Summer Recap And Jerry Richert Memorial Race

I know I have been slack with updates since we broke our leg but we have been busy with physical therapy plus the main reason has been the three times I tried to right an update I would just get mad at the situation and depressed so I would walk away. So you better get a cool drink kick your feet up because these one is going to be an all day event as I recap the last part of the year.
I want to thank everyone for their kind words and well wishes over the past couple of months. It was amazing the support we received throughout this rough period and it makes you truly appreciate that the racing community, and how we support each other. A big thank you to the Steve King Foundation and the Midwest Auto Racing Charities which has helped many injured drivers over the past few years. Some people may think that these organizations just send sympathy check to help drivers that have been hurt but I can tell you first hand that these are organizations that truly care about the racing families. Over the years I had donated helmets, suits, T-shirts or racecar body panels to different charities but had never really thought about how this helps out or that I would one day need some help ourselves, but I can tell you when you open the mail it really makes you think and appreciate what these organizations do.
I am not embarrassed to tell you that within the first week of being home and the morphine had wore off the depression hit home and the stress of reality took it’s toll, but on the day that it all feels things had hit rock bottom I was brought to tears. Yes, I really mean tears and I not ashamed to say it. Amy brought me in a several get well cards that had been sent from race fans and friends. I then opened the final card and it was from everyone at Aggressive Hydraulics in Blaine who sponsors Craig Dollansky. These cards pushed home that people really do care for the well being of others and some of these people we knew, maybe had met once, and raced against and others we have never met before.
Lastly,on the cry me the blues thank you to Amy and Emma for putting up with me. On the first day that I arrived home and was bed bound because of the rod and pins plus the pain Amy gave me this small cow bell to ring if needed. Now this really is a true testament of love, not for the fact that she gave me the bell but the fact she didn’t shove the bell were the sun doesn’t shine. Plus I can’t forget my mum who wanted to fly over here on her own considering she hates flying. I guess it doesn’t matter how old you are, if you’re a mummy’s boy you will always be a mummy’s boy.
We really have healed faster than anyone had expected as the original recovery was expected to be around four months and we were back in the car at six weeks. The reasoning behind this is the main magical medicine which we had to have sent over from Australia. Maybe Obama better take a good look at what products are on the banned list for importing to the US, as I firmly believe that the jars of Vegemite we smuggled in, had a lot to do with our fast recovery. Hell, it would probably be a good vaccination for the H1N1 virus.
I have always said that race car drivers aren’t very smart so I set a goal of being ready by the Nationals but I think that shows the power of morphine. Then I set about being ready at six weeks. The doctors said we would discuss it at six weeks the physio said no way, the biggest concern that I had which scared me to death and had me depressed is that Hannagan had gone through the same injury in 2001 and he was on the phone to me every day. It wasn’t the horror stories of the recovery, or the time factor it took him to recover, nor how he now thinks he’s a weather man as his legs aches about 30 minutes prior to it raining but the frightening thought that I may end up with a leg that looks as ridiculous as his. Now that’s a scary thought.
At our six week appointment the doctor stated that in a perfect world I needed to sit out for another month but this isn’t a perfect world so I told him I planned on racing in two days. This all came about with the fact that six weeks just happened to fall on the day that Cedar Lake hosts the Jerry Richert Memorial and Amy’s brother had an offer to drive for Marty Johnson in the ole blue 81. Jerry had a lot of success in that car and as the theme of the night was retro nostalgia it seemed perfect for him to drive it, but there was a problem that Jerry had his own sponsors that had supported his car all year and needed to have his car there. The answer was simple. Put the gimp in the seat, plus I think he felt I would still be too sore so I would be easy on the equipment and be scared to gas it in case we crashed.
Unsure and doubting whether I was ready I flicked into racers mode and called John Nelson the gimp 360 owner driver as the Memorial was a full sprint car night of 360 and 410. The reason for the call was hell if I’m going to hurt driving the 410 I may as well hurt a little more and drive the 360 also, makes sense right. If you’re not sure that you can do one do double duty, basically double your odds.
As I said earlier the theme for the night was retro nostalgia which fits me to a tee. I love all the old stories of yester year plus I have a retro replica of my dad’s helmet from the 70’s, love retro looking paint schemes and are very lucky to have a original Bell helmet bag which was very kindly given to me by Len Dalton I have said for years I am going to order a retro looking race suit, you know the Hinchman one from the 70’s that was white with three strips down the left side that everyone wore so when Jerry dug through the boxes that had Jerry SR old suits in them and pulled out two crew uniforms from 1974, there was only one thing to do. Wear them white pants and all. Jerry went and got a flat top which looked really cool which I hope his wife Lori likes because with the hair line that he has I’m not so sure it will ever grow back. As for me I just slicked it back and wore Sr cowboy hat, not for the fact my hair wouldn’t grow back as it grows too bloody fast but hell I would have cut my entire blonde out and it would look straight out grey. Wow, when you read that it makes you realize I’m turning into George Tatnell and we all know how important his hair was
This wasn’t just another sprint car race as it was my father in laws memorial race and the whole family puts a lot into making this the event stand out and the event that it is today and I never seem to be in Australia to run my dad’s race . When you listen to people like Scratch Daniels, Terry McCarl and one of my hero’s Wolfie talk about SR you soon realize just how good he was. Actually a cool piece of trivia about SR was that at the 25th running of the little 500 they paid the top three a percent of their prize money in silver dollars and SR ran second that year and he always kept one with him every night he raced. Amy’s mum had also kept several to give to their kids and grand kids. Well, for whatever the reason she had one left and gave it to me years ago as a good luck token and a reminder to always believe in yourself. Trust me I kissed that little sucker right before the feature race on Saturday night.
Anyway we had a good run going in the 360, leading until we got together with a lapped car which put us out with a flat tyre which disappointed me as I really enjoy driving for John, his dad Dwayne and Cole.
The front two rows of the memorial was impressive with Herrera on pole, Erin Crocker outside with Dobmier and McCarl on the second followed by some goof in the 63 car. You can check out the race on you tube under Jerry Richert Memorial as watching it is cooler than me explaining it. All said and done we came through and won, which I think too most people came as a surprise with this being our first race back and there were a lot of good cars and drivers there. Last year’s win in Forbrooks car was awesome but it was also expected but the sound of Guys voice on Sunday morning when he called me to see what happened at the race and I told him we won was pretty cool. Most people think Forbrooks a hard ass but when it comes to things like this and his kids he’s as soft as a marsh mellow after the races the family put on a free cook out with a huge cake and drinks for all the race teams and fans to enjoy. I hope everyone enjoyed the night as it was the first time Cedar Lake has ever run a all out sprint car night and we hope they will continue to run this event the same next year and also grow sprint car racing around here. Actually we should have everyone that enjoyed the night send the track an email telling them how much you enjoyed the Memorial so we can continue making this bigger.
Again I just want to thank Sonny & Lori Richert along with Kathy and Joe Kouba for being awesome car owners, Charlie, Jo and Bubba for all their hard work and everyone that made donations and helped out.
Since then we have been doing partial duty with one week on then off for two weeks in Pete’s car, the reason for this is my leg still hurts and blows up when we race. We had a 6th or 7th at Freemont, a decent run going at the Outlaws show at the Grove with a half knocked of front wing until we got tangled in a crash only to finish 13th. A couple of ran outs and bad weather have shortened our return but we will finish our US season next week at Charlotte driving for Pete before heading to Australia. We have some unfinished business this year and will be attacking Australia with the biggest man on a mission attitude I have ever had. We will keep you updated from OZ.

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