Sam and Chris on the road...Haulin' for Dodge! Well race fans, the results are in...IT IS ONE LONG LONG LONG DRIVE TO DODGE!!!! But it was fun, that's for sure! Our team has never really had good results when we took random road trips for races - broken parts, crashes, and finishing third when only the top two go on to the main - just to name a few. But we've never taken Sam on a road trip before, and just like she has done all season - she showed us again that racin' is her favorite thing to do! The drive turned out to be a bit longer than we had expected - so we didn't pull in until after the first hot laps sessions had ended. But it gave us time to make sure that everything on Sam was what we hoped it needed to be - and after the first session we knew that we had some adjusting to do. This race had to be run on tires that were very different than what we normally run, and it took some figuring out for sure. But we got them close, and Sam was havin' fun, so when the heat races line ups were posted and our heros found themselves on the front row, well it was time to go racin'! The heat race was for 10 laps, and Chris and Sam held the lead for just over half of it. But the tires just didn't stick the way that Sam needed them to, and our awesome twosome ended up crossing the line in second place. After the rest of the heat races and the other main events were completed it was our turn on the track again. By this time the track had cooled considerably, and boy that wind went right through us! The second place finish in the heat found our heros on the outside of row two for the main. Our duo was able to hold fourth for a few laps, and fifth for a few more, but every time the tires would start getting enough heat in them to stick a caution would fly, and by the time the race was again underway the tires had cooled back down. After Sam got a little squiggly coming out of turn four and found herself another spot back, she decided that she was gonna be wide! Our heros finished a very respectible sixth out of a 24 truck field, and when you consider the other road trips we have been on, well are just pretty darn happy! The facility at Dodge City Raceway Park is just awesome - beautiful grounds, paved pits and comfortable grandstands. We were really amazed when the friendly folks even cooked us all up a bbq dinner after the racing was over! Now that's some hospitality for sure! Well now our season is truly and officially over for 2002. We ended on a good note, and have plenty of great memories to carry us through the off months that are ahead. Sam is being nestled away for the winter, and come spring she will get her new clothes and fresh parts in our quest for that track record in 2003!!! So keep checking back over the winter for updates and pictures, and come springtime in the Rockies we'll... C-YA at the TRACK!! |
Turn out the lights....the season is over....(or is it???) Challenge Cup is behind us for this year, and the crew is almost ready for a breather - sort of... Seasons come and seasons go they say, but we really wanted to have Challenge Cup memories that were somewhat different than what we got - but what do you do? Friday night action saw Chris put Sam in the 4th spot again on their qualifying run, but the trophy dash turned into a trophy smash - and Sam found herself getting thrashed around, down and through! Once the dust cleared we could see Sam sitting on the track missing her front end, and no sooner had the hook brought her in than we were loaded up and headed to the shop (thanks to John Witthar for letting it be his shop) to try and get back together for the race on Saturday. It was a long night for sure, but the guys worked extra hard and Sam was ready to go for Saturday! Practice on Saturday saw the crew make only a couple of minor adjustments -pretty good considering the whole front end was on the ground only 12 hours earlier! Chris was sure Sam was ready to rock, and the dice put our heros on the inside of row four for the main. But don't you know, something just wasn't right - maybe Sam wanted that fifteenth trophy just a little too much! At about the halfway point the tires grew a mind of their own, and shortly after that Sam's get up and go got up and went - she done broke a valve spring in her push to get to the front! Once she started to sputter (on lap 40 of 50) Chris shut her off and brought her in. But we have one more race to run this season...look out Dodge City Raceway here we come! Sam's engine is at the shop getting the broken spring replaced, and we are ready for her first road trip! Be sure to check back next week for the results of the ProTruck Invitational! And our heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you that donated your $5 (or $10 or $20) for a square on Sam's bed cover - thanks to your generosity we were able to completely fill it up! Even though the race ended on a heavy note, the excitement in the pits with all of you carried us well into the wee hours of the morning! Be sure and visit the TCH PROMO page and read all about it...and start making your plans for your own square next season! And don't forget to tune into BigDog and Jonathan's FASTRAX radio show every Sunday at 11 am (or right after the conclusion of the Winston Cup Race) throughout the off season on AM1060- keep that racin' blood warm! Also be sure to visit their website at www.fastraxracing.com for current info, news and tidbits! C-YA at the TRACK!! and be sure to watch for results from Samantha's FIRST ROAD TRIP!!! Next weekend we are heading to Dodge City, Kansas to compete in the Dodge City Raceway ProTruck Invitational!! |
Whew! Another season has come to a close, and by far this has been the wildest, craziest and best season our team has seen since we first put Roxanne on the track at CNS in 1998! Chris and Samantha are the proud owners of 14 trophies this season - 14 of 'em! Pretty awesome for sure! This season saw the highest of highs (from our heros' first ever ProTruck main event win on April 6th to Chris and Sam bringing home The Children's Hospital Race of Champions on August 10th) and the lowest of lows (the wall hit of July 3rd that nearly cost Sam her season). Through it all, we kept at it with determination and drive (no pun intended) - and watched Chris put Sam in the winners circle for 8 quick times, three trophy dashes and three main event wins. Sam came away from this season holding the season's quickest time (16.199), and stands second in line with the most main event wins (behind the division champion - Chris Leaf). Chris also managed to put Sam in the trophy dash every time the trucks qualified this season (our awesome twosome never qualified worse than 4th) - our heros ran only one "B" main event due to qualifying being rained out. All in all, we have come a long way this year, and have set our sights high for the upcoming 2003 season! Chris and Sam will be back next year, ready to once again aim for ludicrous speed and that elusive track record. We also intend to hold the "Put your name on Samantha" fund raiser for The Children's Hospital again next season - totally due to the tremendous response from fans, crews and drivers alike in showing their support for the kids! |
Chris & Sam Bring it Home For the Kids!!! This was the race our heros have waited for all season - The Children's Hospital Race of Champions. And our awesome twosome hauled the mail allright - they hauled all of those TCH squares right to their destination....... VICTORY LANE!!!!! It would seem that Mother Nature has a soft spot for the TCH kids, too - because this day dawned bright and clear without a cloud in the sky. Sam was so hooked up and ready for racing we only needed a couple of practice runs! The pill Chris drew put our heros at the tail of qualifying, and Sam's first lap left the competition wondering where the fire was! But we did have to take a second look before everything was said and done - the #7 truck of Dave Deines was looking for the same fire! Once the smoke cleared, though, our awesome twosome found themselves in the same old familiar spot - the proud owners of their seventh quick time prize! The dash consisted of only six trucks again this week due to a lean showing by the truck class (where did everybody go???) , and Chris wasted no time in taking Sam towards the front. However, six laps just wasn't quite enough circuits to get around every truck, and when the checkered flew our pair was in the third spot. But as fate would have it (or was it an angel or two?) - a lucky roll of the dice found our heros on the pole for the main...and as they say the rest was history!! The green flag flew and so did our heros - Sam knew where she was going and the fastest way to get there!! Our awesome twosome led every single one of the 30 caution-free laps! Chris quickly opened up a sizable lead on the second place truck, and at the stripe had a straight-away advantage! But the tear-jerker of the evening was yet to come. As Chris and Sam pulled into the winner's circle we all lined the fence - cuz we knew what was about to happen! Chris climbed out and as he accepted his trophy from the child from Children's, he proceeded to tell the crowd how important the research being done at Children's is, and how important it is to us - and especially him - to be able to help! He spoke for a moment about our squares and how much we appreciate every single donation...and then announced to the crowd that he was donating his entire purse to The Children's Hospital!!! The excitement carried us far into the evening. Chris and Sam were surrounded by fans wanting to get an autograph - and to buy their own square! You can visit our Team Children's page to see all of Sam's new friends listed - and to see a picture of little Becca Lockler clowing around in Sam and hamming it up for the camera! It's the kids like Becca that make every ounce of effort worthwhile to us! Becca is a patient in the Oncology Unit at Children's, and every donation for every square goes to further fund research to help Becca and all of the other kids beat cancer!!! As we first told you last week, Chris and Sam participated in The Children's Hospital annual Media Day Event. Chris was paired with Meghan Cusack from TCH along with Luan Akin and Lynn Carey of NEWS4 to race a radio controlled car on a track set up in front of the hospital. While Chris and the team didn't quite make it to the winner's circle, everyone still had a great time! Sam hung around in the parking lot with the kids, and after the races Chris got to go up and meet more of these special children. This event so readily reminds us of why this fund raising effort is so important!! Our next event is August 17th, when the Featherlite Southwest Series visits Colorado National Speedway. Our heros will be running 30 laps, and Sam is already contemplating QT Number 8! So don't miss out, come on out and enjoy a great show! Remember to come back and see us after the races to get your Team Children's Square, too - because it's for the kids!!! We will be bringing out a fresh supply of BOTH black and white squares - so we will C-YA at the TRACK!! |
Current Update: September 24, 2002
Event Date: July 13th Qualifying: Fifth @ 16.530 Dash: 2nd Main: 10th - foiled again! |
Ok race fans - it just goes to show ya... You Can't Keep a Fast Truck Parked!!! After the scariest 10 days in the history of Samantha - after having every single part on the floor on Monday and back on the chassis by Friday - Sam let us ALL know she's got PLENTY of drive left! Of course we never could have done it without the incredible help from the "Wizard Witthar", Dave Capriotti, A-1 Transmissions and Sam's buddy Joe Denning! Because of their generosity, hard work and help the crew was able to get her back to where she needed to be in time for this weekend's event. And for that - to each of you - a big HEARTFELT THANKS from each of us!!! Well our awesome twosome really only got one good practice in because the others were spent shaking Sam down like she was a brand new truck in the spring. But enough bugs were de-bugged for Chris to push her to a 5th fastest qualifying time - good enough for the outside of row two for the dash. Once the green flag dropped our heros found themselves in third spot in a hurry! On the 5th circuit, though, Sam got herself in a wee bit of a bigger hurry than the truck in the number two spot -and she reminded him she was right there. But Chris, being the gallant driver he is, reeled her back in and let the other truck get straight. On the next lap the number two truck passed the leader with our awesome twosome hot on his tail - but the lap counter ran out before our pair could take the lead. Things were a little different in the main though, race fans. A favorable roll of the dice found our heros on the outside of the front row - and Chris had Sam out front before the first circuit was in the books! Our heros quickly opened up a three truck-length margin on the 2nd & 3rd place competitors - while the truck in third was providing a sound beating on the back bumper of number two! But then - WHAMO - spin in turn two! Sam charged through the ensuing dustbowl, but only a couple of laps later Chris had to apply some binder to get around the soon-to-be-lapped competitor. This allowed the (still) battling second and third places to close the gap - but all the while the slower second-spot holder was being banged in the back by the truck in third. Well we guess it musta chapped him, cuz on lap 20 he drove in way too hard - and couldn't keep it in the wide-open lower groove. The resulting contact with our heros sent them spinning right out of the lead!! The officials pointed Sam to the back - much to everyone's chagrin - but our twosome had company in the form of the "former" second place truck. Then the third place truck fell out as well with mechanical problems, resulting the truck in fourth taking the lead. Alas, 10 laps just wasn't enough for Chris to charge Sam back up front - and they crossed the finish line in 10th (after Chris fell from 7th spot by driving in just a wee bit too hard - resulting in Sam getting sideways trying to avoid contact with the truck in 6th place). So we brought Sam home with a few new bumps and bruises - but also knowing that she is still the fastest truck on the track in spite of her major reconstruction spell. So while next week is an off week the crew will be hard at work getting her back to beautimous again, and we will be ready to try it again on July 27th. So don't forget to come back and see us after the races to get your Team Children's Square - and the rumor has it the WHITE ones are gonna be ready for your name! Wanna find out? Well then we will..... C-YA at the TRACK!! |
Event Date: July 27th Qualifying: NUMBER ONE BABY!!! @ 16.377 Dash: 6th Main: 6th |
OOOOOHHHHH YEAH!!! Number Six! Samantha shows she is back!!! Well how about that race fans???? Samantha reminded 'em all again - she knows the fastest way around this 3/8's oval!!! After the event on the 13th, the crew spent some serious shop time making sure that every part was exactly how it was supposed to be - and that dedication paid off on Saturday! After some good practice runs Chris and Sam were the third ones out of the gate for qualifying. The first lap left a little on the table (when Sam got just a little squiggly), but the second lap blistered right to the front - and nobody could better it this time! When the qualifying dust had settled the next best time was almost 7-100's out! Our heros found themselves back in their old familiar spot for the dash - last row outside baby!! The first lap of the dash, though, set the stage for the all-too-familiar scenario - let the wreckin' begin!!! The trucks on the front row started banging on each other right out of the gate, and the subsequent braking and spinning sent two trucks right for the wall. Chris and Sam were left with nowhere to go - and the resulting path took Sam right over the hood of one of the trucks in the wall (sigh). Even with severe suspension damage on both the front and rear right, Chris finished the dash in 6th and limped her in. The crew got right to work, and although it took every moment of time available before the main event, their incredible efforts enabled our awesome twosome to start the main on the outside of row 3! The main proved to be just as "demo-derby" as the dash, and Sam was quite the handful despite the valiant efforts of the crew. Early on in the 50-lap feature the banging started, but Chris expertly guided Sam through the melee and got through it unscathed - (as did the #31 truck of Rick Smith thanks to some amazing driving skills on Rick's part - he was spun right towards the wall, and pulled through with only a flat tire!). Our heros emerged from the tangle in fourth spot. The remaining laps were mostly uneventful, with only a couple of competitors able to pass under our awesome twosome coming out of turn four (where Sam was the squiggliest!). Although Chris made a concentrated effort to pass for the next spot up, Sam's loose condition in turn four foiled the momentum. In spite of the less than optimal set-up, Chris and Sam make a really good pair y'know and were able to finish right where they had started - 6th place. For a 50-lap feature though we will take it for sure!! So once again Sam comes home with new bumps, bruises and now this time parts replaced at the track. But the reminder she gave us that she is still the fastest truck on the track keeps our determination strong and spirits high! Our next event on August 3rd is another 50-lapper, and we sure hope to be able to get all the way to the end of the evening in the same shape we roll out of the trailer in!!! Remember to come back and see us after the races to get your Team Children's Square! We still have a few black ones left, and plenty of white ones! And Sam can't wait to.... C-YA at the TRACK!! |
Event Date: August 3rd Qualifying: Rained out B-main: Fast (oops - I mean FIRST) Main: 2nd |
Samantha shows she is back with a vengence!!! Holy Fast Truck Batman!! Not only is Sam back in full swing after her unfortunate tangle with the wall, she showed everyone that she won't settle for anyplace but the FRONT!! Mother Nature wasn't too eager for Sam and Chris to bring home quick time number seven this week, though. After two excellent practice sessions it was apparent to us all that Sam was ready to once again shoot for ludicrous speed. Alas, some much needed moisture just happened to show up right after practice, and although the shower was short-lived it was enough to rain out our qualifying performance. Well, we'll just be saving that for next week! But the really bad news was yet to come - because of the lack of trucks showing up for the event (only a field of 16) - the trophy dash was lined up by points and only the top six were in it! Of course as you all know we were in the 7th place....and this irritating twist found our heros on the outside of the second row for the B-main event (gasp!). Well Sam was not happy about that turn of events - and Chris was even less thrilled! But Chris remembered that patience pays off - and reined in a hard charging Sam until just the right time - and our awesome twosome performed flawlessly. Chris guided Sam to the front with a handful of laps remaining and never looked back. At least if we had to run a heat race winning it is the ONLY way to go!! The main event line up found our heros in the same starting spot as in the heat race - but Chris wasn't content to stay there for too long. An early caution negated an early pass, but by the 10th lap our pair was in a solid second place gunning for the leader. For the remaining forty circuits our relentless heros pursued the #36 truck of Richard Burton, and Chris took Sam high and low looking for right right moment for the pass - to no avail. Near the end of the event Chris took Sam hard and low coming out of turn four, but the lower groove just didn't have enough rubber for Sam to grab and she let Chris know it! At that point Chris settled her back into a very comfortable straight away lead on the third place truck, and followed on the bumper of the #36 for a second place finish! Well this excellent showing by our most excellent pair brought them back up into the 6th position in the point standings, and closed the gap on the positions ahead. And Sam is really happy (so are we!) that she has no new bumps, bruises or owies that need attention! This Thursday (August 8th) Chris and Sam will be doing a personal appearance at The Children's Hospital for their annual Media Day Event. Chris will be paired with a child from TCH to race a radio controlled car on a track set up in front of the hospital for the event, while Sam will be displaying her stuff for all the kids to see. Chris participated last year, and it was the most memorable and personally fulfilling event in his racing career. Our next on the track event is August 10th for a regular 30 lap event - and you know Sam will have all week to think about getting that QT #7! Remember to come back and see us after the races to get your Team Children's Square! The support you all have been showing - fans, drivers and crews alike - has been overwhelming and heartwarming! We are pleased to report that we have officially sold out of black squares - and the white ones are going fast! So plan to come and snag YOUR white square, and we will C-YA at the TRACK!! |
Event Date: August 10th Qualifying: 1st @ 16.513 QT#7!!! Dash: 3rd Main: WINNERS!!! all for the kids!! |
Chris & Sam Bring it Home For the Kids!!! This was the race our heros have waited for all season - The Children's Hospital Race of Champions. And our awesome twosome hauled the mail allright - they hauled all of those TCH squares right to their destination....... VICTORY LANE!!!!! It would seem that Mother Nature has a soft spot for the TCH kids, too - because this day dawned bright and clear without a cloud in the sky. Sam was so hooked up and ready for racing we only needed a couple of practice runs! The pill Chris drew put our heros at the tail of qualifying, and Sam's first lap left the competition wondering where the fire was! But we did have to take a second look before everything was said and done - the #7 truck of Dave Deines was looking for the same fire! Once the smoke cleared, though, our awesome twosome found themselves in the same old familiar spot - the proud owners of their seventh quick time prize! The dash consisted of only six trucks again this week due to a lean showing by the truck class (where did everybody go???) , and Chris wasted no time in taking Sam towards the front. However, six laps just wasn't quite enough circuits to get around every truck, and when the checkered flew our pair was in the third spot. But as fate would have it (or was it an angel or two?) - a lucky roll of the dice found our heros on the pole for the main...and as they say the rest was history!! The green flag flew and so did our heros - Sam knew where she was going and the fastest way to get there!! Our awesome twosome led every single one of the 30 caution-free laps! Chris quickly opened up a sizable lead on the second place truck, and at the stripe had a straight-away advantage! But the tear-jerker of the evening was yet to come. As Chris and Sam pulled into the winner's circle we all lined the fence - cuz we knew what was about to happen! Chris climbed out and as he accepted his trophy from the child from Children's, he proceeded to tell the crowd how important the research being done at Children's is, and how important it is to us - and especially him - to be able to help! He spoke for a moment about our squares and how much we appreciate every single donation...and then announced to the crowd that he was donating his entire purse to The Children's Hospital!!! The excitement carried us far into the evening. Chris and Sam were surrounded by fans wanting to get an autograph - and to buy their own square! You can visit our Team Children's page to see all of Sam's new friends listed - and to see a picture of little Becca Lockler clowing around in Sam and hamming it up for the camera! It's the kids like Becca that make every ounce of effort worthwhile to us! Becca is a patient in the Oncology Unit at Children's, and every donation for every square goes to further fund research to help Becca and all of the other kids beat cancer!!! As we first told you last week, Chris and Sam participated in The Children's Hospital annual Media Day Event. Chris was paired with Meghan Cusack from TCH along with Luan Akin and Lynn Carey of NEWS4 to race a radio controlled car on a track set up in front of the hospital. While Chris and the team didn't quite make it to the winner's circle, everyone still had a great time! Sam hung around in the parking lot with the kids, and after the races Chris got to go up and meet more of these special children. This event so readily reminds us of why this fund raising effort is so important!! Our next event is August 17th, when the Featherlite Southwest Series visits Colorado National Speedway. Our heros will be running 30 laps, and Sam is already contemplating QT Number 8! So don't miss out, come on out and enjoy a great show! Remember to come back and see us after the races to get your Team Children's Square, too - because it's for the kids!!! We will be bringing out a fresh supply of BOTH black and white squares - so we will C-YA at the TRACK!! |
JUMP BACK TIMES TWO - CHRIS & SAM CHARGE FOR THE RECORD!! Is Sam on fire or what????? Just when you think you've seen it all - along comes a NEW surprise! This race day was cool and humid, and the crew had some tense moments during practice when Sam was being just a tad obstinate! But each change made her a little better, and although we weren't real sure she was ready to fly Chris felt ok that she was gonna at least try... The Southwest Series racers joined us for this racing evening, and the tires they were running left rubber of a dfferent kind on the racing surface. Another lean field of trucks shaped up, and our heros were the sixth truck to take a qualifying run. The times on the books from the preceeding five trucks weren't even cracking the 16.5's, so we were expecting a slower run than Sam had shown in the past. But when the old familiar "JUMP BACK" came across the speakers with a first lap of 16.355 we KNEW Sam was more than ready to fly! But the SECOND "JUMP BACK" sure caught us by surprise - and when it was followed by an incredible time of 16.199 we almost fell off the bleachers!!! Holy SUPER FAST truck Batman!!! Only 7 -100ths off the record race fans - and we have four more tries to go, so keep on cheering Sam onto lucridous speed!!! The dash was only 6 trucks again this week, but it ran clean and Chris was able to manuever Sam into the fourth spot easily. But again 6 laps just weren't enough to get Sam to the front, and the checkers flew with our awesome twosome in the fourth position. The dice came up two (swapped the front row!), and Chris found himself piloting Sam from outside of the second row for the main. But don't you know something has to happen - and sure enough it did! Our heros moved up into third within the first couple of laps, but lap six proved to be our demise...doesn't it figure that Sam would step on a little piece of track debris - and her right front tire was flat by lap 8. Chris brought her in under under green, and by the time the crew got a new shoe on her our heros were 5 laps down. Although Chris made good progress towards the front of the pack there was no way to make up such a huge deficit, and our heros finished a disappointing 15th. Oh well, a flat right front could have been alot worse so we'll just have to take the quick time and call it a night! And our condolences to race-winner Chris Leaf on the loss of his father who passed away last week - glad to see you were able to "win one for Pops!" Even still, the fans flocked back to either buy a square or to look for their spot on Sam's back deck!. We were pleased as punch that Raeanna Conover came back for a visit - 13 month old Raeanna is the proud owner of one of our very first squares!! Plenty of other fans came back to hunt for their square, and plenty more donated their $5 to help us fill the gas panel! One fan in particular blew our socks off - for a $20 donation he walked away with our display sign!!! Thanks man!! And if you remember, Chris and Sam participated in The Children's Hospital annual Media Day Event on August 8th with plenty of other drivers. We took about a billion pictures (ok maybe not that many), and we are picking some of the best to put on a special page on our site so we can share them with all of you. Be sure and check back in the next few days to take a look! Our next event is August 24th, and Sam is planning just how she's gonna get that track record before the season is out (with a little help from Chris of course)! So don't blink - you might miss her zooming on by!! Remember to come back and see us after the races to get your Team Children's Square, too - help us help those great kids!!! We have plenty of squares ready for YOUR name - so we will C-YA at the TRACK!! |
Event Date: August 17th Qualifying: 1st @ 16.199 QT#8!!! Dash: 4th Main: 15th (sigh) |
Chris and Sam bring home the only trophy they were missing! WoW! It sure took one heckuva lotta dashes to get this hardware, but finally our heros were the first ones across the line! The day turned out to be hotter than we were expecting, and Sam just wasn't too sure if she was tight or loose. The team made changes trying to dial her in, but just couldn't quite get the right combo. Our awesome twosome were the sixth to qualify again this week, and Chris put her into the top spot by 2-100's. But the surprise for us of the evening was when the #14 truck of Jimmy Donaldson roared around in 16.258 - wow Jimmy way to go!! (Keep that up and they'll be calling you "Jump Back Jimmy"!!!) Once the dust had settled our heros found themselves third quick, and due to the low turnout (again!!) it was a six truck dash. Chris and Sam started on the outside of row two, and six laps later took the checkers for their very first trophy dash win!! Chris admitted to us that he had to get her into the winner's circle before dark one way or another!! Well this time it was up to Chris to get that good dice roll, and the four he produced put our heros in the same starting spot for the main event. Chris quickly manuevered into third, but took some time to get around the second place truck to avoid any contact that could result in wreckin'. By the time our heros had cleared their way into the second spot the leader had opened a sizeable spread, and our awesome twosome ran out of laps before they could close the gap. But we've said it before - we'll take second just fine thank you! After all it moved us up into a tie for sitxh spot in the standings with three races left in the season. And don't forget to stop by the Rev. J Buzzweed's Bar in Dacona - just a short hop from the track at 911 Carbondale - on Sunday September 8th, when Big Dog and Jonathan will be broadcasting the FasTrax radio show LIVE from 2-4 pm (tune into 1060AM on your Denver radio dial). Our heros will be there, so stop by, have a chat, bring your camera for some pictures and get your Team Children's Square! Our next event is Sunday September 1st - part two of the Labor Day show. Sam is still listening to those tapes about lucridous speed, and we sure hope she is soaking it in! Remember to come back and see us after the races to get your Team Children's Square, time is running out!!! We still have a square just for you - so stop by and we'll C-YA at the TRACK!! |
Event Date: August 24th Qualifying: 3rd @ 16.363 Dash: 1st! Finally! Main: 2nd |
Event Date: September 1st Qualifying: 3rd @ 16.478 Dash: 1st! Main: 10th |
Chris and Sam bring home the trophy dash again! Well Sam must of liked the feel of last week's trophy dash win - because our heros did it again! The crew made a few small changes during practice because Sam just didn't seem to be up to par, but we didn't find her "owie" until after practice was over. But thanks to Joe Denning (PT#24) - who had the part we needed! - we were able to swap broken for good and our awesome twosome were ready to rock and roll! Our heros were the fourth truck to qualify, and Chris pushed Sam to quick time on the first lap. Our duo remained on top until the very last truck - and were pushed to second place by less than 2-100ths by the #7 of Dave Deines. (Dave had been promising all season that he was gonna get us - so he had to make good on his promise!!) Our heros found themselves on the inside of row two (yup - row two) of a four truck dash - if this keeps up the trophy dash will only be two trucks! Sam got pretty sideways on the first lap when Chris went low in turn one and ran her through some oil dry - but on lap two he kept her a groove up and was able to make the pass on the second place truck. By lap four our awesome twosome had reeled in the leader, and when the opening for the lead showed up Chris pushed Sam right through it! As our heros took the checkers for the win, the announcer let all the fans know that Chris and Sam brought it home as a special birthday present for Grandma - who was in the stands cheering for our pair!! You can bet she got a kick out of everyone cheering for her birthday! The dice roll was up to Chris again - but this time Lady Luck was nowhere to be found as he pulled a 10! (Maybe we better have him practice in the off season!) The lineup had six of the "B" main trucks out in front of our pair, so Chris and Sam found themselves on the outside of row five (one row from the back!). Sam was not happy about being in the back, and Chris had her in fourth just after the halfway mark. A few more laps and our awesome twosome had caught the third place truck, and with one lap to go Chris drove her in just a little too hard in turn one, and rather than hit or spin the third place truck, he hit the binders and turned her hard and Sam spun infield. Even though he quickly got her straightened back up, five trucks were able to get by and our heros crossed the line 10th. But even with this finish our heros moved into a solid 6th place in the points - only 12 out of 5th, 58 out of 4th and 62 out of 3rd! So remember to stop by the Rev. J Buzzweed's Bar in Dacona -911 Carbondale) on Sunday September 8th, when Big Dog and Jonathan will be broadcasting the FasTrax radio show LIVE from 2-4 pm (tune into 1060AM on your Denver radio dial). Our heros will be there, so stop by, have a chat, bring your camera for some pictures and get your Team Children's Square! Our next event is September 7th. Sam knows she only has two more shots at breaking that elusive track record, and we sure hope she is gearing up for it! Remember to come back and see us after the races to get your Team Children's Square, time is running out!!! We still have a square just for you - so stop by and we'll C-YA at the TRACK!! |
Event Date: September 7th Qualifying: 4th @ 16.437 Dash: 1st! Main: 1st! |
NEWS FLASH!! CHRIS & SAM GET DOUBLE VISION!!!!! Was this the night of our heros dreams or what???? Two wins in the same night - now if that isn't worthy of our AWESOME TWOSOME!!!!! Practice was a little out of kilter this week because the girl-half of our crew was a little bit late getting to the track for a very special reason - and the team sends warmest congrats to Andrew & Sarah McCartney on their marriage! So mostly the guy-half of the crew concentrated on things like tires and such - which pretty much meant that our heros lined up for qualifying not knowing if ludicrous speed was on the horizon. As fate would have it, Sam wasn't the fastest truck on the track this week, either (Dave Deines blistered his way around again this week) - but the starting position of inside row two put Sam right where she needed to be to grab her third straight trophy dash prize! Chris moved Sam into the second spot pretty quickly when the green dropped, and on the fourth lap he took Sam down low in turn three and barreled her out of the corner to take the lead! Now that's fun racing! But wait!! There's more..... The dice roll was up to Chris again this week - and this time Lady Luck was right on his shoulder as he pulled a 1! (Guess that practice last week paid off!!) The lineup found our heros on the pole, and as the green flag waved Chris mashed her gas hard and never looked back. Although the #17 of Paul Deines was able to move up through the field and capture the #2 spot (with a brand new truck I might add), Chris had enough of a lead that Paul wasn't able to close the gap. And then to top off the evening - Chris spilled the beans to the crowd that this win was for Julie's birthday!!! Talk about a special, DOUBLE treat birthday present!!! Whew! That much excitement in one day - a wedding two wins and a brithday - will just wear you right out!! We are ready for a little break (at least an hour or so anyway) - resting up for Challenge Cup on Friday and Saturday! Sunday found us hanging out at the Rev. J Buzzweed's Bar in Dacona with Big Dog and Jonathan broadcasting the FasTrax radio show LIVE . While Sam was lounging out front, Chris spent some time chatting on the air with Big Dog while the rest of us caught a little football, chatted with our fellow racers and crews, and took a few pictures to boot! So the season finale is now at hand - Sam's last chance for that track record this year! She is chomping at the bit - and so is Chris - and we are ready for our two day show! Be sure to come out for all the action, and remember this will be your last chance to snag your Team Children's square for this year - so come back and see us and get a square or five! We are almost done with the gas panel, which is the end of Sam's haulin' space...and she wants to see it full! We are making arrangements to donate the entire panel to TCH for display - but we need to have that panel full! So bring your $5 and we'll.... C-YA at the TRACK!! and be sure to watch for results from Samantha's FIRST ROAD TRIP!!! Next weekend we are heading to Dodge City, Kansas to compete in the Dodge City Raceway ProTruck Invitational!! |
Whew! Another season has come to a close, and by far this has been the wildest, craziest and best season our team has seen since we first put Roxanne on the track at CNS in 1998! Chris and Samantha are the proud owners of 14 trophies this season - 14 of 'em! Pretty awesome for sure! This season saw the highest of highs (from our heros' first ever ProTruck main event win on April 6th to Chris and Sam bringing home The Children's Hospital Race of Champions on August 10th) and the lowest of lows (the wall hit of July 3rd that nearly cost Sam her season). Through it all, we kept at it with determination and drive (no pun intended) - and watched Chris put Sam in the winners circle for 8 quick times, three trophy dashes and three main event wins. Sam came away from this season holding the season's quickest time (16.199), and stands second in line with the most main event wins (behind the division champion - Chris Leaf). Chris also managed to put Sam in the trophy dash every time the trucks qualified this season (our awesome twosome never qualified worse than 4th) - our heros ran only one "B" main event due to qualifying being rained out. All in all, we have come a long way this year, and have set our sights high for the upcoming 2003 season! Chris and Sam will be back next year, ready to once again aim for ludicrous speed and that elusive track record. We also intend to hold the "Put your name on Samantha" fund raiser for The Children's Hospital again next season - totally due to the tremendous response from fans, crews and drivers alike in showing their support for the kids! |
Chris and Samantha show off their trophies and Sam's bed full of squares - the fruits of the 2002 season! |
Turn out the lights....the season is over....(or is it???) Challenge Cup is behind us for this year, and the crew is almost ready for a breather - sort of... Seasons come and seasons go they say, but we really wanted to have Challenge Cup memories that were somewhat different than what we got - but what do you do? Friday night action saw Chris put Sam in the 4th spot again on their qualifying run, but the trophy dash turned into a trophy smash - and Sam found herself getting thrashed around, down and through! Once the dust cleared we could see Sam sitting on the track missing her front end, and no sooner had the hook brought her in than we were loaded up and headed to the shop (thanks to John Witthar for letting it be his shop) to try and get back together for the race on Saturday. It was a long night for sure, but the guys worked extra hard and Sam was ready to go for Saturday! Practice on Saturday saw the crew make only a couple of minor adjustments -pretty good considering the whole front end was on the ground only 12 hours earlier! Chris was sure Sam was ready to rock, and the dice put our heros on the inside of row four for the main. But don't you know, something just wasn't right - maybe Sam wanted that fifteenth trophy just a little too much! At about the halfway point the tires grew a mind of their own, and shortly after that Sam's get up and go got up and went - she done broke a valve spring in her push to get to the front! Once she started to sputter (on lap 40 of 50) Chris shut her off and brought her in. But we have one more race to run this season...look out Dodge City Raceway here we come! Sam's engine is at the shop getting the broken spring replaced, and we are ready for her first road trip! Be sure to check back next week for the results of the ProTruck Invitational! And our heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you that donated your $5 (or $10 or $20) for a square on Sam's bed cover - thanks to your generosity we were able to completely fill it up! Even though the race ended on a heavy note, the excitement in the pits with all of you carried us well into the wee hours of the morning! Be sure and visit the TCH PROMO page and read all about it...and start making your plans for your own square next season! And don't forget to tune into BigDog and Jonathan's FASTRAX radio show every Sunday at 11 am (or right after the conclusion of the Winston Cup Race) throughout the off season on AM1060- keep that racin' blood warm! Also be sure to visit their website at www.fastraxracing.com for current info, news and tidbits! C-YA at the TRACK!! and be sure to watch for results from Samantha's FIRST ROAD TRIP!!! Next weekend we are heading to Dodge City, Kansas to compete in the Dodge City Raceway ProTruck Invitational!! |
Event Date: Challenge Cup - Sept. 14th Qualifying: 4th @ 16.559 Dash: 7th Main: 15th |
Event Date: DCRP - Sept. 21st Heat: 2nd Main: 6th |
Sam and Chris on the road...Haulin' for Dodge! Well race fans, the results are in...IT IS ONE LONG LONG LONG DRIVE TO DODGE!!!! But it was fun, that's for sure! Our team has never really had good results when we took random road trips for races - broken parts, crashes, and finishing third when only the top two go on to the main - just to name a few. But we've never taken Sam on a road trip before, and just like she has done all season - she showed us again that racin' is her favorite thing to do! The drive turned out to be a bit longer than we had expected - so we didn't pull in until after the first hot laps sessions had ended. But it gave us time to make sure that everything on Sam was what we hoped it needed to be - and after the first session we knew that we had some adjusting to do. This race had to be run on tires that were very different than what we normally run, and it took some figuring out for sure. But we got them close, and Sam was havin' fun, so when the heat races line ups were posted and our heros found themselves on the front row, well it was time to go racin'! The heat race was for 10 laps, and Chris and Sam held the lead for just over half of it. But the tires just didn't stick the way that Sam needed them to, and our awesome twosome ended up crossing the line in second place. After the rest of the heat races and the other main events were completed it was our turn on the track again. By this time the track had cooled considerably, and boy that wind went right through us! The second place finish in the heat found our heros on the outside of row two for the main. Our duo was able to hold fourth for a few laps, and fifth for a few more, but every time the tires would start getting enough heat in them to stick a caution would fly, and by the time the race was again underway the tires had cooled back down. After Sam got a little squiggly coming out of turn four and found herself another spot back, she decided that she was gonna be wide! Our heros finished a very respectible sixth out of a 24 truck field, and when you consider the other road trips we have been on, well are just pretty darn happy! The facility at Dodge City Raceway Park is just awesome - beautiful grounds, paved pits and comfortable grandstands. We were really amazed when the friendly folks even cooked us all up a bbq dinner after the racing was over! Now that's some hospitality for sure! Well now our season is truly and officially over for 2002. We ended on a good note, and have plenty of great memories to carry us through the off months that are ahead. Sam is being nestled away for the winter, and come spring she will get her new clothes and fresh parts in our quest for that track record in 2003!!! So keep checking back over the winter for updates and pictures, and come springtime in the Rockies we'll... C-YA at the TRACK!! |
