After getting chased from RCS three times by bad weather (including a summer tornado) Team Weaver finally took the high banked oval track.  It was points championship night in Grand Forks, and since we race there only intermittently, we started in the rear.  Lots of cars in all classes:  Street Stock, Midwest Mod, Late Models and Sprints.

Four heats of Midwest Mods, and Skyler started 8th (last) in the first heat.  He looked good, and quickly moved up a couple of places. Toward the end of the 8 lap race, he looked a little loose in the corners, and we found that he had a very low tire pressure.  His tire was also full of dirt.  A minor miracle had happened:  after a hard bump, his front right tire came off the bead, then resealed again, but not before scooping up some clay.  Afterward, the tire measured only 4 pounds of air pressure....  

But the motor ran great, and Skyler had to come back through the B Main where he started about 5th of 9 cars--four of which would transfer to the rear of A Main feature race.  Some nifty driving got him up to second place with 3 laps remaining.  As he gradually reeled in the leader, I could see him wanting to make the pass and win the B Main.  Unfortunately, he got a little too aggressive and spun out.  The trailing cars split around him, but No. 8 Brett Schmidt from Bemidji t-boned Skyler hard in his driver's door.  We ended up with bent  tin, a tire rod and outer frame rails, as well as the floor of the cockpit.  It could have been an injury accident, but we got lucky.  Skyler remarked that he felt his HANS device "hit the end of its cords", meaning that his head-and-neck safety unit did his job.  The back and neck brace is hooked by short straps to his helmet; this keeps his head from flopping upon impact (which is what killed Dale Earnhardt).   The No. 08 car sustained more damage, including punching a hole in the radiator. 

All in all, it was a move Skyler would like to do over. . . .  Winning the B Main would have started him 17th in the A Main as opposed to 18th place, so there was not much to be gained.  We can always default to "That's racing," but in this case it was a clear strategic error on the driver's part.  But hey, the instinct to win is not a bad thing either, so none of us are going to nag on Skyler for "going for it."  

All in all, a good night at the track, with special guest film maker Ali Selim in the pits with Team Weaver.  It was his first time at a dirt track race, and he greatly enjoyed the experience.

Next race will be Friday night, August 28, at Rivers City Speedway in Grand Forks, ND.

In other news, Team Weaver is gearing up for a big promo appearance at the Minnesota State Fair on Weds, September 2.  We'll be there 9am--5 p.m.  The day before, Tuesday Aug 1, we'll be at the Galaxie Library in Apple Valley, MN, from 2-4 p.m.

More detailed race reports will be posted here, as usual, the following day.

After several rain-outs, Team Weaver was finally back in action at a big racing event--around 150 stock cars in various classes--at the Grand Rapids Speedway.  The track is located on the county fair grounds, and the fair was in full swing with the rumble and roar of race cars just beyond the fence.  A full grandstand of fans watched a great night of racing.  Car classes were Pure Stocks, Midwest Modifieds, Legends (an intermission race), Super Stocks and Late Models.

The pits were overflowing, with some race teams having to park further off the fairgrounds on the side hill, but Team Weaver found a spot in the pits and got ready.  Our draw was not good, and Skyler started fourth row inside in his 9 car heat.  There were three heats in most classes.  But the car ran well, and Skyler made a nifty, thread-the-needle move on the white flag lap to move up from 7th to 4th.

In the feature, he started ninth, faded slightly, came back to run in the 7 and 8 slots for a couple of laps, but eventually finished where he started.  We were pleased with the night:  the new motor ran well, the car set-up seemed good, and everyone was happy.  With a better draw to start with, we might easily have been in the top five.  The MWMod winner was Bemidji's Dustin Strand.

Next race:  Sunday night, August 23, Bemidji Speedway.

Sunday Aug  23 at Bemidji Speedway

Friday Aug 28 at Rivers City Speedway in Grand Forks, ND

Next race (hopefully) will be Grand Rapids, MN on Thursday August 20.

 All set to go with new motor and high hopes, only to have afternoon rain grease up the pits and track.  We made the 200 miles round trip for nothing.  Well, not nothing; had some relaxed time with the crew in Grand Forks, eating a steak at famous Whitey's Restaurant, and then taking a walk through Cabela's across the street.

Race report?  What race report?  Our new engine imploded while idling in the pits.  It suddenly sounded bad, like an old John Deere tractor, and Bill had Skyler shut it down.  Upon removal of a valve cover, it was obvious that we were done for the night.  A push rod had punched through a rocker arm, which means (in motorhead talk) that the camshaft has probably broken.   We were all totally bummed, but the engine builder will stand by his work and we'll get it fixed by next weekend.  

A bad deal for every one--for the builder, for Skyler who was primed to race tonight, and for crew chief Bill Smith, who will have some serious running around to do to get the motor back to the speed shop in Brainerd MN.   A minor silver lining:  we'll get a major camshaft this time.  

Our second car, the No. 16 Mod-Four with Ev Barrett behind the wheel, had bad luck too.  Ev got pushed into the wall on lap two of her heat race (she was doing great on an outside line), and the impact screwed up her front end suspension.  She'll make two laps in the feature to get her points, then pit.

All in all, a VERY bad night for Team Weaver racing.  Which means it's time to head to the Dairy Queen.  Nothing like a Dairy Queen on a summer night to take your troubles away....

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