Dirt Runs Deep

Hope you all are having a good week and enjoying all the sunshine we've had lately!  Last weekend we raced at Granite City on Friday, which I need give a shout out to first-time feature winner, Tommy Bawden!  He is mighty impressive, with this being his rookie year in a Midwest modified and his enthusiasm in victory lane and pit-side afterward, was very refreshing to witness!  Saturday we raced at Cedar Lake in Wisconsin; and Tuesday we raced at KRA in Willmar, MN, where Shane finally broke his losing streak and picked up the win in the modified!  CHEERS! to all that......

 

The kids think they're so cool drinking root beer and coffee creamer from shot glasses!

 

Scraping mud at cedar.

 

 

Mason made his dirt track debut on Sunday at the same facility that he raced snocross at, in Elk River, MN.  The Berglund family (Bob, Amy and Noah) have been good friends of ours for years now. 10 to be exact.  When our first born, Slade, was born (and died) from health issues/birth defects, Amy (a stranger at the time, but part of the racing community) wrote me a letter...You know, the old-fashioned way with pen and paper! :)  That letter formed a friendship, and the rest is history!  Where am I going with this? Oh yeah.... The Berglund's gave Mason the opportunity to drive their go-kart on Sunday, and since Shane and I are clueless about this karting stuff, they also filled in as pit crew for him.  It was quite the challenge for Mason to get the hang of the track.  Apparently you can't go high in the corners or you'll get up in the marbles and spin out, or hit the wall! He did both!  Mason's kart had some engine issues, but was fast, almost too fast for him, when it was running right. He would just hold it, what seemed to be, wide open through the corners and attempt to make passes around the high side, and end up spinning himself out. He was able to pick up a win in one of his heats! All in all, he had a blast doing it and has asked us every day since then when he can go race go-karts again, and if we can buy one!  I haven't caved yet.  I can handle being a racer's wife, but a racer's mom? I'm not sure I wanna sign up for that! :)

 

It's Friday, the sun is shining (well here anyway).... Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

~Katie

 

 

Days Go By (or is it bye?)!

Ohh bloggy schmoggy, how days get busy and I tell myself I'll do it tomorrow! And then days turn to weeks and weeks to months! We've mainly just been spending the start of our summer racing, and adjusting to the new routine/race schedule.  Part of me is embracing the new adventure, and part of me is missing the old.  Of course things are only as good as you make of them and honestly, it's been a lot fun and we've met some cool new people at the different tracks we've been to this year. But part of me wants to go back to Princeton and Brainerd and plop my butt on the backstretch pit grandstands "in my spot" and have Kenny the tech guy and Linda over afterwards for food and a beer! :)  And maybe some weekend I will do just that.  But for now, here's where we've been recently....

 

Cedar Lake Speedway, KRA Speedway , Bemidji Speedway, Grand Rapids Speedway, Amsoil Speedway, I-94 Speedway and our usual Granite City Speedway and Ogilvie Raceway.

 

Not in chronological order... but first up is, after spending the night at the track in New Richmond, WI, a blown trailer tire forced a pit stop by this view to fish watch and have breakfast at a little café, where the chef went above and beyond to make Brae chicken alfredo for breakfast! Why didn't I think of that?! It was delicious!

 

 

 

Next up is the better of the two nights that we attended KRA Speedway.  I haven't a clue of finishes, but I know this wasn't the time that we had to take a gravel detour at 12mph  for 12 miles and everything imaginable fell to the floor of the trailer, and the hauler door wasn't crushed, and gramps didn't lose half his thumb.  Some days are shit shows, and some days are train wrecks!

 

 

And sometimes the only mishap is a burnt finger from the marshmallow stick! Bemidji Speedway was a good time, and the kids enjoyed practicing their lumberjack skills.

 

 

Mason has learned how to use the impact and set tire pressures, and he's having a blast with that!  I doubted his work and suggested Shane double check, but he didn't seem too worried about it and said it'll be fine.  No wheels came flying off so I guess he knows what he's doing!

 

This past weekend we went to Grand Rapids on Thursday because Cedar Lake's special had rained out, so we spent the night up north (thank you to the Tardy's for your hospitality) and visited the Lake Superior Zoo on Friday before hitting up Amsoil Speedway in Superior, WI.  The night went well for us and we both mentioned how we really like that track.  The race weekend finished up on Saturday night at Ogilvie Raceway. I hit up Winstock that day with a friend because, well.... Sam Hunt. That's why! Shane ended up with a 5th and a couple DNF's.  It's no secret that he hasn't been doing as well as in the past, but I never thought the kids paid attention until this conversation happened....

 

Mason: "Dad, maybe you can win tonight."

Shane: "Well I hope so, buddy."

Mason: "Yeah maybe everyone in front of you will crash or break and then you'll have a chance!"

Kids are cool!! Haha!

 Have a great week, everyone!