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Mid Season Report
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Sponsors, friends, family
and fans of the #01 Mac’s Motorsports team,
I apologize for taking so long to update! The 2009
season has been…difficult. Race #4 is in the books, and
I am sad to report that we are yet to finish an event. A
blown motor during pre-season testing set us in a hole
and we have been fighting to get out ever since. |
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Difficulties began in Saskatoon where a cracked trailing arm
mount kept us from first practice, a blown transmission seal
from second practice, and a slipping clutch from third. So we
had to qualify with almost no hot laps! We did however manage to
time in fast enough for a second place start. Our best result to
date, starting beside Brian Johnson Jr. (A “hot-shoe” driver
from Illinois). Unfortunately a brake issue late in the race,
and a poor reaction to that issue, caused an accident which
would end our night, and what could have been a strong podium
finish.
So we re-grouped and set out to
Vernon, but again were hit with bad luck when our water pump
broke in practice, and forced us to watch that race from the
stands.
The Hershey Oh Henry #01 team was
unable to attend the July 4th Kalispell, Montana race, as we
were having a new engine built by Precise Engines. So Instead we
went through our car from top to bottom, giving it a solid
overhaul, doing our best to prevent future failures, and help us
see a checkered flag in Medicine Hat.
Competition in “The Hat” was as close as ever, during qualifying
2nd position all the way back to 10th position were separated by
only 0.150 seconds. This race was an all-out war, and in the
early stages we were running as high as 5th place! By the
halfway point of the race, we were laps down, due to an incident
in corner three. Luckily, beaten up as she was, the Fish Creek
Insurance Monte Carlo was still able to run, and from sheer
determination to see a checkered flag, we pressed on. Coming
across the start/ finish line on lap 131, sparks shot out of the
bottom of the car, and the rear differential exploded underneath
me. An un-foreseeable nor preventable failure, it took us off
the track only 19 laps from the finish.
If there is one thing this season has taught me, it’s that there
is no quit in myself, or my hard working team. Even this plague
of mechanical failures has not defeated us. We continue to brush
ourselves off and get back to the racetrack, knowing that
eventually if we push hard enough, we will get the results we
deserve.
Our next chance at success is on the fast ½ mile in Vernon, BC
on August 8th. I look forward to telling you all the good news!
The following individuals and/or teams have eased our hardships
over the past couple of months. I want to say thank you very
much to:
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Barry Bischoff and the
A1 Autobody team for providing beautiful paint on our
replacement body panels. |
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Gary Lister and the #55
Lister Racing Team for so many things I cant even begin
to list them, but most of all for DONATING valuable
engine parts which got us back in the game. |
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Grant Edwards from
Evolution Racing Products, for providing great parts,
service and knowledgeable advice. |
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Chris Stephenson of
Precise Engine Rebuilders, for building us a powerful,
reliable engine! |
We Have A Winner!
Months back, The GPS Central 01 car was on display at the world
of wheels, and was giving away contest entries to win a GARMIN
GPS, courtesy of GPS Central.
Congratulations to that winner,
Rick Hanson of Calgary!
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