The prediction of heavy rain in the Phoenix area for the race weekend doesn’t scare off the Moose Crew. Realizing that weather forecasters are 90% wrong, Team Moose loaded the rig and opted to head to Canyon Speedway in Peoria, Arizona.
Getting into town early Thursday there was a detour before heading to the track, to the Arizona Sprint Car Museum to see Steve Stroud and Pam. Dropped off a couple pictures of Casey and Ron Shuman and to check out where the museum directors had displayed the Moose Racing/David Cardey side panel. What an honor to be included
with such a vast amount of great drivers and race teams!!! It was such a pleasure to spend some time with them and thank them so much for what they do for sprint car racing. It was then off to the track for a Thursday night practice...Time to try some different things and see what the car and Jake likes....some valuable information was learned to prepare even better for the weekend’s events.
Friday all eyes were on the sky all day as the black clouds circled around and the weather stations kept insisting rain. With fingers crossed the pit area was cleared, and the process of signing in for the evenings event was on. 21 sprint cars, only 9 midgets and not really sure how many mods and late models. Midgets up first to qualify - Jake was 3rd... sprint cars... the 92 was the 2nd to last car out to qualify and posted his first qualifying time in the Moosemobile in 10 th place. With Jake running the #5 midget and the sprint car, the boy was kept on his toes all evening. With one event between the midget and sprint cars, he was popping back and forth without much time to breathe...
Sprint car Heat # 1 -- started inside 2nd row -- and ended up 6th... Time to make a few changes for the Main Event.
30 lap USAC/CRA Main Event...lining up outside row 5, in 10th. Opting to go high at the drop of the green, Jake lost a few positions that up him back in 13th. Riding there for a few lpas it was now his time to try to find a place on the track that could give him momentum to move forward. And bingo, he found it, dropping back to the low groove, he picked off a few and for his first Main Event inthe Moosemobile, he brought the car home in 8th. A top 10 in the first outting...YIPPIE!!!
The star filled sky disappeared ed about 10:30, letting us all know that the black clouds and heavy rain that had predicted was on it’s way. Deciding that getting stuck at the track in the mud the Moose Rig was moved out of the pitts and headed for concrete to set up for a good nights sleep and God willing we’d be back at it Saturday. MOther Nature must not be a race fan, as it did our all night, floodIng the track and pit area, causing The Copper On Dirt for Saturday night to be cancelled.
It was great watching the enthusiasm of the Moose Team and Jake. A special thanks to crew who were able to make the trip; Jim, Jimmy, Chris, Don, Tom ( Gunk)
Tammy and Dustin. Missing Dave Price and David Cardey, but they were with the
team in spirit. And will be with the herd at the Perris Opener on March 15th.
Asides from the racing, it was time to catch up with old friends that we haven’t seen in over a year and meeting new people too. A pleasure to meet George of
Ram/Bull Racing, a friend of Jake and Chris’s.
Watching posts on Facebook it was addressed that if you really looked at the finishing order, and didn’t count the cars that don’t compete with USAC/CRA on a regular basis,Jake was 3rd. Gotta say, that’s pretty impressive!!!!