This time around, we decided to change a couple of things from going up in July, we decided to leave a little earler to beat traffic and find a different place to park. Leaving alittle earlier was better with a shorter commute time than normal as too the traffic on Rt. 106 was lighter than normal with the expextions of a couple of closs calls. One we got to the speedway, we decided to park in what is called the "H1 lot", whicgh is located further back from the speedway which is down at the exit and the corner gas station. I think it is the Shell Station. From there, it is a longer walk than parking behind the backstrenght, but I had an open mind going in. The walk took us from durt to a paved road straight through the campers section that came out right across from the skool booth. Long, but not bad.
By the time we went through the trailers and speecking of the trailers, the Ford Racing Trailer had an interesting diecast, a Stage III Roush Mustang 1/18 in Black or Red for $60. I had to think abou that one. Beside that, I wanted to see what was in the other trailers. After that...
We sat down in the stands and watched the last 10+ minutes of the Final practice for the Nextel Cup Series.
Noon Time....
The first of two races were about to start, the Busch East series and from the drop of the green flag, this race was a nightmare, with nothing but caution after caution with little green flag racing in between. This arce would be shortened because of time restrictions of the TV coverage for the NASCAR Craftsmen Truck Series race set to start at 2pm. Althoughtout this race, I was listen to a scanner, which was on the #44 Sean Caisse with crew chief and car owner Andy Santerre plus the spotter high atop the roof behind me. The traffic during race was almost always on between the spotter and driver Sean Caisse. Unfortunity, Sean Caisse's Power Steering was giving him problems from the green locking up on him and at one point lockup and sent him spinning. That sent him to the back and with more trouble to come. For Caisse, his heated battle with Matt Kobyluck once again came back out with both of them going into turn 3 early on and making contact with Kobyluck pinching him down, making contact with Caisse's car sending Kobyluck into the wall. Caisse said he backed off, but it was to late. This was not over...later in the race, Kobyluck would find Caisse once again for the simply payback. Kobyluck returned the hit with once off of turn 2 and then again going into turn 3 sending Caisse into the wall and Kobyluck to the trailer, parked by NASCAR. From there, the radio traffic was very intense, alot of it I can't repeat. Caisse would battle back to finish 14th, that run it with Kobyluck and the power steering may have just cost the #44 Caisse the championship. Caisse was the class of the field and might have won or came close too it.
In the end at 1:35pm, it was called 15 to go, it was "Kelly Moore surviving a caution filled race to win at NHIS". Race distance was 102 laps of the originally scheduled 125 lapper.
On to the Craftsmen Truck series 200 lapper...I enjoyed this race, it had cautions every now and then, but nothing like the Busch East race, During thuis race, I listened to Johnny Benson's radio and the Radio broadcast, plus acouple of minutes of the TV broadcast. Johnny doesn't say much on the radio, you will here the spotter from time to time, and may be the crew crief, but what restrant. Mark Martin would be the odd man out with ahving to nurse a beat up truck to finish 10th after bring the jack around the racetrack under the truck. THis race belonged to Johnny Benson, he was unstopable, after making pit stops, Johnny found himself back a litte ways in the field and after battling Bodine for several laps, with around 50 to go, made a clean pass asn setting his sights on leader Kyle Busch. Benson ran him down and made the pass. All I can say is "Johnny Benson cruises to his four victory of the season, what a race." He is still in it for the Truck Series Championship.
Finally, on the way out, I purchased the Stage III Roush Mustang 1/18 scale Black edition, I like it. Anyway, we walked back through the campers to the durt path back to our car. Once there, it took us less than five minutes from pulling out of the space to getting onto Rt. 106. Much better than in July with a three hour wait. I will parking in that area again next June/July. Maybe I will finally take in my first Nextl Cup Series race. July or September I am in, either way, I will be going up in both June/July and September as I always do every year.
See Yeah!
