Saturday 8/30...

The day started out great! We enjoyed lunch at the fair (hand dipped corn dogs - YUM!) and Mike's cousins Analisa and Alan brought their families out...






Race time came around and I have two words for you...NOT GOOD. We had two chances to get it right this weekend. The first race started out really great. Mike looked really fast and was up to the 3rd position when the car broke. He began falling back, until finally on the 31st lap he had to leave the race. Bummer, but hey, we have a second race. OK, back to the pits to figure out whats going on with the car and if it can be fixed. Answer - clutch is broken and NO it cannot be fixed before the next race. So, Mike jumps in Kelly Mann's car with the #11 in orange duct tape on each side. Starts the 2nd race strong! On his way to the front half of the field, the #2 car spins Mike out and he goes safely into the middle of the track...clean getaway. Not so lucky the next time. He was making his way back up when he tried to pass the #26 car on the inside and big surprise goes right into the yuke tires. This ended Mikes race night - oh what a night. We are going to put this night out of our memory and concentrate on the next two races (also the last two) on the 5/8s and working our way back into the 4th place points position - it CAN and WILL be done!

Race #1 - Car #1...Broke the Clutch

Race #2 - Car #2 - THANK YOU #26

Me and Sara at the end of a LONG night of wreckage...

Saturday 8/23...Fair Time!

The Fair is always a good time!

Back in the pits was another story. Mike wasn't happy with his car all day. We kept making changes and nothing seemed to work. He was feeling pretty frustrated, but when race time came he drove what he had and ended up 5th. Not too bad for feeling like you have a slow car. We'll take it! Don't forget 8/30 we have a double header and Rob, Mike and Jeff will all be racing together...


Frustration...

First Ever...

When Mike first found our next house he took four pictures, this past weekend I tried to take the exact same pictures he took to compare. What a difference a year makes!

Then...

Now...
Then...
Now... Then...
Now...
Then...

Now...

Feels like home...

All this racing, almost forgot about the house!

Then... Now...
Then...Now...
Then...

Now...

Saturday 8/16...

Wow, racing is A LOT of work and staying competitive is even harder! Last year we were just trying to keep up, this year we are trying to win races and stay in the top 5! We are still playing with setup every week, trying to get the car dialed in so Mike can get back in the top three for points and win some more races. This weekend was no different. Mike qualified 5th fast and got 2nd in his heat. He was feeling better about the car after his heat than he had all day. Before the main event the crew made a few changes to the car hoping to make him even faster. He started in the 7th position (because of his win last race he had to start in the back of the invert) and looked good off the start, but the car wasn't coming out of the corners well at all. He could get into the corners and catch up with the cars in front of him, but lost it in the straight-aways. He ended up in 6th position overall and remains 4th in points. Theres still time to get back into that 3rd position. Mike, Rob and Andy worked on the car all day Sunday to get it ready for next weeks race! Next weekend is the start of the fair...can't wait! Oh and mark your calendars...on 8/30 we have a double header and all three Holden men will be racing together for the first time!

Three Words...

We Love Sunland!

Forgot...

About these pics! Mike broke a spindle in the first 8/2 race and it was replaced between races...everybody worked their tails off so Mike could go on to get 1st place in the second race! We were all just hoping he would FINISH...

We were all so excited about 1st place...even Racey Racoon!

Saturday 8/2 - Mike WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, it was another EXCITING Saturday night at Evergreen Speedway! We had a double header to make up for a rain-out earlier in the season and we got off to a bad start. Mike broke a spindle in the first race in the first 10 laps and did not finish - getting last place. The crew worked hard to replace the broken part in the time between the first and second race. They had to use one of Jeff's older spindles, which didn't really go with Mike's setup, we were all hoping he would at least get to finish the race with it. The saving grace was that Mike had fresher tires for the second race since he didn't use them in the first. For the second race there was a 12 car invert and since Mike qualified 4th fast, that put him toward the back of the pack at the start. Once the green flag flew we could all see Mike was on a mission! He made his way to 1st position before lap 10 of the 50 lap race! He held the lead the rest of the race, made his way past lapped cars and all the way to victory stage!! It was his first win ever in the super stock division. He had a lot of fans there to greet him as he accepted his 1st place trophy. Definitely a night to remember! Thank you to everyone! Dad, Luke, Chad, Andy, Troy for all your hard work on the car! Ryan for all you do for us!! Jeff for trying to hold Mugge off! And everyone else who was there to support Mike!

Look at Mike's feet...

Brothers...