Hicks Lawn Services truck racing

[hickslawns]

No Fremont shakedown tonight?

Never been to Fremont. Not sure the 4cyl truck would hang with the V8 trucks. Maybe. Our lap times of top five or so in our class are usually similar to mid pack of stock cars. Some nights there are only a few stock cars faster than our guys. Super slick can be an equalizer.

 

[hickslawns]

Friday night Montpelier Monster Mash race. It was a goat rope of a show. Inefficiently run. Tried to cram 7 classes into a Friday night show with rain on the way. Started over an hour late. Huge gaps between races and lots of staging/line up issues. Ran the heat race and we put in a great show. Three of us battles hard. I finished second between two trucks that have won roughly half the races this year. Very pleased. Around 1am I was strapping in for the feature. One class on the track finishing up. One about to leave staging. Us ready to go to staging. The skies opened up. Rained out. Got home at 315am out $235 and no feature. At least I went home riding high with confidence and the taste of blood in the water for this shark.

Last race of the year was Saturday night. Ran Waynesfield at the Goblin Classic. Track was rough. Played it conservative in the heat race. Started 4th. Moved to 2nd. Couldn't get a clean pass. Stuck around in second place thru the checkers.

Started 4th in the feature. Got tied up in traffic. I think most of the traffic was in my head. Stunk it up tip toeing thru the rough track for 8-9 laps. Realized I sucked decided to send it and see what happens. Nothing to lose. Last race of the year. So around lap 9 i realized I could just send it and it would stick. My balls grew a couple sizes from there and we got a caution. The caution tightened up the field and I stuck with the leaders a couple laps until we drew another caution. Running 3rd on the restart and moved to second. Reeling in the leader with a couple to go and ran out of laps. Ran the fastest lap time in the feature but obviously waited too long to get my head out of my butt. Second place in the feature will have to keep me hungry until next season.

It's been a good season: specifically the second half of the season. Found some speed. Found some set up stuff that worked. Found some confidence. Just couldn't get into victory lane. Definitely ended on a high note. Remember two years ago when I went 6 races chasing mechanical issues? Never started a feature. Remember earlier this season when the truck got rolled twice down the front stretch with a half spin mid air? Yeah. Same truck at the end of the season became a contender for the lead. Hard to complain right now.

 

["J"]

You’ve gained leaps and bounds this season, Phil! You’ll get there buddy! Congratulations on the solid finish! Do you think the scales helped that much? Or your confidence level just caught up?

 

[hickslawns]

You’ve gained leaps and bounds this season, Phil! You’ll get there buddy! Congratulations on the solid finish! Do you think the scales helped that much? Or your confidence level just caught up?

Yes. Both. Lol

The main thing holding me back is my own head. Confidence is good. Scales and adjustments helped. Scales helped me gain an understanding of things a bit differently. Experience is low compared to many in my class but I'm learning and getting seat time. Honestly seems like some sports psychology might do me some good. Not that I would pay for it but I can self study and get some mentoring on the matter. I feel like I get slow starts mentally or sometimes get lax for a lap or two. Need to focus on going out hard and maintaining intensity the entire feature. It has been like I have needed to feel out the track a couple laps and steadily get more ballsy. That doesn't work. I need to start the race without a care. If i spin out I spin out. Let her rip. Lol

 

["J"]

Going from the known too the unknown is tricky. I would imagine the guys who are consistently up there are comfortable being uncomfortable? If that makes sense….

 

[P8riot]

Going from the known too the unknown is tricky. I would imagine the guys who are consistently up there are comfortable being uncomfortable? If that makes sense….

Seems its that way in life as well. People who act like they have nothing to lose gain the most, well because they have nothing to lose!

Way to go with the truck bud! Seems the truck is there for you. The mental game is a bitch. This season will leave you hungry and you will have the off season to work on that. You will replay it all in your head and you'll come out next season like an animal! This season was a lot of highs and lows for sure. That probably didn't sit well in your head at all. You're on track to do very well next season and I can't wait to hear about it!

 

[hickslawns]

Thanks @"J" and @P8riot . You are both correct.

My buddy who claims to be my crew chief coaches me up. He will say something like "Go out there like ________, and race like you don't give an eff if you make it home or not. Those guys are always fast because they can destroy everything, go home, and they aren't out anything."

 

[hickslawns]

Sooo. . . .we were rained out Friday night of the Monster Mash. They got rained out Saturday as well. Told the trucks we could make up our feature next weekend. I thought we were going to Metallica next weekend and was going to miss the make up race. Wrong. Metallica is the weekend after that.

BUT. . . .we may be lucky to get half our class there. Two top trucks blew up. One is going asphalt racing with his v6 truck. Another will likely not want to drive 3.5hrs for 15 laps. Our promoter is working out of town and not attending. I would truly have a great shot at winning if everything held together. No flat tires, etc.

The Monster Mash trophies are generally pretty cool. Be nice to have increased odds at a feature win. But I'll be out another $80-100 in diesel. Not sure it would be satisfying knowing all the heavy hitters are not there. Not trusting the track as they have stiffed guys in the past (to be fair it is under new ownership/promoter but the former owner was there making decisions last weekend). I may reach out to the promoter and see what the running order will be and start times. Not interested in a 12 hour day to run 3 hot laps and a 15 lap make up feature. There are already going to be 7 classes plus the three make up features. 10 features would suck to sit thru if they put us last and they generally put us last. Also been nursing my motor along. Eating half a quart every 8 lap heat race and a quart every feature. Sorta be nice to rebuild it while it can still be gone thru. AND it is deer season and I haven't hit the woods.

I know it sounds negative. Just weighing my options. Talked to my cousin. He asked if I do it for the money, the trophy, or the fun? I pondered and told him the fun because it is the challenge which makes it fun. As a guy with ZERO feature wins I have no room to get cocky but if 7-8 trucks show up and maybe half stay on the lead lap it won't be much of a challenge. Am I being stupid or what? I guess I want my first win to be a hard fought battle and this looks like it will be two of us fighting for a win.

 

[giles]

If you don't want to win races, you should quit.

 

[GoetsTalon]

Your first win will be a hard fought battle no matter how many people are on the track. Look at all you have put into this since you started. Every guy that races from motorcycles to cars or trucks is out there for only one thing and it's not for fun.

 

["J"]

Go too the race, win the race, go home, shoot a deer….. It’s really that simple…..

 

[Clay Showalter]

You can't control who else races, but we know you can't win the race if you don't go.

 

[P8riot]

Sooo. . . .we were rained out Friday night of the Monster Mash. They got rained out Saturday as well. Told the trucks we could make up our feature next weekend. I thought we were going to Metallica next weekend and was going to miss the make up race. Wrong. Metallica is the weekend after that.

BUT. . . .we may be lucky to get half our class there. Two top trucks blew up. One is going asphalt racing with his v6 truck. Another will likely not want to drive 3.5hrs for 15 laps. Our promoter is working out of town and not attending. I would truly have a great shot at winning if everything held together. No flat tires, etc.

The Monster Mash trophies are generally pretty cool. Be nice to have increased odds at a feature win. But I'll be out another $80-100 in diesel. Not sure it would be satisfying knowing all the heavy hitters are not there. Not trusting the track as they have stiffed guys in the past (to be fair it is under new ownership/promoter but the former owner was there making decisions last weekend). I may reach out to the promoter and see what the running order will be and start times. Not interested in a 12 hour day to run 3 hot laps and a 15 lap make up feature. There are already going to be 7 classes plus the three make up features. 10 features would suck to sit thru if they put us last and they generally put us last. Also been nursing my motor along. Eating half a quart every 8 lap heat race and a quart every feature. Sorta be nice to rebuild it while it can still be gone thru. AND it is deer season and I haven't hit the woods.

I know it sounds negative. Just weighing my options. Talked to my cousin. He asked if I do it for the money, the trophy, or the fun? I pondered and told him the fun because it is the challenge which makes it fun. As a guy with ZERO feature wins I have no room to get cocky but if 7-8 trucks show up and maybe half stay on the lead lap it won't be much of a challenge. Am I being stupid or what? I guess I want my first win to be a hard fought battle and this looks like it will be two of us fighting for a win.

 

[hickslawns]

The masses has spoken to this dumbassas. Better get the truck prepped.

 

[hickslawns]

It's about time for a recap.

Started the season sucky. Got rolled. Rebuilt truck. Just about got crashed out and rolled again. Decided it was time to quit being such a Sally and drive the truck for what it had. Last 4-6 races were major improvements mentally. Tweaked things on set up side. Continued to improve. Got to the front. Competing with the leaders. Ran out of season. Finished 3rd in track points at Montpelier. Finished 7th in the series. Same as last year but with more competition this year and truthfully not trying to win the points. Missed a lot of races. Best finish was second in the last race of the season where I ran fastest lap time of all trucks that night.

We have word there will be additional races at Limaland next year. We shall see how many and if they are going to have a track champion. They usually run a "King of the Quarter Mile" at the end of the season. It is a race of every feature winner throughout the year. My goal would be to get into the King of the Quarter Mile race. That .means I need a feature win at Limaland. May as well try to win as many as possible. less competition in the King race. Lol

I am still not going to run for Series points next year. I'm putting my focus on winning features, not running myself ragged covering 20-25-30 races. I still have work and life obligations. When things settle down I plan to pull the motor and have my mechanic go thru it. Piston rings at a minimum. I plan on building another motor as well. Be sorta nice if my current motor is the back up motor referred to as my "small motor." AKA Peanut Butter and Jelly because that's all I ate this season to get the budget to work. Never bought a single thing at the concession stands. We shall dub the new motor as "Prime Rib" and see how she eats. Overall I am pretty excited about next season.

 

[5Cent]

Heck ya Phil, get it!

 

[hickslawns]

Motor is out. Time to freshen her up. Crossing my fingers we get away with maybe a hone and new rings. Be nice to have some budget left to build a second motor. That is sort of the plan.

Schedule is out for Limaland. 6 races plus King of The Quarter Mile race which will only be drivers who have a feature win on the season.

Schedule is out for Waynesfield. Looks like 6 races I think. Or maybe it was 7?

Millstream in Findlay is under new ownership. They are running a limited schedule. There was talk of a truck race or possibly 2 up there.

Montpelier Indiana is making their schedule. I suspect we will see half a dozen or so over there.

Gas City is a question mark. I'm not sure who the new promoter is or if he plans on running trucks. That place is like racing a plowed field every time we go anyhow. Literally going airborne while sliding sideways. Not cool. Wouldn't miss it if they omit us. I've ran there a few times. So have some big names guys. Cross it off the list.

"Yeah. I've run at that track where big names x,y, and z have run. I've crashed there. I've broken my truck there. I've finished with a flat there. You could tell Kyle Larson he is lucky I haven't been up to 100% there when he was in town." (I hope nobody took that for anything but a joke.)

 

[JARHEAD]

I'll let Kyle know.

 

[giles]

He better look out! The beadlock is gonna be the game changer.

 

[hickslawns]

He better look out! The beadlock is gonna be the game changer.

Shhh. . . .Don't let out all the secrets. Kyle can learn that stuff the hard way like the rest of us.