February 28, 2008 Our last race weekend in Salem was Feb 15th - 17th, with the 2nd annual King of the West race being on Feb 15th & the last two regular points races on the 16th & 17th. On the 18th, we lost Grandpa Julius.  It was very unexpected.  However, we KNOW he is in Heaven with the Lord waiting for us some day.  Since he had a triple bypass in Portland on Feb 4th, he was still in the early stages of recovery and couldn't be at the last race of the season.  At least he got to hear the good news of how the boys did.  Zack won the King of the West race for the Open Intermediate class, as well as winning the season championship for his class.  Check out the videos above.  Josh came in 2nd for the 5hp Intermediates for this season.   Congrats to Bricen James, who won the championship for the 5hp Intermediates.  Despite a couple of set-backs this season, the boys did awesome!  We can't thank our sponsors enough:  To Rod at Rocketboy Racing:  You're a great friend and an amazing supporter of our team.  Thank you so much.  LOVE THOSE ROCKETBOY TIRES!!  To Kris at Oakway Fitness Center:  Thanks to your support, the boys were able to finish their season in Salem. We couldn't have done it without you!  To John at Performance Karts & Parts:  Thanks so much for always having what we need and at a good price.  This is an expensive sport!  If we're fortunate enough to have sufficient sponsorship, it looks like Zack is going to be driving in the All American Street Stocks class in Cottage Grove this coming summer season.  So, he's going to have to start spending some time at Oakway Fitness Center pumping up those arms!  Driving an actual race car is a lot different than what he's used to!  We've got a 1991 Camaro Z28 that we will soon be converting for the class.  Come out to the Grove and watch!  And, the most important thing to do, pray that his mother can stand to watch! January 24, 2008 Well, racing went much, much better this time than it did last month.  Zack was able to re-gain the point lead (not by much, however; it's still anybody's championship).  Josh had issues with his kart (flat tire, clutch slipping, pushing through the corners), but he is still in 2nd place.  All in all, it was a good race weekend.  The Rocketboy tires definitely did their job on Zack's kart.  Check out the video above dated January 20, 2008.  All I can say is, 'WOW'!  Those tires are amazing.   Combined with the talent behind the wheel, look out!  That was an awesome race! One more weekend in the 2007/2008 winter season.  The King of the West race is on February 15th, with the last scheduled points races on February 16th & 17th.  Good luck to all. December 3, 2007 About the weekend's racing in Salem, no comment.  Well, okay, maybe one comment.  Basically, other than the fact that the boys didn't get hurt (which is the most important thing) and the karts rolled into the trailer mostly in one piece, if it could go wrong this weekend, it did.  I could go on and on, but I won't.  I guess everybody has to have race weekends like this once in a while.  We'll just fix what needs fixing and go on to the next weekend of racing in Salem on January 19th and 20th, hopefully with better results. November 12, 2007 We were blessed with sponsorship for the first race weekend in Salem.  Thanks so much to Rod Nicholson of Nicholson & Sons Construction!  Your support meant so much to us; especially the boys, of course.  Josh and Zack had a great day Saturday.  They each came home with a heat race win, a 2nd place heat finish, and each won their main events!  It was good to see again.  It's been a while! Sunday's show was good as well.  It just took considerably longer because there were micros, quads, etc. all racing as well.   That's fine.  People just have to be a little more patient and understand it's going to take longer than normal.  There are only so many track officials, etc.   Josh started his first heat and ended up tangled up with another kart, so he was one of two that went to the back to re-start.   He was flying around that track, passing karts when he went into turns 3 & 4 a little too fast, and spun by himself in the middle of the turn.  He got passed by a couple of karts before he got going again, and was able to make it back up to finish 3rd.  He did awesome.  His second heat race went well.  He finished 2nd.  He waited in his kart for a LONG time for his main to start.   One reason is because there were 20+ classes racing that day, but also because one of the quad racers wrecked on the track and had to be taken in the ambulance.  I guess she had broken her neck at one time before and has pins in her neck.   The EMT who was there said if that was the case, then she needed to go to the hospital.  I haven't heard any updates, but we'll be praying for her.  Her name is Melina Finscher (sp?) if you'd like to keep her in your prayers as well.  Anyway, because it took so long for Josh's class to get out for their main, Josh fell asleep in his kart.  Just before he went out, Ron woke him up, and off he went.  He definitely wasn't sleeping on the track.  It was like his little nap refreshed him, because he was on fire!   He started on the outside of the front row, right next to who we've determined is probably his biggest competition (Bricen James).  He was able to get the hole shot, and never looked back.  All in all, a great weekend for Josh.  Especially considering that it was his first race weekend with his 5hp Intermediate motor on (much more power than his pee wee motor). Zack won his first heat on Sunday.  Because he started in the front of his first heat, he started in the back of his second heat.   He was going along fine and was about to pass Chris Starr in the middle of turns 1 & 2 when Chris cut the corner a little too sharp, went into the infield, and came back out again onto the track right into Zack.  I'm sure it wasn't on purpose; just a mistake.  They all make them; just frustrating when it happens to you!  This put Zack to the back for the re-start since he stopped on the track.  Zack was making up positions when another kart took him out in turns 3 & 4.  Also, just another mistake.  Thanks very much to the owner for the apology, by the way.  Not many people do that when they make a mistake out there.  However, this wasn't good, because if you stop on the track bringing out the caution twice in a heat race, you're done for that race.  So, Zack ended that race in 5th.  He started on the outside of the 2nd row for his main.  There was a field of 12 karts.  The #65N of Nick Tomlinson spun early and brought out the first caution.  On the re-start, the #12X (who started directly behind the leader) had engine trouble and didn't take off when everyone else did.  10 of the 12 karts piled up.  That was NOT good.  So, for this re-start, Zack started 9th instead of his 4th place original position.  By the time of the next caution, he had made it back up to 7th, and then back up to 3rd before the checkered flag came out.  He did great, and I feel could have caught the other two as well if there were a few more laps.  Oh, well.........when you don't win, it's always, 'If only there were a few more laps!'  Congrats to Nick Tomlinson for keeping his nose clean in that big pile-up and going on for the win.  Sometimes starting in the back of the field turns out to be a good thing.  It helps to avoid the mid-pack pile-ups! The next races are scheduled for Dec 1st & 2nd in Salem.  We'd really like to be there.  We just need more sponsors! October 15, 2007 Yayyy!  The laptop is back!  It's been gone for 1 1/2 months.  Just to update everyone, Josh won the 2007 Cottage Grove Speedway championship for the Pee Wee class, and Zack came in 2nd for the Open Intermediate class.  It was a great season, especially considering the ups & downs we had. If we are able to obtain adequate sponsorship, we're planning to race in Salem this winter and possibly a couple of races in Roseburg as well.  Check the Scheduled Races page to see the complete schedules for both places. August 26, 2007 Josh's night was pretty uneventful, even though Marv Durham was there (ha ha).  We always tease Marv that every time he comes to watch the boys, Josh gets flipped.  Josh got 2nd in all of his races giving him a little bit of cushion in the points lead for his class.  Great job, Josh! Zack's class was the biggest class with 13 karts.  He got a 3rd place finish in his first heat, a 2nd place finish in his 2nd heat, but because of his pill draw, that didn't put him in the trophy dash.  So, he started on the inside of the 3rd row of the main.  He got a great start and was in the 3rd place position by the first corner.  He rode around the outside the whole race making an outside groove.  Those Rocketboy tires gripped the track well until he went to the outside of the 2nd place kart to pass him and was pushed up into the marbles.  Then there was no getting any grip no matter what.  He got freight-trained by a few karts until he got back in the groove in 7th place.  Then there was a caution flag for a kart that spun out.  On the re-start, Zack was able to get up to a 5th place finish.  Not too bad out of all those karts.  He's still just 3 points out of 2nd place with 2 more points races to go in the season. Thanks so much for all the help from our good friend, Marv Durham.  Ron would've had a hard time getting Zack all strapped in & ready for his races since Josh's races were always just before Zack's.  Also, thanks to the grandparents who came to support the boys.  They really do appreciate you coming, and so do we. We are actively searching for sponsorship.  Rio Communications support has been invaluable this past year, but unfortunately has changed leadership and will not be continuing in the coming year.  If you know anyone who would like to sponsor a winning team, let us know, or pass our website along to them!  Looking forward to seeing everyone at the track on Sept 7th! July 31, 2007 Well, without getting into all of the details, Sunday was a very up & down emotional day.  Our tow rig broke down at the top of Sutherlin hill at 7:00 a.m.  We limped it into Roseburg, borrowed a pickup (which seated 3 of us).  Zack rode to the track in Myrtle Point with the Perrys.  After a long, very dusty day, Zack & Josh each earned enough points to win their championships!  Josh won for the Pee Wee class by just 3 points.  Zack won for the Jr 500 class by 8 points.  Congratulations to ALL who participated.  You were ALL great competitors!  A HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED TO MAKE THIS SERIES HAPPEN!  I can't imagine the hard work that went into this. ALSO, WE CAN'T THANK OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS SERIES ENOUGH!  Thanks so much for all of your support:  Rio Communications and Rocketboy Racing.  We couldn't have done this without you! To Grandpa and the Perry family:  Thank you so much for the use of your vehicles.  You saved us!  Rick & Kim let us drive their truck home while ours is in the shop.  Rick, like I told you today, I've only let the kids eat 6 times in your truck (just greasy french fries & milkshakes with no lids). We still have 3 races left in the season at Cottage Grove.  Hope to see you all at the track! July 23, 2007 Let's see.....Josh did great in his first heat race starting from the back and getting a 3rd place finishing position.  Since he started in the back for the first race, the second heat was inverted, putting him on the pole.  What would normally be considered the best position to start in, didn't end up that way.  He stepped on the gas, and his clutch died.  He was still able to finish, and not too badly, really.....he got a 4th place in that race.  Ron was able to use the clutch from another motor to get him out for the main.  Josh started on the inside second row in the 3rd position.  The front two karts got tangled up a bit, so Josh and the kart on the outside second row went around them on the outside.  The karts that got together didn't stop, so it wasn't enough to cause a yellow flag.  Everyone kept going.  Josh was able to get the lead.  In traffic, however, Bennett Bray went to the inside, while Josh went to the outside to get around other karts.  Then Josh dove down to the bottom at the same time that the #007 of Tyler Kirkpatrick came flying back onto the track from the infield.  Josh went flipping.  He did finish the main; not as well as he was on track to do, but at least he wasn't hurt.  He re-started in the back, and made his way up to 5th before the checkered flag flew. Zack started his first heat in the back and got a 4th place finish.  He started his second heat on the pole and won the race.   This should've put him on the outside second row to start the main event, but the kart that was supposed to start on the outside front row went to the back, because his kart kept stalling.  This moved Zack up to the front, which is where he stayed the whole race.  It wasn't easy, however.  Brody Pompe, the first place driver, was fast, and so was Seth Nunes, the third place driver on Zack's tail the whole race.  Kudos to the Nunes family for coaching their driver how to drive a clean race.  He could have easily taken Zack out at any time, but he didn't (and we knew he wouldn't).  It's a pleasure to race with you guys!  Zack got a hard-fought 2nd place finish in the main.  He did a great job.  It was a good points night for him. On to Myrtle Point next Sunday, July 29th, for the last race in the Northwest Outlaw Kart Series. July 8, 2007 Well, it was a long, very hot day in Lebanon...........but also a good day.  Josh went out for his first heat race and made it to the front quickly.  He was doing great.  He came up to lap a kart, was completely under him, and the other kart turned down onto Josh turning him over onto his side.  It was hard to tell from where we were standing if that is actually how it happened, but the flagger said that's exactly what happened.  And then, the flagger did something I've NEVER seen before.......he put Josh back into his first  place position!  Ron said, "But he was involved in the yellow flag."  The flagger told Ron he didn't care; that he was putting him back into his position since it wasn't his fault. Ron said, "Are you sure?"  He responded affirmatively.   So, that's where Josh re-started.  He took off and won the first heat.  He went out for his second heat and did awesome getting a 2nd place finish.  Although, that was the strangest finish anyone's ever seen.  It finished under yellow without as much as a white flag.......just a few caution laps, and then all of a sudden, the checkered flag was thrown.  Ohhkaaayyy...... weird!  He started on the pole for his main event and was doing great.  He went to lap that same kart from the first heat race, and the same thing happened, except he didn't get turned over this time.  However, it did knock the chain off of Josh's kart, and bent the sprocket.  This time Josh re-started in the rear of the field.  They took the green, and Josh had passed three karts by the first turn.  A few more laps, and he was able to get back up to finish second.  He was flying!  Great job, Josh! Zack started mid-pack all day.  He went out for his first heat, and was doing good until he had nowhere to go when a couple of other karts got together in front of him. The recipient of the first kart's mistake slid up the track in front of Zack.  Trying to avoid him, Zack slid up off the track.  The line-up for the re-start got messed up somehow.  Then Zack literally got driven over by another kart starting him in the back of the field again.  He ended that race in 7th place out of 11; pretty good considering the yellows.  In his second heat, he avoided an early caution and was able to get 4th place out of 11.  On to the main.......... Zack started on the inside of the 3rd row in 5th position.  He did awesome ending the day in 3rd place, which was especially good since he said his throttle was sticking open, and we discovered that his left rear tire was cut (obviously from an earlier altercation).  By the time he got back to the pits, it was almost totally flat.  I'd say a 3rd place out of 11 under those circumstances is amazing!  Good job, boys! Thanks so much to our friend, Marv Durham, who came to support the boys, and once again, to Rocketboy Racing for their tire sponsorship.  A tire-eating track like Lebanon was no match for the Rocketboy tires! The next race is July 20th in Cottage Grove.  See everyone there! June 30, 2007 We've been without our computer for a while, so I'm just now getting to update the site from the last 3 races (June 22nd in Cottage Grove, June 24th in Roseburg, and June 29th in Medford).   Without trying to remember all the details, in Cottage Grove, Josh got three 2nd place finishes.  Zack got a 2nd, a 1st, and a 4th place finish in the main.  Ron said he had adjusted the air pressure too much when he saw them watering the track before the main.  Zack just couldn't get the grip he needed.  Josh is still in 1st place, and Zack is now in 3rd.  He's still got time to improve his position.  There are several more races left. In Roseburg, it was the first of the Northwest Outlaw Kart Series races.  Josh won his trophy dash, and got 2nd place in his heat as well as his main event.  Great effort, Josh!  Zack also won his trophy dash and then took a 2nd place finish in his heat.  In his main, he started in 4th place and was in 2nd place by turn 2 of the first lap!  He was looking awesome and battling for the first place position when the muffler bolts fell out.  Ron got him back out on the track, but it was short-lived.  It fell apart again.  That ended the day for us.  Zack ended up with a 7th place finish.  Josh is starting this series in 2nd place.   Zack is tied for 5th. Medford was the 2nd race in the Northwest Outlaw Kart Series.  Josh did great getting a 2nd in his heat race and a 3rd place finish in his main.  Zack won his trophy dash, got a 3rd place finish in his heat, and was chasing down some fast karts after making it 3-wide in turns 3 & 4 and getting punted into the wall, when the ground wire broke ending his night. Zack was disappointed to say the least.  I had made the comment to him, "At least we're not going home wrecked like last time."  He said, "Worse.......I didn't even finish."  Obviously, that's not worse.  It's a minor fix that Ron can take care of, but he wouldn't have been able to do it in time to get him back out on the track to finish that race. Oh, well!  That's racing.  Sometimes everything seems to be going your way, and then it seems like bad luck is following you.   At least no one got hurt.  Let's hope the worst is over.  On to the 3rd race in the series July 8th in Lebanon. Thanks to everyone who came to watch the boys---Grandpa Ron and Grandma Carol from Wyoming, Aunt Becky and cousins Brina and Kenny, Grandpa Julius and Grammy Pam, and Ron Strubel and his girlfriend, Lisa.  It was great to see you all.   A BIG THANK YOU to our tire sponsor, Rocketboy Racing.  Zack loved those tires! June 17, 2007 It was a good night of racing in Medford, although not without it's glitches (as you can tell from the picture of Zack's kart up above).  I'll get to that, but first I'll start with the boys' qualifying efforts.  They did awesome, especially considering it's the first time either of them had been on the track.  Actually, Zack has raced there once, but it was years ago.  Josh timed in 5th out of a 14 kart field for his class.  Zack qualified 2nd in a class of 7 karts.  Click here for details in the Novice class for Josh and the Jr 500 class for Zack. Josh went out for his heat race, started in the back, and made his way up to finish in 2nd place.  Since his qualifying time was just out of the trophy dash range, he just had one more race--his main event.  He started in 6th place, gave it all he had and finished in 4th.  Later, I found out Ron had made an adjustment to his carburetor, and it wasn't giving Josh all the power it normally does---oops!  That's okay.  He still did great. Zack started on the outside pole right next to Seth Nunes for his heat race, and won!  Good job, Zack!  He then went out for his trophy dash with the intention to just check out a couple different lines to try to find the best one for the main event.  He got a 2nd place finish in that race.  On to the main.........Zack started in 6th place since the whole field was inverted.  After an initial false start, they lined up for the re-start.  It was weird......the whole inside line seemed to be asleep for the re-start, while the outside line just took off  (The video above doesn't show the initial start.).  By the time they reached the first and second turns, Zack was in 3rd place and looking great.  When they came around turn 4, Bradley Shubin had spun and was stopped.   The 2nd place driver, Parker Jones, barely made it by him, but Zack had nowhere to go & hit him full throttle.  That impact is what caused the damage shown above and the reason for the kart's new nick-name (Puggy).  The poor thing looks like a pug dog!  Even with that hard of an impact, as far as we know, they were both uninjured (although Zack was complaining today of his neck being sore).  Oh, well.........that's racing sometimes.  Like I posted on the message board, it's nothing money won't fix (as if we had some!).  While Bradley was done for the night, Zack went on to contend for the lead at one point (before he hit some radiator water dropped on the track from another kart) and went sliding off of the turn 4 burm.  That put him to the back again, but he immediately made his way into 3rd, where he finally finished the night.  Ron asked him how the kart handled after the crash.  He replied, "It was better!"  We're just so thankful everyone was okay.  Without the proper safety equipment, it could have been so much worse.  The Hutchens device did it's job.  That was money well spent! A big thanks to Rod Moses of Rocketboy Racing for the offer to sponsor tires.  We will do everything possible to represent Rocketboy well!  Tires can be a big expense for a race team.  Thank you so much! If you've recently checked the Scheduled Races page, you've seen that our next race is this coming Friday (6/22) in Cottage Grove.  Then we're off to the first race of the Northwest Outlaw Kart Series in Roseburg, Oregon on Sunday, June 24th, with the following Friday (6/29) in Medford again.  It will be a busy couple of weeks. Hope to see everyone at the tracks! June 10, 2007 What a great night at the track!  We arrived to find that the new kart track had been cut into the big car pit area.  It was nice and wide; lots of passing/racing room.  Josh went out and won his first heat.  After starting 5th in his second heat, he made some good moves and ended the race in 3rd.  Then he went out for his trophy dash and got a 2nd place finish, which lined him up on the outside of the front row for his main event.  After battling for a few laps, he chose the outside line and was able to get around the 4D of Cooper Desbiens to hold on for the win.  He's now in first place for points in his class.  Good job, Josh! Zack's class, the Open Intermediates, had a pretty good kart count.  There were 8 karts.  Zack started in 6th position for his first heat.  There were several very experienced drivers in his class, but that didn't seem to intimidate him at all.  He got a 3rd place finish in that race.  Then he went out for his second heat and won.  The trophy dash got lined up, minus the 5D of Patrick Dills who was repairing some damage from an earlier altercation with another kart.  Zack won that race, which put him on the pole for the main event.  After several yellow flags and almost getting overtaken by the 45 of Jeff Rivers, he was able to get his first main event win in the Open Intermediate class!  He did awesome, jumping from 4th place in points to 2nd. After that race, it was brought to our attention that we really need to get him down to race in Medford.  Since the racing funds are very limited, we hadn't planned to go down there until June 29th for the Northwest Outlaw Kart Series race.  However, we also realize that it would be a good idea to get the boys at least one night of racing in Medford before the race on the 29th, so that it's not their first night on the track.  Sooooo, I guess we're off to Medford on June 15th. This will be what we consider a step of faith financially.  God will provide what we need.  He has already provided a place for us to stay.  Thanks so much to the Earles for offering the motorhome.  We're just an average racing family like most everyone else in this expensive sport! We look forward to seeing everyone in Medford! May 11, 2007 We were finally able to race last night!  Josh went out for his first heat race and did great coming in 2nd out of a field of 6.  He got the same results in his second heat, even coming from the back.  They decided to run trophy dashes to line up the first two rows of the main.  The four karts with the best finishes from the heats made up the field for the dash.  Josh was passing a kart on the outside for 3rd, but was taken out.  He didn't have time to re-pass before the checkered flag came out, so he got a 4th place finish in that race, which meant he would start on the outside 2nd row in the main.  Josh did a great job in his main event, and came in 3rd.  The top 3 finishers in this class were teched immediately after the race to make sure they all had the correct restrictor plate in.  KUDOS TO THE COTTAGE GROVE SPEEDWAY FOR TRYING TO KEEP EVERYONE HONEST!   THANK YOU! Zack's first heat race was eventful.  Sami Frese got sideways right in front of him on the start.  He just barely missed her, but other karts coming up behind him were not so fortunate.  Since I was video taping Zack and he was able to get around her, I didn't get to see exactly what happened after her spin, or even who all was involved.  However, from what I understand, Sami was hit pretty hard by one or more karts.  She smacked her arm hard.  She went to the hospital for x-rays, and thankfully, nothing was broken;"just badly bruised & pulled" according to Dan.  I was in the flag stand, so I had a good view of her actual spin in front of Zack, but I got to thinking, if others didn't have as good of a view, it may have appeared as though Zack had gotten into the back of Sami, causing her to spin.  He didn't touch her, and I wanted to make sure Sami & her family didn't have the wrong idea.  I talked to Dan about it.  He was fine with everything.  Ron said he talked to Dan later, and Dan had told him Sami said she did it all on her own.  Whew!!  Don't want people thinking the wrong thing about the boys' driving.   Purposeful rough driving is absolutely not tolerated on our team.  After a few more cautions, Zack went on to win his first heat race.  He went out for his 2nd heat, and during a caution he suddenly spun into the infield on the backstretch.  A bolt had come out on the right front tie rod.  The only thing we could figure was that when he was wheel-hopped by another kart during a previous caution, it was enough of a jolt to loosen that bolt. That took him out of the race, and thus the trophy dash, but Ron was able to fix it enough to make it out for the main event.  After 9 CAUTIONS, Zack crossed the finish line in 4th out of a 9 kart starting grid.  He had a great battle the whole race with Colin Baker who took 3rd.  It was good, clean racing. Josh is starting the Pee Wee season in 2nd place.  Zack is 4th in the Open Intermediate class.  To see the current points standings & race results, click on the message board link above. The next Cottage Grove race is scheduled for June 8th.  See ya at the track! April 18, 2007 Well, as happens at the beginning of every summer season, mother nature is not cooperating.  Our first scheduled race for the Cottage Grove season was rained out (April 13, 2007).  Hopefully, we don't have a whole string of rain-outs like we did last year.  That was awful!   March 4, 2007 Update on the King of the West race from last week:  Josh won for the Pee Wee class!  We thought he came in second.   As it turns out, they were running two different classes together, but were scoring them separately.  Josh was the first Pee Wee to cross the line.  Great job, Josh! March 1, 2007 Well, it was wet, cold, and miserable...........basically, winter racing in Oregon (at least, sometimes).  Josh went out for his first heat race, and his steering wheel came off.  He was somehow able to keep it off the concrete wall, thank goodness.  When they restarted him, his motor was making a high-pitched sound, so Ron pulled him off the track thinking it was the clutch.  As it turns out, it was a minor starter issue.  He could have stayed out on the track.  Oh, well.  Better to be safe than sorry.  His second heat and main event went great.  We've never seen him drive better.  He didn't end up winning either one, but he did come in second in both after passing so many karts.  He did awesome!  He is getting better all the time.  It's like all of a sudden, any trepidation he may have had before is long gone. Zack went out for his first heat race and was doing a good job until a kart got sideways right in front of him and clipped his front end on the last corner of the last lap.  He had nowhere to go.  He ended that race in last place after that.  He did great in his second heat race, especially considering the setup problems we've been having since Ron put the 500cc motor on.  He's been making slight changes trying to loosen the kart up, and has come to the conclusion that he'll have to make some drastic changes to make it really loose and then adjust in from there.  Zack got a 3rd place finish in the second heat.  He started in 9th place in the B-main, had worked his way up to 6th at one point just by keeping his nose clean (avoiding wrecks).   However, the dreaded last corner of the last lap got him again.  There was a wreck in front of him with a couple karts.  He was right on them, and once again, had nowhere to go.  He finished 10th out of 11. Moving into the 500cc class will definitely prove to be a humbling experience for Zack.  We don't want to discourage him from striving for the win, but he has already discovered the competition is so much more intense at this level, that he can't expect to win every time he goes out on the track.  It's actually a positive thing. It's good for him, and will make him an even more conscientious driver in the long run. Thanks so much to our sponsor for this race, Rutherford Insurance Agency.  It is greatly appreciated. February 19, 2007 It was another great weekend of racing in Roseburg.  Did I say Roseburg?  I told Adam Nelson (our track promoter) it was like a "little Daytona".  It was HUGE!  The kids loved it.  The weekend was not without it's "teachable moments" we as parents seem to get once in a while, however.  Josh learned the hard way what "jumping the start" means, and why it's not okay to do.  In the first race that he did it in, he was warned by the flagman with the rolled up black flag & was told to stay in line behind the other kart.  He was fine the rest of the night.  It was like his memory was erased while he slept that night, because he did it again on Sunday in his heat race!  However, we had a different flagman that day.  He definitely should have re- started that race, but didn't.  Josh went on to win that race, which was his second win of the weekend, since he also won his heat race on Saturday night.  Immediately after the race, we talked to Josh reminding him of the rules.  He promptly went over to Cooper and apologized, and they're buddies again.  The videos will be uploaded very soon.  Check back to watch.  Since Sunday was a "play day" and not for points, Adam announced over the loud speaker that the Pee Wee class didn't have to run restrictor plates in their motors.  That cut down almost a full half second off of Josh's time.  He was able to qualify 4th, which would have put him in the trophy dash, but there weren't any dashes that day!  He was a little bummed, but got over it quickly.  In place of the trophy dashes, we had the Championship presentation for each class.  Josh ended the season in 6th place, just 4 points out of 5th place.  Pictures will also be uploaded the same time as videos. Zack won the season championship for the 125cc class for the 2nd consecutive Roseburg season!  He went into the night on Saturday with the mindset that all he had to do was start each race to get the championship.  I guess he must have figured the pressure was off, because his driving style that night showed it!  (Not pressure from his parents, I promise you.  He puts the pressure on himself!).  He said he knew all that had to be done and didn't want anything to happen to the kart for Sunday since his dad would be putting the 500cc engine on the kart that night for the next day (since it wasn't for points).  He did, however, set the fast time of the night in his class at 8.595, which we thought he should at least be somewhat proud of on that huge track.  Although, he wasn't the only one in the 8 second range.  Marena, Marissa, Parker, Ty, Logan, & Tanner also had 8 second times.  Great job, everyone.  Zack ended Saturday night with a 4th, 6th, and 9th place.  Uncharacteristic, but he's no more perfect that anyone else. When we got to the track Sunday, Ron discovered the water pump seals were leaking on the 500 he had put on the night before after racing the 125.  They were just seeping, so Ron told Zack what to watch for in the races to prevent any damage to the motor.  It was never a problem.  However, when he went out to hot lap, a kart spun in front of him.  He tried to avoid him, but tagged the back of that kart, bending the steering arm.  Zack qualified 11th out of 14 with an 8.698.  That's right.... 11th place in the 500cc class is almost faster than the fastest time in the 125cc class!  This class is by far the most competitive (and much to his mother's dismay, the most aggressive).  David Lyons got the fast time in the 500cc class with an 8.335.  Good job, David.  Zack's time put him in the B main.  The 1st and 2nd place karts from the B move up to start in the back of the A main.  Zack won the B!  While he started on the pole, he still did a great job having very little experience driving the 500.  No one was really catching him.  The kart seemed to be set up perfect for that race, even with the bent steering arm.  He and Ryan Fullerton moved up to the back of the A main.  By the time this race started, the track had changed enough that the #3 right rear tire we had been running, was most definitely NOT the way to go.  We should've changed to a #5, or at least put more air in it so it wouldn't grip the track so much.  The kart just wouldn't handle right no matter what he did.  He was up to 6th place at one point (out of 10), but because the kart wouldn't cooperate, he was worn out.  He ended the race in 8th place. That's okay, though.  He got some more seat time, kept his nose clean in the A main avoiding crashes and spins, and we learned what NOT to run with this motor.  The tire we had on the right rear had lasted the entire season in the 125cc class with almost no wear at all.  After one day in the 500cc class, the tire is done; worn almost completely down.  Oh, goodie....... now we need a tire sponsor! Speaking of sponsors, we would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our sponsors this year.  First of all, Rio Communications.  Once again, without your support this past year, the boys would not have even been out on the track, let alone winning races and championships.  Thanks also to Rutherford Insurance Agency, Monett Logging, Oakway Fitness Center, and Automotive Sheetmetal.  In the numerous ways you've each helped our team, we can't tell you how much it has been appreciated.  Unfortunately, the high costs associated with this sport are more than we (like most others) can afford.  You have all been a God-send.  What a blessing.   Hopefully, the boys have made you all proud to sponsor them, and they will be able to count on your continued support in the up-coming season.  It's just around the corner, starting in April 2007.  Thanks again, and keep checking the site for updates.  Thanks to Rutherford Insurance Agency, the boys will be racing this Saturday, February 24th, in the King of the West race in Salem, Oregon.  By the way, Brad Schaffer, didn't I tell you in last week's post it was your fault the boys didn't win that night since you weren't in attendance?  See what happens when you're there?  You're good luck for them! February 11, 2007 Hmmm.........what to say about last night......Well, we collectively decided that since Brad Schaffer wasn't there, we could blame it on him that the boys didn't win last night!  Ha! Josh qualified 5th again last night, and this time, was very discouraged.  He wants to be in the trophy dash again so badly.  I explained to him that even though he qualified 5th, he still got a faster time than he's ever gotten.  He's gone from almost 13 seconds at the beginning of the season down to a 10.468 last night.  He has really improved.  He was feeling a little better about the whole thing after that.  His time put him in the fast heat where he got a 4th place finish out of 6.  After the chaos of the night, Josh ended his main event in 6th place out of 8. Almost every kart in Zack's class qualified in the 8 second range!  It was a fast track last night (and thought to be slightly shorter than normal.......who knows).  Zack was able to set a new record with an 8.421!  He took 3rd in the trophy dash, 3rd in his heat race, and had the main event won several times after a great battle with Parker Jones, until they came up on a lapped car that made a mistake right in front of them on the last lap.  That sent both Parker & Zack to the infield.  Before they were able to get back out on the track, the 3rd & 4th place karts passed by them.  Good job to Ty Sparks & Marissa Earle.   Parker & Zack took 3rd & 4th place respectively. Even with all of the drama last night, Josh didn't lose any ground in the points since he & the 5th place driver each earned the same number of points.  He is still just 4 points out of 5th place.  Zack was able to add 2 more points to his lead over 2nd place, Parker Jones. OK.........Brad Schaffer, you've got to be at the last race weekend, this Saturday & Sunday (Feb 17th & 18th)!  And all of the other Rio employees as well...come bring your families!  Your kids will probably want to get into racing after watching, however;-).  Don't say I didn't warn you!  It was, of course, an honor to have Cliff Farley in the stands once again.  We've determined he gets the "Most Loyal Groupie" award for attending all those races! See you in Roseburg Feb 17th & 18th for the final races of the season!       February 4, 2007 It was a great day of racing in Salem.  Josh went out for his first heat race ever on that huge 1/5th mile track and won (although it was a terrible start and really should have been a complete re-start).  You'll notice that on the video when we get it uploaded in the next day or so.  Regardless, he did fantastic.  He almost had his second heat race won until he went a little wide on the last lap, and Cooper Desbiens got underneath him for the win.  Good job to both of them.  Josh went out for his main event, but his kart didn't seem to have the power that it had in the first two races.  It almost sounded as if it was idling around the track.  However, even though it wasn't running at full power, he did manage to lap some traffic and still got 2nd place in the main.  Ron discovered he should have made some adjustments to the carburetor before the race.  Oh, well.......... live and learn. I also made a discovery this weekend........that maybe I don't need to worry so much about Zack moving up into the 500cc Open class.  He has only raced the 500cc a couple times, and that was a long time ago (Sept. 2006).  He went out for his first heat race and got 4th (racing with a throttle that was stuck wide open for the last several laps) out of 6.  Ron immediately corrected the throttle problem for the next heat race.  Zack won that race.  In fact, Kyle Miller, who finished in 2nd place was heard saying something like, "I just got my butt kicked by a 12-year-old!"  Somebody tell Kyle Zack's only 11! (ouch).  Zack did a great job holding him off, but we know it won't always be like that.  The 500cc Open class is by far the most competitive, and Kyle is one of the best drivers.  Zack went out for the main event starting 3rd in a field of 14 karts.  He didn't get a very good start and dropped to 4th right away.  The rest of the race was spent trying to defend his 4th place position from 5th place, Jeff Rivers.  Jeff was able to get around him at one point, but there was a caution on the same lap, so the line-up for the re-start went back to the last completed lap (which had Zack in front of Jeff).  Jeff caught and passed Zack yet again.   However, on the last lap, 3rd place, Brendan Boyce, came down low on the track in front of Jeff causing him to go into the infield.  Zack got around Jeff on the outside.  Jeff was trying to keep his position and hit Zack as he came back out onto the track, but Zack held his line and got the 4th place finish.  It was good, hard, Open class racing.  Zack was a little nervous going out for the main event just because everyone else in the class is a seasoned veteran.  He did awesome with them.  We pointed out to him that the only ones that finished in front of him were Kyle Miller (congrats to Kyle on the win), Patrick Dills, and Brendan Boyce.  Two of them (Kyle & Brendan) are not only veterans in the karts, but are also sprint car drivers, and Patrick has been driving in the 500cc class for years.  They are all very good drivers.  Zack did great with them.  Every little bit of seat time will help both boys improve. Dani Miller decided it would be best to wait until after the racing was over to tell me how fast Zack was actually going because I was so nervous to have him out there.   The track in Salem is HUGE, and Zack is basically a rookie in the fastest, most competitive, and definitely most aggressive class there is.  I think she made a wise decision...........Zack was averaging 67 mph. We'll have videos of both boys' races uploaded very soon.  Keep checking back. THANKS SO MUCH TO RUTHERFORD INSURANCE AGENCY AND OAKWAY FITNESS CENTER FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO RACE IN SALEM.  WE CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE YOU IN OUR CORNER SUPPORTING US! We'll see everyone in Roseburg this coming Saturday, February 10th! __________________________________________________________________ THANKS TO RUTHERFORD INSURANCE AGENCY AND OUR NEWEST SPONSOR, OAKWAY FITNESS, SPAULDING MOTORSPORTS WILL BE RACING IN SALEM ON THE MORNING OF FEBRUARY 3RD AND THE EVENING OF FEBRUARY 24TH.  SEE YOU THERE! January 14, 2007 Last night was bitter-sweet.  First for the bitter part........Josh was doing awesome in his heat race.  He was in 2nd place and almost had 1st at one point, but Bartley held his line.  Good job to the 4B.  Josh was taken out of his 2nd place position by another kart near the end of the race.  He ended that race in 4th out of a possible 6.  He then started on the outside front row for the main, was doing great, and was taken out twice by another kart.  He finished the main in 7th out of a possible 8 positions.  We explained that this very thing happens to everybody at some point.  I know the Pee Wee class is for young beginners, but this kind of thing has been happening a lot (not just to us).  It only makes sense that when kids are driving too aggressively (whether it's on purpose or not), it should be corrected immediately so it doesn't continue to happen, and there should be apologies.  Our kids know that is what is expected of them.  The expectations should be the same for everyone, our kids included. On to the sweet part...........HE DID IT!!  Zack not only reached his goal of 8.69 qualifying time.......he surpassed it with an 8.62!  As far as we know, that's the track record for a 125cc.  We knew he could do it, although when Ty Sparks and Parker Jones both posted less than 9 seconds, it was clear Zack was going to have to bring his 'A' game.  They're fast karts, too!  I guess now Zack has a new goal, huh?  He ran great during his first session of hot laps.  Ron tried a different spark plug for the second session that was brand new.  It ran terrible.  He had changed it because the old plug looked like it didn't have much life left in it.  I guess maybe he learned if it ain't broke, don't fix it!  He put the old plug back in, and it ran great.   However, in his heat, he started last (since he had the fast time).  After playing it conservatively, he ended that race in 5th place out of a possible 6 positions. The fastest four karts were inverted for the main, so Zack had a pretty good starting position (outside second row). In the main, the gloves were off just like last week.  He got a great start, but there was a caution on the first lap.  Too bad, because he was already up to 2nd place!  Oh, well.  He didn't get as good of a start on the re-start, but it was ok.  Immediately Ty Sparks spun in the first corner, and Zack was able to take 3rd place for the next re- start, which was single-file.  A few laps later, Parker Jones (2nd place) and Tanner Morrison (1st place), tangled in turn 1.   Zack had nowhere to go except to the outside to avoid them.  When Marissa (who was right behind Zack) saw that, she went to the inside of the accident and took 1st, putting Zack in 2nd.  He was able to pass her when they got into some traffic.  Then it was almost like leap-frog.  She caught and passed him.  Then he caught and passed her for the win.  It was great racing.   Great job, Marissa, and everyone else in the race! Once again, it was great to have the Farleys and the Schaffers from Rio Communications at the track.  Rio's support has been invaluable this season.  Thank you, thank you, thank you! We may race in Salem at the fairgrounds on February 3rd.  We haven't decided yet.  I think there's enough money in the kart fund to finish out this season in Roseburg, so we may not make it to Salem.  We'll definitely see you all in Roseburg February 10th. There are a few new pictures on the Photos page.  Be sure to check them out! January 7, 2007 WHAT A NIGHT!  It didn't rain; it wasn't too terribly cold; nobody got hurt (although just before Hot Laps, we discovered Josh had a fever).  Between Vicki Lyons and Grammy, we got a thermometer and some ibuprofen.  Thank you both!  Even though his fever went up & down all night, he was determined that he wanted to race.  We decided to let him give it a try if he thought he could do it.  He did great!  He got 2nd place in the fast heat, was doing awesome in the main, and unfortunately, was the victim of another's poor choices.  Because of this, he was going to end the night in 6th place out of a possible 8.  However, 2 of the top finishers had illegal motors, so Josh officially finished in 4th place.  He did a great job, especially for being sick.  I think racing took his mind off of the fever. Zack was able to set fast time again, this time with his fastest time yet.....8.758. He's getting closer to that goal of 8.69.  The top 8 qualifiers had an inverted start in Zack's class, which means Zack started in 8th position out of 11.  On the start, a couple karts got together.  There was a complete re-start.  Just like Josh, Zack was one of the unfortunate victims of others' mistakes.  No big deal.....he makes them occasionally just like anyone else.  However, after those couple of incidents last night, Zack was no longer the patient driver he has become known for by his friends, family, and sponsors.  He was on fire!   He came from the back of the pack to win that race with a few laps left.  I have NEVER seen him drive like that.  He was on a mission.......guess what.......MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!  God is good!  AND the best part of the whole night was that we had the pleasure of having Brad Schaffer, President of Rio Communications, along with his children, Caleb and Clarah, and Cliff Farley and family (including his parents from out of town), at the track this weekend.  Thank you so much for taking time out of your weekend to attend.  We hope the boys made you proud to sponsor them.  We can't tell you what your sponsorship has meant for us this year.  Cliff, please tell your parents thank you as well.  It means a lot to us that they chose to spend their weekend with you at the track.  We hope to see you all again soon.......maybe even this coming weekend?? If I ever wanted to have a race on video, it was last night.  However, don't bother looking on the Videos page for last night's racing action.  We charged the camera, but wanted to update the website with some new photos.  We took so many pictures, the battery died at the beginning of Josh's main event.  Sorry! Zack was able to improve his points lead to 32 points, and Josh is steadily moving up.  He's now in 4th place for the Pee Wee class out of about 9 who show up pretty consistently. See you next week! Dec. 17, 2006 With the temperature in the 20's last night, we raced. The cold doesn't bother the karts, just the drivers. Josh got a new set of gloves to keep his hands warm. They got cold last time we raced. Zack lost his warm gloves half way through the night. We did find them later on. I had to use some duct tape inside of Zack's helmet to keep his breath from getting on his visor. It has anti-fog on it, so it doesn't fog. It just collects and blurs his vision. Zack set fast time with his all-time record of 8.763. Josh got 2nd fast time with his all-time record of 10.509. Both of the boys were hooked up and flying. Josh got 4th in his trophy dash. He is not scared of the motor now. In fact, he is carrying too much speed into the corner and washing up the track coming out of the corner. He never spun out this week. I changed the tires to some better ones. In his heat race, he got 2nd. He drove a good hard race. In his main, he put his kart on it's side. It went over really easy, so he nor the kart were hurt. That was on the first lap, so there was a complete restart. He got his spot back, and they took off. He was up to 2nd, took the corner a little wide, and tapped the wall. Some karts got by him while he was gathering it up. Then a few laps later another kart spun. Josh went around Catelyn and hit the wall again. To the back he went. He made it back up to 7th out of 10 before the end of the race, and had actually caught up to the 6th place kart when the checkered flag flew. Josh came off of the track with a smile. He had fun, even when he put the kart on it's side.  He's comfortable with the speed.  Now, we just have to teach him how to get through traffic like his brother. Zack got 4th in his trophy dash and 4th in his heat race. He drives more carefully in those races, because they are for fewer points. In fact, the trophy dash isn't for points at all; just a trophy. He just doesn't put the kart in a bad spot. He figures why risk crashing the kart beyond repair for the main when you're running for the championship.  Now in the main, that is a different story. He started outside the 2nd row. They only did a top 4 invert. They all took off, and there were a couple of crashes behind him on the starts. Yes, I said starts (plural); lots of cautions in that race! So that put them in a single file line. Zack almost made the outside work 2 or 3 times. The faster karts caught the back of the pack and Zack used traffic to his advantage. Zack made some great moves. He went where they weren't. If they zigged, he zagged. He got out in front and checked out. Zack won the main event. That improved his point lead to 24 points. Great night. Click on the links above to see action from the night. Once again, it was great to have Cliff Farley from Rio Communications there with his adorable daughter, Ariel this time!  We hope you went home proud and entertained!  Ariel, sorry your "pink cars" didn't win;-)! Everyone have a very blessed, Merry CHRISTmas!  Don't miss a chance to tell your loved ones just how loved they are.  Most importantly, don't forget the reason for the season--Jesus Christ who died for us all. Next race is Jan. 6, 2007. See you there. Dec. 4, 2006 We battled the cold weather and raced in Roseburg last weekend. Zack brought a friend from youth group at church, with us. Jonathan had a great time with us.   Josh started the night a little scared of the motor that was on his kart.  He knew I had changed over to a more powerful motor.   He qualified 7th out of 13 karts. That put him on the front row for the fast heat race, and the front row of the B-main also. In his heat race he was in second and got hung up on the inside berm. The flagger never threw a caution flag. One of the corner workers pushed him back out under green, 3/4 of a lap behind everyone. He still managed to finish 5th out of 7. He led the first 6 laps of the B main, till he spun out. He managed to get back to 4th out of 7. They only transfer 2 to the A main, so he didn't make it. He was a little disappointed. I think he will do better next time we race. Zack set fast time with a 8.908 on his first lap. He was going for a record on the second lap, and caught the berm and almost spun out. In the heat race, he was having a time trying to get by a slower car that was holding him up. He went for a pass on the back stretch, on the last lap, and got put into the wall. He hit so hard that it bent the right front spindle and king pin assembly. Almost tore it off of the kart.  With the help of Brock Ferguson, Zack fetching tools, Bartman 4B racing for the use of a cutting wheel, we got a new spindle & king pin put on the kart. We got the front end set back up.  Zack started outside the 4th row in the A-main, top 8 cars inverted. Early in the race he had to spin to avoid a wreck, so he was sent to the back of the pack. He kept his nose clean and made it all the way to 2nd before the checkered flag came out. Zack was able to get the points lead by a narrow margin. Points and results can be viewed for each class at the following site: http://dc.speedway. tripod.com/id11.html. Kudos to Ty Sparks on his first win at Roseburg. Way to go! Next race is Dec. 16th. See ya there.  By the way, while it's greatly appreciated having the Farleys from Rio Communications at the track, it would be great to see even more Rio employees! Nov. 11, 2006 It was kind of a bitter-sweet weekend of racing.  Poor Josh got pushed into the cement barrier & smacked his elbow hard on the motor.  He wasn't about to get out of that kart, though.  He wanted to keep racing.  He did a great job with a 2nd in the fast heat and a 4th place finish in the main (after the leader was disqualified for having an illegal restrictor plate).  The 2nd place finish was the race he got hurt in. Hmmm...maybe we should make sure he gets a minor injury more often!  Ha!  His qualifying times are steadily improving each race as well.  His fastest time this week was an 11.071.  Keep it up, Josh! Zack set the fast qualifying time with an 8.85.  His goal this year is an 8.69 or better. He'll do it.....just watch!  The top 6 qualifiers were inverted for the heat and the main.  That put Zack on the outside in the last row for the start of the fast heat.   There was a lot of blocking going on in that race!  He finished the heat race in 5th.  For the main, he was on the outside in the 3rd row (in a field of 12 karts).  On the very first lap, Zack ended up getting literally "driven over" into the same cement barrier as Josh.    The kart has, therefore, lost a little of it's luster after that incident. Not to worry....nothing we can't fix.  Since it was the first lap, there was a complete restart.  After keeping his nose clean through several cautions, he was able to get up behind the leader and really give it his 'A' game on turn one of the last lap.  The leader left an opening just big enough for Zack to get underneath him and get the 1st place position to go on for the win!  Marena, who was originally the 2nd place kart, got "hosed" to say the least.  Oh, well.  We go on.  We all get "hosed" at one time or another throughout the season.   Hopefully, our turn was last week! Zack & Josh are both steadily moving up in the points battle.  They are representing Rio Communications and our other sponsors well!  Come down to the track for the next race on December 2nd to see for yourself! A big thank you to Cliff & Mikel Farley of Rio Communications for coming down to the track to watch the boys for the night!  It was awesome having you there, and great for the boys to show you what they are capable of.  OK, all of you Rio employees, here's a challenge to you........let's see how many of you can make it to the track this season to see the boys make you proud to sponsor them! Nov. 07, 2006 We had our first weekend of racing down in Roseburg. First I would like to say welcome to Adam Nelson. He is the new promoter down at Douglas County. He was thrown into the fire with short notice and did a fine job. There were a few quirks, but I feel Adam will make things work better than before he took over. Josh had 10 karts in his class. Talk about a big class of Pee Wees. Josh is used to holding the gas pedal down and just driving. At this small, tight track, you have to learn throttle control. I took him around the track and talked to him about where to let off of the throttle and touch the brake. They also use a pace quad for the Pee Wees to teach them to go slow under caution. So Josh had a lot to learn.  Josh timed in 5th fastest, something else that was new to him. He did very well the first night. He kept his nose clean, and learned the track. The officials weren't quite up on some of their own rules.  Hopefully, that will change starting with this coming Saturday's race.  He did well and got 5th place in the main on Saturday night. On Sunday, he timed in 4th fastest and made the trophy dash, which he won! In the main, he and another kart came together and got sent to the back. He worked his way back to 4th. Way to go, Josh. Good job. Zack had 11 karts in his class. The competition is tough this year. Everyone brought their 'A' game right out of the box.  Most everyone timed into the 9 second bracket. And yes, Zack and I are still learning the new kart. I had the wrong gear on the kart, and knew it when Zack went out to qualify. After changing  the gear, Zack won his heat race on Saturday night. In the main, he worked up to second behind Jake Ferguson. On a restart, Jake spun and Zack was right on him and had nowhere to go. So they both stopped and were sent to the back. Zack made his way back to 7th. Sunday Zack had fast time until Seth Nunes went out. Zack turned a 9.15.  Seth turned an 8.70.  So with a full invert, both of them started in the back. They both moved up. Zack was in 4th. Ty Sparks was in 3rd spot. Seth was in 2nd, while Parker Jones was in the lead. The 4 karts were nose to tail, and all of them were racing hard. Seth was able to get by Parker to win the race. Zack drove hard and got 4th. It was a good weekend. Both of the karts came home on their wheels.  Thanks to our sponsors:  Rio Communications, Rutherford Insurance Agency, and Scott Miller at Automotive Sheetmetal, who painted the karts. We got a lot of compliments on the new team paint jobs. See you at the track on November 11th! Sept 22, 2006 The races at Cottage Grove Speedway are done for the 2006 season. 2006 125cc Champion       Zack Spaulding 2006 Pee Wee 2nd place   Josh Spaulding Thank you to Rio Communications. The camera crew was there last night shooting film for their commercial. Zack was a little nervous.  He did have fun and is getting more comfortable being in front of the camera. He did some voice work, but we were told he will probably need to go to a studio to finish the commercial. Zack ran the 500 last night. The track was rough and tacky. I had the axle way too far forward. Zack was wheelying all night. I had the wrong setup in the kart. We are both still learning this new kart. Zack finished last in all of his races, but he was right there in all of them. He never did get lapped, so it could have been worse.  He would move up, make a small mistake, and get passed. At one point, he put the new kart on its side in the main all by himself. He hooked a left front in the berm, spun, and laid it on its side. He crinkled the wing, but he finished the race and didn't get hurt.  Something we have to remember is that the other drivers in the Open (500cc) class have a lot of experience in that class.  Zack just started in the 500s.  It is probably the most competitive class to race.  He has a lot to learn.  We just have to be patient.  We're confident he will learn quickly, as he has in every class.  There will just be some bumps in the road along the way! Josh started the night with a win in his first heat race. He is now in the Bare kart (Zack's old 125 frame). Josh likes this kart much better. He got out after the first race and said, "The kart turns when I do."  That is in reference to his old kart. He would turn the steering wheel, and the kart would go straight for a while before it would turn. There were 5 karts in his class. Bartman Racing (Bartley Foster) from Medford came up along with Josh's buddy, Calvin Morton. That was a nice surprise. Josh got a 2nd in his second heat race. In the main, Josh started on the pole, lead for a while, and came home with 2nd place. Great job. A big thanks to Cliff Farley of Rio Communications for coming up with his family.  Keep coming, Farley family.  It will get better & better.  We'll represent Rio Communications well! Thanks also to our Santa Clara Church of Christ youth group and all the friends & family for coming to support the kids.  It is very much appreciated; not just by us as parents, but mostly by Zack & Josh. The next race is Nov. 4th at Roseburg in the River Arena. See you there. Sept 9, 2006 We had another good night for the most part, although Zack gave us a bit of a scare at one point.  It was the first lap of his 2nd heat race.  Sami went high coming out of turn 2 and was coming back down to the bottom of the track to protect her spot when Zack & Marena were both going for that same position at the same time.  Marena spun to the inside, and Zack went for a ride in the air. Click here.  He said he was fine until he came back down so hard.  It knocked the wind out of him and strained his upper back somewhat.  It seemed to take forever to get him out of the kart and off the track, but he actually walked off the track under his own power.  When he got to where I was, he was as white as a sheet and walking very slowly and gingerly like his back was sore.  He assured me that he didn't have any sharp pain at all, but was just sore.  However, it wasn't enough to keep him out of the kart for the main event!  I told him his health is more important than points, and that if he was hurt, he could do more damage if he went back out right away.  He was absolutely determined, though.  He went out & won the main, securing the 2006 Championship!  He got up bright & early this morning and went fishing with Ron, came home with fish, and said his back feels fine today.  With that said, we are definitely looking at trying to raise funds for a Hutchens device (head & neck restraint).  We were looking at them recently anyway.  This just cemented that decision! Josh had a good night as well.  He ended up getting 2nd in his main event and has secured a 2nd place finish for his first season, after missing the first few races.  We're proud of the boys & thankful for the blessings God seems to think we're worthy of, even if we don't. A huge thanks goes to our sponsors:  Rio Communications, Rutherford Insurance Agency, Monett Logging, and Automotive Sheetmetal.  We couldn't do this without you!  You can't imagine how thankful we are! At the next & final race of the season (Sept 22nd), Rio Communications is scheduled to shoot a commercial with Zack as well as a possible staged race with other competitors.  Zack will be racing the kart shown above in the "Rio Rocket" photo.  It should be a fun night at the track.  Anyone looking for a fun, inexpensive night of family entertainment, come on out to Cottage Grove Speedway on Sept 22nd.  Racing starts around 6:30. Aug 27, 2006 It was a good night for Spaulding Motorsports.  Zack won all three of his races in Cottage Grove Friday night, although Sami Frese gave him a good challenge at one point.  She's doing great and really improving!  Josh had a good night as well (after Ron fixed the throttle cable).  Because of the broken throttle cable, he missed his first heat race.  However, he did great after that.  He finished with a win for the 2nd heat and 2nd place in the main. On to Gold Beach, Oregon for a race at the Curry County Fairgrounds on Saturday, Aug 26th.  Josh was a little wild when he went out for hot laps.  He's only raced a few times and only in Cottage Grove, where Pee Wees can usually keep their foot to the floor all the way around the track.  This was a little different.  He quickly learned that you can't drive the same at every track!  Once he figured that out, he did awesome.  He ended the day with a 2nd and three 3rd place finishes and earned his first money racing ($15).  Check out the photos!  Zack took the 500cc kart (pictured above) to Gold Beach.  It was his second time racing it.  Zack went out for his first heat race, took the green flag, and the kart died.  It was an electrical problem.  Ron got that fixed right away.  He went out for his second heat and got a 3rd place finish.  The track was extremely rough, but he did great considering the conditions.  There were 7 karts starting the main event in his class.  He started in last place and was one of a few unfortunate victims of other's bad choices.  However, he still made his way up to 4th before the checkered flag flew.  A big thanks to David Lyons for the tips, and congrats on your win!  Also, thanks so much to the Allens for their effort in bringing the karts back to Gold Beach for a race.  We look forward to racing with you again in the future. Aug 19, 2006 Boy it was hot again last night, but no rain. We shared the track last night with vintage race cars. Old sprint carts, midgets, and old indy racing cars from the 20's and 30's. It was cool to see them race and meet some of the guys that race them. Josh raced well last night, but we are going to have to do something with his motor. It is a good motor, but they have not put a rule package together for the class. Josh has a true stock motor that will pass inspection at any WKA track, but this is an outlaw track. What does that mean? No rules. There are a few karts that have a motor like ours, but some have a motor for the Medford track which allows more modifications, more horse power. Josh does well with the other karts with motors like his, but he wants to race with the karts that are passing him. I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Let's wait till next week. Zack raced the new 500cc, pictured above, and his 125cc kart. He was tired by the end of the night, not to mention racing half sick. We have done this a few times and have learned not to double drive any more. Between swapping cars and getting Josh ready for his races, I had more than I could handle. Keith Roth was helping me. Boy that was a blessing. Even with the help we let the track get away from us. We adjusted the karts for what they were doing, not where the track was going: DRY SLICK. When the track was good and tacky, Zack was flying in both of the karts. He won both of his heat races in the 125cc kart. He started in the back of the pack of 6 in the 500cc kart in the first heat. He was popping wheelies and passing people. He finished third. In the second heat, he started in the back again. A few laps into it he hit a bump pretty hard and the carb popped out of it's mount. So he was done for that race.  Zack spun out leading the 125cc main with 6 laps to go. The track was really dry slick. He got back to 2nd. In the 500cc main, Zack started 5th. Not realizing the track was so slick, Zack went out with a bad setup. He found out he couldn't run the bottom; too rough. So he went to the top of the track; still too slick. He did finish 4th out of 6. He, Brendan Boyce, and Colin Baker were all racing close, hard, and clean. It was a lot of fun to watch. We learned not to take on too much. It hurts your outcome, but overall we didn't lose any points to 2nd place.  See ya next week. July 21, 2006 100 degrees, and we had rain. Can you believe it! We had a shortened night due to rain. We got there, and it was a little overcast and very muggy. We had just started the first heat races, and it started to sprinkle. Josh made it before it hit. He got second place in the first heat. The boy that won did get D.Q'd.  We run a blue restrictor plate. This boy had a red plate, which is bigger, which means his motor was getting more air. Zack went out next for his heat race. He got the hole shot and took the lead. As I was getting Josh out of his car, the rain hit. There was a yellow flag for Sami. She lost a chain. The track got really slick. They put all of the karts on the track to keep it in shape. Zack was having fun on the slick track. Then they pulled them off. After a while, they got back to the race. Zack won. There was no second heat race. Straight to the mains, which they inverted. Josh lead his for about 5 laps, but the faster motor of the 16 car caught him and passed him. But Josh hung in there. He never got lapped. He got second place. Time to build a stronger motor. In Zack's main, he started in the back. He was all over Marena from the start. He tried inside, outside. Marena drove a good race, but she went a little high in the last corner of the last lap. Zack shot to the bottom and drag raced her to the finish line. He won, leading the last 20 feet. It was a good night. Tuesday the 25th of July, Zack will receive his championship trophy from last year. He will receive it in front of the crowd for the Northwest Sprint Tour. The next race is Aug 18th. See ya there. July 7, 2006 Tonight we had a lite car count, due to the race being moved to a different night on short notice. Josh was the only Pee Wee. He had to run with the Intermediate class, which only had 1 kart in it as well. So Josh made up some points on the rest of the Pee Wee class. He didn't have a lot of fun getting passed every third lap, but we explained to him that he was scored separately as a Pee Wee and therefore, he won for his class. It also gave him more seat time. Zack had 4 karts in his class.  Marena had a hard tumble in the first heat race, but she was fine and finished the race. We would have had it on video, but I forgot to have Denny running the camera for the first heats, as Nicky was out of town. Denny was there to help me and to video. Zack won all of his races tonight. In the main event the track started to get a little slick. Zack almost spun out several times, but caught it and kept going.  There was some good racing going on behind him. God poured His favor upon Zack and Josh. I thank Him for letting Nicky and I raise them. June 30, 2006 We finally got to race tonight. Josh got to run his first race of the year. He has been looking forward to it for so long. He started on the pole for his first heat race. He came around, got the green flag, and amazed us all. He left the other car in the race. He won! On to the second heat race. He started on the outside, and the other car got the hole shot. Josh tried to pass him on the inside and spun himself into the infield. Then he tried on the outside and made the pass. He won the second heat race. In the main, he got the hole shot and lapped the other car. Josh did GREAT! He showed good car control and loved being in the car. Zack started in the back in his first heat race. After a first lap incident taking some of the other cars to the back, Zack was moved to the pole. He took off from the start and didn't look back, winning his first heat. Then he started on the pole for his second heat race. Marena got a great start and beat him to the first corner. It took several laps to set her up and complete the pass. He won the second heat race. In the main, she got the hole shot again. Several laps later he set her up with an outside-in move and powered into the lead. He would build a lead and a yellow would come out and bunch the field back up. He went on to break away from the field and win the main. Spaulding Motorsports swept the Pee Wee class and the 125cc class. GOD showed His favor upon Zack and Josh tonight. He has truly blessed those two boys with driving skills. Next race is July 7, 2006. Hope to see you there. June 16, 2006 Darn that woman.  Rained out AGAIN!!!!!!!!!  I think she has something against racing. June 2, 2006 Mother nature wins again. That's 3 rain outs this year. I thought we were in the midst of global warming, not global raining. May 27, 2006. As you can see above, we got the new car. Now we need to pray for a sponsor. May 19, 2006. Again, mother nature defeated us. The races were rained out. I did get the motor fixed, I think. I found a leaking crank seal, so we will hope that was the cause of the problem. We will pick up the new car for next year next weekend. After we get it, I will post a picture. May 12, 2006. Zack had a big cheering section last night. Grandpa Ron from Wyoming, Grandpa and Grandma Fowler, Mike & Kelly and the boys, Denny & Debi and the girls, Ron Struble and his girlfriend, and Curt & Jean Solesbee. What happens when you have a big crowd watching? MOTOR PROBLEMS!!!!!! After the last race I had torn the top end off to replace the ring. The piston had a couple of scuffs in it. I replaced the piston, cleaned up the bore, and put it back together, thinking that it was just blind luck that I tore it down and found the scuffed piston. Well, the motor seized in hot laps. It cooled down and started again. I searched the car over for the problem to no avail. Zack went out for the first heat race and seized it two more times. He came in, and I searched the car some more. After figuring out that the motor was leaning out some how, I fattened it up and told him to go or blow the motor....the damage was done. Zack went out in the second heat race and was all over the back of Marena's car for the lead. Marena is a good driver and blocked every attempt that he made. I checked the plug, and it looked better, but not right. In the Main Zack again was all over Marena's car. He would try on the outside, inside, high, low, anywhere he could. This wasn't follow the leader. It was good, hard racing. The white flag came out, and Zack's motor was starting to give up. Both he and I had figured on getting second place. The cheering section had, too. I had started to head back to the pits when I heard a car spin. For some reason, Marena spun coming out of turn 4. I turned around to see Zack beat her to the finish line. He won the Main with a severely hurt motor. I tore the motor down Saturday and found a weak crank seal, but the damage was done. The cylinder looks like it is hosed, and the piston is fried. Hopefully we can get it fixed for next weekend's race. Earlier in the week we had a meeting with who we think will be an awesome sponsor.  He had asked what happens when we blow a motor.  I told him that's what we need sponsors for.  He agreed.  Well, sponsors, WE NEED YOU NOW! April 14, 2006. Mother nature won tonight. The races got rained out. The next race is May 12. See you then. April 8,2006. Well, it did not rain out last night. We raced!!!! We even got to race before the big cars got to race. We took the Micro with the intent of just putting the FOR SALE sign on it. When we got there the track looked a little rough. And it was. Just for fun, Zack hot lapped the micro. I had taken the restrictor plates out. He looked fast. I asked if he could race with the older guys in the micro and they said yes. In the 125cc class, there were 4 cars total. The track was very rough. Zack was leading the first heat race, and a slower car didn't know he was coming up on her. He had to dodge at the last minute and got caught in the bumps, and the motor died. I thought he was going over on the brand new wing. He had some trouble with the slower cars on the rough track and couldn't get around. So he got second. In the second heat, he started in the back and started going around them on the outside. He showed it to the leader and she went high to block him, and he did the crossover move and passed her. He won the second heat race. That put him on the pole for the main. They worked the track over some and made it better. He won the main, lapping the whole field. In the micro class, Zack had to start in the back for both of his heat races. In the first one, he went to the outside and started picking them off. He finished second. In the second heat, the other drivers were ready and started to block him. He got fourth. In the main event, Zack drove GREAT. He started outside the second row. He worked his way to second and was having a good battle for first. He took the lead and then took too long trying to pass a slower car. Zack learned about taking too long to get around slower cars. He ended third. I think all those adults underestimated the 10-yr-old. It was a good night. The new schedule is out. We are looking forward to a new racing season at Cottage Grove Speedway. The first race is April 7. My guess is it will be rained out. Feb 20,2006 Last Saturday was the last points race in Roseburg.  As you can see by the new picture above, Zack won the championship.   But there is a good story to get to.  Last week I didn't update the site.  Zack drove well but was caught in other people's mistakes.  So he came out of last weekend tied for the points lead.  On to the last race. In the trailer before the night began, we as a family prayed for God's favor upon Zack.  GOD ANSWERS PRAYER!!!!!!!!  Zack was the last driver to sign in. Reason being, they qualify in the order of sign in.  We wanted to go last, because the top 4 always get inverted.  Zack wanted to get 4th fastest and get on the pole.  He never "sandbags", but it seemed like the right strategy for this last race.  I had a friend outside writing down the times so Zack would know what to do.  The first car out cuts a 9.24.  The second car gets a 9.31.  Then the girl that Zack was tied with goes out and runs a 9.23, fast time.  The next car gets a 9.69.  The car in front of Zack runs a 9.53.  I was doing quick math.  Zack had to cut a 9.32 to a 9.52 to get 4th, 2 tenths of a second window.  Too slow and he could miss the trophy dash and the points in it.  So I told him to go for it.  The times were too close to try and get 4th fastest.  I was standing outside with Marissa's dad.  That is the girl that Zack was tied with.  Zack's first lap was great.  Don said, "That was a fast lap."  Zack ran a 9.02.  He had fast time. Then his second lap time came over the PA--8.84; the fastest lap by a 125cc this year!  Nicky was standing by the announcer watching the times.   When the time flashed on the screen, Kenny, the announcer, said, "Someone ate his freakin' Wheaties!"  Zack's first sub 9 second lap.  He had been trying to do that all year.  Only a handful of the 500cc cars get in the 8 second range.  Zack was pretty happy with that even though it meant he would be starting in his usual position (outside 2nd row). In the trophy dash, Zack knew the only person he had to beat was Marissa. They took off, and Zack  got ahead of her and just stayed there.  He got third, and she got fourth.  Now he was 1 point ahead.  Next the heat race. They took off again, and this time Marissa got the hole shot.  He was chasing her, and when the checkered flag waved, she finished two positions in front of him. That put her in the lead by one point.   In the main event the kids took off and started racing.  Marissa bobbled in turn four, and Zack went around her.  All he had to do was finish ahead of her to win the championship.  He fell in behind the second place car and just rode there.  Zack said he didn't want to take a chance on tangling  with the car in front of him and getting put to the back.  Marissa was giving it her all.  A tie rod problem got the best of her.  She spun.  Zack came around and saw her sitting on the track.  He knew he had it if he could keep his nose clean.  Zack was taking no chances.  He almost looked as if he was idling around.  But he did it.  He won the championship by 3 points.  God has truly blessed Zack and this family. Congratulations to Marissa on a hard-fought last weekend! On Sunday, the kids raced just for fun--no points.  Zack won the main event that day.  The video of that race is on the Video page.  Be sure to check it out.  Also, please make sure you sign the Guest Book.  We'd like to know who's checking the site on a regular basis. Feb 5,2006 Well, last night was the final winter race for the micro sprint. We took all that we had learned from the previous weeks and applied it. Zack did really well. He got a good pill draw and started in the middle of both of his six car heat races. He drove hard and finished third in both of them.  Zack started outside the third row for the A main. This is the highest he has ever started in the micro in Salem. The car slated to start in front of Zack didn't make the race.  Something broke.  So, Zack moved up behind the front row. Zack got a good start and was in third place, when a car behind him spun on the first lap. The rule is all of the cars must complete the first lap to start the race, so it was a restart. They lined them back up and started them again. This time other cars were ready and after the first corner Zack was in fifth. It was good hard racing. With the restrictor plates, the cars are so equally matched.  Zack was on the 4th place car.  6th place was all over Zack.  It was exciting.  It was a 20 lap race. Zack is not used to such a long and intense race.  I could see him starting to make small mistakes, and he spun out in one of the corners on lap 15.  His arms were tired.  He did pass one car when they went back to racing.  So he finished 10th out of 11.  I count the night a success, because he was in there racing with them until  his arms let out. When I got to the car after the race, you could see he was hurting.  He just sat there and recovered a bit.  It was a good end to the season, on all 4 wheels.  A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE GRANDPARENTS WHO SPONSORED ZACK'S ENTRY FEES THESE LAST TWO WEEKS!!  Also, thanks SO MUCH to Brendan Boyce who spent time with Zack giving him tips.  He greatly admires Brendan and said the tips helped. Next week Roseburg..............   Jan 29, 2006. Zack raced the micro in Salem last night.  They were on a much bigger track than they normally race on in Salem.  It was in a different building.  I think Ron finally got the issue resolved with the carburetors, because Zack got out on that track and checked out.  He won the B-main which transferred him to the inside of the last row in the A-main.  There were 10 cars in the A-main, with Zack starting 9th.  He had passed a car for 8th place and was going for 7th place when his battery died, so that obviously ended the night.  That's okay, though.  We were able to find a brand new one on ebay for a good price.  I think that win in the B-main boosted his confidence again.  He needed that.  We just need to pray that the new battery gets here before this coming weekend! In his second heat race he started in the back and out of 7 was up to 4th when he got punted in a corner. The other car used him as a cushion going into the corner. He came in too fast and bounced off of Zack and kept going. This sent Zack out into the marbles and into last place on the white flag lap no less. Zack was not happy. After they crossed the finish line, Zack chased him down and hit him just to let him know that was not appreciated. He is tired of getting hit.  He decided to hit back.   Zack knows not to start anything, but he shouldn't have to put up with being pushed around either. Jan 23, 2006. Zack raced in Roseburg Saturday night. He set fast time with a 9.14 lap. That was the bright point of the night. After that the racing gods were against us. Cars were spinning in front of Zack, bad calls line-up wise. Second place in points had a good night.  Zack had a bad one.  Zack's point lead was cut by 8 points. Zack is getting so frustrated lately.  He feels like he can't catch a brake. He is looking forward to next weekend in Salem. Jan 15, 2006. We raced in Salem last night. The car was put back together and we made it there for early practice. It turns out that the carbs that we had on the car were the cause of the motor not running well. I had another set that I put on before we left for the track. The second set of carbs had some problems, too. Zack and I are learning how to communicate better, or should I say I'm learning how to ask better questions. Needless to say, the car didn't run well all night long. Zack got second in both of his heat races, which is great. But he was so down because he knew there was more in the car. The car was handling good, and Zack thought he could do something with it. He just didn't have the motor. Finishing second in both of his heat races put him on the inside of the second row of the A  main. We had been adjusting the carbs all night, and went too far for the main. As soon as the flag fell, I knew what we had done hurt more than it helped. Zack got fourth place, just by hanging in there and not giving up. Jan 8, 2006. Zack raced in Roseburg last night. He set fast time with a 9.34 qualifying lap. That put him outside the second row all night long. In the last hot lap session, we had a scare. Zack was driving and the motor just cut off. I found a broken wire in the ignition system and fixed it. In the trophy dash, Zack started in the last position and got a 2nd place finish. In the heat race, there was a yellow flag on the first lap.  They re-started single-file.  Zack ran a good race and got 3rd out of 6 possible positions. In the main event, the flagger threw the green flag but accidentally hit the button for the yellow caution light.  After getting an awesome start, Zack immediately slowed thinking there was going to be a re-start.  There wasn't; the flagger figured out what he had done, and instead of re-starting the race, he switched the light to green.  So, Zack took off again (from last place at this point), and fought his way back up to 2nd.  He had made the leader nervous enough to make a slight mistake, was making his move on the bottom, and found himself in the infield.  Once again starting in the back, he had enough time to work his way back up to get a 3rd place finish.  Zack was not thrilled because he takes every bit of physical contact on the track personally, but we reminded him that sometimes it's just racing and is not meant personally or deliberately. Jan 4, 2006. We were supposed to race in Salem last weekend. During CHRISTmas I was tinkering with the motor and discovered it had a blown head gasket. So needless to say, we didn't race. Parts are on the way. We will be in Roseburg this coming weekend. See you there. Dec 18,2005. We raced in Salem last night. I'm guessing it was about 29 degrees. It was cold. We run alcohol in the micro, and it was so cold that it didn't want to burn. Zack is getting faster every time he drives the car. He is still learning where the sweet spot is, in letting the car drift through the corners. He has learned to be on the gas to make the car turn. He is having a hard time letting off when the car wants to spin out. He spun in all of his races last night. During the main, he had worked up to fourth out of seven. He was staying with the front pack and spun. He gets so down on himself when that happens. I thought it was a good night. We learned more about the car and the way it acts. One of these days he is going to be quick and win a main event. Dec. 11, 2005. We raced in Roseburg last night. God truly blessed Zack. He won all three of his races. He started the night running a 9.57. That was second fast time. But we knew the car was going to be slow at the beginning of the night. I geared the car for the main event and left it there. The track came to us, and he was hooked up for the main. The trophy dash was won when the leader spun in the last lap in the last corner. Zack had caught the leader and had made him nervous. Then he spun, and Zack passed him and won. The heat race had a big pile up on the start. The first two cars tied up and the rest piled on. Zack grabbed the clutch, cranked the steering wheel, goosed it and was the only car running around the track. They re-lined the field and re-started the  race. The first two cars tangled again in the first corner and Zack got by and raced another car to the yellow flag. That put Zack into the lead. They took off and Zack lead them to the checkered flag. In the main event Zack lined up inside the second row. The first lap had a lot of cars changing spots. When they came around for the second lap, Zack was in second place. He chased the leader down and was all over the back of her.  He was putting pressure on her, and she made a mistake. She went into the corner following a lapped car, tried to make a move on it, and wheel hopped it, and spun out.  Zack made it back to the yellow in the lead. The green flag flew, and so did Zack. He was stretching his lead out when the checkered flag came out. It was a good night. As for the fogging problem from the week before, I think we got it fixed. I made a duct tape breath deflector for the inside of his helmet. It seemed to work. He wasn't complaining about the fog.          Dec. 4, 2005. Zack raced in Roseburg last night. He set fast time with a 9.45. They made the track longer for the micro sprints that raced, though it was a little rough. The car that was set to start in front of Zack wanted to move to the back in the trophy dash. He was a rookie driver and didn't want to be up there in the front. Zack promptly jumped out to the lead on the first corner and won the trophy dash. In the heat race, they adjusted the line up and Zack was in the last row. It took most of the race to get around the rest of the cars and catch the leader. By then he had run out of laps and got second. I put a different rear axle gear on the car, trying to get some more speed for the main event. Zack started last again. In the first corner, there was a spin out and a pile up. Zack made it through the wreck and into second. He spent the rest of the race trying to get around the leader. The gear that I put on the car did not work. Zack was having to clutch it coming out of the corner. He got second place. When he came into the pit, I found out his helmet had fogged up. He was having some trouble seeing the berm. He was cracking the visor a little to get it to un-fog, but then he was getting dirt in his eyes. He is still in the points lead by 6 points. A dash win and two 2nd's. It was a good night. Ricky Perry (5hp) gets the hard charger award for the week. After being involved in a first turn wreck, and being sent to the back, he was passing cars making his way back up to the front. One of the cars he was chasing moved at the last second to reveal a stalled car in the middle of the track. Ricky slammed the brakes, and slid into the stalled car. Ricky broke the center of his right rear wheel and had to retire from the race. Nov. 27 Zack raced the micro in Salem yesterday. There were 9 cars in his class. Every race there are more cars in the restricted 600 class. Zack got a good pill draw and started inside second row for both of his heat races. We have had a problem with the car being way too tight, not wanting to turn. I borrowed a tire from Steve Smith, a friend of ours that races. After putting that tire on and doing some other adjustments, Zack said the car was a lot better, even too loose. He spun out twice in hot laps. The first heat race, Zack started to get passed and went to the back. I could hear that the car was hitting the rev limiter. Now that the car would turn, he was getting on the gas more and the car was over-reving. He finished fifth. The second heat race was better. I changed the gearing a little and the car wasn't hitting the rev limiter. He finished third. His two finishes in the heat races put him starting outside of the second row for the B-main. Zack kept the car running in a turn three pile up.  He made it through and into second place. They only take two cars from the B-main to the A-main. Zack finished second and transferred to the A-main. In the A-main Zack started last, outside the third row. In the 18 lap race Zack got by one of the cars and finished fifth. Both he and I are still learning this car and how it drives. I do think getting fifth out of 9 is good. Every week both he and I are getting better.Za