Just want to publicly say "Thank You" to Chris, Cody, and Donnie for letting me drive the white "deuce" at Paragon last night.

It took us the night to work out the bugs as we didn't get much for hot laps due to slime, and the heat race we were fighting a steering issues (which was easily corrected) and just leaving the car a bit too free.

However, we managed it into the show finishing the heat our 3rd, and went into the feature sitting 11th on the grid. Paragon was the way it has always been in my mind, dry slick top to bottom with enough black showing that the thought was is it gonna rubber down.

When we pushed off for the A, I gas'd it up a few time, realizing the steering was much better and the car was digging hard, hopes were high. On the start we actually fell a few positions to around 14th I'd say, but once things got lined out and rolling we were heading forward. I was driving a Cadillac among Geo's (no offense to geo drivers, as fuel prices suck).

Bottom, Top, and even the no mans land middle on a slick paragon surface we were passing cars.. slicing and dicing our way up to 3rd by lap 10, and then set sights on the leaders of Hupp & Stockon.

As the line was reeling in on 'em the red flag came out, and I knew it was my race to lose (which later you will note I accomplished )

On the restart I knew the hard fight I was gonna have was passing Chase, as he had been running a line similar to where were our best. Much to my surprise, as the race took back to action, Hupp and Chase immediately ensued a battle for the point, I was a cheetah waiting to pounce, Chase slid up in turns one and two while trying to roll Hupp on the outside. The door opened and we walked on through to second.

Turned out the battle I had thought to be the hardest with Chase was in no where near what I was getting ready to experience with a young Logan Hupp after his first feature win. We drove up on his 6, beginning to evaluate where would be best to show our cards. I had been awesome in turns 1 & 2 one groove up off the bottom, so that's where it was set to happen, one lap later I rolled into turn one on his outside, showing my hand, and he wasn't ready to fold yet. He raced it hard into one and let the card have her way off the corner may the track get "narrow".

This defensive scenario played out for 2 or 3 laps, as we kept getting up on the outside and come hard with good runs only to be dismayed as he was protecting his line like Brian Vickers at Sonoma, only I wasn't gonna dump him like Smoke, lol.

Finally, we managed to get up along side him off turn 2 and down the back straight and raced hard into 3 right alongside, he carried it in as deep as he could by we were right there alongside, CONTACT, as he gassed into the corner his right rear hooked my left front, which somehow locked and almost caused up to spin/stall out.

Fortunately we were able to gather things up, and motor on as Chase moved back passed for the second spot. I was now looking like the Swedish Chef on the muppets after a spicy bite. We were able to close back in as the two of them battled on, unfortunately driver made another error, and just lost the ground needed to take another shot at them come race end.

Chase managed to snooker Logan on the final corner of the last lap, as he got into the corner hot, I believe thinking he was on the outside and to protect again, but Chase has slowed up and turn below and beat him to the line by a nose. Congratulations to Chase.

Fireworks flew before and after the feature, as tempers were high pitside, Hupp and I were nose to nose sad to say, as this isn't at all how I like to handle things, later I gather composure and walked over to apologize for the blow up, I understood what he was trying to do, have always have a lot of respect for him, his family, and crew.

I just was mad that I was on the receiving end of some hard and dirty blocking, but got to give it to him, he wanted to taste Victory lane, and having been there you can't get too crossed about what he was willing to do to get there.

All aside it was a good night at the track, we had fun, I felt like Brady Short in that feature slicing and dicing up through the pack

Congrats on that little one by the way!

Hope we get the chance to run the deuce again... Thanks to all the people who texted, facebook, and pm'd me on here recognizing how good the car was last night. I assure you, my part of the job was easy.

LTD

[Charles Nungester]

Good to see you get out and that all parties are in one piece. Now go do it again

[cmakin]

Great description. I felt like I was there. Hopefully you will get something for the looming Sprint Week. . . .

[PushEm!]

JV you put on one hell of a show last night! It was fun watching you three from the infield in the closing laps. The incidental "red" that was actually a yellow, did allow for some great racing after the restart. Congrats on your hard charge to the front and hope to see you out there again.

It's posts like yours is the reason why I love going to dirt tracks on Sat nights

[Sawdust101]

Way to go. Good to see the Gentry car up front again.

[Sprintcarfanatic]

OHHHHHH, I thought he was talking about somethin else.

[Danny Burton]

Logan's car is a 9H, not a 6. So who were you racing?

Great race for you and a greater description.