hey
everyone....
it's the month of may - the biggest time of the year for racing
with the indy 500, nascar's longest race, the 600 at lowes, and
f1's grand prix of monaco.... we've also had a busy month - but
it hasn't been all racing.....
the weather
has been the story this spring so far.... since a snow-out in
April we've been rained out of practices and races at palmyra
(www.palmyraspeedway.com)
and east lansing (www.karttrack.com).....
last weekend at east lansing, we made it all the way through practice
and the drivers meeting before a lingering spring shower ended
the day..... after the "official" racing was called,
we did get in some track time in the wet conditions... when running
regional and national races later this year, we'll race in any
conditions so i mounted up the rain tires and let jeff jr. have
at it..... he had a total blast!..... rain is the true equalizer
and many chassis or engine advantages another team may have can
be made up by driver skill... (bring on the rain!!)... jeff had
2 spins getting used to the wet but still managed to keep it off
the hay bales and on the pavement.... we ran 2 sessions - about
25 - 35 laps total... i have to tell you, jeff taking those fast
corners in the wet are really nerve-racking for dad, but the boy
can definitely drive!..... it was fun to watch and great experience.....
with the weather causing problems, the only races we've run since
the fremont cancer fund raiser has been the regionals in circleville
and a points race in east lansing..... circleville was our first
race ever in the jr. sportsman yamaha.... we did extremely well
considering the high level of competition..... at east lansing,
we ran as high as 4th against more top notch competition before
a spin heat #1 put jeff back in the lineup for the feature event....
starting out in the back on the outside, jeff didn't get a good
start and finished 7th overall... but we totally had a great time
and jeff already showed he can compete as he ran mid-pack for
the better part of 2 heat races.....
we've completely missed the entire month going to the nearest
track to our home, palmyra, but we hope to change that in June
since there are several points races to attend... how many we
make is still in the air as we have committed to race in east
lansing in 2005.....
we are learning more and more about 2 cycle racing each week and
hope to continue to improve as the season goes on..... we haven't
given up completely on running briggs jr. sportsman (4 cycle)
yet and we're planning to run a national race in southern ohio
over the 4th of July weekend... in preparation for that event,
we'll be out running the bedfordsports coyote at a few selected
events...... but in the meantime, look for us to be concentrating
on the jr. yamaha sportsman.....
in case you're interested, we do accumulate points these regional
(and national races).... but don't look for us at the top of any
regional/national points standings - at least not yet :) - this
is totally a "building year" for experience... this
will give us a foundation to build upon in the future IF (and
only if), jeff jr. wants to continue and we have the right support
around us......
memorial day weekend we traditionally watch racing... however,
this year, due to a scheduling fluke, we'll be racing instead
of watching as we travel to south bend, indiana to race in the
2nd great lakes sprint series race (www.glsseries.com)
.... we have a couple more races under our belt and a few new
parts since circleville - we're looking forward to see how much
we improve...... wish us luck...
our racing results are usually posted at www.bedfordsports.com
after each racing weekend..... feel free to contact j2 racing
anytime at j2kartracing@aol.com
good luck to all of our fellow racers...... be fast - be safe
Memorial
Day Weekend
it was a disappointing weekend for us...... we lost a second off
our best lap times from the morning practice sessions and seemed
to be really slow on starts - jeff usually gets great starts but
just couldn't pull away when the green flag dropped.....possible
clutch problem - will pull it off to look tomorrow.....
we did learn some new things, have a line on an engine builder,
and met some new people.... just have to keep remembering, we're
new to this class, jeff's only 8, and we're racing at the regional
level for the first time.... regardless - jeff had fun.... dad's
just disappointed with his own crew cheifing.....
chalk it up to experience.... jeff raced at one of the best tracks
in the country... we continue to earn points... looks like we'll
try to run all of the GLSS races including the one in Illinois
in 2 weeks (will miss palmyra's first points race)......
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J2
Racing Scores a Double
Victory at Palmyra!!
It
was totally awesome to be back at Palmyra. Rainouts and
scheduling conflicts have prevented us from attending races
at the nearest track to Bedford Twp. And, despite a summer
shower causing a rain delay, a points-race program was run
at Palmyra. - the first of the season (finally!).
We entered Jeff Jr. in 2 classes, Yamaha Jr. Sportsman and
Briggs Jr. Sportsman. The rain delay actually helped by
giving Dad a little more time in the pits to make adjustments
to both karts...
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The work
paid off!.. Jeff sweeped the Jr. Yamaha class, winning both heat
races and the feature beating out friend and fellow racer Coltin
Bates. Was great seeing these kids run against each other again.
In Jr. Briggs, Jeff had his hands full with a greedy field eager
to win. Jeff won the first heat race and finished 3rd in the second
heat race. He started on pole for the feature and won the feature
event going away!... It was a great feeling to be back in victory
circle and to see Jeff taking a lap with the checkered flag again!
It was a wonderful night and it was really great seeing all of
our old friends and supporters. We had so many teams/parents come
up to us wishing us luck not only at Palmyra but at our other
endeavors - it really felt like home! Several teams indicated
they were following our progress at other tracks via the internet.
Eaton Racing donated 4 cycle parts that we'll likely use later
this year when we see what the national races are like (thanks!)..
Also, can't thank the Palmyra track owners enough for all the
support they've given us over the past years.....
Yeah, we had a good night... now if we can only transpose that
to some of the bigger tracks/regional events.... (We'll get there!)...
Last week, results at East Lansing: P9 in the feature. But, we
are improving, meeting new people, and learning as we go. We've
run mid-pack but just haven't been able to make it stick - which
is really ok - we expected this to be a learning season. However,
we are still planning to upgrade our program. We've employed Silver
Bullet Racing Engines to overhaul our stock, 2-cycle engine. We
should have a blueprinted engine to race with nest week. Also,
we are actively looking for additional sponsership that can help
support www.bedfordsports.com as well. We are also learning a
ton from all the good folks at ELKT...
Next week, we'll have a fresh engine and we hope to spend a 3-day
weekend at ELKT. Look for new photos in the near future.
HAPPY FATHERS
DAY
Fathers Day Racing yielded a great result for J2 Racing at ELKT....
Although our re-built Jr. Sportsman motor wasn't ready, Silver
Bullet Racing Engines furnished us a loaner with outstanding power...
We didn't see the strength right away as we struggled during Saturday's
practice. But Sunday, we got it together and 3 good practice sessions
in the morning gave us an optimistic outlook for the heat and
feature races as our lap times improved by nearly a second over
our best previous times.
In Heat 1, a couple of adjustments in the pits and some good driving
knocked another second off our best time! Jeff crossed the finish
line with a 3rd place finish! (9 karts total). Dad got a big fathers
day hug from Jeff Jr. back in the pits! We were both pretty happy
campers!
In Heat 2, Jeff had to drive though traffic and dodge a spinning
kart. Although we slowed by 0.4 second, Jeff still finished 5th
- we'd have a good start for the feature. In fact, our results
earned us outside pole!
In the feature, our lap times slowed again, but Jeff drove a good
race and hung on for a fine 4th place finish. A great improvement
from the past few months! Overall, these are the best results
we've seen since racing at ELKT. It was an awesome day for us
and we're really excited to be going back next week this time
with our own motor tuned for our class. Next week, we'll also
be doubling up by running at Palmyra on Saturday, then commuting
up to East Lansing to race on Sunday.
J2
Racing, Mid-Season Update
It’s
been a busy several months – here’s a re-cap:
We’ve
raced only 2 of 3 races at Palmyra Speedway. A 1st and 3rd puts
us in 4th place in the points standings. Not sure we’ll be
able to make up for the missed race – we’ll just have
to see how the rest of the season shakes out.
At East Lansing,
our goal was to run mid-pack – we’re there…. Highlights
include a 3rd in a heat race, and a 4th in the feature on Fathers
Day. After 6 races, we're 4th in points (30 points out of 3rd)
but since the 2 worst finishes are dropped at the end of the season,
we need to keep pushing forward. The competition is really tough
and there's another 8 points races (14 total!). We continue to
learn, gain experience and we’re slowing upgrading equipment.
A podium finish in the last half of the year would be totally
awesome!
We’ve
participated in 2 regional races and 1 national race to gain experience.
Although the results don’t show it, the experience by racing
and being around the best has been really cool. For now, no more
national races – we need a little more experience and the
effort and commitment a big race takes is more than we’re
ready for. But it looks like we’ll do at least one more regional
race before the seasons out. The big races are well attended and
very organized. Jeff Jr. has been able to get a lot of track time
- seat time is really what he needs at this stage anyways. Both
Jeff’s have enjoyed the big race experience. Jeff Jr. also
gets a chance to race on different tracks which, in the long run,
will make him a better racer.
Next up will
be the Michigan State Championships at East Lansing where we’ll
run the 2-cycle. 2 weeks later, we’ll be at the Great Lakes
Sprint Series, also at East Lansing. The remaining season, we’ll
concentrate on the points races at Palmyra and East Lansing and
see where we end up.
With any luck,
there’ll be a few other surprises, special events and announcements
as the season winds down. Lots of exciting things are in the works
so be sure to check in at www.bedfordsports.com
for all the latest info. (Click on community sports.)
Oh yeah –
all this seems like a lot. It is. But at the nationals in Camden,
while watching the older kid’s race, Jeff Jr.’s Uncle
asked him a question. He asked, “What’s your favorite
thing to do?” Jeff Jr. said, “Racing.”
Morning
rains gave way to a dry track at Palmyra in the afternoon. After
2 practice sessions, we got in 1 1/2 Heat races before rains returned
and canceled the remaining days events. It was frustrating as
we were pretty hooked up and looking forward to competing in the
feature race.
Starting on pole for the first heat, Jeff Jr. slipped to 2nd at
the start. Despite being strong at the end of the run, Jeff finished
2nd. With the field inverted for Heat 2, Jeff would have to start
from the rear (6th) just ahead of a rookie driver. Jeff put on
a great show and worked his way forward up to 2nd place when the
race was red flagged due to rain which eventually canceled the
event.
Next up, we return to East Lansing this weekend for the Great
Lakes Sprint Series Race #4, July 22-23. It'll be interesting
to see how our 2 cycle program has improved from the last regional
race at South Bend. - this time, we'll be on our home turf. In
fact, we may even run the Jr. Briggs class. We don't have a strong
"regional" motor in the briggs class, but it'll be a
blast to race against a lot of our friends.
East Lansing July 22-24
We were much better than the regional feature race showed. Jeff
continued to cut tenths off of our best lap times at ELKT but
didn't get a good start in the feature and fell back to 6th....
he spent most of the race directly on the rear bumper of the 5th
place kart but couldn't get around.... finally, 2 laps from the
end, jeff got a good run in the long straight and went for it...
unfortunately, the other driver didn't see jeff on the inside
and turned in at his normal apex and the two drivers made contact
and got locked up.... jeff fell back to 7th where he finished....
overall, we learned a lot and both of us continue to improve -
our lap times show it.... but, we found a couple of areas where
we need to work on.... looking forward to the ELKT points race
next Sunday....
last, one item i have to mention.... Sunday morning, we were drowned
by a downpour... we had to practice in the wet with rain tires....
in fact, we were hoping the rain would stay for the racing (rain
is the great equalizer - it's all about driving, no engine, chassis,
advantage the bigger, more experienced teams have).... anyways,
the track dried and it turned out to be a dry, but humid day....
we had fun but finished 7th in the feature... after all of the
racing was over and i was packing up, steve nemeth's father who's
son is one the best racers in our class in the country came up
to me and said "your son is wonderful in the rain"...
man, i was proud - what a great compliment....
East
Lansing August 7th
After a whirlwind week of enjoying a feature win at "the
big track" and having a new sponsor come on board, we were
hoping to follow up with another good finish at East Lansing.
Jeff was as fast as the leaders but seemed to be slow accelerating
off the slower corners in the heat races so Jeff started 6th in
the feature. We made an adjustment in the pits and thought, that
with a good start, we'd be there. After a lot of movement at the
start, Jeff got shuffled back. Jeff had his hands full running
7th, 6th, 7th, 6th and dodging a couple of spins.It was a fun
race to watch with 11 karts nose to tail with a lot of dicing
throughout the field. Jeff was nearly past and into 5th place
but couldn't make it stick despite being faster. But battling
on the white flag lap, Jeff got tangled-up with the 5th place
kart and was unable to finish. We'll chalk it up to experience
- we learned more about racing this time out and not just about
driving.
We're off for a couple weeks and then double up at Palmyra and
East Lansing in 2 weeks.
Current points standings:
Palmyra (after 5 races): http://www.palmyraspeedway.com/Points.html
2nd place - after missing one race, we're not sure we can make
up the deficit to 1st place but we'll do our best!
East Lansing (after 8 races): http://www.karttrack.com/Results/2005%20jr%20sportsman.htm
3rd place - We'll enjoy this while we can knowing that after this
week's results are posted, we'll likely take a hit in the standings.
Also, the 2 lowest points races are dropped at the end of the
season so it's really tough to see where we are really at - appears
to be 4th. Regardless, for our first year in this class, considering
the competition and Jeff's young age, we're doing great!
Sept. 10th & 11th
It was a big weekend for J2 Racing. Jeff Jr. raced into the points
lead at Palmyra Speedway Saturday night by winning the feature
race! With 2 points races to go, a lot can still happen and we'll
need to be at our best to keep the points lead. Stay tuned at
www.bedfordsports.com for all the latest info.
We followed up the big win at Palmyra by traveling to East Lansing
where we hoped to improve on recent bad luck. However, it appeared
the bad luck was going to continue. In the first heat, Jeff Jr.
fought to keep the lead for the first few laps but slipped to
2nd. He appeared to have a solid 2nd place finish but 2 laps from
the end, Jeff spun it and dropped to 7th. In the 2nd heat, Jeff
Jr. moved up a couple of spots but still had to start 7th for
the feature. Then, our luck turned around. In the feature, Jeff
picked up 2 spots on the start. Then he took advantage of others
mistakes and raced to a podium finish, 3rd, at East Lansing!
Thanks to J. Moses Construction for their support and help. A
lot of things happening with J2 Racing as the season comes to
a close - more news and updates in the upcoming weeks. 2 points
races to go at ELKT and Palmyra!
Season
wrap up!
Jeff Myers Jr. secured a fine 4th place finish in the season long
point standings by finishing 5th at East Lansing Kart Track Sunday
afternoon. It was a tough feature race as Jeff literally drove
the wheels off the kart trying to get around Kyle Krump. Jeff
made contact with Kyle in two separate incidents and then came
off the track with a broken rear bumper and broken front nose.
This was probably Jeff last race in this chassis so he definitely
used the kart up in the final race of the season.
2005 has to be considered a great season for Jeff. Only 8 yrs.
old and driving older equipment, Jeff won 2 Track Championships
at Palmyra Speedway and then placed 4th in just his first year
at East Lansing. The team hopes to be able to upgrade to newer
equipment for the 2006 season where Jeff's goal is to mount a
serious challenge for the season long points championship. It
won't be an easy task as some of the best young racers in the
country race at ELKT. With any luck, regional and national races
will also be on the schedule as J2 Racing will likely focus racing
in 2-cycle divisions.
Although the racing season is over, there is a lot of planning
already happening for 2006. J2 Racing would like to compete in
a couple races over the winter - possibly even a national race.
Many details are being worked out so check in at www.bedfordsports.com
for news and announcements over the off-season.
Thanks to all our friends, family and sponsors for all of their
support over the season. Special thanks to Larry Mauter for giving
us the great community exposure through bedfordsports.com. Bedford
Twp. is a great place to live and it's really fun to check in
the website and see how all of the kids in the area are doing
in own their respective sports.
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