[Stock4106]

I decided to set my first record at the Belle Rose national open in 2016 after noticing SS/MA had gone back to a minimum. I knew several guys were faster than me, so my goal was to set it low enough to make them have to put in a little effort to get around me if they wanted it. That didn't happen. Every run was a different problem and the car never made a full pass, so I only went 11.00(.85 under).

Here's the fun part. The open was run in one day, so after qualifying the motor was sealed and we into eliminations with teardown after the race. After a couple rounds I'm down to six cars, leave the starting line and look up to see my win light on sending me to the semis. I gave a quick fist pump and BANG, #7 piston rod came out the side of the block. With a hole in the block and unknown damage inside it, we decided it has to come apart anyway so lets take it to the barn and see if it has enough good pieces to pass for the record. We started teardown before they finished cleaning the oil I put on the track. Somehow, one cylinder didn't have bent valves and the crank was still intact enough so everything could be checked.

We left that night with a disappointing record and no motor, but getting that certificate in the mail was like Christmas morning.