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N.W. Racing News
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| Random Thoughts - Monday, August 25, 2008
Do you know anyone in a toxic relationship? You know the couple who break up and then get back together again, over and over, even though they would be better off without each other. That’s me and my race car. Everything is peaches and cream when we are running well. But after a crappy race I’m done. We unload the car on Saturday night and I don’t want anything to do with it ever again. Ask anyone in my family and they’ll tell you that I’m better off without it. But come about Tuesday, I give it a call and see if it wants to get together for coffee or maybe lunch. I promise, this time I’ll get it some new tires and the best gas. And no, those tires don’t make you look fat. And we try it again the next race.
You can tell how a car was running during the race by just looking at it after the race. If it has some minor front end and right side damage and nothing else, it was running strong and fighting its way to the front. A lot of rear and left side damage means it was in the way and getting pushed around. My car was side ways and in the way most of the race last Saturday. If I was in your way and you want to tell me about it, the line starts behind Daniel Moore and Jeff Holden.
I couldn’t get enough of the Olympics. I loved everything about the games but found the opening ceremonies interesting. When the athletes walked into the stadium, you could tell which part of the world they were from without first looking at their flags. I mean, the Asians looked like Asians; the Europeans looked like Europeans, etc. But when the Americans walked in, they looked like the leftovers from every other country in the world. Pretty cool…
Did you see Zaretzki’s victory burn-out last Saturday? Boy howdy.
Dan Boys returns from England to drive the #38 car for this weekend’s race. The Super Stocks have a double header this Saturday.
Sorry I haven’t had any new pictures on the web site lately, but I have misplaced my camera. |
| Dog Days of Summer - Monday, August 18, 2008
It’s an interesting situation running a Super Stock. We are a part of NASCAR and like to think that we are just a few steps away from the big leagues. And there are a few teams that have the resources to resemble a big time operation. In fact, there are a hand-full of Super Stock drivers who drive for a car owner. The drivers still work on the cars and have a very active role in the team, but don’t have the burden of paying all of the bills. For me, I’m apart of the other half. I both own and drive my car. As a car owner, I’m upset that my driver can’t wheel this car better than he is doing. As a driver, I’m upset that my car owner can’t give me a better car to drive.
At this point in the season, our car isn’t running as good as it should. So this last week we showed up with a totally different shock/spring package. After practice and the heat race, it was obvious that it wasn’t working and we changed everything back for the main. The car was much better, but the right front tire got a cut in it about half way through the race. The tire got just soft enough to start dragging the sway bar on the track in the turns. It was a frustrating day at the races in the dog days of summer. |
| Shocks - Wednesday, August 06, 2008
“Something has to be done.” I’ve herd this several times this season in reference to Naima Langs domination of the Evergreen Speedway Super Stocks. Ever since the 00 car showed up at the start of the season with shocks rumored to cost more than a create engine (or 2) and shrouded by covers so people walking by the car couldn’t see them, people started talking…”Something has to be done.”
I completely disagree. This is the premier racing series at Evergreen Speedway. These cars are Super Stocks, not street stocks, not bombers, not limited late-models.
Every year a team seems to have it all together and runs great. Two years ago it was Shane Harding, last year it was John Zaretzke. This year, Naima. If I can’t beat these guys, it means that I have to work harder to get to their level. I need to find more money or more experience or more luck. I don’t want a rules change to bring them down to my level. You’ve herd the saying: “I don’t want to belong to a club that would accept me as a member.” Well, I don’t want to race in a division where I’m the best. I want to strive to beat the best. I love the fact that we are able to compete with a 20 year-old chassis with hand-me-down shocks and a motor on it’s second season.
Updated Points After 13 Races
|
Car #
|
Driver
|
Points Back
|
National Ranking
|
|
00
|
Naima Lang
|
0
|
136
|
|
51
|
John Zaretzke
|
-18
|
234
|
|
34
|
James Mugge
|
-45
|
297
|
|
11
|
Mike Holden
|
-49
|
304
|
|
70
|
Jeff Knight
|
-57
|
325
|
|
06
|
Steve Ptacek
|
-86
|
391
|
|
48
|
Tom Hughs
|
-99
|
471
|
|
99
|
Scott LaCross
|
-127
|
|
|
16
|
Daniel Moore
|
-182
|
|
|
26
|
Michael Prudnick
|
-223
|
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| Washington 500 - Monday, July 28, 2008Really Naima? This is how it’s going to be? Really? Lap the whole field? Come on. Do you remember back when people would ask, “When will Naima get his first win?” Now I’ve heard more than one suggestion on what you can do with your bump-stops. Nice Race, Naima.
So anyway, Naima Lang wins the N. C. Machinery 150 Super Stock race that we ran on Saturday as part of the Washington 500. James Mugge, Jeff Holden, Tony Green and Jeff Knight round out the top five. Are you asking the same question I am….Who is Tony Green? He works for Rudeen Racing here in Monroe and has driven Super Late-Models at Irwindale Speedway in California. He raced Fred Hall’s #6 car on Saturday and had a great finish.
Next Saturday, the Super Stocks will race two 50 lap races to make up for a rain-out earlier this year.
Updated Points Standing
|
Car #
|
Driver
|
Points Back
|
National Ranking
|
|
00
|
Naima Lang
|
0
|
172
|
|
51
|
John Zaretzke
|
-18
|
281
|
|
11
|
Mike Holden
|
-41
|
343
|
|
70
|
Jeff Knight
|
-46
|
349
|
|
34
|
James Mugge
|
-47
|
370
|
|
06
|
Steve Ptacek
|
-82
|
454
|
|
48
|
Tom Hughs
|
-84
|
485
|
|
99
|
Scott LaCross
|
-120
|
|
|
16
|
Danial Moore
|
-164
|
|
|
26
|
Michael Prudnick
|
-212
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| Season Heats Up... - Wednesday, July 16, 2008Things are getting very interesting. Even though Naima Lang dominated the first half of the season, he wasn’t able to shake John Zaretzke in the points. And as the second half of the season begins, something has ignited Zaretzke as he finds his first win of the season and trails Naima by only four points in the standings. With all due respect to the other drivers in the top 5, this season’s champion will be either Lang or Zaretzke. But the battle for third is getting very interesting as well. Only 12 points separate fifth place James Mugge from third place Mike Holden with Jeff Knight between them. Jeff Knight mentions in his blog that the racing is getting more aggressive as drivers fight for that next position to get that extra point or two. I have to agree with him…I gave and received some paint last week. I had some red and yellow and blue paint rubbed on the car. I have to apologize to Scott LaCross; I punted him pretty hard going into turn 1 near the start of the race. Sorry Scott. Our next race is July 26th on the 5/8 track for 150 laps.
Here is the current top 10 in points. Also, NASCAR ranks the top 500 drivers from all of the NASCAR home tracks from across the U.S. and Canada. Evergreen Speedway has 7 Super Stock drivers in the top 500. I've listed our driver's national rankings...
|
Car#
|
Driver
|
Points Back
|
National Ranking
|
| 00 |
Naima Lang |
0
|
165
|
| 51 |
John Zaretzke |
-4
|
214
|
| 11 |
Mike Holden |
-34
|
294
|
| 70 |
Jeff Knight |
-42
|
322
|
| 34 |
James Mugge |
-46
|
371
|
| 06 |
Steve Ptacek |
-69
|
400
|
| 48 |
Tom Hughs |
-79
|
481
|
| 99 |
Scott LaCross |
-110
|
|
| 16 |
Daniel Moore |
-155
|
|
| 26 |
Michael Prudnick |
-196
|
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|
| Sea Gals - Friday, July 11, 2008
N C Machinery celebrated the opening of their new Monroe, Washington store with an open house on Friday, July 11. We were honored to help with the open house by displaying the #48 car along with Fred Hall’s #6 car. The folks at N C Machinery treated us to a great BBQ lunch and an appearance from the Sea Gals.
|
| Mid-Season - Sunday, June 29, 2008Saturday marked the half-way point of the season with our first race of the year on the big 5/8 mile track. Jason Frasier came to race at Evergreen for the second time this year and stole a win from Naima Lang and the other Evergreen regulars making up the 18 car field for the 75 lap race. The top five were Frasier, Lang, Kelly Mann, John Zaretzke and Tom Barrow. Our team is celebrating a small victory: for the first time in a month, both cars are back in the shop without any race damage. I finished on the lead lap in 9th. Although its not as good as we would like, I’ll take it considering that I don’t really like racing on the bigger track and usually don’t finish very well. Tom Matthew drove his #38 car for the first time this year and finished 11th.
Here is the current top 10 in points:
|
Car Number
|
Name |
Points Back |
|
00
|
Naima Lang |
0 |
|
51
|
John Zaretzke |
-7 |
|
11
|
Mike Holden |
-22 |
|
70
|
Jeff Knight |
-41 |
|
34
|
James Mugee |
-42 |
|
06
|
Steve Ptacek |
-67 |
|
48
|
Tom Hughs |
-73 |
|
99
|
Scott LaCross |
-99 |
|
16
|
Daniel Moore |
-144 |
|
12
|
Jeff Holden |
-178 |
Our next Super Stock race isn't untill July 12th. We will start the second half of the season back on the 3/8 mile track. Then back on the big track on July 26th for 125 laps. Have a great Fourth of July!!! |
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