In the Shop with 3D Racing

After getting to enjoy being race fans for a week both Doug and I were eager to get to work on the cars and get back out on track. Following the diagnostic process, by replacing the cheapest and simplest thing first, I began replacing the transmission filter by draining the transmission fluid and dropping the pan to install a new clean filter. After seeing how dirty the old filter was I was confident that the hiccup that had been plaguing me was going to be taken care of. Once the repairs were completed I was able to go on a quick test run at a friend’s house, which only confirmed my suspicions.

As for the #28 car the only part left in the fuel system to replace is the fuel line, and after hunting all over town Monday and Tuesday, John Gavel Custom Manufacturing had the perfect size in stock. After Doug replaced the near 15 feet of fuel line he climbed into the car to try and start the car again, and on the first try the car fired up without a problem. Although the fuel line wasn’t leaking anywhere, we believe that air was leaking into the fuel line through a couple of small cracks and preventing the car from running.

With both cars running in top shape Doug and I headed to the track to see what the track had in store for us. In the heat race Doug had a great draw with #12 and started on pole while I had a rough draw with a 66 which had me start 6th out of 7 cars. As the green flag dropped and we raced into turn 1 I saw the #45 hit the rear end of the #57 car and not wanting to plow into both drivers I tried to stay on the very top of the track, however hung a tire over the edge and spun down the banking. After regaining control the only way back to the track was through the pits, however the rules state that when a car enters the pits that is the end of the race. As for Doug while defending his 1st place he dove too low and bounced off one of the tractor tires in the infield, and was able to finish the race just farther back in the field.

In the feature race both of us started towards the rear of the field but were able to get a good clean start, very quickly I noticed a tight race between 4 cars ahead of me and choose to hang back and let them sort themselves out. Unfortunately for me as the #33 fought to keep his car straight I had to drive halfway into the infield to try and avoid him, but still bumped into his door, I was able to keep racing but had lost so much time to the cars ahead I had the chance to just log some laps, gain some seat time and I was able to stay on the lead lap and finish my first ever feature race. As for Doug he was able to keep his nose clean and stick with the field throughout the whole race. Sometimes that is the key to success because he was able to score a top 5 finish and help cushion his position in the championship standings.

After a week of hard work we were rewarded with an exciting and fun night to racing together. With one day less in the week to get prepared there will still be a few busy evenings, however I know we are both excited to get ready for this week’s Race for the Fallen 2 day show. We can’t wait to see all the fans this week at the Meet and Greet and maybe even get to meet some of the new fans of the 3D Racing team!