Update w/Marc

08/23/03
Things were looking even better last Saturday Nite, we finished 3rd in our Heat and started on the front row outside of the Feature. The change to the gear ratio we made was working great. We jump out in the lead, the car was handling good, track was tacky and were were pulling away from the field. This was the fastest the car had been all year. Then it happened, the quick steer locked up going into turn 3. Manage to get the car off the track with out getting wrecked. Maybe next time, will be off next week. Will returm to Devils Bowl to try again on Sept.6. Below are some more photos of the new side panels and Jay and I last Staurday at the Bowl. Until next Time.
Marc

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08/16/03
Things are looking better, we finished the Feature Saturday Nite at Devils Bowl Speedway. Got 5th in our Heat and 9th in the Feature. Need to change the gear ratio for next week and a few little adjustments, and hope to improve some more. Changed the color of the car to white sides and didn't get a scratch on the car. Photos below of new look.
Marc

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08/08/03
Not much good news to report. In the last three weeks of racing our best finish has been 4th in a heat. Learning curve on chassis with big block in it, got wrecked hard last week in the opening lap of the feature. I added several pics below, some at the track and some at the shop showing our wrecked and blow up equipment. Taking parts off 2 cars to make 1. We never give up, we will be at the track this weekend. Don't know what the car will look like? See ya at the track.
Marc

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07/15/03
We put our old little 350 in the red car and went to the Bowl on Saturday 7/5. It didn't take long for the little 350 to let go. She blew up in the heat race. We sat out Last Saturday 7/12 while Jay and Paula went to Hawaii for Vacation. We Will sit back and access damage and get red car ready in the next week or two. Hope to return to action with better success.
Marc

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06/28/03
Hello Wall!! Yep, thats right, said Hello Wall Saturday night at The Bowl. Car was running good. In our heat we were battling with #50, Rowdy Starnes, when we got together coming off turn 4. Rowdy slide up the track and tagged the front of our car, sending me on a head-on course to the wall. I turned hard left and hit the brakes, managed to not hit head-on but slammed the wall with the right side of the car hard causing the car to go airbourne.
The car? not so good, looks like the frame is bent along with a lot of broken parts. Me? No to good either, sore neck and a bruised right foot. I will heal, the car? not without a lot a help.
Just a racing accident, I know Rowdy didn't do it on purpose. Track was slick and he drifted into our lane. We just came out on the bad end. We are going to get red back-up car ready. Hope the Big Block will fit, if not...we punt!
Marc

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06/21/03
Got Rained Out on Saturday 6/14, so took the night off and went out to eat. We were back to racing this last Saturday 6/21, so we headed to the track with a new cooling system in the car. Actually the old cooling system, we scratched the other idea for what we knew worked, and it did. Engine ran cool and smoothe. We had a tough battle in our heat with the #88 for the 5th and final transferr spot for the feature and won that battle. Started 2nd row outside for the feature. Another one of those nights, green flag caution, green flag caution, green flag caution, etc...etc.. We made it thru all the early cautions to get caught up in a wreck when the #71 lost control and spun right in front of us. With no place to go, I hit him causing him to spin around and hit the left rear tire, which in turn broke bolts that hold the rear end in place. On the restart the car would not turn left and plowed like a tractor. Decided to retire for the night and try again next week. Marc

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06/07/03
Well, we sat out last Saturday, 5/31/03, for my stepdaughters High School Graduation and time for Jay to build Big Block. Made it to the track this weekend, 6/7/03, with new engine in Black Car. We ran 3rd in our Heat, Which put us in the 3rd row outside for the A Feature. Had the engine running a little to hot in the Heat, changed a few things for the feature. Still had an overheating problem in the Feature, with this being a fresh engine, decided to park it and fix heating problem before we did any damage to engine.
Hope To See Ya Next Week, Marc

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05/24/03
A good thing comes to an end. The little motor in the Red back-up car finally called it quits. While running 5th in the Heat race at the Bowl, the engine blew. Looks like the crank broke into 3 pieces, as part of the the crank came thru the side of the block. Spun in my own oil without hitting anyone or anything. After being pushed into the pits, Steve Sickels in the #50 car came to our pit and gave me back part of the side of the block. He was running right behind us when the engine let go. A chunk of the block flew thru his windshield, bounced of the inside roof and hit him in the right shoulder. He was not seriously hurt, but his shoulder was bruised and bleeding. The chunk of block was laying in the car when he came to the pits.
We will try to get Big Block ready for next week and run the black Primary car.
Hope To See Ya Next Week, Marc

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05/17, 05/18/03
We ran at 2 tracks this last weekend, Devil Bowl Speedway on Saturday and Grand Prairie Speedway on Sunday, had a fun weekend. At the Bowl we lost a shock in the heat and did not make the transfer to the Feature. Ran second in the B-Main, which put us at the back of the Feature with 20 cars Starting. Moved up and avoided the wrecks to finish 10th, a Good Night
Grand Prairie Speedway was vandelized a few weeks ago and the thieves got a way with a lot of equipment. Some fans and drivers got together with the employees and decided to put on a benefit race on Sunday to raise money to replace what was stolen. Jay, the car owner wanted to participate. We washed the car a went to Grand Prairie Speedway, still with the Bowl gears in the car. Had a great time, Ran second in our heat and second in the Feature. But most important raised money for a good cause, our Racing Family. You can see pictures below from Grand Prairie Speedway
See Ya Next Week, Marc

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05/10/03
Another night for the Back-up Red Car with the little motor. Made the Feature in a field of 29 cars, finished 5th in our Heat. The fuel system in the car had gremlins, the fuel pressure would get so low at the end of the straightaways, that the car would almost die and then stubble off the turns. Hung on in the Heat for 5th to transfer to the Feature. We worked on the car until the Feature Line-up. The Gremlins were still there in the Feature, nursed the car to a 10th place finish. Not a wonderful night, but not a terrible night either. Don't know if Black Car will be ready for next week, engine parts still in machine shop. If not, fix the fuel problem on the red car and go for it again.
See Ya Next Week, Marc

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05/03/03
Another good night for the Back-up Red Car with the little motor. Wow1 It's hard to believe how great the little motor runs!! We got second in our heat, the track was still wet and slick, which helps the cars with less horsepower like us. That puts us on the outside Pole for the feature. The track was great, smooth and tacky. Tacky?? Thats not good for under powered cars like us? Took the lead on the first lap, held it for a while until Rick McCommas got around us. A few cautions for minor wrecks kept the field of 25 cars on the same lap. We held on to a good run to finish 4th, WOW! What a night, 2nd in the Heat and 4th in the Feature, a Good night for Guthrie Motorsport.
See Ya Next Week, Marc

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04/30/03
We are still waiting on parts for primary engine and car. If it don't rain?, we will run the red back-up car again. Hope to see everyone at the races this weekend.
Yep, got another cartoon below.....Remember, it's all in Fun.
Marc

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04/26/03
After examining the damage from last week on our primary car, it was to extensive to repair in time for this week. So, we dusted off the red Back-up car and headed for the track. Knowing the red car has a smaller engine, we went to the track to have fun, just make the feature and finish in one piece. WOW!! Our plan worked!! We ran 3rd in our heat and finished 10th in the Feature. Also we had Fun, after the races we had several Friends and Fans come down to the car and visit, signed autographs and took pictures.
CHECK OUT ALL THE PICTURES BELOW!
If the parts come in we will fix Primary car. if not, roll out the Back up again. See Ya at the races
Marc

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04/19/03
Well, not what we were hoping for on the second night, we lost the rearend in the heat race. Car was running good, we think the ring and pinion came apart, Lots of noise and vibration. Sometimes things happen for a reason, and after watching the Modified feature, maybe we were better off having scratched for the night. About 10 cars were taken out before the first lap was every completed. I think they ran 15 laps under caution with at least 4 restarts or more, before 1 lap was ever completed. Below are some pics of the night and another cartoon about racing at the Bowl.
Marc

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04/12/03
Got good news on opening night, we won our qualifying heat race right out of the box. Survived 2 yellow restarts holding off eventual Feature winner, #71 Ronnie Carty with one lap to go for the win. That puts on front row outside of the feature. Total of 32 modifieds were on hand for opening night, 22 rolling out for the feature. Car was not right from the drop of the green flag. The right rear spring hanger bolt broke making the car have quad stear. Good for the new 2003 Chevy trucks, not got for a racecar. Had to retire to the pits relegating to a 19th place finish. Looking forward to next weeK.
Marc

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04/05/03
Obviously someone's been playing Jo Dee Messina's "Bring On The rain" and Michael Nesmith's "The Rainmaker," for racing and rain don't mix in April. All ready and pumped-up for the first night of racing, just to have the rain come and spoil it all, Rained Out!! After all these years of racing I should be used to this, NOT!! Try again next week.
Marc

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03/23/03
The sun was out again, temperture was in the 70's, another beautiful day to test. Had a very good test, ran 15 to 20 laps segments. This time I ran the car much harder, Car was loose from the middle on in the turns. Made some ajustments, car got better. We will give the car a complete check and be ready for opening night on April 5th. Below are pictures of the new graphics for 2003. Thanks Valvoline, Ultra-Shield and S-Line.
Marc

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03/09/03
The sun was out, temperture was in the upper 50's, what a beautiful day to practice. Had a very good test, car performed better than expected on a dry track. Pictures below tell the story better than I can, check them out.
Marc

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03/04/03
Practice is this Sunday, 3/9/03. We have been working on car getting ready for 2003. Motor is back in and running, all modifications to chassis have been completed. Made a brace for the transmission, remember, lost whole transmission last year when bell housing broke. Picture of brace is below with some other pics of car with BIG BLOCK power plant in chassis, what a monster! Will update on how practice goes next week.
Marc

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02/09/03
Happy New Year everyone!!! Just got through watching the Bud Shootout on TV, ready to go racing now! Been working on the primary car (black #98), changing upper front a-frames and mounting points, pulled engine out for a check over, replacing parts and putting car on a diet. That means cutting or taking anything off that is not needed or necessary. There are some pictures below of car going through it freshen up for this year. A few things Jay and I are doing to the car can't tell you, secrets.... Back-up car (red #98) ready. Got a new crew member this year, Gregg Sherman, welcome aboard Gregg. Looking forward to a bigger and better 2003 racing season.
Marc

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