Hey everyone!

 This has been a long week of racing, which was like all racing adventures, like a roller coaster.

It all started in Lima Ohio. The track was a very wide very fast ½ mile. The straight-aways were hard packed with marble-like pebbles. Going into the corners was a downward slope into DEEEP limestone cushion. I really like to ride cushion ½ miles so I thought today would be a good day.

Practice started and we had almost no changes to make. Qualifying was the best it’s gone for me all year. I qualified 11th guaranteeing me a spot on the front row of the heat. (Again, another first)

The heat looked like it was going to be a sure thing but sure enough Murphy’s Law bit me in the butt. The straight-aways the bike felt like it was having ignition problems because the bike would just cut out and stop abruptly. I pulled in after getting passed by the whole field and we got to looking for the problem. We found that the back wheel was rubbing and somewhat wedged in the front of the swing arm.

I had last pick on the third row of the semi and only 4 transferred. I did all I could but could not advance far enough ending my night right there.

We drove all through the night to get to the Amateur Grand Nationals in Du Quoin Illinois. The mile was the first event and I felt strong. All went well through the practice. The heat was one of the most exciting I have ever had. I got a terrible start, but the Weirbach Racing 450 was powerful enough to bring me right back to the front pack. Toon, Chebultz, Springsteen, and I had a hard charging last few laps with a new leader every straight. We came out of turn 4, 3 wide. I was on the very outside and was being pushed closer and closer to the wall the closer we got to the start/finish. We came across the line after Chebultz, who was trailing out of 4 drafted for 1st. while I took 2nd just barley out horse powering the rest and getting a front row main starting spot.

By the mains holes that had been developing in turns 1 and 2 turned to huge dryslick holes. I had a great starting line pick but spun hard and was last off the line. On the mile a mistake like that is very hard to over come. I fell far enough behind the lead pack I could not draft back and ran the race by myself and finished 7th, 1 spot out of the money.

I took the next two races off, the TT and Short track. These two races were races that could put my weaker left knee in vulnerable positions. I raced again on Wednesday on the 1/2 mile.

All day I got faster and faster and taking third in my heat I got second row on the main but wasn’t sent to a semi. For the main we made a few changes that really paid off. I got a great start and by the first corner I was in the middle of the front row. I pretty much spent the whole race battling back and fourth with Jeffery Carver. With 5 laps left I made a pass that stuck and tried to run down 5th place but ran out of laps after just about closing in.

The next day was the super short “short track.” The pro singles class was ran the second half of the day after “group 2” 250’s and up, laid down a ton of rubber making for a very narrow very slippery short track. The event was ran in a matter of 2 ½ hours. I was in 6th place through the race until blowing turn 1-2 on the last lap and being passed twice. It was a bummer not making another money spot.

Were back in Iowa now and I will be training and working until Hagerstown MD on the 25.

Thanks for all your support. You truly make chasing my dreams possible. Happy 4th!!