Prepared by Joe Secka-JMS ProPhoto – www.jmsprophoto.com
BRISTOLVILLE, OH – May 20, 2010 – After a two week break to check over equipment and make necessary repairs, Russ King Racing headed back out on the road. Usually, there is a little more travel involved between races before the World of Outlaws Late Model Series enters into the meat of the summer schedule. This year is no different as the #56 team would travel to North Carolina, Georgia, Illinois and Kentucky over the course of nine days.
Fayetteville, NC – April 30 – The hauler pulled out on Thursday and the team planned to stop for a brief visit with Sis’s aunt and uncle, Tom and Judy, in North Carolina. They spent the night parked in a church parking lot across the street from his house before everyone headed to Fayetteville the next morning.
Fayetteville Motor Speedway drew thirty-six strong entries into the high-banked oval. The team had already decided to focus on the blue nose car in an effort to turn the performance around. Note: while the team’s cars are red in color, the current Rocket chassis designs are referred to as blue or black depending on the date of build and also the suspension mountings. Last year the track surface was slick with very little passing and the setup was based on this information.
Russ qualified twenty-fifth and struggled with a seventh place finish in his heat. The track had become slick already and they changed the carburetor in an attempt to retard the motor a bit. The car felt better in the B-Main and he finished fourth but still needing a provisional for the feature.
In the feature, Russ said the setup was off a little and the car felt as though is rolled over too hard. However he still managed a seventeenth spot when the checkers flew.
The team loaded the cars into the hauler and headed for the next race just after midnight. After stopping for fuel and a Vanilla Cappuccino, Sis’s new best friend, they began the nearly six hour drive to the next event.
Swainsboro, GA – May 1 – Swainsboro Raceway is located in the SE corner of the state and the humid 88 degree weather was somewhat uncomfortable, but still normal for the area. When the team arrived it was nearly 6:00 AM and everyone took a much needed sleep break before awaking about noon. They unloaded the cars before lunching on turkey sandwiches.
Continuing to look for answers, they moved the motor to the left a bit searching to find a comfortable feel for Russ. The battery was also shifted to the left side to aid in the weight transfer. After removing the transmission, Russ and Chub Frank completely went over the pieces as something just did not feel right in Fayetteville.
Russ qualified seventeenth out of the twenty-nine cars on hand. A sixth place finish in his heat was good enough to secure a starting spot in the A-Main. After driving to a finish of eleventh in the feature, Russ said, “We aren’t great yet, but we definitely made huge improvements in both the way the car feels and the way I drive it.” “Baby steps,” commented Russ after qualifying through a heat for just the second time this season.
Leaving the Peach State, the King late model was still twelfth in WoO LMS points just ninety-two points behind Shane Clanton. It was well over a twelve hour drive back home to Bristolville.
Lincoln, IL – May 7 – With rain threatening the entire Midwest, the team headed for Indianapolis on Thursday. They thought this would be a midway point for the next race should Lincoln cancel due to inclement weather. With diesel fuel running around $3.25 per gallon, every factor needs to be considered. They met up with the teams of Tim Fuller and Chub Frank and spent the evening at a Flying J before convoying on to Lincoln the next morning. They encountered the severe winds that were attached to the storm front and wheeling the rig was likened to carrying a piece of plywood in a wind storm. After a total travel time of ten hours, the team pulled into the tight quarter-mile semi-banked track in central Illinois.
With thirty-nine late models in the pits, Russ qualified twenty-fifth with a time of 13.597. The bad luck demon once again reared its ugly head during the first lap of the heat race. Steve Sheppard spun in the middle of the track collecting Russ and two other cars. The #56 came back the pits on the back of the wrecker. A quick observation indicated they need to get the back-up car out in a hurry.
The B-Main took to the track before the car was ready relegating the team to take a provisional for the feature. Russ managed to gain two spots in the feature with the back-up car, coming home twenty-first.
Bardstown, KY – May 8 – Bluegrass Speedway is a beautifully manicured facility with plenty of grandstand seating and acres of grassy parking areas. The half-mile high-banked track was just over a five hour haul from Lincoln.
Obviously tired and frustrated, the team pulled both cars out to inspect last night’s damage and determine the best course of action. After consulting with fellow racer, Chub Frank, and Mark Richards, of Rocket Chassis, they decided to repair Russ’ favorite blue nose car. Everyone pitched in as the cross member had to be cut out and the tube chassis had to be jacked into place with the Porta-Power hydraulic system. After carefully measuring the dimensions, a new bar was welded into place and all damaged front end parts were replaced.
While Russ, crew chief Craig and Chub’s crew chief, Brandyn, were completing the front end repairs, Bobby Bachman was working on the rear end of the racer. Their hard efforts were rewarded when the car was sitting on four wheels in time for the night’s race activities.
Russ stormed the track with the first group of qualifiers and clicked off a 14.763 lap which held up to be fifth quick of the forty cars taking times. He finished third in his heat securing a ninth starting spot in the A-Main. The steering was off a little due to the major repairs but Russ still brought home an encouraging thirteenth place finish in the fifty lap main event.
Early Summer Review:
Certainly the team was still battling the sophomore jinx and bad luck bugs during this group of four races. The wreck at Lincoln tested the team’s mettle for sure but they proved to be up to the challenge. This was a test of determination and endurance and certainly will not be the last difficult situation they will face during the 2010 season.
Driving straight through to Ohio from Kentucky, would get them home at 7:00 AM on Mother’s Day. There was no time for rest as the modified teams were racing that evening and then both late models would need a thorough inspection before heading back on the road on Wednesday, just three days later.
Up Next:
The team will be heading east for races at Delaware International Speedway in Delmar, DE and Hagerstown, MD over the May 13-15 weekend.
Note:
Be sure to visit Russ King Racing’s website for updates throughout the season. http://www.russkingracing.com/
We need to send special thanks out to Rhett Butler for re-designing the website and all of his help.
Thank You:
King Bros Racing #56 team would like to thank their 2010 marketing partners A-1 Racing Products, Port City racing Mike Schimmley Kontracting, King Bros Ready-Mix, and Keizer Aluminum Wheels.
For additional information or to inquire about motorsport’s marketing opportunities with King Motor Sports, please contact Sis King (330)727-0565. http://www.kingbrosracing.com/
