By Dave Sully - (Thorold, Ontario) It looked like Saturday, August 25th was the night that the drought would be over, as the No. 6 was poised to take the lead late in the race at Merrittville on Saturday, August 25th. However, the racing gods in general and Ricky Richner in particular had other ideas, as a lap 26 restart turned into a nightmare. It was all Mat could do to keep the car out of the moat and going in the right direction.
After winning his heat in workmanlike fashion, Mat lined up seventh on the grid for the feature. After a lap nine caution took out the three top running cars of Fred Carleton, Scott Wood, and Larry Lampman, Mat found himself third on lap 12 and then worked his way past Todd Gordon into second on lap 19.
On lap 26, Travis Braun and Pete Bicknell met under unfriendly circumstances in turn one, setting up the pivotal restart. When the green flag flew with Mat on the outside and Richner on the bottom, the 26 of Richner veered to the outside, with Mat almost going over the edge as the cars roared out of turn four. Mat was able to gather it in, but not before he lost momentum and second place to Chad Chevalier.
Richner ran away from the field over the remaining laps, while Mat struggled to regain his rhythm. With the car definitely off, Mat barely held off a fast closing Tim Jones by the razer-thin margin of .001 seconds. Mat explained that the car seemed to lose side bite after the adventure on the restart, which certainly affected the handling.
With that third place finish and Bicknell’s eleventh, courtesy of his jingle with Braun, the almost insurmountable point lead that Bicknell enjoyed over Mat, is a more manageable 26 points. It still looks good for Bicknell to win the title, but now fate can play a role in the final point night next Saturday.
As good as that was, the team feels that this was one win that got away, Mat expressed his dismay at Richner’s move on the restart, declaring, “We were good. We tried some different things tonight, and it benefited us. We got up to second there, a couple of times actually. Cautions kept coming out and we ended up restarting third because of the rule where they go back a lap to line up the cars. We had lots of laps to get back there. I knew we did, so we never got frustrated over it.”
“I knew my car was good enough that I could judge where I was gaining, and where I was losing. I knew I was better in one and two on the bottom. It was weird tonight. I would go through two, and if I drove it in harder and slid up the race track, which is everything you learn not to do, I felt fast, and I would gain ground. Up until that deal with Richner, we were real good.”
“Then the restart came out with nine laps to go. Richner wanted the bottom, so I gave him the bottom on the restart. All of a sudden, when the green flag flew he wanted the top. He screwed us really good tonight. He has all year, really. We had a real good race at Ransomville and when I finally got by him, he door-slammed me because he didn’t like getting passed. It’s frustrating, but we’re getting back up there where we’re getting seconds, thirds, fourths, fifths. We’ve run good the last couple weeks, so I’m happy with that. August has been good. We haven’t been out of the top five at all.”
“Hopefully, next week we can get a good break in the points again. Pete’s horseshoe finally fell out tonight. That’s fortunate for us, especially with the points down to 26. Hopefully, the same thing will happen again next week. We’re still in it. We’re not sixty out or anything like that. I think we’ve got to win and he’s got to finish sixth or seventh. We’ll be doing our homework this week to make sure our car is in top notch shape.”
So, it all comes down to next week. Whatever happens, it won’t be for a lack of preparation and determination. It’s an uphill battle, but the Williamson Racing Team will be ready.
Monday, 27 August 2012
Friday Trip to Lernerville Opens New Vista for Williamson Racing Team
By Dave Sully - (Sarver, PA) A much-anticipated visit to Lernerville Speedway, a 4/10 mile semi-banked clay oval in Sarver, PA, located at the western end of the state, not far from the Ohio border, produced better than anticipated results and a new found future destination for the Williamson Racing Team. Everything about the trip was positive.
Dipper explained how the trip came about and what occurred, noting, “We’ve been wanting to go there for the last two years. We finally decided on Wednesday we were going and we had a lot of fun. It’s not a bad drive, 3 and a half hours. They run big blocks there, so Mat was at somewhat of a disadvantage. They have a pill draw for starting positions for the heat and out of fifty pills, Mat drew No. 50, putting him last in his heat. He did well, finishing fourth and qualifying for the redraw.”
“For the feature, Lernerville always starts the previous week’s winner tenth. Mat ended up starting ninth in the 25 lapper. He started coming, ran great, but you could notice halfway down the straightaway the big blocks kick in. We crossed the line underneath the third place car. It was great. We had a lot of fun. The people are great. The facility is beautiful, unbelievable. I told Mat that I’d drive there every Friday.”
“The talk is right now, there may be a big block next year. One car will have a big block in it, and we’ll do that (go to Lernervlle) because BRP sponsors a tour down there. So, why not go there, help BRP, and have fun? I was on the internet this morning and people were talking about Mat Williamson. They don’t even know him, and they wanted to know all about him.”
“Now that Ransomville is no longer in the plans, we can do what we want on a Friday night. When you get welcomed like you do at Lernerville, with people coming over to talk to you, and track officials and tech people hanging out in the trailer, it makes you feel good. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.”
Not be outdone and not a party to my conversation with Dipper, Mat offered, “It’s my favorite race track. I love it. It’s not tricky. It’s like Ohsweken was when we were racing Sportsman. I loved that place, and I’ve found my new Ohsweken. It’s such a wide race track, that you don’t get caught behind somebody and trying to pass them for five laps.”
As for the race, Mat continued, “The car was really good. We made the right tire choice. We went with a 300. I don’t think you’d go with any other tire there. We didn’t even cut into the 300, so it’s not like racing Ransomville, where you have to replace a tire every 30 laps, which gets costly, and it doesn’t help when you’re trying to do it on a budget. Even if we have to drive a ways to go racing, you don’t have to spend $180 on a tire every week. The pros definitely outweigh the cons in this situation. It was good.”
“We were definitely at a disadvantage (racing against the big blocks). The track was tacky. I figured, starting at the back I had to either gain from the top or the bottom, so we picked the bottom, and I got stuck on the outside on the restart for one lap. The motor got a little hot, so I had to baby it for a couple laps. I think that hurt us from getting a top three. Everybody raced each other with respect. I love that place.”
It looks like the Williamson Racing Team has turned a corner. With a possible big block and dreams of racing at a top notch facility dancing in their heads, “Joie de vie” appears to be the order of the day.
Dipper explained how the trip came about and what occurred, noting, “We’ve been wanting to go there for the last two years. We finally decided on Wednesday we were going and we had a lot of fun. It’s not a bad drive, 3 and a half hours. They run big blocks there, so Mat was at somewhat of a disadvantage. They have a pill draw for starting positions for the heat and out of fifty pills, Mat drew No. 50, putting him last in his heat. He did well, finishing fourth and qualifying for the redraw.”
“For the feature, Lernerville always starts the previous week’s winner tenth. Mat ended up starting ninth in the 25 lapper. He started coming, ran great, but you could notice halfway down the straightaway the big blocks kick in. We crossed the line underneath the third place car. It was great. We had a lot of fun. The people are great. The facility is beautiful, unbelievable. I told Mat that I’d drive there every Friday.”
“The talk is right now, there may be a big block next year. One car will have a big block in it, and we’ll do that (go to Lernervlle) because BRP sponsors a tour down there. So, why not go there, help BRP, and have fun? I was on the internet this morning and people were talking about Mat Williamson. They don’t even know him, and they wanted to know all about him.”
“Now that Ransomville is no longer in the plans, we can do what we want on a Friday night. When you get welcomed like you do at Lernerville, with people coming over to talk to you, and track officials and tech people hanging out in the trailer, it makes you feel good. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.”
Not be outdone and not a party to my conversation with Dipper, Mat offered, “It’s my favorite race track. I love it. It’s not tricky. It’s like Ohsweken was when we were racing Sportsman. I loved that place, and I’ve found my new Ohsweken. It’s such a wide race track, that you don’t get caught behind somebody and trying to pass them for five laps.”
As for the race, Mat continued, “The car was really good. We made the right tire choice. We went with a 300. I don’t think you’d go with any other tire there. We didn’t even cut into the 300, so it’s not like racing Ransomville, where you have to replace a tire every 30 laps, which gets costly, and it doesn’t help when you’re trying to do it on a budget. Even if we have to drive a ways to go racing, you don’t have to spend $180 on a tire every week. The pros definitely outweigh the cons in this situation. It was good.”
“We were definitely at a disadvantage (racing against the big blocks). The track was tacky. I figured, starting at the back I had to either gain from the top or the bottom, so we picked the bottom, and I got stuck on the outside on the restart for one lap. The motor got a little hot, so I had to baby it for a couple laps. I think that hurt us from getting a top three. Everybody raced each other with respect. I love that place.”
It looks like the Williamson Racing Team has turned a corner. With a possible big block and dreams of racing at a top notch facility dancing in their heads, “Joie de vie” appears to be the order of the day.
Tuesday, 21 August 2012
Strong Second Place Finish and Great Post Race Party Livens Spirits at Merrittville
By Dave Sully - (Thorold, Ontario) The Williamson Racing Team enjoyed a fun night at the old ball park, as Mat carved out a solid place finish at Merrittville on Saturday, August 18th, and Dipper Windeatt, along with an array of dedicated assistants, put on a signature bash in the pits after the race.
After taking second in his heat, Mat lined up fifth on the grid for the feature. Travis Braun, who has been fast all year, but has run in bad luck, was flawless this night, as he put his No. 76 into the lead from the outside pole and dominated the race. Mat soldiered up to second, clawing his way past Rick Richner and Larry Lampman in the process and was making some headway in running down the speedy Braun.
Then, he got a real chance when the caution flew on lap 24, allowing him to line up next to Braun on the restart. Wisely, Braun chose the bottom and was able to streak away when the race resumed. Mat tried to mount a challenge and was making some progress on the bottom, but he drifted high in turn two on lap 29, jumped the cushion and lost ground and momentum. After that he ran out of time and settled for a well-earned second.
Mat talked about his night, explaining, “We started toward the front after three bad weeks. It was just a race to the front. I think I had something for him, but I hopped the cushion with about six to go, and I got off my game. You just have to hit your marks, and I was playing catch-up for the last six laps. I was getting closer but just wasn’t fast enough to be there at the end.”
About the lap 24 restart, when Travis took the bottom, Mat observed, “The bottom is just so good on the restarts. You can fire faster, and you can see where you’re going. You get the brown on the bottom and, by the time you get you get to turn one, you’re a car length ahead of the guy and get to pick your lane anyway.”
On the big picture he added, “The car was really good. Travis was just better than we were on the top tonight. I need a win. That’s the worst part about it. We came tonight and with a win we were going to go to Cornwall. The good part about it is we don’t have to drive six and a half hours tomorrow. I want to race, you know. Racing one night a week, especially when it rains out, kind of sucks. Maybe we’ll find something for next Friday night.”
“We have to start focusing on Syracuse, because it’s a point race and we’re up there in Dirt points in the Series. It’s double points.”
The second part of the evening was the awesome bash orchestrated by Dipper. Along with the usual libation, it was seafood night in the Williamson pit, with plenty of fish and chips, clams, and lobster dainties, along with a number of salads, killer deviled eggs, topped with shrimp, and even deep-fried pickles. It was a feast to behold, and was much appreciated by all who partook, including your humble servant, who is writing this story. Thanks Dipper. It was greatly appreciated.
With a good finish and full bellies, it’s back to work for the Williamson Racing Team. There is more work to do.
After taking second in his heat, Mat lined up fifth on the grid for the feature. Travis Braun, who has been fast all year, but has run in bad luck, was flawless this night, as he put his No. 76 into the lead from the outside pole and dominated the race. Mat soldiered up to second, clawing his way past Rick Richner and Larry Lampman in the process and was making some headway in running down the speedy Braun.
Then, he got a real chance when the caution flew on lap 24, allowing him to line up next to Braun on the restart. Wisely, Braun chose the bottom and was able to streak away when the race resumed. Mat tried to mount a challenge and was making some progress on the bottom, but he drifted high in turn two on lap 29, jumped the cushion and lost ground and momentum. After that he ran out of time and settled for a well-earned second.
Mat talked about his night, explaining, “We started toward the front after three bad weeks. It was just a race to the front. I think I had something for him, but I hopped the cushion with about six to go, and I got off my game. You just have to hit your marks, and I was playing catch-up for the last six laps. I was getting closer but just wasn’t fast enough to be there at the end.”
About the lap 24 restart, when Travis took the bottom, Mat observed, “The bottom is just so good on the restarts. You can fire faster, and you can see where you’re going. You get the brown on the bottom and, by the time you get you get to turn one, you’re a car length ahead of the guy and get to pick your lane anyway.”
On the big picture he added, “The car was really good. Travis was just better than we were on the top tonight. I need a win. That’s the worst part about it. We came tonight and with a win we were going to go to Cornwall. The good part about it is we don’t have to drive six and a half hours tomorrow. I want to race, you know. Racing one night a week, especially when it rains out, kind of sucks. Maybe we’ll find something for next Friday night.”
“We have to start focusing on Syracuse, because it’s a point race and we’re up there in Dirt points in the Series. It’s double points.”
The second part of the evening was the awesome bash orchestrated by Dipper. Along with the usual libation, it was seafood night in the Williamson pit, with plenty of fish and chips, clams, and lobster dainties, along with a number of salads, killer deviled eggs, topped with shrimp, and even deep-fried pickles. It was a feast to behold, and was much appreciated by all who partook, including your humble servant, who is writing this story. Thanks Dipper. It was greatly appreciated.
With a good finish and full bellies, it’s back to work for the Williamson Racing Team. There is more work to do.
Friday, 10 August 2012
Successful Trip to Michigan Buoys Confidence
By Dave Sully - Following his podium finish at Merrittville in the Bob St Amand 100, Mat boarded Matt Sheppard’s hauler for a trip to I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Michigan, to drive Sheppard’s backup big block modified in the first Dirtcar appearance in the state. It was only Mat’s second time in a modified, the first being a brief appearance at New Egypt, which ended after the heat because the car owner he was driving for wrecked his primary car and needed Mat’s car for the feature. The sojourn to Michigan turned out to be fortuitous, as Mat took to the car right away, racking up the fastest speed in hot laps, and second fastest in time trials.
In the race he drove a conservative line, steadily moved up and was sitting in fourth by the midpoint of the 100 lap event. Eventually, due to his being on soft tires, he ended up seventh, a fine showing in his first full race in a big block. The team had been hoping for a top ten, so finishing seventh was icing on the cake.
Mat explained how the opportunity arose to travel to Michigan, saying, “We (the team) were talking about going to Michigan with the small block because the race was originally scheduled to run on the 3/8 mile inside track at I-96. We told Joe Skotnicki that we would go, but then it was decided that they would run on the half mile outer track. When they did that, Dad was talking to Matt Sheppard and Matt asked Dad what he thought. He told Matt we weren’t going to go because we’d be wasting our time racing a small block against big blocks on a half mile. At that point, Matt said to Dad he wouldn’t mind putting me in his backup car, if everything went well at Merrittivlle. We planned on that and everything went well on Monday night, so I rode out with Matt and his crew on Monday night, while Dad and Dipper drove out on Tuesday morning.”
The difference between driving a big block and a small block can be daunting, due to the difference in horsepower and handling, but Mat took it in stride. He noted, “Matt’s crew set up my car the same way as his. We made out all right. It didn’t take much adjustment. We were fast in hot laps and second fastest in time trials. We got right into it, finished second in the heat and went from there. It just felt natural.”
As for the race, there were some circumstances that required a somewhat different approach. Mat explained, “Since Matt’s running for the championship, we didn’t want to do anything that would hurt his chances of winning that race. When we went there, Matt wasn’t sure what tires we were going to need, and we didn’t know what tires we were going to need. So, we brought two of our own tires, two front tires, and Matt had what he brings to every race. When we got there, the track was pretty abrasive, so we decided we were going to run hard tires and Matt only had two hard right front tires, so I told him I’d go out with the soft tires. We went out with the soft tires, and they gave way a little sooner than the hard ones.”
“We went there hoping for a top ten and not wrecking any equipment. I did give Matt room on the restarts where I started inside of him. I kind of let him go because I didn’t want to hurt his chances to win the race, especially because of the opportunity that he and Jeff (Brownell, Matt’s car owner) gave me.”
He added, “Matt was very happy with the effort, Jeff has already talked about racing Charlotte and doing some other shows this year; that would be good. There’s also talk about our team moving up and doing some big block racing next year, as well. Every race I can get under my belt will help our chances next year. I want to sincerely thank Jeff, Matt and all their crew guys again for all their help and giving me the opportunity to drive their car. It was a great experience for me.”
As the saying goes, “Sometimes, one gains strength through adversity.” After a few rough weeks, where nothing seemed to go right, the sun seems ready to shine on the No. 6 team again. It’s time to seize the moment.
In the race he drove a conservative line, steadily moved up and was sitting in fourth by the midpoint of the 100 lap event. Eventually, due to his being on soft tires, he ended up seventh, a fine showing in his first full race in a big block. The team had been hoping for a top ten, so finishing seventh was icing on the cake.
Mat explained how the opportunity arose to travel to Michigan, saying, “We (the team) were talking about going to Michigan with the small block because the race was originally scheduled to run on the 3/8 mile inside track at I-96. We told Joe Skotnicki that we would go, but then it was decided that they would run on the half mile outer track. When they did that, Dad was talking to Matt Sheppard and Matt asked Dad what he thought. He told Matt we weren’t going to go because we’d be wasting our time racing a small block against big blocks on a half mile. At that point, Matt said to Dad he wouldn’t mind putting me in his backup car, if everything went well at Merrittivlle. We planned on that and everything went well on Monday night, so I rode out with Matt and his crew on Monday night, while Dad and Dipper drove out on Tuesday morning.”
The difference between driving a big block and a small block can be daunting, due to the difference in horsepower and handling, but Mat took it in stride. He noted, “Matt’s crew set up my car the same way as his. We made out all right. It didn’t take much adjustment. We were fast in hot laps and second fastest in time trials. We got right into it, finished second in the heat and went from there. It just felt natural.”
As for the race, there were some circumstances that required a somewhat different approach. Mat explained, “Since Matt’s running for the championship, we didn’t want to do anything that would hurt his chances of winning that race. When we went there, Matt wasn’t sure what tires we were going to need, and we didn’t know what tires we were going to need. So, we brought two of our own tires, two front tires, and Matt had what he brings to every race. When we got there, the track was pretty abrasive, so we decided we were going to run hard tires and Matt only had two hard right front tires, so I told him I’d go out with the soft tires. We went out with the soft tires, and they gave way a little sooner than the hard ones.”
“We went there hoping for a top ten and not wrecking any equipment. I did give Matt room on the restarts where I started inside of him. I kind of let him go because I didn’t want to hurt his chances to win the race, especially because of the opportunity that he and Jeff (Brownell, Matt’s car owner) gave me.”
He added, “Matt was very happy with the effort, Jeff has already talked about racing Charlotte and doing some other shows this year; that would be good. There’s also talk about our team moving up and doing some big block racing next year, as well. Every race I can get under my belt will help our chances next year. I want to sincerely thank Jeff, Matt and all their crew guys again for all their help and giving me the opportunity to drive their car. It was a great experience for me.”
As the saying goes, “Sometimes, one gains strength through adversity.” After a few rough weeks, where nothing seemed to go right, the sun seems ready to shine on the No. 6 team again. It’s time to seize the moment.
Thursday, 9 August 2012
Podium Finish in Bob St. Amand 100 at Merrittville a Welcome Tonic
By Dave Sully - (Thorold, Ontario) The newly-minted optimism, fueld by the change in philosophy, plus a fast car at Humberstone on Sunday, paid immediate dividends on Monday as the Williamson Racing Team scored a third place finish at the Bob St. Amand 100, a Super Dirtcar Series race at Merrittville on Monday, August 6th. The result put the spring back in the steps of the whole team, which has been on a bit of a downer for several weeks.
The race, which drew thirty-four cars, was populated by around a dozen or so big blocks, with the rest being 358’s, including, of course, the No. 6. A number of the biggest stars were on hand, minus Brett Hearn, who has been hospitalized for tests for an unknown ailment. The track rubbered over quickly, providing the hard, slick, surface that most of the veterans prefer, and which the 358 drivers love when they compete against the big blocks.
Mat started out with a promising run in his heat, after timing in the top ten. Finishing third, he qualified for the redraw, which, unfortunately, has not been his strong suit, as for the third time this year, he drew number 11, out of twelve. Since passing is at a premium in a field as talented as this one, or anyone for that matter, Mat clearly had his work cut out for him.
After falling back early in the event, which was expected, since the car was set up for a long race, Mat began to move forward. Midway through the event, he broke into the top ten and kept right on charging. By lap 75, he was in the top five and looking for more. He drove past Danny Johnson to take fourth and then set his sights on Billy Dunn. After racing Dunn for several laps, he claimed third and actually nipped at second place runner Mat Sheppard’s heels for a while before settling for third at the wire behind Sheppard and winner, Mike Bowman, who led ever lap to record his first ever Big Block Series win.
Mat talked about the race, noting, “At the start, we faded toward the back and then just picked off cars as the race went on. The tires came in and the car got better. We planned for later in the race. We planned for the last fifty, but they came in earlier than that. We were back to sixteenth at one point, so to come back to third is good. If we could have started on the pole we would have had a shot to win..”
As for his race with Sheppard for second, he added, “I just couldn’t keep my momentum up on the bottom. I needed about twenty more points of gear. I didn’t make many changes during the cautions. I knew the car would come on to me. I tried, but when you’re too tight, you can’t adjust to make you any looser, so I just put some rear brake into it and drove the car harder. Every time I could keep rolling in, I would gain ground, but when I was racing somebody I was a bit nervous. I didn’t want to race anybody real hard like I would normally because we’re out here for fun.”
He added, “ It’s not a points race. These guys do it for a living. They rely on what they do tonight, and I didn’t want to take anybody out of contention. We got by Danny (Johnson), (Jimmy) Phelps, and T Bone. We got by a lot of these guys, so it was good.”
With that fine finish, the next challenge is tomorrow night at I-96 Speedway in Michigan, where the Big Blocks will be making their first appearance. Mat has been tapped to drive Mat Sheppard’s back-up car in that race. Meanwhile, the team can celebrate for a while.
The race, which drew thirty-four cars, was populated by around a dozen or so big blocks, with the rest being 358’s, including, of course, the No. 6. A number of the biggest stars were on hand, minus Brett Hearn, who has been hospitalized for tests for an unknown ailment. The track rubbered over quickly, providing the hard, slick, surface that most of the veterans prefer, and which the 358 drivers love when they compete against the big blocks.
Mat started out with a promising run in his heat, after timing in the top ten. Finishing third, he qualified for the redraw, which, unfortunately, has not been his strong suit, as for the third time this year, he drew number 11, out of twelve. Since passing is at a premium in a field as talented as this one, or anyone for that matter, Mat clearly had his work cut out for him.
After falling back early in the event, which was expected, since the car was set up for a long race, Mat began to move forward. Midway through the event, he broke into the top ten and kept right on charging. By lap 75, he was in the top five and looking for more. He drove past Danny Johnson to take fourth and then set his sights on Billy Dunn. After racing Dunn for several laps, he claimed third and actually nipped at second place runner Mat Sheppard’s heels for a while before settling for third at the wire behind Sheppard and winner, Mike Bowman, who led ever lap to record his first ever Big Block Series win.
Mat talked about the race, noting, “At the start, we faded toward the back and then just picked off cars as the race went on. The tires came in and the car got better. We planned for later in the race. We planned for the last fifty, but they came in earlier than that. We were back to sixteenth at one point, so to come back to third is good. If we could have started on the pole we would have had a shot to win..”
As for his race with Sheppard for second, he added, “I just couldn’t keep my momentum up on the bottom. I needed about twenty more points of gear. I didn’t make many changes during the cautions. I knew the car would come on to me. I tried, but when you’re too tight, you can’t adjust to make you any looser, so I just put some rear brake into it and drove the car harder. Every time I could keep rolling in, I would gain ground, but when I was racing somebody I was a bit nervous. I didn’t want to race anybody real hard like I would normally because we’re out here for fun.”
He added, “ It’s not a points race. These guys do it for a living. They rely on what they do tonight, and I didn’t want to take anybody out of contention. We got by Danny (Johnson), (Jimmy) Phelps, and T Bone. We got by a lot of these guys, so it was good.”
With that fine finish, the next challenge is tomorrow night at I-96 Speedway in Michigan, where the Big Blocks will be making their first appearance. Mat has been tapped to drive Mat Sheppard’s back-up car in that race. Meanwhile, the team can celebrate for a while.
Weekend Brings Mixed Results at Merrittville and Humberstone
Mat offered, “I’ve changed my attitude a little bit. Hopefully, that will help. Last night I wasn’t as tired when I got in the race car. I was relaxed and calmed down. We seemed to be going forward, so hopefully we’re on the right track (no pun intended). Before, we’d be running in ninth or tenth and Pete’s up in second and that gets me more frustrated. We’ll try not to look at points. We’ll look at the big picture and get some feature wins before the end of the year.”
He also talked about the weekend, declaring, “We just missed the setup a little bit at Merrittville. The track has been weird lately, in that everybody’s fast at the top. It’s hard to race, really. It’s hard to come from the back. We didn’t qualify in the heat. We weren’t very good, but we weren’t terrible. We started thirteenth and ended up ninth. It’s just tough to pass lately. The tops been so fast, and the racing hasn’t been as much fun as it used to be.”
As for Sunday at Humberstone, where a wreck at the front of the field between Chad Brachmann and Fred Carleton caused a major pile-up. Mat opined, “We got caught up in everybody else’s mess. I don’t blame Chad Brachmann at all. He was leading and Freddie took him out. It was payback for what had happened before (the last mod race at Humberstone where Carleton blamed Brachmann for putting him off turn three), but it was the wrong time and the wrong place to do it. That’s for sure. There’s no lights at Humberstone. Everybody who races there knows that. They were sitting there in front of the whole field. Humberstone never threw the yellow as soon as they should have. I ran into the wreck, and drove away from the wreck. When we got to the front straightaway, the yellow came out.”
He added, “We were good though. The new car was really fast. It was about as good as I’ve felt in the last month in any car I’ve been in.”
With the Bob St. Amand Big Block DirtCar Series 100 lapper coming on Monday, and with clearer heads, there appears to be reason for optimism for that race and down the road.
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