Race #1 at Orlando Speedworld
02-09-06

I just can't tell you how good this race car is. I know it is the same car as last year but it drives so much better I think of it as a totally different car.

We lowered the roll center on the front suspension over 5 inches and widened up the track about an inch. The last part was sort of a mistake. My crew chief must have figured the dimensions 1000 times but somehow, when we got everything welded in, we were off an inch. That's like a mile in front end geometry but we were lucky. Once we replaced a couple parts and got everything lined back up we were better than we had expected. For once I get a break!

The new ZX10 is like night and day from the ZX9 too. When you stand on the gas it sets you back in the seat and it pulls all the way to the end of the straightaway with plenty of power to spare.

We switched to Hoosiers this year and the combination of the difference in the tires, the spring package we were working on last year, and the lowered roll center makes the front end of this car just stick like glue. No more front end drift like before. This car will go where every I want it to - when ever I want it to.

We made our first practice in the morning and the car was great so we decided to wait until the last practice to go out again. Just before we were to go out, the Baby Grands had a major wreck and they had to remove the driver of the car through the roof. That took all the remaining practice time to do so, the next thing I knew, we were lining up for the heat race.

We were supposed to split our group into 2 groups but the officials didn't know that and they signaled all of us to go out at the same time. I was supposed to start 3rd but now I was 6th on the outside. I tried to start in 5th gear like I used too in the old car but this engine has so much power that I had to shift almost immediately and that cost me some time. I fell in place in 6th and I made one pass to finish the race in 5th. That put me in a really good spot for the feature.

When the feature race got started I just left it in 6th gear and mashed the gas when the green flag fell. Going into turn one there were 3 of us going for the same line with me on the bottom. The car in the middle pulled down on me and forced me down on the apron. I got hard in the brakes and that caused me to spin out. Nothing got hurt and we lined up again and gave it another try.

This time we all pretty much started at the same pace so I fell in line in 5th place coming off turn 2 and ran as hard as I could until my tires came in. In about 3 laps the car was really hooked up and I set my sites on the 4th place car. He was slow getting off the corners and I had to get in the brakes to avoid hitting him. Still, I couldn't help letting him know I was there and, after about 3 laps of that, he brake checked me and I had to get into the brakes real hard and that caused me to spin down onto the apron again.

The yellow came out and we lined back up and, since I brought out the caution, I had to go to the back. I restarted the race in 9th and passed the 8th place car at the flag stand and then settled in while my tires came back to life. After about 4 laps I caught the 7th place car and passed him going into turn 3. The 6th place car was just ahead of him and I passed him on the outside going down the front stretch on the same lap.

Then, the yellow came out again when a lapped car spun in turn 4 and that bunched us back up to restart the race in 5th. I ran 3 or 4 laps right on the 4th place car's bumper and then coming off turn 2 he slipped up a bit and I got under him and beat him into turn 3. At the same time the 3rd place car (the one that brake checked me) slid up in turn 4 and I turned under him and made the pass into 3rd.

Just as that happened another car spun out in turn 2 and the yellow came out again. When we lined back up they put me back to 4th but on the start the 3rd place car fell asleep and I went under him and and got to the bumper of the 2nd place car as we went into turn one. I road on his tail for 3 more laps and then he slid up in turn 2 and gave me the inside so I took it.

There were only 2 laps to go and I think I was closing on the leader but we just ran out of time. Still, 2nd place is pretty good for my first race of the season. Especially when I never finished higher than 3rd all last year!