Coleman picks up a 3rd, 4th, 5th,8th and 11th place finishes in his races at STN. Considering we started in the back of our races, we were very pleased with the results. A little disappointed that we did not make the big show on Saturday, but not due to lack of talent or effort. Coleman was one of few to get close in the Final Qualifier after starting in the back of his Heat and Last Chance Qualifier.
It was a long trip to Little Rock, AR but one that we looked forward to for some time. The new look J&J, Enders Powered, Hazardous Sports, Powermist Racing Fuels, Rob's Market, Bradley Trucking, Hot Head Engine Heaters Hot Rod looked almost brand new with the new color scheme and paint.
With the talent that was present, it was clear that this would be a great experience for our young driver as he would race wheel to wheel with the Nation's best Sprint Car Drivers. It was an off weekend for the World of Outlaws, so there were 5 representatives from that series along with the ASCoT Regulars and Series Champions from 21 States and 3 Countries.
There were no "gimmes" or filler cars at this event. Since Coleman was the youngest there by several years, he may have been considered a filler car by some, but not after they raced with him. Iceman ran wheel to wheel for several laps with Shane Stewart and Tyler Walker of WoO in 2 of his races. In our 5 races, only once did we not pass cars for position and that was due to an Ignition problem we had that plagued us, of all times during our Qualifier on Saturday, the time when we needed passing points. But, we do not quit and Coleman made the most of it both nights.
On Thursday, Coleman finished 5th in his heat and 3rd in his qualifier, both very respectable considering there were names like Hockett, Walker and Schaeffer that finished behind him in those races. But, we missed the A Main by ONLY 1 POINT. We stood ready should someone not be able to take the Green but they did and we just missed it.
On Saturday, Coleman drew 129 out of 150 which put us starting 9th out of 10 in the 7th Heat of 10 Heats. Ouch. And at the start, the Ignition Misfire caused the car to not run at its peak and we brought home 8th. In the last chance Qualifier, Coleman started 8th and they were taking 4. So, the Iceman did what he does and dug hard for that last spot. Coleman passed Schaeffer for the last transfer spot with 2 to go, then hit a rut coming out of 4 and did a wheelie all the way down the front stretch and had to get out of it to avoid flipping. Schaeffer got the 14 back entering 1 but Coleman passed him again on the back stretch to bring home 4th and get into the A Main Qualifier.
Like the Chili Bowl, get in through 1 race and start in the back of the other. So we would start 14th, last in the 4th A Main Qualifier. Coleman passed cars and at one point got as high as 8th. He could see a qualifying spot in front of him. But, hard racing by the guys he passed created contact going into turn 3 and Coleman was moved out of the way. We finished 11th and we were done.
Although Coleman was disappointed for not making the Saturday A Main Championship, we learned a lot and gained even more respect from fellow Sprinters. Very aggressive driving for the $2,000 to start show saw numerous Red Flags for completely destroyed Sprint Cars. In 2 of the qualifying events on Saturday alone, there were 5 cars destroyed.
We were blessed this weekend with safe racing in an event that proved disastrous for some teams. The 20 car Josh Howard launched off of turn 2 during Thursday Qualifying and Josh was severely injured. Our thoughts and prayers are with Josh and his Family. Get well soon Josh.
We were also blessed with the presence and new friendship of Jimmy Jones and his fiance' Ashley. Jimmy is a reporter for Flat Out Magazine and spent significant time with Coleman and the team during the event. Before and After "Business" was taken care of, we had a chance to spend quality time with these fine individuals and it was truly a joy. Jimmy's friend Kevin Newsom and his Family had the team over to their campsite outside the Pits where we enjoyed some fine "Cajun" cooking and hospitality. Thanks to those folks as well.
We also were able to pit with Lucas Wolfe, his crew, family and car owner Rick Keeler. We actually ran a set of Lucas' gears during the Saturday event and they were happy to loan them to us. Thanks guys.
Coleman also had a chance to rekindle his friendships with Nick Smith, Travis Rilat and Wayne Johnson of the ASCoT Series. Travis and Coleman put on a show for the fans on the Iceman's 4 wheeler on the front stretch during an intermission. Not sure if that's good or bad...
Lastly, Team CGR thanks Ben Frankoski, Buzz Gulick and Barry Ryan for their efforts during STN. With little or next to no time, they discovered the Ignition problem and got us back in contention when it appeared we were done early.
Our goal was to get in the Big show and we missed that. But we cannot overlook the major achievements of Coleman during this weekend of racing and the experience he gained running with the big dogs. One day, he will be one of them.
Look for a couple of new Photo Albums soon that will have shots from Short Track Nationals and Fun Fest at Lawrenceburg. Sorry for the delay in getting those posted, we have been a "little" busy.
