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* Budd's Creek 2003 Race Report * |
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Even though we were not planning to run the Friday test and tune session, we left Thursday night and drove about half way to Maryland. That allowed us to take a leisurely drive to the track on Friday, get set up in the parking area and watch Inside Drag Racing on ESPN2. They did a real nice job covering the Norwalk event! On Saturday morning, we got set up in the pits and readied the bike for the first qualifying session and what a qualifying session it was with a 10.331 pass at 124 mph! That put us #1 on the ladder. The second round we ran really fast with a 10.01 second pass. Could a 9 second pass be too far away?? We still had the #1 spot. The third pass came in at 10.24 seconds as we tried to slow this monster down a little. Blake Holliday ran right after we did and slid into the #1 spot with a 10.31 leaving us in the #2 spot on the ladder and with 7 qualifying points. Sunday morning we heard there might be a test and tune session and when the call came over the PA, we were ready. I had made a couple tuning changes thinking I would slow the bike down a little. The pass was as smooth as ever and when I got the time slip I knew why.....9.988 seconds at 127.44 mph! My first 9 second pass!! And this on a 74 cubic inch motor on gasoline (no nitrous or other additives)!!! I was plenty pumped up now going into eliminations. In the first round I had Bruce Cronenberger with whom I battled the last half of last year in the SE points chase. He stuck on the line and I launched hard and made sure I had the finish line. Round 2 brought Allen Nussbaum, a good friend and very tough competitor. Like Bruce before him, Allen stuck on the line and I again launched hard and took the stripe. Round 3 saw a bye run by virtue of the #2 qualifying position. I was now in the money rounds. In the semi's I faced Ron Fensick, another tough competitor. I took the right lane again and Ron bogged at the line. I was going to the finals! I was as focused as I have been all year long and was cutting some pretty good lights, but I was not over confident as I had to face the other half of the HD of Seaford team, Harry Montgomery. As I was warming up the engine under the tent, Harry's crew chief came over and told me I would have a solo. It took me a minute to realize that meant Harry broke. I ran the race just as I had all day cutting a good light, launching hard, and taking the stripe. It wasn't until I started pulling off the track at the big end that I began to realize that I WON!!!!!!!! I'm going to enjoy this victory for a while, at least until my next race. John Force says you're only as good as your last race - mine was Budd's Creek! Stay tuned for more! And THANKS for visiting the MAVRIK Racing pages!
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