Beatrice Speedway, Beatrice, NE 16 July 2005
With temperatures in the mid-90's and a hot breeze, the action at Beatrice Speedway was fast and furious this week. It appears that the track preparation crew is starting to get the track and weather figured out as the track stayed tacky the entire program.
The R & R Racing/Blue Knights Monte Carlo factory stock was scheduled to start on the inside of the 2nd row in the third heat. The 89 of 2004 points champion Ronda Mewes was starting on the outside of row 2. In front of me were the 6B of Travis Burger and the 7 of Jeff Shew. The top 5 would go to the A Feature with the top 4 making the invert.
The car felt good in hot laps, but the track was not really rolled in as well as it would be in the heat race. I elected to make a tire change on the left front and adjust the air pressures a bit.
At the start of the heat race, we had an extra lap to roll in the top of the track a bit. The bottom of turn 1 and 2 was a little rough, but not bad. If my car would run there, it appeared that the bottom had a pretty good groove, but it also looked like if I needed to, I could go to the top side and run, too.
At the drop of the green, I dropped to the inside and tried to make a pass on the 6B. The 35 of Mike Schwartz, who started right behind me, had the same idea and we traded a little paint. Everybody stayed straight and we went into turn 1 three wide. The 89 was able to squeeze between the 6B and the 7 coming out of turn 2 and the 35 passed me low on the bottom of 2. We went down the back chute double file and nose to tail, with the 7 running side by side with the 89 and the 35 right behind them. I was on the back bumper of the 6B for the final transfer spot. However, I really wanted to make the invert.
Keeping the top three in sight, I went to work on the 6B of Travis Burger. He's finally got some of the gremlins out of his Ford that plagued him early in the season and the car is handling and running good for him. I'm able to run right up on his back bumper at the end of the chutes, but can't quite make the pass coming out. Wish I had my other engine in!
As we pass under the flagstand at the halfway point, I'm able to get to the inside of the 6B. We're into turn 1 and side by side, with the #6 R & R Racing/Blue Knights Monte Carlo on the inside. The 6B washes up a bit in the middle of the turn and I'm able to make the pass on the bottom as we race out of turn 2 and down the back chute. In the meantime, the 89 has taken the lead over the 35 and the 7. I wonder if I will have a chance to run down the 7.
However, I haven't completely shaken off the 6B as we are into 3 and out of 4. He comes back and tries to pass me high, but I'm able to beat him out of turn 4 and back under the flagstand. Now that I'm clear of him, I have no idea how close to me he is, and I'm driving like every lap is the last lap of the race. I'm able to make a little gain on the 7, but we run out of laps and the R & R Racing/Blue Knights Monte Carlo factory stock finishes 4th, making the invert.
I have just enough time to check the tire on the factory stock to see what the chassis was doing, then make a couple of last minute adjustments to the stock car. Then it's time to strap in and get ready to go again.
The R & R Racing/Blue Knights Monte Carlo stock car will start on the outside of the front row in the first heat. Starting on the pole is a former IMCA stock car National Champion, Mike Nichols of Harlan, Iowa. Starting right behind me is track points leader Brandon Johnson. I'm hoping I can make it through the first turn in one piece.
Lights are out on the back chute and we're into turn 3. Out of turn 4 and the green flag is out. I'm being tapped in the back bumper, but I'm going as hard as I can. Hold my line and give everybody a chance to go under me. We're into turn 1 in a pack, with the 63 on my inside and everybody else following him on the bottom. Out of 2 and it's two and three wide into 3. The pack is pulling away from me a bit now, and I'm in 6th place. Out of turn 4 and one lap is in the books.
Even though I'm getting beat pretty bad in this class, it's a good learning experience for me. I can use the extra laps in this car to help me out in the other car. One day, I'll have an engine that will run with these guys.
Going down the front chute at the half-way point, it appears that something on the rear suspension on the 63 breaks and he comes to a stop at the top of the track between 1 and 2. The yellow is out and we close the gap, putting me on the back bumper of the 31 of Eric Rempel.
The wrecker has the 63 towed off the track and it looks like we'll be green again. Having closed up on the other cars, I can watch to see where they're all running and maybe find another line to run. The green is out and we're into 1. The 31 is running a high line, WAY higher than what I feel comfortable with. He's gaining a lot going into the turn, but losing ground halfway through and coming out. The 98 of Todd Laflin is running about 1/2 way up the track and looks to have a faster car where he's at.
The laps are winding down and the white flag is out. One more time around and the checkers are out. The R & R Racing/Blue Knights Monte Carlo stock car has made the invert and will start on the front row in the A Feature! :-)
The track is holding up well and should stay tacky for the A Feature. That's good because the factory stock always seems to handle better on the tacky track. The downside to that is that the more powerful engines seem to have an advantage on a tacky track. When it turns dry slick, the engines don't make as big a difference.
We've got to get both the cars fueled, and I go around both cars and check and reset tire pressures. Also need to get s few more tearaways on my helmet so I don't run out and have a problem seeing.
After a short intermission to give trophies to last week's A Feature winners, they're calling for the factory stock A Feature to be getting on the track. I'm strapping in and starting the car. All buttoned down and we're pulling onto the track. I'm starting on the inside of the 3rd row, once again alongside the 89 of Ronda Mewes. The m64 of Matt Post is starting on the pole. He'd stopped by our pit stall earlier and told me his power steering had gone out on him and he was not able to fix it in time. I've fought a car with no power steering in the past and it's no fun.
We're lined up and the parade lap is done. Out of 2 and the lights flash and go out, signaling a start. Can't start racing until you're out of 4. In the middle of 3 and 4, everybody is on the gas, and the green is out! Under the flagstand and into 1, with 20 cars all trying to get into the lead on the 1st turn!
Somehow, we're all out of 2 and down the back chute without any incidents. I'd had two cars sideways in front of me and let off the gas momentarily, letting some other cars go by me. Once again into 3 and out of 4 and under the flag stand. We're somewhere in the top 10, but at this point I'm not sure of exactly where.
A couple of more laps and I've passed the m64 of Matt Post. He's struggling without power steering and will drop out before the end of the race. I pass the 6B of Travis Burger going into 3 and set my sights on the 9 of Gary Laflin. Into turn 1 and the yellow is out. There are 15 laps left.
Once the field is reset, the flagman shows us there's one more lap to go. We're out of 4 and the green is out again. Into 1 and I see the nose of the 94j on my inside. He's not able to make the pass this time around and I know I have to protect the bottom of the track. The 9, x69, 54m, 7, 5m, and 6R are all ahead of me battling for position. The 6R and 5m get together and the 5m spins in 2, with everybody getting by cleanly. There's a yellow for the 5m, and the 6R is also placed to the back, apparently for rough driving.
We're now down to 11 laps left. I'm sitting in 10th place as I count back from the leaders. The track has not dried out any in the corners, in fact it's a bit greasey on the very bottom in the corners. The 94j passes me on the high side going into 1 and cuts back between me and the 9 coming out of 2. He's hooked up and I wonder if I can make my car do the same thing. The car works going in, but I just don't have quite the power to make the pass. Try the bottom again but once again, not quite enough to make the pass.
Another yellow for the x69 of Pete Kruse. He's sitting toward the top of the track in the middle of 1, facing the bottom of the track. The front end of the car has been hit and the radiator is losing water.
Once the track is cleared and we're lined up again, we're green again. Everybody is into 1 when I see the 2nd place 03 car of Aaron Roth headed straight for the turn 1 wall. I anticipate a yellow and let off a bit, but there is none. The 6R and 5m both pass me and the 99 is under me trying to pass. Out of 2 I keep the 99 behind me and go to work on the 9. I can run right up to his back bumper at the end of the straightaway. I decide to try to dive under him like the 94j had earlier. Going into 1, I'm on his back bumper and throw the car into the corner. It feels almost like I'm 3-wheeling, but the car makes the turn and I dive under the 9 and beat him off the corner. We're side by side down the back chute, and I get into the corner about a half car length ahead of him. Out of 4 and I've cleared the 9 completely, putting us in 8th place. The scoreboard shows we have two laps to go.
Down the back chute and I'm coming up on a lap car. He's about 1/3 of the way up the track and I decide to pass high. He suddenly turns up the track and waves off, letting me know that he's dropping out. However, I'm so closing in so fast that I almost hit him. Taking advantage of my miscue, the 9 goes to my inside and we're through 3 and 4 side by side. The flagman is showing the white flag as we go under the flagstand. I'm able to beat the 9 into 1 and out of 2. I know I can't slip up or I'll lose that spot. Into 3 and out of 4 and there's the checkers. The R & R Racing/Blue Knights factory stock has another 8th place finish.
We get the car cooled down and parked in time to make some last minute checks on the stock car before it's time to line up for the A feature. I'm getting into the car and they're already calling for us to line up as the race just before the stock cars is winding down.
We're starting on the pole and I've already talked to Todd Laflin, who is starting right behind me. I told him I'd go as fast as I could, and drop to the bottom of the track until everybody cleared me. That will keep me from getting run over.
We're in our parade lap, then the flagman is showing one lap to go. Down the back chute, we're anticipating a green, but the yellow stays on and does not flash; instead there's a red momentarily displayed with the yellow. Out of turn 4 and the flagman is once again showing the one to go signal. This time, the back chute lights flash on and then go off. We're green as we come out of turn 4.
I drop low on the track and somebody drops even lower than I was. I'm passed by most of the pack on the high side and one car on the bottom. Out of 2 and I'm in about 8th place. Into 3 and out of 4 and we've completed one lap.
Into 3 on the 2nd lap and the 45 of Brandon Johnson spins, sending cars every which way to miss him. If my car had another coat of paint, I think I'd have hit him. I keep the car going and see the yellow flag at the flagstand.
It looks like something broke on the 45 as he has to be towed off the track. We line back up and the green is out again. For some reason, when the yellow came out, I was put behind the 89 of Sam Howard. That was the first I'd seen of him and I wondered why I was put to the back. Oh, well, I'll see what I can find out after the races are over.
When we go green again, I try to stay close to the 89. I can close on him at the end of the straightaways, but can't make the pass. He's faster off the corners, but his car doesn't seem to handle as well as mine. I get a good run on him into 3, but almost spin out and end up losing ground.
With 6 to go, we're being lapped as we go into 1. The 89 is lapped as he comes out of 2 not far ahead of me. As the leaders go by, the 89 slips up the track and slaps the outside wall, brings it back down, and almost drives head on into the turn 3 wall. The yellow is out.
I count back and see that I'm in 9th place. If the 89 changes a tire and gets back out, he may have a chance to pass me. The 99 had gone in a few laps earlier with a flat tire, and comes back out under the yellow. The 89 is towed off the track and doesn't look like he'll be fixed in time to get back on the track tonight.
We're green once again and I stay reasonably close to the cars ahead of me. It looks like two cars are smoking, but they show no signs of slowing. The laps wind down and we take the checkers in 9th place. Get back into the pits, cool the engine down and check tires to see what we gained in air pressure.
It looks like we got through the evening with no major problems in either car. Next races will be Saturday 23 July 2005 at the Beatrice Speedway during the Gage County Fair. The forecast is for hot weather and the action on the track will be just as hot! We look forward to seeing everybody soon.
Ernie #6 factory stock
#6 stock car
Beatrice, Nebraska Speedway
Secretary, Blue Knights Nebraska I
Factory Stock
Racing Results for 7-16-05
A Feature:
1- #89 Ronda Mewes Beatrice
2- #15j Jason Jensen Cortland
3- #35 Mike Schwartz Beatrice
4- #6R Roy Armstrong Beatrice
5- #94j Jeremy Jensen Cortland
6- #7 Jeff Shew Beatrice
7- #54m Gary McGinty Fairbury
8- #6 Ernie Reiss Beatrice
9- #9 Gary Laflin Beatrice
10-#99 Dallas Dobrovolny Waterville KS
11-#6B Travis Burger Summerfield KS
12-#5m Neal Mittan Wymore
13-#m34 Matthew Spanjer Fairbury
14-#38c Pat Welch Lincoln
15-#77A Phil Ambrose Jansen
16-#03 Aaron Roth Pleasant Dale
17-#66 Jeff Watts Blue Springs
18-#x69 Peter Kruse Deshler
19-#23 Cary Ames Beatrice
20-#m64 Matthew Post Beatrice
Factory Stock
Points as of 7-16-05
1 466 Jason Jensen Cortland
2 465 Roy Armstrong Beatrice
3 464 Mike Schwartz Beatrice
4 457 Neal Mittan Wymore
5 451 Ronda Mewes Blue Springs
6 418 Jeremy Jensen Cortland
7 413 Aaron Roth Pleasant Dale
8 397 Ernie Reiss Beatrice
9 358 Gary Laflin Beatrice
10 352 Matthew Post Beatrice
11 343 Travis Burger Summerfield KS
12 333 Gary McGinty Fairbury
13 323 Jeff Watts Wymore
13 323 Tom Creek Wymore
15 314 Derek Sand Hanover KS
16 311 Shawn Howard Fairbury
17 281 Carey Ames Beatrice
18 231 Delmar Wells Hallam
19 224 Matthew Spanjer Faibury
20 219 Dallas Dobrovolny Waterville KS
21 162 Pat Welch Lincoln
22 127 Owen Spnjer Lexington
23 126 Ryan Young Blue Springs
24 95 Kasey Garvin Manhattan KS
25 94 Jeff Shew Beatrice
26 81 Peter Kruse Deshler
27 26 Kurt Wilson Hanover KS
28 26 Phil Ambrose Jansen
29 24 Jeff Stohs Hanover KS
30 22 Scott Jones Fairbury
IMCA Stock
Racing Results for 7-16-05
A Feature:
1 Mike Sherwood Beatrice
2 Todd Laflin Beatrice
3 James Griffith Beatrice
4 Lance Borgman Beatrice
5 Josh Carpenter Fairbury
6 Robby Marsh Hebron
7 Eric Rempel Palmyra
8 Eric Bartels Jansen
9 Ernie Reiss Beatrice
10 Samuel Howard Fairbury
11 Darcy Dobrovolny Waterville KS
12 Brandon Johnson DeWitt
13 Mike Nichols Harlan IA
IMCA Stock
Points as of 7-16
1 458 Josh Carpenter Fairbury
2 457 Lance Borgman Beatrice
3 454 Robby Marsh Hebron
4 453 James Griffith Beatrice
5 452 Todd Laflin Beatrice
6 448 Brandon Johnson DeWitt
7 409 Eric Rempel Palmyra
8 401 Mike Sherwood Beatrice
9 387 Samuel Howard Fairbury
10 372 David Murk Blue Rapids KS
11 370 Ernie Reiss Beatrice
12 273 Eric Bartels Jansen
13 260 Corey Koca Milligan
14 188 Darcey Dobrovolny Waterville KS
15 168 Derek Fralin Beatrice
16 126 Greg Deters Centralia KS
17 96 Kevin Snyder Beatrice
18 94 Leif Weyer Centralia KS
19 73 Francis Dobrovolny Waterville KS
20 59 Terry Franz Concordia KS
21 54 Mike Nichols Harlan IA
22 27 Tracy Arntt Endicott
Front Page
Beatrice Spring Fling 2005
Opening Night April 2, 2005
Results from April 9, 2005
Results from April 16, 2005
Results from April 23, 2005
Results from April 30 & May 1, 2005
Results from May 7, 2005
Results from May 14, 2005
Results from May 21, 2005
Results from May 28, 2005
Results from June 18, 2005
Results from June 25, 2005
Results from July 2, 2005
Results from July 9, 2005
Results from July 16, 2005
Results from July 23, 2005 (Gage County Fair)
Results from July 30, 2005
Results from August 6, 2005 - Kids' Night
Results from August 20, 2005
Results from August 27, 2005
Results from September 3, 2005
Results from Eagle Raceway September 10, 2005
Email: blueknightne1@email.com
