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.
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