Three Deuces:
The 2 is back, the twins are home, and we are in 2nd place


Friday night DJ came home from Auburn, and joined Mom and Dad on their way to the airport to pick up our favorite cadet arriving from West Point. After a great time visiting that evening we turned in, with our thoughts on the next day’s activities at Mobile Speedway for the first of five 100-lap events this season.

Since the #72 Leachman/Barnes car was damaged at Montgomery the previous week, it was up to the VDL Fuel Systems Ford Fusion to pick up the challenge and fill in at Mobile until the 72 is back in action. Since the #2 hadn’t been run at this track in almost two years, some quick thinking, planning, and set-up work was required. By Thursday the car was prepared and arrangements were made to test Friday afternoon when DJ got home from school.

It was with some trepidation that we unloaded the car and made our first laps, but all the worries were for naught as DJ paced the #2, bringing her up to speed as confidently and assuredly as a veteran race horse and her familiar rider. Darrell and Gary brought their equipment to help with the test and having two capable and experienced crew guys was great. Together DJ, Darrell, Gary, Mom, and Dad made short work of an extensive and comprehensive test which resulted in a final set-up we all were looking forward to bringing back on race day. “It’s exciting and gratifying to see how this small group has grown and developed in the past two seasons.” said Dad, “We really communicate well and trust each other so ideas are quickly discussed and plans put into action with very little wasted effort. Two weeks in a row now we have gone to the track and had to dial the car in strictly off the data we gathered moments before. This can be very intimidating and confusing if you don’t have a group that is knowledgeable and working as a cohesive unit.” “I am very fortunate and thankful for all everyone does,” DJ added.

Saturday practice continued just as the previous evening had concluded with the #2 at the top of the speed chart. The team prepared the car for qualifying and pushed into line, hoping to officially confirm what we believed to be a great car. DJ was the ninth car out to qualify and at the conclusion of the session positioned himself at the front of the field by a sizable margin of 2/10ths of a second. DJ quipped, “Well, we won practice and now we’ve won qualifying. Let’s see if we can win the 100 lapper.”

With DJ strapped into the #2 and the track personnel trying to hurry up the evening’s schedule, Dana rolled the dice to determine there would be an invert of 8 cars. The green flag came out and DJ fell into line 8th with the plan to pace the first portion of the race, but somehow DJ’s plan changed, “the car felt so good it was just time to go!” The race went to lap 41 before the first caution, which found DJ riding comfortably behind the leader. On the restart, DJ was on the outside of the front row as the leader chose the inside of the double file lineup. As the two cars went down into turn one side by side, DJ powered off of the turn exit and cleared the inside car for the lead going down the back stretch. “Eddie Mercer taught me that move last year and it was time to try it again, it worked!” The race went green again for about 20 laps before another caution period slowed the field. On this restart DJ chose the outside, and as the leader should have started the field at his discretion. However, the car on the inside jumped the start and no call was made by the officials which left the #2 unable to clear the lead and racing hard on the outside. A couple of laps of hard side by side and several cars deep racing resulted in DJ being hit in the rear going into turn three. “I don’t know how I saved it. I have been in that same situation before and lost the car, sometimes you just get a little luck.” The car got pointed in the right direction but not before DJ lost several positions. “Settle down now and get back into your rhythm, you’ll get ‘em back”, was the advice from the spotter’s stand as we started our climb back through the field. DJ drove with a vengeance and by lap 90 set his sites on the leader. This particular driver has been trouble for us in the past and DJ’s memory was as keen as his desire to win. By lap 95 DJ was on the tail of the leader and by applying a bit of bumper entering turn one the door opened and DJ was our leader coming off turn two! Things looked great at that moment but unfortunately the former leader ended wrecking two cars a lap later trying to get back to DJ, bringing out another caution with only 4 laps remaining in the race. Our last report was called the “The Unlucky Lap 97” and who would have ever dreamed we would be in the same situation again. Totally unbelievable but true to form, the car starting 2nd which lined up on the inside of DJ lost control which resulted in a three car wreck, including our #2. The good news was all we sustained was body damage and moment of total disbelief along with a certain amount of anger. Still with only 4 laps remaining, DJ lined up 5th. DJ moved into 2nd place with 2 laps remaining and about 6 car lengths of space between him and the leader. When the cars ran under the checkered flag, DJ was on the bumper of the winner.

“The #54 car cost us that race. I can’t believe it but there is nothing we can do about that now. We’ll fix the body damage and go to the next one. The good news is, we finally finished and had a great car all night. My Grandpa Paul passed away this week and all I can think of is how proud he would have been of how hard we raced tonight. Beau Slocumb also passed this week after his hard fight with cancer and my thoughts are with his family. Having my family all together this weekend is a reminder of what truly matters in this world. It’s a sad time for our family, but Grandpa Paul would be glad we are all together.”

God bless you, and we will see you at the races…