Kind of a Big Deal (Lincoln)

So after getting a new bumper and replacing some steel studs with carbide ones our sled was ready to go again for the last race of the year, Michigan Cat 500.  Probably the second most prestigious race in oval racing, the first being the SOO.  Mike was continuing his winning ways by taking first in all of his heat races until he some how managed to high side the sled on the straight away after the checkered flag.  His sled tumbled for ever and parts were everywhere.  It took a whole lot of zipties and tape to get it going in time for the finals, one key hose clamp too that held on the throttle block.  Then not to be out done I had another incident during the last heat race for me.  I was coming out of turn two and was had on the gas.  The rear end snapped loose really violently and then rehooked.  I almost pulled the sled over on myself to the inside of the track but bailed in time.  The sled stayed upright and coasted to a stop in turn 3.  I slide half the straight on my chest and got ice chips packed up my pant legs.  Eventually Mike won all of his semi pro stuff again completing his sweep of all of the classes for the entire season.  Me and Kev had to 2nds and 3rds in the Pro classes.

For Sunday we qualified 7th with Kev starting.  He ran upfront with Nickels and DeWald keeping pace with them.  I hopped on at a yellow flag because kev was getting cold hands.  After a few more pit stop cycles we were in 4th at lap 230ish when one of the sleds blew the exit of turn 4 and took out the flag stand with Roger Britt in it.  There was a lot of clean up after that and we had to wait for the paramedics to get Rodger and the driver off to the hospital.  With in 30 laps of the restart kev took the lead and we started making our move.  Dewald had a broken torsion spring Vermeesch couldn't keep pace and Nickels was contending anymore either.  We had the entire feild a couple of laps down at one point.  From then on we cruised with flawless pitstops and and outside line that was out of the BIG bumps.  At lap 490 all I could hear was yelling through the radio from Alex getting all excited. 

LMB SpeedShop #5 won the 2009 Michigan Cat 500 Pro Open Enduro on a stocker.