THE VRT RACING TEAM WISH'S
EVERYONE A SAFE AND HAPPY 4TH
SEE YA AT THE FREEDOM 100
1ST OFF, THE VRT TEAM WOULD like TO CONGRATULATE JESSE ON WINNING A VERY PRESTIGOUS AWARD SATURDAY AS HE WAS VOTED THE WINNER OF THE ANNUAL MICHIGAN RACING FAN CLUB AWARD VOTED ON BY THERE HOME TRACK, IN THIS CASE GALESBURG SPEEDWAY JESSE WAS INFORMED OF THE AWARD DURING THE AUTOGRAPH SESSION AND SPOKE ON HIS BEHALF. JESSE WON A VERY NICE DUFFLE BAG WITH ALOT OF MEMBER INFO AND STICKERS INSIDE. JESSE WOULD like TO THANK EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE VOTING PROCESS AND LOOKS FORWARD TO REPRESENTING GALESBURG SPEEDWAY.
SATURDAY JUNE 27TH
THE VRT TEAM HAD A LONG AND AGONIZING WEEK IN THE GARAGE REBUILDING JESSE'S TORE UP RACE CAR FROM LAST SATURDAYS DEBACLE AT KALAMAZOO SPEEDWAY, AND GETTING ADAM'S NEW MOTOR PUT IN HIS #2 HOTROD. ALL THE HARD WORK AND LONG NIGHTS WOULD FINALLY COME TO A END AS THE TEAM FINISHED UP THE CARS AROUND 3:30AM SATURDAY MORNING. WE LOADED THE CARS AND HEADED TO THE TRACK WITH VERY LITTLE SLEEP AND ALL TEAM MEMBERS PRETTY MUCH WIPPED! WE WERE HOPING THAT ALL THE HARD WORK WOULD PAY OFF WITH A GOOD SOLID NIGHT FROM THE BOYS. BUT AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT.....WE WERE IN FOR ANOTHER WILD AND CRAZY NIGHT !!
HOT LAPS......
JESSE AND ADAM BOTH WENT OUT IN THE 1ST HOTLAP SESSION AND BOTH LOOKED SOLID FOR 3 LAPS. THEN EXCITING TURN 4 JESSE HAD THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPEN...THE REAR-END GEARS WOULD EXPLODE AND RIP RIGHT THREW THE REAR-END HOUSING COVER. THE TEAM QUICKLY SHOWED THERE EMOTION AS JESSE CLIMBED OUT AND SLAMMED HIS HAND DOWN ON THE ROOF IN FRUSTRATION. THE TEAM THEN TALKED OVER OUR OPTIONS 1.) PUT JESSE IN ADAMS CAR 2.) RUN TO THE GARAGE AND GET THE SPARE REAR-END. AFTER A BRIEF DISCUSSION, KENNY GOT A RIDE FROM TERRY KLINE TO GO RETRIEVE THE SPARE REAR-END. AND AT THAT POINT, THE TEAM BEGAN A UNBELIEVABLE FEAT OF REPLACING THE REAR-END UNDER THE HEAT AND THE BURNING SUN. (SEE ADDITIONAL STORY)
QUALIFYING......
ADAM WAS THE ONLY VRT CAR TO GET TO QUALIFY, BUT HE MADE THE BEST OF IT POSTING A VERY QUICK 14.316 LAP THAT WOULD MAKE HIM 2ND QUICK ON THE NIGHT. (NOT BAD WITH A STOCK MOTOR )
THE VRT TEAM WORKS FRANTICALLY....
THE ENTIRE VRT RACING TEAM WAS PUT TO THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE AS WE WORKED TO THE THEME OF THE HIT BEATLES SONG IT'S BEEN A HARD DAYS NIGHT AS THE TEAM FRANTICALLY WORKED FOR OVER A HOUR AND A 1/2 ON JESSE'S CAR REPLACING THE BLOWN REAR-END. BRAD & JESSE TOOK THE REAR-END OUT AS KENNY AND MYSELF RAN BACK TO THE GARAGE FOR PARTS. BRAD & KENNY WEAR DETERMINED TO GET THE CHANGE DONE. AS JESSE,ADAM AND MYSELF PITCHED IN TO MAKE IT A TEAM EFFORT. SHANE CLARK WAS EXTREMLY HELPFUL AS WELL, AS HE OFFERED HIS HELP AND WE GLADLY ACCEPTED! DEREK THE FLAGMAN WAS KIND ENOUGH TO BRING US WATER DURING THE PROCESS..THANKS DEREK! THE TEAM FINISHED THE CHANGE WITHIN MINUTES OF QUALIFYING BEING OVER, SO JESSE WAS UNABLE TO MAKE QUALIFYING BUT WAS READY TO RACE.
DASH / HEAT RACE.....
ADAM PUT HIS #2 HOTROD INTO THE DASH FOR THE 1ST TIME STARTING 5TH. AFTER A LAP 2 ACCIDENT INVOLVING THE #5 CAR AND THE #10 CAR , ADAM PUT THE #2 INTO THE 2ND POSITION. WITH NOT ENOUGH TIME TO MAKE A MOVE, ADAM WOULD FINISH A PROMISING 2ND. JESSE TOOK HIS REPAIRED HOTROD OUT FOR A COUPLE HOTLAPS DURING THE STREET-STOCK HEAT RACE AND LOOKED VERY QUICK RUNNING 14.40, HE THEN LINED UP 9TH IN THE LATEMODEL HEAT RACE BEHIND SOME FAST CARS. WITH THE SPARE REAR-END WORKING WELL, AND THE CAR HANDLING PRETTY WELL, JESSE WAS ABLE TO FINISH A RESPECTABLE AND PROMISING 4TH
LATEMODEL FEATURE 40 LAPS......
THE LATEMODEL FEATURE ROLLED OUT ON THE TRACK AT 9:47PM WITH 15 LATEMODELS READY TO GO RACING FOR THE 1ST TIME IN 3 WEEKS JAKE HOPWOOD AND DAVID WATSON WOULD MAKE UP THE FRONT ROW WITH ADAM LINED UP 8TH NEXT TO FAST QUALIFYER LUKE KRICK. JESSE WOULD PULL HIS HOTROD INTO THE 12TH SPOT NEXT TO OTIS JENNINGS IN THE #11. THE WILD NIGHT WOULD NOT TAKE LONG TO START AS ON THE GREEN, THE #49 OF SCOTT RUGG, AND THE #10 OF TODD FOOTE CAME TOGETHER AND ALMOST TOOK THE ENTIRE FIELD WITH THEM AS BOTH SPUN IN THE ENTRANCE TO TURN 1 CAUSING A MASSIVE BREAK CHECK! THE #10 OF TODD FOOTE TOOK THE EXTENSE OF THE HIT AS HIS HOTROD BROKE SOME SUSPENSION PARTS AND HE WAS UNABLE TO CONTINUE. THE FIELD WAS RE-ALINED AND A COMPLETE RESTART WAS CALLED. ON THE RESTART, JAKE HOPWOOD WOULD JUMP OUT INTO THE LEAD WITH WATSON TRAILING IN 2ND. THE 2ND CAUTION CAME ON LAP 2 AS THE #49 OF RUGG WENT SPINNING IN TURN 4. ADAM HAD PUT HIS HOTROD INTO THE 6TH SPOT, WITH JESSE RUNNING 10TH. THE TEAM THEN EXPERIENCED A (WHAT THE HELL MOMENT) AS ADAM WAS SENT TO THE TAIL AS THE FAULT OF THE #49 SPINNING. ON THE RESTART, HOPWOOD CONTINUED TO LEAD, BUT WAS BEING HOUNDED BY THE X CAR OF MARTY CRAWFORD. JESSE BEGAN TO MAKE A RUN TO THE FRONT, AS LITTLE BROTHER ADAM WAS GLUED TO HIS TAIL. THE 3RD CAUTION FLEW ON LAP 4 AS HOPWOOD LOST GRIP AND SPUN IN TURN 3. JESSE HAD MOVED HIS HOTROD INTO THE 7TH POSITION, WITH ADAM RIGHT BEHIND IN 8TH. CRAWFORD GAINED THE LEAD WITH ED SANTORA JR. IN THE RUNNER UP POSITION. ON THE RESTART CRAWFORD CHECKED OUT AND TOOK A COMMANDING LEAD THREW THE NEXT SEVERAL LAPS UNTIL THE 4TH CAUTION FLEW FOR JESSE LOSING GRIP IN HIS HOTROD AND SPINNING IN TURN 3. JESSE NOTABLY FRUSTRATED TOOK HIS CAR TO THE TAIL. BUT ON THE RESTART, JESSE SHOWED WHAT THE HARD WORK OF THE TEAM DOE'S FOR A FRUSTRATED DRIVER, AS HE BEGAN TO KNOCK OFF CARS ONE AT A TIME PUTTING HIMSELF INTO THE 5TH POSITION WITH 10 TO GO. ADAM HELD DOWN THE 6TH POSITION WITH A HARD FOUGHT RUN FROM THE TAIL HIMSELF. THE 5TH AND FINAL CAUTION FLEW AFTER THE #27 OF TORCH OUSTERHOUSE LOST POWER COMING OUT OF TURN 4 AND WAS ALMOST COLLECTED BY THE BACK RUNNING PACK. DURING THE CAUTION, ADAM WAS PULLED OVER IN TURN 1 BY THE OFFICIALS TO CHECK FOR A POSSIBLE OIL LEAK, (THE CAR HAD SUSTAINED A EARLIER LEAK FROM THE TAPPET COVER, AND WE HOPED THAT IT WAS REPAIRED BUT APPARENTLY IT WAS'NT) AS ADAM WAS SENT TO THE PITS, AND WOULD HAVE TO SETTLE FOR A DISCOURAGING 8TH PLACE FINISH. JESSE ON THE OTHER HAND HAD THE CAR HOOKED UP, BUT COMPLANIED AFTER WARD THAT THE CAR WAS LOSING ITS POWER, BUT STILL HE WAS ABLE TO FINISH A STRONG 5TH PLACE AND HELP CONTINUE HIS QUEST FOR HIS 1ST EVER CHAMPIONSHIP. MARTY CRAWFORD WOULD SCORE HIS 2ND WIN OF THE SEASON, WITH ED SANTORA JR. 2ND,LUKE KRICK 3RD, AND SCOTT RUGG 4TH.
CONGRAT'S GO TO........
MARTY C.CRAWFORD FOR HIS LM FEATURE WIN, SCOTT RUGG WINNING THE LM DASH, JOSH TRAMMELL WINNING THE LM HEAT IN HIS LM DEBUT IN THE #88 CAR. TEAM FRIEND MATT FRAZIER FOR HIS 3RD SPORTSMAN WIN. WAY TO GO MATT!!! JOHNNY LIGHTNING FOOTE FOR HIS IMPRESSIVE WIN IN THE BIG 50 LAP SS FEATURE. ALSO IVAN HARRISON FOR HIS SS HEAT WIN, AND SCOTT GARY JR. SCORING A SS HEAT WIN IN HIS DEBUT WITH HIS NEW CAR.
COOL MOVE AWARD TO.....
THIS WEEKS COOL MOVE AWARD GOE'S TO SHANE CLARK AND EVERYONE THAT HELPED US GET JESSE'S REAR-END REPLACE IN TIME FOR HIM TO BE ABLE TO RACE... IT SHOW'S THAT SOMETIMES THE LEAST EXPECTED PERSON CAN JUMP IN AND HELP AND MAKE A HARD AGONIZING JOB A LITTLE EASIER!! THANKS SHANE WE APPRECIATED THE HELP.. ALSO ED SANTORA JR LENDING TOOLS WE APPRECIATE HIS HELP, AND DEREK FOR THE WATER, THAT WAS REALLY COOL!! (IN A WAY OF SPEAKING) lol...
GALESBURG WILL NOT BE RACING LATEMODELS ON THE 4TH OF JULY, SO WE WILL PROBERLY THROW OUR ANNUAL FOURTH OF JULY PARTY. WE HAVE KICKED THE IDEA AROUND OF RUNNING AT NEW PARIS ON SATURDAY, BUT THAT WILL PROBERLY NOT HAPPEN. SO BRING ON THE FIREWORKS!!! WE'LL REST THE CARS FOR THE FREEDOM 100 JULY 11TH.... SEE YA THEN!
