Hey everybody. We’re one week away from racing in St. Louis. It’s going to feel great to be back in the Ergon Tundra. For those of you who are just tuning in, David Stremme has been in the truck for the last two races. Our team made the decision to put a veteran driver in the seat to help evaluate our program. We weren’t finishing races like we needed to and we wanted to get another driver’s input, kind of like Red Bull Racing did with A.J. Almendinger earlier this year. Stremme gave us some good advice and helped me with a few things that will make our team stronger for the rest of the season. I think you’re going to see us raise the bar for the rest of the year.
In the next 10 races, we’ll be going to a few of the tracks I’ve already raced at. I’ve raced at Gateway, Talladega, Atlanta and Texas. Experience goes a long way in NASCAR. When we go to a track I’ve already competed at, I don’t have to spend our practice time trying to find the best line around the track or figuring out how the truck needs to feel. We’ll have more time to focus on fine tuning the Ergon Toyota, not making big swaps. Things are coming together and we’re going to finish this year strong.
Football season kicks off this week. I’m stoked. I’m an Auburn grad and it looks like my Tigers are going to have a good year. I’m sure that a lot of you Ergon folks are big Mississippi State and Ole Miss fans. I know the SEC rivalries run deep, so we’ll all have to make an effort to get along over the next few months. Of course, my sister went to University of Georgia and I grew up in Tallahassee, so it seems like my friends and family never agree on anything football-related.
Have a good week. If anyone wants to email me about racing, football, or anything else, my address is mmitchell@nettally.com. Talk to you soon.
Take care,
Marc
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Thunder Valley Time
Hey gang. Hope all of you are doing well. Last week at Nashville was the first week with David Stremme in the Ergon Racing truck. Make no mistake, I’m looking forward to driving again, but I learned a lot from him. I think it will only make us stronger in the long run.
I was able to stand on top of the hauler and see how his truck was handling, and then listen to Stremme describe how it felt to the crew chief. It helped a lot to hear him talk about the condition of the Ergon truck and what changes he thought would make it drive better. I’ve definitely picked up a few tips to use in the future.
We’re headed to Bristol this week. Bristol is one crazy track. It’s tough enough for two trucks to race there, much less 36 of them. Track position is so important at a half-mile track like Bristol. It won’t take long to get lapped if you’re not running at the pace of the leaders, so it’s easy for patience to wear thin. There’s not much “give and take” when the trucks are all crammed together in a tight circuit, so expect to see some fireworks on the track.
The track was resurfaced a year or so ago. It’s now got two good racing grooves to run on. It’s made it a little easier to pass someone, and you don’t see quite as much road blocking as you used to. You’ll probably see a lot more side-by-side racing than in years past – and that’s a always a good thing. I love the Bristol race and I’d be glad to pay for a ticket to the night race. There’s nothing else like it in NASCAR.
Give me a call if you’re at the track. Till next time, take care.
I was able to stand on top of the hauler and see how his truck was handling, and then listen to Stremme describe how it felt to the crew chief. It helped a lot to hear him talk about the condition of the Ergon truck and what changes he thought would make it drive better. I’ve definitely picked up a few tips to use in the future.
We’re headed to Bristol this week. Bristol is one crazy track. It’s tough enough for two trucks to race there, much less 36 of them. Track position is so important at a half-mile track like Bristol. It won’t take long to get lapped if you’re not running at the pace of the leaders, so it’s easy for patience to wear thin. There’s not much “give and take” when the trucks are all crammed together in a tight circuit, so expect to see some fireworks on the track.
The track was resurfaced a year or so ago. It’s now got two good racing grooves to run on. It’s made it a little easier to pass someone, and you don’t see quite as much road blocking as you used to. You’ll probably see a lot more side-by-side racing than in years past – and that’s a always a good thing. I love the Bristol race and I’d be glad to pay for a ticket to the night race. There’s nothing else like it in NASCAR.
Give me a call if you’re at the track. Till next time, take care.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Hey everybody. I’m not sure if you saw the news, but David Stremme is going to substitute drive the Ergon Racing Toyota at Nashville and Bristol. I won’t lie, you never want to sit on the sideline, but it’s for the best of Ergon and I’m committed to doing whatever I can to make this program a success.
The Ergon Racing team is top notch, and I really think we are one of the best in the Craftsman Truck Series. We have a ton of potential and want to be finishing better than we have been. The aim is getting top-fives and top-10s each week, but for some reason, we’ve come up a little short. No one’s quite sure why, but we know the No. 15 team and Ergon all deserve better performances than that. Me, Ergon and Billy Ballew all agree that we need to switch up a few variables and see what we can improve on.
We think that bringing Stremme in will give us an outside perspective on our program. He’s got a lot of experience and I can learn a lot from him. The idea is to have a veteran give the team some advice on what we can do better and mentor me along the way. I’m going to work closely with him over the next few weeks. I want to see how he communicates with the crew chief and how he reports on the truck’s handling. I’m going to pay close attention to his driving style and see how he tackles the tracks we’re at. Hopefully he can fill in some of the gaps that are keeping us from finishing up front.
I appreciate everyone’s support this season. Like I said, I hate not being in the seat, but I know this is what will make us stronger in the long run. And if it’s good for Ergon and Billy Ballew Motorsports, then I’m on board. Don’t worry, you haven’t seen the last of me. I’ll be back before you know it, hopefully on the way to Victory Lane.
The Ergon Racing team is top notch, and I really think we are one of the best in the Craftsman Truck Series. We have a ton of potential and want to be finishing better than we have been. The aim is getting top-fives and top-10s each week, but for some reason, we’ve come up a little short. No one’s quite sure why, but we know the No. 15 team and Ergon all deserve better performances than that. Me, Ergon and Billy Ballew all agree that we need to switch up a few variables and see what we can improve on.
We think that bringing Stremme in will give us an outside perspective on our program. He’s got a lot of experience and I can learn a lot from him. The idea is to have a veteran give the team some advice on what we can do better and mentor me along the way. I’m going to work closely with him over the next few weeks. I want to see how he communicates with the crew chief and how he reports on the truck’s handling. I’m going to pay close attention to his driving style and see how he tackles the tracks we’re at. Hopefully he can fill in some of the gaps that are keeping us from finishing up front.
I appreciate everyone’s support this season. Like I said, I hate not being in the seat, but I know this is what will make us stronger in the long run. And if it’s good for Ergon and Billy Ballew Motorsports, then I’m on board. Don’t worry, you haven’t seen the last of me. I’ll be back before you know it, hopefully on the way to Victory Lane.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Bluegrass Bound
Hey ya'll. We've had a couple of weeks off since Memphis, but we're heading to Kentucky this Saturday for the Built Ford Tough 250. It was a nice break; now it's time to go racing!
If you take a look at who's won at Kentucky, it is a mixed bag of results. In the Nationwide Series, it's been first-time winners the past few years. Kentucky Speedway has put a few Nationwide drivers on the map - young guns like Joey Logano, Stephen Leicht and David Gilliand all got their first win at Kentucky. But in the Truck Series, it's been the veterans that shined. Skinner, Hornaday, Setzer and Hamilton have all taken the checkers. I'm hoping to take a cue from the Nationwide guys and buck the Truck Series trend. And the way we've been running at the mile-and-a-half tracks, it's not out of reach. The Ergon Racing team has had some great runs on the intermediate speedways. We usually run in the top-five at 1.5 mile tracks, and that's what it takes to win races. We got our best finish of the season at Texas, so I'm excited about this weekend. This should be a great event for us.
Another thing about Kentucky, they've never had a repeat winner in the Truck Series. They've raced there since 2000, and no one has been to Victory Lane twice. That just goes to show how competitive the series is. It also means that it can be anyone's week.
I'm not sure if ya'll read about it, but NASCAR Technical Director Steve Peterson died this week. He was responsible for instituting some of NASCAR's biggest advances in safety - SAFER barriers,improved seat belts and neck restraints among others. I didn't know him very well, but I definitley appreciate all he did for our sport. His legacy will always remain in racing. He was really young, only 58 years old, so please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers this week.
Have a great week everybody and tune into SPEED this Saturday night to watch the race!
Thanks,
Marc
If you take a look at who's won at Kentucky, it is a mixed bag of results. In the Nationwide Series, it's been first-time winners the past few years. Kentucky Speedway has put a few Nationwide drivers on the map - young guns like Joey Logano, Stephen Leicht and David Gilliand all got their first win at Kentucky. But in the Truck Series, it's been the veterans that shined. Skinner, Hornaday, Setzer and Hamilton have all taken the checkers. I'm hoping to take a cue from the Nationwide guys and buck the Truck Series trend. And the way we've been running at the mile-and-a-half tracks, it's not out of reach. The Ergon Racing team has had some great runs on the intermediate speedways. We usually run in the top-five at 1.5 mile tracks, and that's what it takes to win races. We got our best finish of the season at Texas, so I'm excited about this weekend. This should be a great event for us.
Another thing about Kentucky, they've never had a repeat winner in the Truck Series. They've raced there since 2000, and no one has been to Victory Lane twice. That just goes to show how competitive the series is. It also means that it can be anyone's week.
I'm not sure if ya'll read about it, but NASCAR Technical Director Steve Peterson died this week. He was responsible for instituting some of NASCAR's biggest advances in safety - SAFER barriers,improved seat belts and neck restraints among others. I didn't know him very well, but I definitley appreciate all he did for our sport. His legacy will always remain in racing. He was really young, only 58 years old, so please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers this week.
Have a great week everybody and tune into SPEED this Saturday night to watch the race!
Thanks,
Marc
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Hey everybody. Hope you had a great Independence Day. I didn't do too much. I spent the holiday with some friends and family. I had a little free time that I used to work on my late model car. I put a new front-end on it and I can't wait to put it to the test. Hopefully it'll burn up the short tracks around Georgia.
The last truck race I was in was Memphis. It was a disappointing day. We blew a tire in the first few laps and never could get back on the lead lap. Everyone was beating and banging on each other all day and never had any problems, and we get brushed by another truck and it blows our tire. I guess those are the breaks. It was a fast truck, though. We kept pace with the leaders all race long and would have scored a top-10 had we not run into trouble.
We'll go to Kentucky in a week. That's going to be an awesome race. We're bringing chassis # 22, which was the truck that run so well at Michigan. I love the way that truck drives. It seems to be a good fit with the intermediate tracks, so we should have a good day in the Bluegrass State.
Did ya'll see the Daytona Cup race? Talk about a crazy finish. That just shows that you never know what's going to happen at the superspeedways. You better believe when we head to Talladgega later this year, it's going to be wild one, too.
I'll talk to you soon. Have a great week.
Later,
Marc
The last truck race I was in was Memphis. It was a disappointing day. We blew a tire in the first few laps and never could get back on the lead lap. Everyone was beating and banging on each other all day and never had any problems, and we get brushed by another truck and it blows our tire. I guess those are the breaks. It was a fast truck, though. We kept pace with the leaders all race long and would have scored a top-10 had we not run into trouble.
We'll go to Kentucky in a week. That's going to be an awesome race. We're bringing chassis # 22, which was the truck that run so well at Michigan. I love the way that truck drives. It seems to be a good fit with the intermediate tracks, so we should have a good day in the Bluegrass State.
Did ya'll see the Daytona Cup race? Talk about a crazy finish. That just shows that you never know what's going to happen at the superspeedways. You better believe when we head to Talladgega later this year, it's going to be wild one, too.
I'll talk to you soon. Have a great week.
Later,
Marc
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Hope We Don't Sing the Blues in Memphis
I'm stoked for this week's race. We're heading to Memphis - the birthplace of the blues, the home of the king. What's not to like?
Memphis Motorsports Park is a good old fashioned short track. There's going to be a lot of bumping and banging, and a lot of guys knocking each other out of the way, but I'm going to do my best not to get caught up in that. It's easy to lose your temper and lose your focus. That's usually when wrecks happen, so I'm not going to do anything that will risk knocking our fenders off. It's like Dick Trickle said, "If you want to finish first, first you must finish." Hopefully we won't be a part of all the craziness that ensues.
Qualifying is going to be key this weekend. Every winner of a truck race at Memphis has started in the top-10. All but one of the winners have started in the top-five. No matter how good your truck is, it's going to be tough to make up track position. I don't think that will be a problem for the Ergon team, though. Our average starting spot is getting better each week and we should be pretty good in Memphis.
This weekend could be our breakthrough race. We've been close a few times, but haven't quite sealed the deal. With a little bit of luck, this could be our time to shine.
I hope to see all of you at the track. I'll be taking advantage of the barbeque restaurants on Beale St. when I'm in town, so come join me if you're around.
Thanks for your support.
Memphis Motorsports Park is a good old fashioned short track. There's going to be a lot of bumping and banging, and a lot of guys knocking each other out of the way, but I'm going to do my best not to get caught up in that. It's easy to lose your temper and lose your focus. That's usually when wrecks happen, so I'm not going to do anything that will risk knocking our fenders off. It's like Dick Trickle said, "If you want to finish first, first you must finish." Hopefully we won't be a part of all the craziness that ensues.
Qualifying is going to be key this weekend. Every winner of a truck race at Memphis has started in the top-10. All but one of the winners have started in the top-five. No matter how good your truck is, it's going to be tough to make up track position. I don't think that will be a problem for the Ergon team, though. Our average starting spot is getting better each week and we should be pretty good in Memphis.
This weekend could be our breakthrough race. We've been close a few times, but haven't quite sealed the deal. With a little bit of luck, this could be our time to shine.
I hope to see all of you at the track. I'll be taking advantage of the barbeque restaurants on Beale St. when I'm in town, so come join me if you're around.
Thanks for your support.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
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