Originally Posted by racefan20:
Like I said earlier it was so fast that Short couldnt catch Lance Grimes for the last transfer spot in their heat. It was still kicking up wet dirt clods at the end of the feature. I just wonder why the sprint feature wasnt in the chute and ready when the mods finished their feature and why we spent 10 minutes talking to the mod top 3 while it was beginning to rain. They got the feature in and about 2 minutes later it was raining too hard to have raced. Close call.
Close call is correct. Last week, during Midget Week, they rifled through their program in an impressive fashion. More so than any other track did during this series. Tonight, not at all. There seemed to be no rush, at all. Everybody knew that weather was right on top of us. It's 2011, everybody has that capability. The crowd was really on edge, realizing the situation at hand. A three or four minute delay by Mother Nature really saved the track from a real PR disaster.
Luckily for them, that didn't happen and the drivers stood (on the gas) and delivered, come feature time. At first, it looked like it would be the Chris Babcock Show, as he lead for the first half of the race. He was being stalked by Nick Bilbee, though. Eventually, Bilbee caught the leader and used a daring move going into turn three to go around the leader. Chris Windom was quietly moving through the field, from his 10th starting position, under the radar, as the battle for the lead unfolded. One by one he took spots easily, until he reached Jon Sciscoe and then those two engaged in the race's fiercest battle. It went on for most of the last half of the race and was a classic battle! One in which Sciscoe just proved to be too tough to dislodge from his position, on this night. And Dave Darland had regained his momentum, took second place and set sail for the leader. By this point the leader had reached heavy lapped traffic and everyone in the crowd knew that Dave just might have a chance. But the kid was holding his own in traffic and it looked like tonight might just be his night. But, just then, he reached a lapper that decided he wanted to race the leader, contact was made and Bilbee nearly spun. It was a miracle that he got sideways, ran over an infield tire and somehow kept on going. But he had lost several spots, by then. At that moment, the consummate pro (DD) pounced and was gone. End of story. And it was a popular win, as all of Dave's victories are.
So it was very nearly a bad night, but turned out to be real good night. Made even better having spent it on the Bloomington hillside, enjoying it with my friends.
Jerry
A man is about as big as the things that make him angry.
Winston Churchill
