Oh my goodness - what a wonderful time we had! We got back in last night about 1:00 AM after leaving Iowa at 9:30 yesterday morning. Becca and I shared the driving going up and coming back.
We got into Newton at about 10:30 their time on Thursday night and met up with Dusty and the gang at the hotel. Friday morning started early - we had to be at the track at around 8:00 to get our credentials. Friday the team struggled with getting the car set up - it was a brand new car - so they had to start from the bottom up.
Friday night there was a "Fan-Fair" for the race fans to visit the infield, tour the garage and haulers and to meet the teams and drivers. It was pretty fun - I passed out cards and talked to the fans while the team was doing the last minute things that needed to be done to the car. Becca helped put the decals on during that time.
Saturday, we had to be at the track at 7:00 AM to get started and to get the car through tech. The spoiler was too wide and we were missing the taillight decals so we didn't pass the first time through tech. I told Dusty that he needed the taillight decals so that the other drivers would be able to tell when he hit the brakes - after all we were expecting the rest of the field to be behind him!
Unfortunately, we didn't qualify too well - we were 30th, but at least we made the field - there were 4 guys that didn't.
There was a concert by country singer Craig Morgan later in the afternoon and a driver autograph session at the same time. It was great - I thought I wouldn't get to see the concert and it turned out that we were right there with it! We had a ball with the drivers and were all rocking out to the concert.
Becca and I both scored the race - Becca for the 52 car of Kirk Leone and me for Dusty. We had a great view of the track.
Dusty's car was really fast and he managed to make it up to 7th by lap 111 but then the alternator went out. What they didn't realize at the time was that it was draining the battery and on lap 159 the car went dead just as Dusty passed the entrance to pit road. Unfortunately he didn't have enough power to make it back to the pits and stopped halfway down the back stretch and had to be pushed back to the pits. We lost 5 laps and were never able to recover them. It was a real shame too, because he had at least a top 5 car and was consistently passing cars the whole time he was racing. His lap times were faster than the 2nd place car, so I know he would have done well.
We still had a great time and just love working with this team - they are awesome folks and such a joy to be around.
I won't get to go to the Myrtle Beach race because I have to work that weekend, but Becca is planning on going. I hope to get to go to the next two after that though.
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