Dodge and Daytona obviously go really well together, all you have to do is look at that big winged, pointed nose, all out racecar from the early 70's to know why.
My Dodge from Lux Perfomance, didn't have quite as large of a wing and it didn't have a Hemi, but it did have an enormous V10.
I always look forward to a race at Daytona because it is such hollowed ground and I have a ton of laps there. I always know going in that I will have a good shot at victory. On top of that, I knew that the crew with the Pennzoil Viper would give me top notch equipment. Sure enough, we were fast all weekend.
We had two races over the weekend and in each I had the great chance to team up with NHRA Pro Stock legend Allen Johnson. It was really awesome to have the chance to work with Allen and he really gets it. Racing is in his blood and I think we both learned a lot from each other coming from very different racing backgrounds.
I had a bit of an issue in my first race at the start, so I essentially started last. I battled back and managed to get into the top 5 by race end. Definitely not a bad result.
The Viper really suited my style. Compared to the Porsche that I normally race, the Viper allows you to get up on the wheel a bit more, especially on corner entry. With the engine hanging over the rear axle in the 911 you really have to baby it in and run a late apex to get maximum speed with the grip available. The Viper has the engine out front, but it is almost entirely behind the front wheels so it performs very neutral. It was really a blast to drive.
Going to race two I had a little better start, but still not perfect. I had some ground to make up again. I was being careful not to abuse the clutch as the V10 has plenty of torque to destroy a lot of drivetrain parts if you aren't careful. I managed to get through the field again up to second and right on the leaders rear bumper when the checkers flew. Another lap or two would have been interesting, but that is racing.
Being able to drive into victory lane to stand on the podium is always fantastic and this was no different. As I said, Daytona is a special place to me so I made sure to soak in the moment.
I have to again thank everyone at Lux Performance, Dodge, Michelin and Pennzoil for setting me up with a great car that can't be described any better than simply fantastic.
We will be getting back into the swing of a normal routine here now that the racing season is all but over. I will have three kart days coming up in the next two months, Nov. 20th, Dec. 10th and Dec. 14th. We will be sure to put up info on how to sign up shortly.
There will also be plenty more about fitness and nutrition coming up since the off season is the best time to get into a good and healthy routine.
Until next time,
Craig
