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* Rockingham 2002 Race Report * |
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We were really looking forward to the Rockingham race for several reasons. First, it's close to home, only about 3 hours away. Second, it's a really fast track. Third, we were looking to make some serious head way in the points to chase down the #1 plate. Fourth, Eric and Emily were there with us and we were expecting several Greenville HOG members to ride up. Finally, I was taking delivery of a new Mike Schultz chassis for next year's racing! We arrived at the track about 8 PM Friday night and after a crown and ginger, went hunting for the new chassis. When we finally found it, I guess you could say I had a smile on my face as wide as the rear 7" slick! As we rolled it back to the trailer, we got many looks, congratulations, questions and offers to buy! We started qualifying a little too quick with a 10.84 pass, but it felt good to be so close to the index with a little left in the tank. The second pass, we rolled into a hole on the start line and red lit, the rest of the run was just as unimpressive with an 11.0 something pass. The third attempt again found us under by a couple 100th's. We spent the rest of Saturday night watching teammate Drew Proffitt race in the junior competition, eating Sue's deliciously prepared fajita's and then Steve Moore's fried turkey and "plop" biscuits. Race day brought somewhat cooler weather and the realization that we were running teammate Joe Perry in the first round. I had never run Perry before, but knew he was a little faster than me. I planned to run my race, as usual, and ended up taking the finish line and the win on a double breakout holeshot! It was one of the most intense races I've ever run as Perry has a winning reputation. Round 2 found another win and Round 3 got me a bye! In Round 4, I ran against Bob Drapp, a fierce competitor in his own right, and I managed to cut a .422 light to take the win by a slim margin. I was now in the finals for the second week in a row! In the final round, I faced Bruce Cronenberger. This was to be a very significant race as we were tied for 2nd place in the national points chase at this point! As I had all weekend, I cut a good .444 light and was out in front early. Then I hit 3rd gear. My clutch decided it had had just about enough abuse at this point and gave up. As I saw Bruce go by, I thought to myself, "NO, not again, not now!", but it was not to be. Congratulations to Bruce Cronenberger, the Eastern Division Champion. As for me, I finished #2 in the East, far beyond my wildest dreams back in March, and still hold the #3 spot nationally. Let's hope my 70 point lead over #4 holds up! I appreciate everyone taking time to follow my progress this year and look forward to a lot more excitement next year with my new combination. I'll have periodic updates as the build progresses. I actually have a fan base now! Please stay tuned for more! And THANKS for visiting the MAVRIK Racing pages!
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