06/27/10 Much Needed Update!
So sorry for the lack of updates! Things have gotten pretty busy now that we are in the heat of the racing season. Since my last update we have raced four more times. On June 5th I raced at South Sound Speedway, and had to battle my teammate Mark Atkinson for the win. On June 16th Mark and I traded places in Ephrata. Mark took the win and I came in 2nd. The team is having a great season so far! July 19th was dirt racing time. I headed down to Sunset Speedway in Banks, Oregon. We had never raced at that track before, and it definitely showed. Mitch Hoffses ended up winning, and I finished 2nd. Lastly, on June 26th the WMRA was back at South Sound Speedway.Mark and I started the night off on a good foot. Mark set fast time and I qualified 2nd. The night ended in my favor. I picked up the win in the heat race and the main event. Next up for the WMRA is Port Angeles Speedway on July 10th. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend that race due to a work conflict. My next race will be July 15th (Thursday) at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Washington. If everything goes as planned I will be racing my dirt midget and NEW SPRINT CAR! You read that right-I have a sprint car now! I am very excited to debut the sprint car, and I hope to see many fans in the stands!


05/22/10 Beating the Rain
The long awaited season opener for the WMRA almost didn't happen! After sitting though two large rain storms the sun finally poked its head out, and the season was underway! Due to the rain I didn't get any practice time on the track, so when it came time to qualify all I could do was wish for the best! I ended up qualifying third. The night went very quickly from there. No trophy dash due to lack of time, but we did run a heat race. It was fairly uneventful. I finished 2nd right in front of my teammate Mark Atkinson. Now it's time for the main! I started 6th, and had to work hard to get up to the front. You could have thrown a blanket over almost the whole field during the whole race! This was really one of those times when it was anyone's race! I had made my way up to 1st, and with a few laps to go was passed by California's Chad Nichols. I knew laps were winding down, so if I wanted to get my spot back I had to do it quick! I followed Chad for a lap or two and noticed that he was leaving room open on the bottom when going into the corners. With two laps to go I decided I was going to make my move. I pulled in close going down the front stretch, and dropped to the bottom going into turn one. I made the pass and went on to win the race. It was an exciting night of racing, and I can't wait for the next race on June 5th! Hope to see you all there!

05/07/10 First Race in the Books
Last Satruday, May 1st was my first time back in the saddle for 2010. We debuted the new dirt midget at Cottage Grove Speedway. The new car looks just like the car I raced last year, and proved to be just as racey. Practice came and went, and I was feeling pretty comfortable. Apparently I was comfortably enough to set fast time for the night! I ran into some mechanical issues during the dash, and missed my heat race. Fortunately, the track officials were nice enough to let me start in the back of the 2nd heat. I wasted no time working my way through the field. I chased down Pat Bliss and took the win. In the main I started 9th out of 10 cars. I knew I didn't have a lot of time, so I quickly started picking cars off one at a time. With about five laps to go I made the pass for the lead, and never looked back. All in all I'd say it was a pretty successful weekend. Special thanks to my sponsors MAC Towing, Atkinson Lighting and Control, and TFC Plating.  I'm looking forward to driving with the WMRA in Tenino, WA on May 22. I hope to see you all there! Please come to the pits and say "hi" after the races. Thank you for your continued support.


10/04/09 A Clean Sweep with a "Twist" at Willamette Speedway!
Saturday night marked the last race of the NWWT season.  Willamette Speedway was sure to be in as good of shape as we've ever seen it with the cool temperatures and just the right amount of moisture throughout the week.  As I mentioned in a previous post, I went into this last race of the year with a slight point defecit in the championship battle due to missing a race with a work conflict earlier in the season.  When it was over we accomplished our goal of a championship in our 1st season in the dirt.

After posting fast time in qualifying and then winning my heat race I was assured that the series championship was mine.  The race director had one more little trick up his sleave for me though.  After my heat race win he approached me with an interesting proposition.  He told me that they'd give me $100.00 on the spot to start the main event from dead last in the 22 car field.  While that extra money coupled with the fast time bonus made for a big potential payday if I actually won it, I think I was in a mild state of shock when my Crew Chief said we'd do it (thanks dad).  I can honestly tell you that I wasn't too sure this was a good idea.  21 cars ahead of me and a dirt race meant that there was a fair amount of risk to equipment and a tremendous challenge ahead of me.  The track announcer was having fun with the buildup though and it made for some excitement for the fans (and crew) to be sure.

When the green flag fell I took a couple of quick spots.  Still deep in the field though it took a lap or so for the daylight that I needed to start the task ahead.  I moved steadily forward taking a couple of spots per lap.  By about the mid point of the race I was about halfway to the front.  I was able to start airing it out pretty well as the field began to spread giving me a bit more room to race.  I went hard into turn three on the bottom in an effort to make an aggressive pass only to find that I got there just after one of my competitors and we made hard contact.  As they were untangling us under yellow I can honestly say that I was convinced that it was a bad idea to risk the car and the possible win.

Surprisingly, the car tolerated the contact with very little damage.  I went all the way back to the rear of the field and started the chase all over again.  With about 6 laps to go I had the leader in sight but he was on his game and running the high line that was clearly the line of choice.  After making about 5 unsuccessful pass attempts down low I got a great run off of turn two and knew that it was now or never.  I entered turn three down low as hard as I could and let the car run up for the slide job with two to go.  Luckily I cleared the leader and made the pass stick for the lead.  I settled down for the remaining laps and took what was surely one of the most memorable wins of my career.

I'd like to thank my sponsors, my crew and the NWWT for making our 1st dirt season the successful one that it was.  I learned a ton and look forward to making the dirt a key component of my future racing career as I know that it provides additional balance and experience as I progress.   

9/19/09 A Clean Sweep at Cottage Grove!
It's hard to believe the way our inaugural dirt season is shaping up.  The momentum continued on Saturday night when we were lucky enough to post another "clean sweep" in the NWWT event at Cottage Grove Speedway.  A clean sweep is defined as setting fast time and then winning the trophy dash, the heat race and then the main event.  Going into this season I think I had only one to my name and that was on the pavement.  As a competitor these are the nights you can only dream about.  I had a work conflict that saw me miss a race so I could support the team at Infineon earlier in the season.  While I've won every race in the series, that missed race means that it's coming down to the wire for the championship.  With one race to go I'm behind by just 5 points.  Wish me luck as I go for the championship in the last race of the year in the coming weeks!  Check out the "Press" page for a full race re-cap...

9/7/09 A solid Podium Finish at Calistoga Speedway!
While it's still my goal to bring home a NWWT championship, the rain forecast for Oregon over the labor day weekend saw us looking to the biggest dirt race of the year in California instead.  The super fast 1/2 mile at Calistoga Speedway would be the biggest and fastest dirt track I'd ever competed on.  The stellar USAC West field would also be the steepest competition I'd seen to date making this a great test.  

The two day event was billed as the "Louie Vermeil Classic".  As is always the case in dirt racing I'd barely have a chance to get my bearings on Saturday with a few hot laps and then immediately qualify and race.  Saturday saw us qualify the car in 12th position.  That's also where I'd ultimately line up for the main event.  I quickly worked my way up to 4th only to spin and go all the way to the rear of the 18 car field.  While frustrated, I put my head down in the remaining laps and worked my way back up to a respectable 4th place finish.    

I was much more comfortable on the big track on Sunday.  I improved my qualifying effort considerably with a 5th place time.  I worked my way up to a solid 2nd place starting position in the main event only to spin in the early laps.  I worked my way back through traffic to 5th place when a caution came out with four laps remaining.  I got a good re-start and found myself in 3rd place with 3 laps remaining.  I hung on for a solid podium finish in what was surely my biggest dirt test to date.

 
7/18/09 Cottage Grove Victory Last Night Makes 4 for 4!
Last night's NWWT victory on the 3/8 at Cottage Grove Speedway makes 4 for 4 in the dirt for 2009.  Once again the car unloaded from the trailer very close to what I was looking for.  Hot laps saw us make some minor changes for qualifying.  The track was outstanding and our efforts were rewarded when we posted a strong 12.97 and "fast time" honors.  

The heat race threw a bit of a monkey wrench into the mix.  I got a great start from deep in the field and began my charge forward.  Going into turn 2 I got pinched a bit higher than I would have liked and I slid up and off the top of the track at about the halfway mark.  I re-entered the track and looked to be salvaging a respectable heat race finish when the car lost power.  I nursed the car tp the pits and went to work with my dad to try and figure out what was going on prior to the start of the main event.  We ultimately decided that it must be an ignition system issue and replaced the entire system.  With crsossed fingers we started the main and were rewarded for our efforts with a great running race car.  I was able to avoid trouble and work my way through traffic for the win which makes 4 for 4 in my inaugural dirt season.
  

6/27/09 A Placerville Win Makes 3 for 3 in the Dirt!
We made the decision to head to California on Saturday as a full BCRA field was anticipated at Placerville Speedway.  This would be a good test against some of the best dirt racers on the West coast.  When it was over we recorded another win which makes 3 for 3 in our inaugural dirt season.  This one was special.  Not only because of the depth of talent in the field, but also because we had to learn a new track and fight our way through some tough competition to bring this one home.

I made the comment on my web site earlier in the year that I didn't think we had "peaked" yet and that I wanted to continue the grind to see just what we were capable of.  I can honestly say that this season has been as rewarding as any in the past due to the fact that we're continuing to get better.  Funding continues to be a challenge but my confidence continues to grow as I know that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing to improve and the result are proving this out.

       

6/14/09 A Pavement Win At Ephrata
Round 3 of the WMRA season saw our return to Ephrata Raceway Park on Saturday night.  I was in the Steve Forkler Trucking Beast for the 1st time.  We weren't sure what to expect as we needed some time to familiarize ourselves with a different race car.  Ultimately the night ended as we had hoped with a win.  I'd like to thank Steve for the opportunity to drive for him in a car that's actually on the market with a "For Sale" sign on it.  

6/7/09 Two In A Row In The Dirt
We returned to Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon on Saturday night and it was worth the trip.  We brought home our 2nd dirt win in as many tries with our NWWT victory on Saturday night.  Check out the press page for a nice write-up. 


5/30/09 Spokane Marks The End Of An Era...
Out of the clear blue and with real surprise, circumstances this weekend made for the surprisingly sad end of an era.  Harold Beal has been a name synonymous with championship Northwest midget racing for over 40 years.  Names like Bliss, Moss and Starks before me are just a few of the drivers that have consistently put the Harold Beal cars in the winners circle and delivered more championships that I can count. 

The weekend started with our inaugural run on Harold's newly rebuilt Ed Pink Ford.  Harold's Ed Pink has been a workhorse that rivals many of the most pedigreed motors in the country for time spent in the winners circle.  Practice saw the break-in sessions go well and everything looked like we'd have a solid weekend.  My teammate and I battled for top practice honors at the fast Spokane 1/2 mile on Friday.  Saturday saw me put a track record qualifying time on the board only to be nudged off the pole by a few 100's by my teammate.
 
We won the heat race and things were looking pretty good.  The main event saw us find the early opening that we needed and I went to the front.  Sadly, while leading the race on about lap 20 disaster struck and the Ed Pink gave up in a big way.

Harold made the tough decision to pack it in today after looking at his many options.  It's tough for me to put into words what an honor it's been driving for Harold and what his support has meant to my career.  Thank you Harold...the memories will last a lifetime.

A great photo of Harold Beal (2nd from the right):

     

5/23/09 An Amazing Debut In The Dirt!
It would have been impossible to imagine the magic that was instore for us when we loaded up for our 1st race with the newly built dirt car.  As many times as we've moved up over the years to new race disciplines and new challenges, what we accomplished on Saturday is really a dream.

The entire pavement team loaded at the race shop for our 1st dirt midget run.  Teammate Mark Atkinson would be driving for Rob Lindsey Motorsports and I'd be in the new car for a shakedown at Lebanon's Willamette Speeday and then on to race #1 of the Northwest Wingless Tour at Cottage Grove Speedway.  Friday's shakedown went well and I got a good early feel for the car.  Things were a little tougher for my teamate as it looked clear that they'd be running without power steering the entire weekend unless someone pulled a rabbit out of the hat.

I've commented on the site in the past about the elusive perfect day.  Qualifying on pole, winning the trophy dash the heat and then the main just doesn't happen without some real magic.  I can honestly say the magic was there on Saturday as that's exactly what we were able to accomplish.  Taking top honors like we did was a real boost for my entire team.  I'd like to thank my dad for his help and Atkinson Racing for a motor that didn't miss a beat.  Here are some photos of our 2009 dirt car:


  




5/20/09 The Long Awaited Debut For The Dirt Midget...
Faithful readers will remember that we purchased a dirt midget frame from Bob East while traveling the National USAC pavement circuit about a year ago today.  The offseason saw the buildup of the car as a priority in the race shop.  After months of work we enter the track for the 1st time this coming Friday night in Lebanon, OR to shake the car down.  If all goes as planned we'll be competing at Cottage Grove, OR on Saturday night.  I'll keep you updated as we make the much anticipated transition from Pavement to the dirt. 




5/17/09 Ever So Close To The Elusive Perfect Night...
Saturday night saw the launch of our 2009 WMRA Regional seaon at South Sound Speedway in Rochester, WA.  We came ever so close to the "trifecta" when I posted fast time and got the main event win.  If not for my teammate edging me at the line in the heat race we would have had the perfect night.  We ran well and look forward now to the fast 1/2 mile at Spokane Raceway Park in two weeks.  I had a great car the entire night and would like to thank my dad, Harold Beal, Bill Petter and MAC Towing and everybody else that has pledged their support for 2009.  I'll get some fresh photos of the new paint scheme posted soon...







4/28/09 A Solid Run at the Prestigous Gerhardt Classic in Madera
My web skills are a bit rusty as it's been more time in the shop and less time on the track and the web site for the past few months.  I promise to get back in the saddle as the season has officially begun. 

The annual Gerhardt Classic is one of our biggest and toughest events of the year.  It's a prestigous race that top flight National competition prepare well for and the depth of the field is always one of the best we face all year.  The challenge of racing them on their home turf always adds to the challenge.  Dad and Gregg took the hauler down and my teammate and crew and I were lucky enough to fly in and meet them at the track.  

Friday practice reminded Mark and I that Madera is a unique and challenging track to run well on.  We've been on a roll lately pulling competitive cars (and drivers) out of the trailer and being fairly close early in the events.  This weekend quickly proved that we were going to have to be at our best as the competition sure was.  By the end of the practice session I was making progress but knew that I'd have to dig deep to run up front.

Saturday qualifying saw some blistering times but Mark and I were not as quick as we'd like to have been.  When the session ended I was on the board 8th quick and Mark was 14th out of 23.  The Gerhardt is one of only two 100 lap races that we run so we knew that we'd have time to figure it out if our approach to the track and the cars was ultimately right.

The race saw us start three wide which adds to the danger but I think to the opportunity also.  I got a good start and ran steadily forward.  The event was unique in that it ran a full 58 laps before the 1st yellow appeared.  I stayed out of trouble and raced a number of races within the race to ultimately battle up front and take home a 4th place finish.  Kudos to my dad for helping me prepare a car that was able to run right up front right till the end.  I felt like I had at least one more spot at the end and maybe a bit more with a little racing luck.  Mark finished with a respectable top 10 in his 1st Gerhardt but I think he'd like to do it again right now.

Next on our list is the start of our WMRA regional campaign in about three weeks.  I'll get the schedule posted shortly and keep you informed through regular web site updates.  Here's a cool photo I just recieved of Mark and I in side by side action with our new for 2009 paint scheme:
  

1/18/09 Wins In The Dirt Start 2009 Off Right!
I guess the cat's out of the bag.  When the team was in Indianapolis this year for National USAC pavement competition I bought a Beast dirt chassis.  It would take a while for the build up as the 2008 race budget was more than spoken for.  My goal was to begin the build up in the off season and hopefully find an opportunity to get some valuable seat time prior to the 2009 midget season.  Long time friend and Mini-Sprint owner Lance Sargent gave me just the opportunity I was looking for when he offered me his ride to run in the Salem Indoor Winter  Series.  I couldn't be happier with how it's worked out.  I'd sure like to thank Lance for the opportunity that he's provided me with.  Here's a snapshot of some early sucess:

12/05/08    Won the trophy dash and finished third in the main event

12/06/08    Finished second in the main event
01/06/09    Won the main event
01/07/09    Finished second in the main event

01/09/09    Won the trophy dash and the main event

01/10/09    Won the main event