Race Results · Sunbelt Series Race #6 · USA Speedway Lakeland, FL · August 2, 2008
The MBR Team loaded for Round Two of the Triple Crown Series at Lakeland USA on Thursday for a full day of testing prior to the big show on Saturday. In route, we were informed of the sad news that the track was sold to become a warehouse and this was to be the last Lakeland USA event. This also built the ambition to pick up the pace for a stellar performance from our team; same said for every team headed for the final race. Crew Chief, Dave Pletcher, had a new chassis adjustment of which we were very anxious to see the results, because if we can make it work at Lakeland, it may be our answer for other big tracks. Matt and Dave unloaded, belted in, and the results were instant and obvious. This would mean we had all day Thursday, Friday, and Saturday to experiment knowing a good baseline. The debate became: set up to qualify or set up to race and how to split the ends. The vote went to front load qualifying as Matt proved in June, he knew how to conserve tires with his foot and we would not have to depend on other speed restricting (conservation) measures.

First, let me say, like any top level sport, it is to our benefit to compete with true talent. It would be tall order to nail down a top 5 qualifying effort against teams like Russell, (Mark) Martin, Cope, Anderson…..the list goes on. For the MBR Team to be in a points race hunt is far beyond our first year expectations. Part of our fortune has surely been at the expense of pure hard luck on the part of Tim Russell who has taken some hits (literally) undeservingly. And, Tim proved to the world just who he is with an on-fire qualifying run. But our preparation paid off as Matt laid down a very respectable 4th place qualifying run in the field of some very heavy hitters. (Note: The scoreboard displayed 21:05, but was somehow changed to 21:08, taking us from 2nd to 4th, indicating just how competitive qualifying can be).

Starting 4th…..a very challenging place for a rookie to be. Especially with the likes of Wayne Anderson right behind Matt with the points leader Colangelo in the 5th starting spot. Just when Matt may expect to get down to the inside lane looked to be way back in the field. The first five laps were set up to be a nail biter.

At 7:30 PM, the last of many great races took the green flag. On the back stretch, quicker than Dave could respond “clear”, Colangelo left just enough of a hole; Matt took the spot and settled into the 4th spot for a clean start. Now we could breathe. For 60 laps the #84 Skybolt-CTech-Mazak Monte Carlo had the perfect spot behind the two leaders and although challenges came, Matt had the speed to hold position. It appeared that the same strategy of race one was again going to play out. The leaders were insisting on a pace (much faster than qualifying) that was not going to work toward the end and the cars running from 5th back decided they needed to move (and waste their resources doing so). So came the challenge and Matt moved up to let the #12 car move right up to the pace of (in our play book….destruction). Then came a mistake. The #12 car had in trail the #74 car looking to take advantage of the pass. Matt thought he had the hole to fall in line behind the #12, mistook the spotter communication and fell right back in line behind #12 only to capture a slight touch from the #74 sending Matt for a 130mph 360 degree spin without hitting anyone or anything (something common to Matt’s Legends car days….ala Kyle Bush or Joey Lagano). Unfortunately, the event was right in front of the backstretch stands where three of our four sponsors were taking in the excitement of short track racing (better than NASCAR, according to a sponsor guest).

The good news was that the #84 car was undamaged. There were many laps left to work back to the front. But a high speed spin is not exactly what is in the best interest of Lakeland USA Goodyear tires. Matt could advance to 13th out of the 32 car field, but that was all #84 could give. We needed a tire. After all, a competitor’s tire (misfortune) fortune beat us in race one. Now we could use our own unfortunate luck to pit for a tire. At lap 105, came a caution, just as the right rear tire gave up. The MBR Team was ready. With just one right rear tire change, the #84 car now became the fastest car in the field. The warning to Matt was to use his speed wisely because there were some treacherous obstacles ahead.

Now in every level of auto racing, each team has an opinion that in their mind is fact. We are no different. What was the perfect setup for a run straight to the front ended in a not so favorable situation (again, right in front of our sponsor supporters….hopefully to see the conclusion we saw). Two competitors were not going to give up spots to anybody, even if they may be a tick faster, at this point in the race. So, it was Matt’s challenge to race inside, outside, or through the middle because we were running out of laps. Where he should have left 10 feet on a car, he may have only left 5 and contact was made and damage resulted (the why is up for opinion…we have ours with the in-car camera to support an opinion). The #84 car was hurt but running. Not so good for three other cars. Again, under caution, Matt experienced twice in one race what he has never done…a pit stop. He hit his marks perfect and his totally unrehearsed pit crew managed to keep Matt in the race to see a finish. The upper right A-Arm was tied in a knot with about 45 degrees of camber now built into the car. Looking at the damage, the car was incapable of pit road speed, much less racing speed. All we needed were 4 more laps. Emphasizing to Matt the extent of the damage, we assumed he would limp around at the bottom at some sort of pace well out of the way of the field. Then, Matt comes out of turn 4 (back in our sight….apparently Dave was speechless) at full racing speed….he later proclaimed the car was handling perfect! Knowing what I saw with the A-Arm and the right front tire, we were all on the radio to encourage him to slow down, protect the car, and importantly, honor the field. Matt brought the car across the finish line for an 11th place finish out of the 32 cars that started. Oh what a night!

Looking back, the MBR Team performed at the top of our game. We planned and executed great strategy. A minor mistake put us under pressure and we all performed. A pass that should have been the hero side of zero was not to be. That is racing. This is not a sport for the meek! But a team does not hover in the top spots of a series point’s race without talent, preparation, and good execution. Luck is usually self inflected, good and bad. We have seen both sides in our entire 12-year career. This rule does not apply to Tim Russell, who again, became a victim of very undeserving circumstances. He remains the class of the field and we look to be on his level (without the bad luck) in the very near future.


MANY THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
Skybolt Aerospace, CTech, Mazak, Premier Machine
Allen & Company, Hooker Harness, Carriage House Ranch,
And all of our team, friends, and super family for supporting Matt Bowers Racing.
We hope to see you at Desoto Speedway, Sarasota, Florida, August 23rd.