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Fans Perspective on IRP - By Doug
Dubois
WHAT A PERFECT DAY FOR A RACE, 70 DEGREES AND BLUE
SKIES.
JB'S FIRST PRACTICE WAS ONLY
A FEW LAPS AND REPORTED THE TRUCK TO BE TIGHT, TIGHT,
TIGHT. THEY SPENT THE NEXT HOUR OF THE TWO HOUR
PRACTICE SESSION ON JACK STANDS WORKING ON THE TRUCK TO
REPLACE THE ENGINE.
THE NEXT THREE PRACTICE RUNS
WERE ALL THE SAME, BETTER BUT STILL TIGHT, PLUS THE
BRAKE PADS FELT FUNNY. JOHNNY REPORTED THE TRUCK FELT
LIKE IT WAS SKATING ACROSS THE TRACK.
THEY WANTED TO TRY SEVERAL
DIFFERENT THINGS BUT RAN OUT OF TIME. THE CREW CHIEF
SUGGESTED THAT HE AND JOHNNY GO TO THE HAULER AND PUT
THERE HEADS TOGETHER TO DECIDE WHAT CHANGES TO MAKE
BEFORE QUALIFYING. AS THE TRUCKS WERE IMPOUNDED AFTER
QUALIFYING, THIS WAS THEIR LAST CHANCE TO MAKE CHANGES.
THE QUALIFYING LAPS WHERE
MUCH BETTER BUT STILL FELT TIGHT AND IT WAS STILL
SKATING.
AS IT NEARED RACE TIME , THE
TRUCKS WERE LINED UP ON THE FRONT STRETCH WITH THEIR
TAILGATES NEAR THE WALL. AFTER DRIVER INTRO'S THEY
CLIMBED (AND I DO MEAN CLIMBED) INTO THE BACK OF SOME
FORD F-350 PICK-UPS FOR A TOUR OF THE TRACK TO WAVE AT
THE CROWD. IT WAS KIND OF FUNNY WATCHING SOME OF THE
SMALLER DRIVERS GET UP IN THERE. THE TAILGATE MUST
HAVE BEEN FOUR FEET OFF THE GROUND.
WHAT'S THAT ROAR?? IT WAS A
FLY-OVER OF FOUR F-14'S. WOW, THAT WAS NEAT, AND IT WAS
ONLY THE FIRST FLY-OVER.
AT THE START JB TOOK IT EASY
UNTIL THINGS GOT SORTED OUT AND THEN STARTED PASSING A
TRUCK EVERY FEW LAPS. JB REPORTED STILL TIGHT AND
STAKING BUT BETTER AND MANAGEABLE FOR NOW.
DURING THE LAP 23 YELLOW
FLAG, JB AND CREW DISCUSSED WHAT CHANGES TO MAKE BUT
DECIDED NOT TO PIT YET. LOOK OUT!! HERE COMES THE
SECOND FLY-OVER. A GROUP OF FOUR CANADIAN GEESE IN
PERFECT FORMATION FLEW OVER TURNS THREE AND FOUR TO A
LOUD OVATION.
ON THE LAP 35 YELLOW FLAG,
THEY DECIDED TO COME IN FOR FOUR TIRES, GAS, AND A
CHASSIS ADJUSTMENT. THEY KNEW THEY WERE OUTSIDE OF THE
GAS WINDOW BUT IF THE EXCESSIVE YELLOW FLAG LAPS
CONTINUED THEY JUST MIGHT NOT HAVE TO STOP FOR GAS
AGAIN.
BACK UNDER GREEN JB SAID THE
TRUCK WAS PRETTY GOOD IN, HAD GOOD BITE OFF, BUT STILL
SKATING. HE SAID IT FELT LIKE THE LEFT FRONT TIRE
WASN'T DOING ITS SHARE OF THE HANDLING WORK.
BY LAP SEVENTY OR SO HE HAD
PASS SEVERAL TRUCKS BUT THE LEADER WAS ON HIS TAIL.
YELLOW FLAG, YELLOW FLAG, BOY JUST WHAT WE NEEDED. IT
WAS DECIDED TO COME IN FOR A CHASSIS ADJUSTMENT AND GAS
ONLY, NO TIRES. AS ALL THE LEAD LAP TRUCKS WERE COMING
IN FOR FOUR TIRES, IT WAS HOPED TO GET SOME TRACK
POSITION.
BOY DID THAT WORK, RESTARTED
IN THIRD. THE FIRST FEW LAPS WERE PRETTY GOOD WITH JB
TURNING HIS FASTEST LAPS OF THE NIGHT. THEY KNEW THEY
WERE IN TROUBLE WITH OLDER TIRES, BUT IT WOULD KEEP THEM
ON THE LEAD LAP FOR AWHILE. JB HELD OFF AN ATTACK BY THE
4 TRUCK FOR SEVERAL LAPS, BUT THEN STARTED TO FADE.
ABOUT LAP 125 WHILE RUNNING ABOUT TENTH JB CALLED IN A
FLAT LEFT REAR. AS IT WAS UNDER THE GREEN FLAG THEY
COULD ONLY TAKE TIME TO CHANGE THE LEFT SIDE TIRES.
THIS SEEMED TO THROW THE HANDLING WAY OFF. HE SPENT THE
REST OF THE RACE LETTING THE FASTER TRUCKS GO AND
PASSING TRUCKS THAT HE CAUGHT.
NOT TO BAD OF A NIGHT IN AN
UNTESTED TRUCK WITH VERY LITTLE PRACTICE. THERE SEEMED
TO BE GOOD COMMUNICATION AND EVERYBODY WAS POSITIVE.
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