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     Well it’s been quite some time since I last updated, but I’ve had quite a f ull plate lately. I’ll start with a quick update from the California trip. I have to first and foremost thank the Hagopian family for inviting myself and my crew guy Tommy out to race their spare car. They welcomed us into their home, and gave us all the tools necessary to get the job done. Unfortunately bad luck was on our side from the beginning. I had chain issues the first night, and this put us behind in points, the second night I won the heat and had a decent top five run going and jumped the cushion and looped the car, just plain driver error. The final night I had to come from the B-Main and managed to squeak my way into the A-Main, and from there it was just charge as far forward as you could. I managed to dodge a few crashes and pass a few cars and ended up finishing 10th. I had some good battles, and met some great racers so I enjoyed myself while I was there. On a side note I was terribly sick with Allergies while I was there so I feel bad for the Hagopians that I couldn’t quite give 100%, but I tried.

     Next up was the Gold Crown race at Granite City, IL, however the day before the race the POWRi guys decided to cancel, due to all the rain. After that was our crown jewel race, the I- 30 600 Nationals. I had the car ready and loaded and Mark Stallard flew in from Delaware, and just as we were about to leave they decided to cancel the race, due to all the rain we had. In the end it was a good call, I believe the state of Arkansas received nearly 8 inches of rain that week. Mark had to rearrange a flight home, and I was pretty bummed out about it. So the entire months of September and October were pretty much washed out.
I did manage to break the frustration by crewing for Sammy Swindell during the big end of the year 360 races he went to. I helped him at the Devil’s Bowl on for the ASCS race, and then I helped him just 2 weeks later at I-30 for the Short Track Nationals where he almost won if not for a stuck bleeder valve.

     In November I got one final race weekend in at Riverside Speedway in West Memphis, AR, I managed to finish 2nd on the Friday night race and  then backed it up by winning the finale on Saturday.
Overall I consider the year a success I managed 14 wins in 33 races and that is including my successful trip I made to Australia over the winter. I won the big races at East Bay, Clarksville, and Lincoln-PA, had some good wins at I-30 leading up the rained-out 600 Nationals, and won every race I started with the Georgia Mini-Sprint group.
I have to give a big shout out to the people and businesses that help along the way. My wife and kids for allowing me to do what I do, my dad for supporting me, my crew Tommy and Pete for getting the car there and prepared. The businesses that help out Stallard Chassis, FTZ Engines, Accurate Machine Works , Keizer Wheels, Holthouse Farms, Xtreme Graphics, Fire Service Plus, ARS Shocks, Killer Coatings, Clayton’s Body Shop, Perry Farms, Senter and Son’s Gin, motorstands.com, Stren Flex, Intense Fabrication , Mettec Bolts, RaceBumpers.com, Ringers Gloves , ButlerBuilt Seats, Braille Batteries, Saldana Race Products, Conroy Pneu Control , Indico Pty Ltd , Raceseng Design , Indy Race Parts and Aim Sports

     So what’s next? Well you’ll be surprised to know I have entered for the Tulsa Shootout to take place on New Year’s Eve and the 2nd of January. I haven’t been in five years, and haven’t raced there since 2001. I look forward to the challenge and seeing some old faces. After that we will venture down the Florida for the East Bay Winter Nationals, then its back to I-30 Speedway for the postponed 600 Nationals on March 10th. I may or may not make the trek to Cowtown for the ASCS2 race on February 12th and 13th, just depends on what all is going on.

     I also want to express my sadness upon hearing of the death of Jeff Hicks, Shane and Tim Hicks’ father. They are the guys who allowed me to race their car on my first trip to Australia, and their father opened his home to us strangers. We had a great time with him and had some good laughs. My dad especially had a memorable late night ride home with him from Adelaide to Murray Bridge, completely lost and nearly out of fuel. I last saw him at the presentation night during this year’s Oval Express and I knew he had cancer, and he almost didn’t know how to tell me goodbye, I could sense that he knew it might be the last time I’d ever see him. He will be missed…

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