Lots of Cars, Lots of Action at CNS

It was hot, hot, hot, and the stands were full, full, full at Colorado National Speedway this Saturday night. At the last Super Stock race, Jim Nordhougen, the track owner, asked the Super Stocks if they would come run the next weekend to fill out the show a little bit. Little did we know at the time that there might have been a plan in the works to run the Super Stocks with the Pure Stocks. Rumors, hints, and speculation ran their course during the week. We knew we would have to qualify for the Fast Dash to get a decent starting position and avoid the first lap melee that we have seen in the past couple of years when the classes were combined.

As we prepped for race 2 of 4 in a row, we added a spoiler to see if we might be able to get just a touch of downforce. It seems to be a popular thing to do these days. Shelby Cortese was on hand to help us pit. The first practice was good, Jax was 5th quick at 20.40. The 95+ degree temperatures were a great equalizer - there was not a sub-20 second lap run by anybody all day. It looked like a top 5 might be within reach. The second practice was a little slower, but all of the cars lost a couple of tenths. We came in very hot and had to give the motor a rest to cool down.

We went all stickers for qualifying and Jax said he had a bad vibration. He qualified 8th, so we thought we had made our goal of Fast Dash. The Super Stocks were a little light in our field with 14, so this week just took 7, where as the last couple of weeks ran 8 and 9 cars in the Fast Dash. As for the vibration, we went through all four corners of the car, closely looking at wheels and tires, suspension, axles, and found nothing. Maybe just the inspection was enough, because the vibration went away in the dash.

The inversion for the dash put Jax in starting position 6, beside the 06 of Dempewolf who moved up from Pure Stock to Super Stock this week. Makayla Grote in the number 1 Cadillac had a great first couple of laps and was able to get out in front and stayed there, capturing her first checkered flag. Jax bumped and pushed back and forth with the 06 and finished 4th.

Intermission brought out stunt cycles and a Monster Truck demo. The Legends took the track as the 37 car field of Super Stocks and Pure Stocks started rolling across the scales and getting staged. The Pure Stock Fast Dash cars were out front, the Super Stock Fast Dash were lined up next, followed by the SS Dash and the PS Dash. Jax started 22 on the field. As the green flag flew, the field was decent for a couple of laps. Then the 5 Super Stock forced the #3 of Mike Cox and the 126 Pure Stock of Josh Friberg up into the wall in turns 1 and 2 and Mike came to the infield with a flat front right tire. By lap 8, the Super Stocks of Brian Yackey and Curtis Heldenbrand had taken over out front. Jax did a great job of working traffic and was up to 10th by lap 11. He stayed there for many laps, working on the opportunity to get around the healthy Pure Stocks of Jamie Ward in the 21 and the 31 of Mike Matthiesen.

The last couple of races were good for Jax in learning patience and confidence. He was watching for his opportunity, not pushing too hard, and ready to move up some more spots. He got below Matthiesen for the pass, when Mike tried to use a lapped car for a pick and hold on to his spot. Jax wanted nothing to do with that, and became the meat in a Pure Stock sandwich in turn 3. Stuck in the middle of three-wide, he looked like he would come out in front as they exited the turn, but contact with Matthiesen cut his RR tire and he dirt-tracked it down into the infield with just three laps to go. There was no way to get out of the infield, so he became a spectator, finishing 26 overall, and 11th in the Super Stock division.

Brian Yackey and Curtis Heldenbrand held on to their positions out front for the rest of the race, finishing 1 and 2. They were followed by the #2 of Chris Cox, Taylor Bellomy in the 10, and Jeff Dempewolf in the 06. The #7 of David Robinson topped the Pure Stock class, finishing 7th overall. He was followed by Ward, Matthiesen, the 33 of Tyler Davis and 126 Josh Friberg.

All in all, it was perhaps the most fun race we've had all year. Jax came out all smiles and said he wouldn't mind doing that again! Thanks to Bob Jewett's Blue Gator, Colorado Axle and Gear, and Showtime Towing for helping us get this car on the track, and thanks to Colorado National Speedway and all the great race fans that make this all possible.

Jax will be on the track with the Super Stocks again this Saturday, June 25 along with the Suoer Late Models, Grand American Modifieds, and the Trains for the Mountainview Fire and Rescue Night at CNS!