HICKORY, NC :: As we prepared the car for the next round of racing on a dreary Friday afternoon, thoughts of a backup plan was in place. We had worked hard throughout the week and found some issues with the front end. When we went to fix the pick-up points in the front clip, it caused some other issues that needed to be addressed. It was a hard place to be in as a driver. I wanted to race, but we needed to replace some things and have more time to go through the setup process. So as I watched the rain come down Saturday morning there was somewhat a relief but yet an anxiety to get to a track.
I would spend the first of the week tracking down axles, and dropping shocks off. It was an interesting turn of events as I didn’t really have the funds to buy axles, but God provided a miracle through email with confirmation of a new sponsor. So it was with great pleasure that we would add ECR Software to the car for the rest of the season.
As Monday rolled around, I worked with Tom buzzy to get some axles in that would be sufficient for what our car needed. Our old axles were old and had twisted so there was a safety concern there. Then we were changing the build of our rear shocks as well. I had to take a last minute trip to Nashville for work and returned late Wednesday night. We were off at Hickory this week and wanted to race. So, we put together a 4 car team and made the drive down to Ace Speedway. This would be the first time we would travel and visit another track this year and we were all excited. We finished the car up and loaded to head down early Friday morning.
When we arrived I was very surprised to meet the promoter Brad Allen at the gate and to see the hospitality that was shared with “outsiders” He seemed genuinely appreciative that we made the trip down. Throughout the day, we did some testing trying to learn a new track and setup. As the time approached for race day procedures we signed in came back and got ready for official practice. We would stay in the top 10 all day and was pleased with the progress we would make. As qualifying approached I felt positive that we could have a good run. We would back that up with a 5th place starting position. We discussed all day about changing gears and maybe freeing the car up a little. That would prove crucial as the race progressed. We would run 7th for most of the race until our brakes faded and we fell to 12th. We were able to come back with a top 10 finish for our first time at the track. We were a little disappointed because we felt we came with a better package and thought we could back up our qualifying and practice runs. Ultimately, it was a great night with a lot of fun! It was a blast to hang out with some of the race22.com guys and just to enjoy a different perspective.
So, now back to Hickory. We are pumped about the new setup and the changes that we’ve made. I learned a lot last week and look forward to applying those to HMS. So if you’re in the area come on out! Make sure you come by and see us and tell me you read our post and you might just get a FREE T-Shirt! God Bless – Allen Huffman (2nd Cor. 5:17)
