Short version: one of the v6 trucks showed up and swept up the trophies. I tucked in behind him Friday for second in the heat race. Third in the feature. Saturday I won my heat race and took third in the feature again.
Long version below:
Friday I started 4th in the feature. I had been battling back and forth with 3rd place. I was in the low/middle line which didn't have much grip. That was the line available as the other truck was on the more preferred high line. I was faster but needed to be substantially faster to pass him low. We swapped 2nd and 3rd a few laps when someone slid up from under me and about took us all into the wall. Nobody spun, but it allowed a couple around us. I battled back into third from 5th before the checkers but couldn't reel in 1st or 2nd.
Saturday we started the night on the same exact track we finished Friday night. They didn't work it at all. They did water it but it was sealed over and turned into an ice skating rink. Traction was pretty much non-existent.
I started position 3 of 6 in the heat race. Worked into 1st pretty early. Lap one. Our heat had every heavy hitter (that was attending) minus the v6 truck. I was pulling them pretty good (close to half a straight away) when we had a caution. Did alright on the restart but couldn't shake the 9 truck. Not sure if I changed my line or if my tires didn't fire off, or just what it was. Maybe he just got hungrier after the restart put him on my bumper? I don't know, but he and I put on a great show for the fans. We swapped spots, or were dead even crossing the line 3 of last 4 laps. I pulled him a truck length or two on the last lap for my first heat race win.
We did make big adjustments for the heat race after the hot laps. They seemed to work. I also found a ton of oil spewing out the breather on my valve cover after the heat race win. Went into the feature with good setup, but uncertainty about the oil issues. Topped off fluids and started the feature second row inside.
By the end of the first lap the v6 was out front and I was working second place on the bottom. Ugh. Bottom sucks. Too slick. No grip. I cleared the front row trucks and worked my way to the top of the track. I settled in and railed the cushion. I hung with the v6 truck as he was middle of track to lower side of the cushion. This went on a few laps when we saw the rest of the field working the bottom and gaining ground. Somehow the bottom came in and was working for them. He dropped low when he got passed but I decided to live or die running the top. I need momentum to beat the v6 because I'll never out motor him. I bounced between 2nd and 4th until lap 9 when we had a caution. Throw a blanket over 2/3/4 because my high line was about even with their low line. I think every lap was different positions for us depending on who got better bite. All this time, three or four of us were on the v6 like a pack of hungry hound dogs. One of our 4cyl guys had actually taken the lead around lap 6 and had been leading a few laps.
So here we are getting ready to restart after the caution. V6 in second. Me in 4th. We both get good hole shots and he quickly took the lead. I decided to run the bottom and see what I could make happen. The top just wasn't working and I could smell oil burning off the header. (I had been seeing smoke and smelling it from lap 6-9 leading to the caution but my gauges were reading okay. I knew it was oil spewing again.) The other two 4cyl trucks in front of me hugged the bottom leaving me no choice but to wait for one of them to screw up and hope the engine held together. One of them slipped up the track enough I could slide under him for third place. That was as good as it got with only 3 laps remaining after the caution.
Finished the weekend with a 2nd and 1st place in the heat races and a pair of third place finishes in the feature. After last season, I couldn't be happier. Last year was humble pie week after week. I ran 9 of the 25 race schedule and only had one race where I didn't start the feature. That was after taking second in the heat race. Some races were rained out or dropped. I'll let you know how I finish in the standings. I think I was 8th or 9th in points going into this weekend.
Good thing we are done. I've got work to do. Lol
