Eagle Raceway, Eagle, NE - 10 September 2005
We also raced at the first Eagle Fall Jamboree in 2004. After the races, we had our pictures taken in turn 3 of the historic track.
Being a glutton for punishment, I towed to Eagle for the Fall Jamboree. The afternoon did not start out well, as I blew a tire on the trailer before getting out of Gage County. I limped the rest of the way to the track on three wheels at 45 MPH. I was able to borrow a tire and wheel when I got to the track and made it to within a mile of home before THAT tire blew out!
At least the Beatrice cars pulled together and we all pitted together. That was fortunate as that was all the pit crew I could muster up.
Everybody had to draw for starting position in the heat race and I drew #58. When the line-ups came out, I was starting 9th (last) in the 3rd heat. The top 4 made the invert and the top 5 went to the A Feature.
After the blown tire and the bad draw, I probably should have loaded up and gone home, but I'd come all this way to race. About 20 minutes before we were to start packing the track, I decided to put my contact lenses in. I'd worn my glasses because of the hot and windy weather, so my eyes wouldn't dry out. I got in the truck and got the first contact on my finger. As I was about to put it in my eye, the wind caught it and blew it away. With no extras with me (they're disposable) I'd have to wear my glasses.
By the time our heat race pulled onto the track, it looked like the fast line was on the bottom. The track was already mostly dry slick. Starting at the very back, I had nothing to lose by trying to run high. The green was out and we're into turn 1 on the high side. The R & R Racing/Blue Knights Monte Carlo factory stock wanted to "push" and I could see if I was to do any passing, it would have to be on the bottom.
I moved to the bottom of the track and was able to pass one car going into 1 on the 2nd lap. There was a fine line between running the bottom and getting a bit higher. If you ran too low in 1, you'd get into the water left by a natural spring on the very bottom. A foot higher, and there was a little traction since it was a little tacky right there.
Coming out of 2 on the 3rd lap, I was able to drive between one car on the bottom and one that pushed up a bit. I beat them both down the back chute and into 3. Out of 4 and the flagman is showing the crossed flags, meaning we're halfway through the heat. On the next lap, I pass two cars on the bottom in 3 and 4 and it looks like I'm in 3rd. Two laps to go, and I pull a bone-head move by trying to move up the track a bit. The 20 of Chad Borgman passes me on the bottom. That should have made me move back to the bottom, but sometime I'm not real smart. I still try the high line the next lap and the 98 passes me. I finish in (I think) 5th place, making the A Feature. Later, I found that I'd finished in 6th place, meaning I'd have to run the B Feature to try to make the A.
I made a couple of changes to try to loosen the car up a bit, then filled it with fuel. Check air pressures, and it's time to get back in and race again. We start on the inside of the 2nd row. The top 5 will fall in at the back of the A Feature.
The green is out and we're on the gas. The outside pole sitter takes the lead and everybody falls in behind him. About half way through, there's a red flag for a car that hit the front stretch wall. That is cleaned up and we're under way again. The green is out and we're still in 4th place. I have no way to know who is behind me and how far back they might be. With two to go, I see a blue car on my outside trying to make a run. However, his car is too tight and won't turn in the corners. I'm able to hold him off. He tries to get under me as the white flag is out, but I'm running the bottom. One last time - he tries to pass above me but I win the drag race for the checkers. We're in the A Feature and will start 19th in the 20 car field.
There's not a lot of time to get ready for the A Feature. We fill the fuel cell again and check the air pressure in the tires. I would still like the car to be a lot looser (meaning it would turn better if I ran it in high), but I'll just have to run where it handles the best.
We're pulling back onto the track for the A Feature. Everybody is lined up, we're out of 4 and the green is out. Everybody wants to run the bottom.
Going into 2 on the 3rd lap, it gets stacked up on the bottom. A car is spinning and others are trying to clear it. I go high and pass the spinning car as well as one other. Everybody gets straightened out and there's no yellow.
Just before the halfway mark, another car spins from the bottom of 2 toward the top of the track. I think he'll roll back to the bottom of the track, so go high to miss him. Instead, the car is going backwards even higher and I can't get by without hitting him with my left front. However, I keep on going.
Now it feels like I may have a flat tire, but the officials aren't flagging me off. There's a yellow when the 03 of Aaron Roth loses an axle ahead of me. Once the track is cleared, we're racing again.
Before the yellow, I'd been closing on the 94 car ahead of me. He was pretty fast on the chutes, but would push in the corners. I knew if I could catch up to him, I could pass him on the bottom. With a couple of laps to go, I made the pass on the bottom of 2. At the checkers, the R & R Racing/Blue Knights Monte Carlo had a 14th place finish.
Pulling up to the trailer, I finally realized that what felt like a flat tire was in actuality no power steering. We pulled the hood and the fan belt was still on; however, we saw that the hit on the spinning car bent the left upper control arm and control arm shaft, giving me negative camber when we should have had positive camber.
I got the car loaded, watched the final race and after the races, helped the 03 crew get the axle replaced on their car. I checked the air in the borrowed tire and headed for home. Got back to Beatrice on all 4 wheels and pulled into the driveway about 1:40 AM. As I walked into the house, I noticed the borrowed tire was flat and the sidewall was blown out.
Guess I should have turned around and gone back home when the first tire went flat.
This weekend, September 23 and 24th is the Fall Nationals at the Beatrice Speedway. We plan to have the R & R Racing/Blue Knights factory stock back on the track for those two nights. Racing will be at 7 PM both nights.
The following weekend, September 30 and October 1st, I hope to have the R & R Racing/Blue Knights Monte Carlo stock car racing at the Octoberfest races at Beatrice Speedway. That will end the season on the track for R & R Racing.
Ernie #6 Factory Stock
#6 Stock car
Beatrice Speedway
Secretary, Blue Knights Nebraska I
Eagle Fall Jamboree - Hobby Stock
B feature
1 28 Rick Bradley
2 9 Monte Haugen
3 26x Ron Allen
4 6 Ernie Reiss
5 22 Brian Schmidt
6 6b Travis Burger
7 21x Derick Noonan
8 98 Dan Jackson
9 36 Jeff Oestmann
10 P38 Josh Houseman
A feature
1 15j Jason Jensen
2 89 Ronda Mewes
3 5h Pat Huggins
4 20 Chad Borgman
5 94j Jeremy Jensen
6 92 Don Hall, Jr
7 8 Murray Haugen
8 42 Phil Bivens
9 28b Rick Bradley
10 26x Ron Allen
11 9 Monte Haugen
12 7l Lance Todd
13 57 Brian Cudly
14 6 Ernie Reiss
15 22 Brian Schmidt
16 94 Mike Hansen
17 11 Eric Chab
18 14 Ron Novak
19 03 Aaron Roth
20 98 Ben Hennecke
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
