Traci and I just got back from a 3 day ProMod race at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas. It was an amazing weekend and we learned so much about the racing process that we will have do when we race the "Black Hole".
This race was organized to be a very intimate race which gave all of the spectators 100% access to the racers, the track, the pits, etc. The promoter had grandstands set up less than 50 feet from the starting line. Traci and I staked our claim on two seats right on the starting line and never moved. We were so close that we could see every part of the staging process, how the cars reacted when they took off, and could FEEL the horsepower vibrating our bodies.
It was an incredible experience!
This was an 1/8th mile race (rather than the typical 1/4 mile) and the 16 car field was one, if not the fastest 1/8th mile fields ever assembled. The fastest car ran a 3.61 second 1/8th mile while the slowest car ran a 3.71. They were all running well over 200 mph (in 660 feet!!!). That is crazy!
Traci and I left so excited about running our car but also with many questions. Some of them are:
- Will our car be able to compete with these guys?
- Who will we get to help out on a consistent basis who is focused, motivated, and available?
- How are we going to haul all of the stuff we will need at the track (we bought the wrong trailer)?
- Can we tune the car to not destroy itself every run while still being quick?
- Can we service the car quick enough to make each run?
- How are we going to afford to race on this scale?
I know these questions all seem like gloom and doom but Traci and I left knowing that we are smart enough to do this and both of us are excited to compete at this level. We were especially motivated by one team that only had the Dad (driver and crew chief), his wife (assisted in servicing the car), and their daughter( safety systems service and starting line process manager).
This team ran extremely well and broke very few parts. They won several rounds and qualified in the top half of the field. They were an inspiration to us and reminded us of how Traci and I work together. When they won each round, they got more excited the further they went. They made us believe that with God's help, we can do this.
This run has the car (in the far lane) that motivated Traci and I. Just a Dad, Mom, and daughter make this thing go!!!
We are working every waking hour on our car to get it ready for our test runs in February. Please help us pray that we can do it!
Here is some additional video:
Stevie Jackson in the far lane. He is a big time player in NHRA ProMod.
Ricky Smith in the far lane, another big player in NHRA ProMod. He finished second in points behind my friends, the Janis family.
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