out for the festivities.

Nick worked his butt off getting both trucks ready for the final race of the year.  Nick and I went down early on Sat morning to practice.  Dan Fredrickson helped out by practicing the #83 truck since Andy was tied up back in the cities.

I was able to run three sessions and Nick made things better and better.  He made a modification to the brakes Sat night that helped.  In the heat races, Andy ran in the first heat, started third row, and worked his way to the front and won the 8 lap heat.  Things were looking good!  I started front row for the second heat with Matt Peterson helping out as my spotter.   I stayed on the inside and ran door handled to door handle with the #2 truck until lost my rear deck lid on the second lap.  The resulting caution moved me to the back of the field since I caused the caution.  Without the deck lid I had no rear downforce on the spoiler and was way too lose. 

We started the feature with Andy inside 5th row and me gridded right behind him in the 6th row.  Andy and Nick had made a big change in my truck between the hear and feature and I was pumped.  The truck felt good during tire scrub.  When the green fell I stayed right with Andy on the inside groove.  Jerry Wood pushed up in the first turn and Andy got underneath him and I followed.  The truck came off of 4 really well and I was destined to follow Andy through the field.

Then all heck broke loose. The #72 lost control at the end of the straight and tagged the truck next to him. Andy hit someone that spun in front of him, got hit in the right rear which caused him to spin and then I nailed him in the right rear.  The impact took the front end off my truck and killed the radiator.  I was done for the day.  Andy did manage to run a few more laps after we tore some body work off in the pits that was flapping in the breeze but he was done with a busted radiator also.

One bright note, Dan Fredrickson was recruited at the last moment to drive the factory Lefthander Truck and even though he started dead last he won the feature!!!  That was especially cool since Nichole Fredrickson had really pitched in this weekend to help us with prep and logistics so she had something to cheer about in the stands.  Thanks Nichole and Congratulations Dan!

Despite the big wreck, it was fun.  The truck really handled well for that one lap. And even one lap in a good running race car is a thrilling experience.  I am amazed that at 61 years of age I still have the enough ability to drive race cars and realize so much fun doing it.  I can’t wait to get out on the track and give it another run.  My goal is to share the podium with Andy someday. 

Andy and Nick are really good at getting these trucks fast.  We are working on plans for next year.  There are several rule changes that need to be looked at but we will come up with something soon so we can get a head start on next seasion.  I am very grateful for all they have done this season.

I need to thank my wife, Melissa, for her support as I pursue my racing antics.  She does not come to the races very often as she is a little uncomfortable watching her husband duke it out with a bunch of crazy circle track drivers.  But she knows I keep safety as a prioity so she is convinced I will always be coming home with a big smile.  Then she humors me while I tell her the detail of every lap.  She is a wonderful woman to put up with my addition to motorsports.

My thanks to everybody that helped this year and I look forward to the first race next year.

Nick and Andy really put a lot of effort into getting the #63 Truck ready for the Madison ASA race.  They took the time to test the truck at Elko and discovered a problem in the front suspension.

We headed off to Madison with both trucks and high expectations.  Andy took the #63 truck out for the first practice session to make sure it was set up properly for me.  I can’t thank Andy and Nick enough for all they do to help me run well on the short tracks.  As an ex-road racer, I am totally dependant on them for set up.

Andy got in the # 83 Truck for the second session and had trouble with ride height causing bottoming out on the track.  My #63 was working pretty darn good and I ended up out qualifying Andy with me in 6th and Andy in 8th position.  Neither one of us were satisfied with our times but we had hope we could improve.

We were both in the fast heat.  Andy started in front of me and was do well on the high groove.  After a caution, Andy started in the low groove and that did not work out so well.  We started the feature with Andy on the inside of row three and me right behind him.

At the start of the feature Andy did a really good job of getting up front.  I held my own for a few laps but then pushed up in one of the turns and lost a few positions.  Then Andy cut a tire and he headed for the pits ending his night.  I kept working at getting smooth and hitting my marks.  As the race progressed I was able to take advantage of other drivers mistakes.  I had trucks spin in front of me three times and was able to drive past them without any contact with a lot of help from Trick who was spotting for me.

I ended up 5th at the end of the race and was pleased with my progress.  Bottom line is I need more laps and the longer the race, the better I get as long at the truck is set up well.

Octoberfest will probably be our last race of the year but there is a USST race at Nashville Fairgrounds that is a possibility.  Stay tuned.

Nick worked really long and hard to put the crate motor truck back together after I smacked the wall at Elko.  After Nick stayed up all night getting the truck ready we headed out Saturday morning for Marshfield.  Nick, a friend of his Rob, Pat Stair and I headed out for a new adventure.

I had  never been to Marshfield before and was excited to try a new track.  The officals at the track could not have been nicer.  Really great people that went out of their way to make us feel welcome.

We had the wrong gear in the truck for the first practice as we were running on the rev limiter in the middle of the straights.  Nick, Rob, and Trick worked feverishly to get the gear changed and tires sorted out.  Qualified 7th.  Started the fast truck heat on the outside of the first row.  I stayed outside for a lap or two and then the truck started to push in the center of the turns.  John Wood punted me pretty good when, according to John, I “backed up into him”.  (his way of saying he did not mean to punt me and I must admit I might have got on the brakes too much) 

After John pushed me out of the groove the entire field of six trucks got by.  I stayed up with the pack but the truck was still pushing.  Turns out we had a small cut in the tire and the pressure was going down on the right front.

With everything going on with practice and the heat race we were just guessing on set up for the race.  Started inside third row. 

Ended up finishing an uneventful 7th place. We were really happy the truck ran so well after all the damage it suffered at Elko.  Considering it was the first time at Marshfield I should be satisfied but the competitive side of me wants to do better.

Next race is an ASA event at Madison in Sept. then Octoberfest 2nd weekend of Oct.  USST has a big race at Nashville Fairgrounds end of October that should be the final race of the year.

Nick has both trucks at his shop where he is able to do his magic.

Andy Jirik is a great partner with me in Super Truck Racing.  He has a great attitude and a ton of knowledge.  I am very fortunate to reap the benefits of his abilities.  Andy drives the #83 truck and I drive the #63 truck. 

John Wood and Camden Murphy lead the field down to the green flag.

Running hard trying to find a way past Murphy.  Andy is right behind me.

Andy qualified on the Pole with a fast time 1/2 tenth faster than anyone else.  He really smoked ‘em and hung it out.  He started the feature 8th with the inverted grid and worked his way to the lead after a couple of cautions.  The set up did not stay as strong over the long run and Jerry Wood worked his way past Andy with about 15 laps to go.  Andy finished 2nd after leading more than half the race.  He really put a lot of work into the truck getting ready for this race so second was a disappointment even though he drove his butt off hanging on to second. 

Andy does not look too happy.  He worked long hours on the truck to make it more competitive but was just not enough to beat Wood.

Andy enjoyed some quality time with his friends in the pits after the race.  Jake Lodermeier, Hailee Boe, John Lodermeier, Coleson Boe, and Lauren Fredrickson cheered us all with their enthusiasm.

I started outside second row in my truck and it was handling fantastic!   The #63 truck looked good for the first couple of laps.

Then I got too aggressive and tried to muscle my way into the lead on the 3rd lap into the race but cut down the right front tire trying to pass Camden Murphy. 

#63 hits the wall while Andy drives by with the #83 truck.

With the tire deflated I went into the turn 3 wall at about 80 mph.  All my safety gear performed perfectly and I walked away with nothing more then a bruised ego.

Andy was very supportive as he has encouraged me to be more aggressive on the track.  He plans on getting everything put back together for Wausa in a couple of weeks.

It’s all about team work.  Andy Jirik (center) with his crew Nick (left) and Joe (right).  These guys are very passionate about racing and work very hard to make me and Andy FAST!

A fuel pump needed to be replaced on the 83 truck before the big race at Elko.

Pat Stair and I have done a lot of racing together over the years with his outstanding talents on race cars.  He helps out on the Super Truck, builds super strong motors, engineered our ChumpCar entry, and spots for me on the radio during the race.

A lot of our customers are racing fans so we promote the business whenever we are at the track.

Andy Jirik has been updating my Super Truck so we are heading out for our first race tonight at Madison.  Andy is going to drive my truck with the MidAm motor and I am going to drive his truck with the 604 crate motor.  Andy has had a lot of help from Nick and they have high expectations.  I am looking forward to driving the crate motor truck on  a short track.

UPDATE from the Track:

Andy could notmake the race due to business commitments.  The heat was stifling and made it tough for Pat and I to get the truck dialed in.  I messed up my qualifying run but finished 3rd in my heat. Started on the front row for the race but dropped back with a pretty bad push in the center of the corners. After a late race caution I was up to 4th but dropped back down to 6th at the finishe. 

I really enjoy this type of racing and ran door to door with Kyle Brinkman for several laps.  It is fun to race hard but clean with someone like Kyle.  Too bad all the drivers do not have his Class.

On to Elko next weekend.  Andy is already working on the truck.  I am excited.  And then we go Chumpcar racing at Brainerd the weekend after.

North Wilkesboro Speedway was shut down 8 years ago when Burton Smith bought up the track in order to get a Sprint Cup race for one of his bigger tracks.  The track has been idle until this year when some local racers made the effort to lease the track.  We jumped at the chance to race there for the last event of the year with the United States Super Trucks.

It was a long haul out there as both Pat and I were really busy with other commitments but I really pleaded with “Trick” and we set off on our North Carolina adventure.  300 race teams running seven divisions packed into the infield of the 5/8 mile track on Friday and it was a squeeze.  Two short practices were held on Friday afternoon on the bumpy old surface.  Pat had hit the gear just right so we worked on our set up.

Saturday morning we had to be there for a drivers meeting before the sun came up.  We had a quick practice and then one lap of qualifying.  After qualifying 11th Pat made a major change in the set up that proved to really give me what I needed to drive off the corner. 

The truck handled really well and I held position at the start but noticed the clutch was slipping.  As the race went on the truck handled even better so I started moving up.  Got up to 6th place at half way but then dropped back on a couple of cautions when the slipping clutch really hurt my on restarts.  Pain in the butt to get passed on the straight when Pat has such a good motor under the hood.

It was a blast.  Finished 8th but we were driving thru the corners with the leaders.  I really enjoy driving a fast race car so this was one of those moments that will be a sweet memory forever.

Pat’s brother came up from Charlotte and his nephew from further down in N. Carolina so he enjoyed some family time after the race.  It was a lot of work for just the two of us so we are going to need to recruit some crew for next year.  Any volunteers?

Now we just have to wait for next year.  It’s going to be a long cold winter.

“Trick” and I spent a lot of time getting ready for this race.  We went down to LaCrosse on Saturday the 2nd to practice and found a really good set up after running about 100 laps.  We went down again on Wed the 5th to check things out a little more and we ran lap times equal to the lap record so we were really pumped.

Andy came down to help on race day. The schedule offered very little practice and after just two laps one of the trucks oiled down the track.  The officials either did not see the oil or did not feel there was enough time to do anything about it.  Bottom line, practice was none excistent.

First heat I started on the pole.  Jumped out to a lead only to get dusted by Jerry Woods at the end of first lap.  Finished 2nd and not happy.  Started outside first row for the feature.  Ran second for a couple of laps.  Jerry Wood got inside of me and I raced him using the outside lane for a couple of laps.  When I got loose he and the eventual winner got by.  A couple of laps later I got loose again in turn 1 and John Wood got by.  Finished 5th.  The three of us were not happy.

In retrospect, part of the problem was we practiced in rather cool weather and race day was warm and sunny.  Lack of practice on race day contributed to the problem.  We just plain missed the set up.  Bummer, Octoberfest is a big deal that comes around once a year.

I feel like I let Trick and Andy down.  My driving got a little better as the race went on but on these short races you have to get right away and stay on the gas.

We are heading down to North Wilkesboro, North Carolina later this month with high hopes.  Stay tuned….

My son Josh put together some video from this season.  The driver views are from Elko in July and the rear view is from second Madison race this summer.

We ran at the Milwaukee Mile on July 17th with the United States Super Truck Series.

This was my first visit to the historic Mile and I really enjoyed the speed of the track.  Pat Stair worked hard all week to get the truck ready and Craig Furlong joined in for the trip to take care of the spotting duties.

We practiced on some pretty old tires and then improved significantly for qualifying on new tires earning the 4th starting position.  Ran 4th for most of the race and then 13 year old Camden Murphy ran me down and passed me so I finished 5th.  It’s kind of aggravating to get beat by such a young kid but bottom line they have no fear at all and I have no intention of finding the wall at over a 100 mph.

We will be racing there again in Sept and I can’t wait.  Pat and I have talked a lot already about how to improve our set up so we can go faster.  Next race for us will be at Marshfield with the ASA Midwest Tour later in August.

 

My first visit to Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids Iowa was on Friday June 11th. 

Fun track but really crowded pits made it a pain.  The weather was hot and humid which took a lot out of me and my crew.  I’ve asked my guys to add some more insulation to keep the truck from heating up so much.  The three of us looked like we had crossed a desert by the end of the night.

The ride down was a bit rough in Iowa.  Some of those Iowa roads could use some improvement, with a bulldozer!  We even blew a trailer tire and had to stop to  replace it.  Good thing we do enroute inspections.

I out qualified Conrad so that was kinda cool but we were a full half second behind John Wood.  John’s truck was really fast at Hawkeye so he won and his brother Jerry was 3rd.  Conrad finished 4th and I finished 6th. 

I really need to get on the gas sooner coming off the turns in order to pick up the pace and run with the leaders.   ”Trick” is working on some changes to help me so I am looking forward to doing better.

Next race is Madison on Friday July 2nd.  Second time at that track so I am looking to improve.  Then we will run Elko on Saturday July 3rd.