Opening Night - Beatrice Speedway, Beatrice, NE - 2 April 2005
Factory Stock Photo by Nick Vrtiska
Opening night at Beatrice Speedway proved to be one of those good night/bad night things. After having problems at the speedway at Test & Tune on Tuesday evening, a different engine had to be transplanted into the R & R Racing/Blue Knights Monte Carlo factory stock. The engine had overheated and after it cooled down and we started it, it did not sound right. Instead of possibly hurting it any more, we decided to change it.
On Friday evening, we decided to take both of the cars to the track on Saturday and race in two classes. From there I'd make a decision as to which class we would run on a regular basis at Beatrice.
After getting all the last minute details (that we could think of) taken care of, we left the house shortly after 3 PM. Still had to stop at Cenex for fuel and did not want to wait in a long line at the track.
On opening night we always have to draw for starting position. For the factory stock class I drew 66, which later put me on the outside of the 3rd row in the 2nd heat.
The stock car wasn't registered yet. As soon as that was taken care of, I drew a 77 for starting position. That put me on the outside of the 4th row in the stock car heat.
The weather had warmed up and there was a fair amount of wind. It looked like the track would be good later on, but I've been wrong in the past.
Before being unable to take the factory stock off the trailer, there was a starter glitch. I guess the bad luck from Happy Hour earlier in the week hadn't worn off yet. After playing with the starter, the car started and it was unloaded.
We unloaded the stock car from the other trailer and made last minute adjustments to it. It was announced that factory stocks would be packing the track and we were to be on the track at 4:45.
The R & R Racing/Blue Knights factory stock seemed to be OK as we rolled in the track. While this was going on. a look at the temperature gage showed everything seemed to be OK. After rolling in the track and getting turned around, we pulled back on the track for hot laps. At we came out of turn 4, the flagman signaled one to go before going green. I shifted into high gear and the clutch pedal went all the way to the floor and stayed there! The hydraulic throw-out bearing had blown out - again!! We didn't have either the time or parts to fix it, so the R & R Racing/Blue Knights factory stock was done for the evening.
FORTUNATELY, the evening was a lot less eventful for the R & R Racing/Blue Knights Monte Carlo stock car. There were 8 cars in our heat race. I knew that we would get beat up on due to all the other cars having a lot more power (power = $$$$). Watching the first heat, I had the feeling that some people were driving a bit hard as several experienced drivers spun out.
At the drop of the green, I found out how dry it really was. As we came out of turn 4, there was so much dust kicked up ahead of me that I couldn't see the end of my hood. If the entire field had been sitting on the front straightaway, I would not have known it until I started hitting them. The bottom of the track in the corners was real dry and about two car widths off the bottom, there were ruts in the track. I decided to move up a ways to avoid the ruts. I fell in as close behind the 21F as I dared. Every time we went into the corner, he looked life he was going to spin out and I didn't want to get caught up in that. In turn 3 on the 5th lap, he finally went around and I managed to get past him on the bottom side. He was not able to catch me and the R & R Racing/Blue Knights Monte Carlo finished in 6th place.
I had weighed earlier in the evening and the track promoter told me that I weighed 3170 lbs. He again apologized for two weeks ago. (I did get paid for starting the A Feature).
Lineups came out and we were scheduled to start on the outside of the 6th row. There were a couple of fast cars behind me. I talked to them and told them I'd just run as hard as I could and hold my line until they got past me (which I figured would be about 25 feet.)
We tinkered a bit and made sure the fuel tank was full and all the nuts and bolts were tight. Recheck the tire pressure and whatever else we could think of. During intermission we walked the track and could see where all the holes and ruts were in the track. I decided to run above those places and hope to finish the race without spinning, getting in anybody's way, or breaking the suspension.
The dust hadn't gotten any better by the time the stock car A Feature took to the track. I hadn't changed my mind any on my strategy - just stay out of everybody's way and finish. As the green came out, the dust kicked up from the bottom of the track made it impossible to see to the end of my hood. Just kind of hang on and pray.
After everybody got by me, I tried to go to the bottom but the ruts and holes there were treacherous. You had to go as far to the bottom as you could get to miss those. On the 2nd lap, the car that won the Spring Nationals blew a right rear just ahead of me and drifted high, getting a bit sideways. I managed to get by on the bottom. There was no yellow and I just kept on keeping on.
The 21F was just ahead of me and I tried to keep close to him. He'd spun ahead of me in the heat race and I wanted to be sure to be able to get by him if he did the same thing in the Feature. However, he must have made some changes and slowly pulled away from me.
I later found out that one of the cars that started behind me, who is usually fast, blew up right at the git-go. I'd wondered where he was when he didn't pass me.
I concentrated on trying to miss the massive ruts and craters in the track. I moved the R & R Racing/Blue Knights Monte Carlo about 2/3 of the way up the track in the corners and it worked fairly well for me there. I knew I wasn't as fast as everybody else, but it looked like the leaders were working the bottom. As I glanced at the leader board, it looked like there was a good 5 way battle for the lead. I didn't want to be a factor in the outcome of that.
Sure is still dusty, especially coming out of turn 4. As I come out of turn 4 on the 11th lap, the leader passes me on the bottom. In turn 1 the 2nd place car passes and coming out of 2 the 3rd place car passes. A lap or two later the 98 passes me, but later drops out with broken rear suspension. About 2 laps from the end, the 10k goes by me, but slows coming out of turn 4 with two flat rear tires. He manages to get off the track without causing a yellow.
I tried to run on the bottom one last time, and going into turn 1 ran over the Grand Canyon. I immediately moved back up the track and found smoother ground there. The white flag is out, 1 to go. Next time around the checkers are out and we've gotten the R & R Racing/Blue Knights Monte Carlo IMCA stock car through its first points night with no apparent scrapes or bumps. We end up with an 11th place finish.
This week will be spent doing some maintenance on the stock car to be sure nothing vibrated apart and that all my welds are still holding. We'll figure out what happened to the clutch on the factory stock and get it fixed, then decide what the plan will be for the next race on Saturday 9 April 2005. First green flag is at 6 PM. Hope to see everybody at the track soon.
Ernie #6 Factory Stock
#6 IMCA stock car
Beatrice Speedway
Secretary, Blue Knights Nebraska I
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
