he weekend of April 23rd we raced at the Salem Speedway which is one of America’s most historic race tracks. Driver’s such as A.J. Foyt, Parnelli Jones, Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Darrel Waltrip, Kenny Schrader and others have been racing Salem for years. The .555 mile paved oval with 33 degree banked turns is one of the fastest short tracts in the country. Most drivers feel that if you finish the race with the car and yourself in one piece, you’re a winner !

Our pit crew this weekend included Marv as the crew chief, Joyce as the scorer, Boomer-spotter, Klaus-tire changer, Carol-fuel, John-jackman and Brenda-tire carrier. See pictures of Brad and the No. 26 Team in action !

The race was a two day event. On Saturday we registered, worked on the car, went thru technical inspection, and practiced. Practice went very well with fast speeds. After a successful day racing we ended the day at John and Brenda’s house with a cookout.

Everyone enjoyed the quiet peaceful atmosphere and a home cooked meal. After a good night’s sleep we started Sunday with the driver’s meeting and then went thru technical inspection again. As the crew took the car thru tech Brad enjoyed an on track autograph session with his fans.

Then it was off to race.

We started in the 35th position. During the race there were several wrecks, including a ‘big one’. Because of Brad’s exceptional driving skills and Boomers great spotting techniques, we were able to steer clear of all the collisions. We finished in 20th position and the only harm done to the car was a flat rear tire that was caused by debris on the track. Overall the weekend turned out to be a good weekend.

We had a great time racing, and we came home with our car in one piece.