Congrats Michael Beard, Stock win

[Ross Family Racing]

We couldn't be more proud if you two Mikes were my own sons. Good to see our previously owned cars being raced by 2 very capable racers.
Jeff Ross

[Jack Matyas]

Nice driving job Michael .............were you really holding six in the final ?

[donald j raiser]

great job.

[Michael Beard]

Originally Posted by Jack Matyas

Nice driving job Michael .............were you really holding six in the final ?

Umm... yeeeah, let's go with that!

I felt bad for Beard so I decided to go red to him in the semi's.

Good thing, I was toast... any number of times this weekend! This was one of the luckiest races I've ever had, and I know it. I looked at those win lights several times going down the track - couldn't believe it! We race with mostly the same bunch of people all the time, but there's just something about winning a national event more than anything else. My voice is still a little rough from screaming all the way down the track and up the Pro return road. I'd won three in Canada, but hadn't gotten it done in the States before, so it feels even better, plus a couple of reps from a new sponsor, CAM2 Blue Blood Racing Oil were at the track, so it was great to win with them at the track! Special thanks to Tim Sloan for a great motor... just freshened 3 weeks ago, and already have two wins. Duck Tape, Mickey Thompson, K&N, Beardon Oil (Sunoco), Bradley Auto Parts, Macy Motorsports, Billy Nees Race Cars, my dad and many others have had a hand in keeping me on the track, and I can't thank everyone enough.

Good job beard boy, I'll be looking to get some revenge if I qualify for the runoff at the end of the year.

You'll be there, dude. Have you been worse than semis yet??? Not bad for a rookie.

Great job to Lee Truell. Looking at the numbers when I got home, that was Lee's race... what a great job all weekend long!

[Jamie Southards]

Great job Michael and Lee! Congratulations!

[Michael Lyons]

Congrats MB, nice job!

[Stacie J. Ridings]

Congratulations to Michael and Lee on making the final round! There were some really tough drivers at the Rock this past weekend. I'm saying .02 to .03 packages and on the trailer to go home! The number of double 00 Reaction times and dead-on dials was impressive. The Championship Race will be great!!!

[Mike McCandless]

The hard luck award goes to randall cantrell. He's a local piedmont dragway racer that borrowed someone's car to run. A 13 second PS car. He's .017 dead on with a 2 and in the trailer. .019 package and goes home. That's brutal. I wasn't good this weekend, I was lucky. The wagon was in a million pieces just days before. In 2nd round, I lost my brakes in the staging beams. The pedal started going down to the floor when I bumped in. I took off and put my foot behind the brake pedal to force myself to not use. Luckily the other guy went red and I coasted down. Turned out to be a minor issue, but in the car I had no clue. It was quick fix. Third round the car wasn't warm enough and the car stumbled and I was late. Once again, guy went red. During the bye run of 4th round, I lost my back brakes. The adjuster broke and I started sliding through the lights. When I ran beard, the weirdest thing happened. I come out of the burnout box and the glove box comes flying open (I didn't even know it opened), crap went flying everywhere. Out of nowhere a bottle of shoe polish got stuck between my foot and the brake pedal. I stopped before the lights trying to reach and it and get it out of the way with no luck. At that point, I didn't want to screw beard around as I hate starting line games. I believe this type of racing is 85% mental and I lost before I even staged. I had too much stuff running through my mind and rushed. I had been .03 all weekend (when rolling through, subtract the 60' and I'm .02 and the stumble was .06). My time runs were all .03-.04. The I pull out an .04 red. I was frustrated at myself, but all a learning experience. It was my third race in the car, so I can't complain.

I was really looking forward to running beard. I knew he would be tough on the tree and I looked forward to driving the stripe with him. When I prestaged and looked over I saw beard looking right at my front tire planning his strategy. I always enjoy running successful racers. You know you need to be on your game and that is what makes this fun. I'm looking forward to doing more IHRA racing as the people are great. My only complaint is that stock eliminator cars take forever to get to the lanes! I came up one time worrying I was late and I was the 3rd pair out, this was for first round haha. I'm looking forward to finishing up stock so we can change motors and the mighty bocephus hits SS

Once again, congrats to beard. Always a stand up racer

[LNorton]

Originally Posted by Mike McCandless

The hard luck award goes to randall cantrell. He's a local piedmont dragway racer that borrowed someone's car to run. A 13 second PS car. He's .017 dead on with a 2 and in the trailer. .019 package and goes home. That's brutal.

Randall had a tough weekend from the start. He rolled in on Thursday night and had no idea about fuel check. We asked him what fuel he had in it and he tells us 93/110 mix... No way that would make it through.

I stayed over there and spent a few hours helping him siphon that out of the stock tank! Not fun at all. He fills it with about 5 gallons of fuel that should pass... Checks it in the morning before the run... No good.

I didn't even know until after the run, but in the 20 min before the first session he pumped the tank dry for the second time and changed to another fuel that did get him through fuel check.

He makes it through all that... throws down a killer run first round... and gets beat! I'd say that takes the hard luck award!

Congrats again to Beard and Lee!

[Myron Piatek]

Nice going Mike, wish I could have been there.

Yup, Mopars done good this weekend.