Big Country Missteps
by Paul Bredenberg

Trophy Dash results: 20-55-17-09
Slow Heat results: 34-12-87-33-41-80
Fast Heat results: 24-45-09-55-20-17
Main Event results: 34-55-09-24-45-12-87-33-41-80-20-17

The CARC Mod Coupes circled the wagons at Cheyenne's Big Country Speedway on August 14th for the last meet at that venue for the 2010 season. As a double-points night, good placings were important, and as a bonus, it was our night to remember and honor former President and CARC Hall of Fame member, Warren Rhoades. Memorial dog tags were passed around, and the majority of the Rhoades clan were present, including our Grand Dame of the CARC, Elwanda. I knew it would be an emotional night, and in THAT, we weren't disappointed! It was also Mod Coupe night at BCS, with the added appearance of the High Plains Modifieds club. Some CARC members also participated in those events. The CVOR boys showed up with their vintage coupes, as well. In my personal bonuses, I was accompanied by my wonderful wife, Barb, and we stopped on the way up to have lunch with former CARC member and driver, Gene Corley and his wife, Mary in Fort Collins. We arrived at the track about 4:00pm and I thought practice was about over, but three more sessions ran while we were there. I could tell that Scott Rhoades was happy with the performance of his black #17 coupe, as it pretty much just sat in the pits as he figured nobody would beat his time of 12.477. Despite some impressive BANZAI laps, Frankie Denning III had to settle for 2nd quickest with just a tick slower at 12.526. It was worth the price of the pit admission to see 3D throwing the purple 09 coupe around the little 1/5 mile oval, looking for that extra 1/3 of a second! But Scott, who had to replace another broken fuel pump, had his time stand. The rest of the qualifiers were Gary Land #55 (12.553), Rich Bubak #20 (12.618), Carl Vair #45 (12.724), Chad Guilford #24 (13.033), Jaime Bubak #12 (13.228), Bryan Gossel #34 (13.253), Joe St. Peter #87 (13.258), Chet Graham #33 (13.295), Matt Devich #80 (13.932), and finally, Bill Kolb #41 (13.982). Not bad - only one and a half seconds covered the entire field!
A fun plus for the afternoon was hearing that Theron Bredeson had taken the #41 around for a few hot laps. The grin was definitely ear-to-ear and I think he may be bitten by the bug. He wasn't sure why it had taken him so long to do it! Maybe a third car will be in the Bredeson stable for 2011. . . Scott Bremkamp also took some laps in the car. It was also really good to see some old CARC friends and family in the BCS pits, like Marv Slussers, Jr. and Sr., engine guru Bill Johnson, Gentleman Joe Lehman, Joe Sullivan, former Champ and Prez Bob Land, and CVOR Prez Gary Huibr. . . Hiuebr. . . aw, it's pronounced "Hewbrix"! In the meantime, we learned of the untimely death of Russ Cummings, the owner of Bryan Gossel's #34 Vicky. Russ had a massive stroke on Wednesday but wasn't found by anybody until Thursday. He was kept on life support until family members got into town, and on learning that there was no brain activity, reluctantly decided to pull the plug and let God take control. So hearts in the 34 pits were heavy.
The first event of the mod coupe evening was the High Plains trophy dash, and Scott Rhoades, Jaime and Rich Bubak, and Gossel all decided to race with the HPM. I knew that racing against his Uncle Bruce is one of Scotty's favorite things to do, and they started on the front row together. Bruce showed the kid that he still has some speed up his sleeve, and pulled out the victory while Scott finished second, followed by Rich, Jaime, Gossel, Dean Carr and Tom Gillen.
Next up was the CARC Trophy Dash; six laps for the fastest four. That put Rich on the pole with Gary Land outside and 3D and 17 on the back row. Rich jumped out to a large and early lead and was never headed. It was good to watch Denning and Rhoades battle it out side-by-side for the most of three laps! Final finishing order was Bubak-Land-Rhoades-Denning.
The HPM heat race was next and Scott Rhoades beat Jaime and Bruce Rhoades after 10 laps.
The CARC Slow Heat rolled out for 12 laps with Devich and Graham on the front row followed by JSP, Gossel, Jaime and Kolb. This 12 lapper was going to be one for the history (or histronic) books! On the start, Chet Graham was in real trouble! His car bogged down as Devich tore into the lead and Graham got moved up the track by a quickly-moving JSP. Then in turn 3, Kolb spun the 41 car to a stop and a yellow flag regrouped the field for an original lineup restart. There looked to be some contact between St. Peter and Gossel on the restart and cars started moving all over the place, trying to avoid paint-swappin'. St. Peter moved down onto the apron on turn one, followed EXTREMELY closely by Jaime. Unbeknowst to Joe, his rear bumper had locked horns with Jaime's front bumper. He gunned the engine, put it in first, and took off - separating Jaime's bumper from the front of the black coupe! This time, Graham got the start right and had led at the end of lap one. I think. It was really confusing! Anyway, on the next restart, it looked like JSP made contact with Graham, sending Chet spinning in turn 3. Looks like another restart! Finally, we got it right and Devich took the lead on the next restart. On lap three, there looked to be contact between JSP and Devich, but the result was that Devich took the car about 270 degrees into the infield on turn 3. He got back on the asphalt without a yellow. During all this, Gossel, who seems to get better here as the evening goes on, had stretched out a good-sized lead, leaving the bumping and banging behind him. And there seemed to be a LOT of bumping and banging going on! Maybe a little impatience? Maybe just some good ole' racin'!! I like to think of it as a 4-wheeled pinball game! Jaime Bubak broke through the traffic and made heavy inroads into Gossel's lead, but just ran out of laps and time. Gossel led the charge home followed by Jaime, St. Peter, Graham, Kolb, and Devich.
Then we were ready for the CARC Fast Heat. This would be 12 laps for the faster end of the field. Guilford and Vair were on the front row with Rich Bubak, Land, Denning and Rhoades making up the balance of the grid. Guilford got a great start, and while Vair had to drop back, he didn't give up the fight and kept battling to keep second. I love watching Carl when he drives hard. - he's clean but can be forceful when the moment's right, and this one was right! Further back, 3D was looking for the outside of Gary Land, but it took about three laps to make it work. By lap 7, Denning was out of the pack and after Vair, but he, too, ran out of laps and time. Guilford cruised to the flag followed by Vair, Denning, Land, Bubak, and Rhoades, who had an uninspired race.
At the intermission, all the Mod Coupes came out on to the front stretch and after a dedication ceremony honoring Warren Rhoades, the fans were allowed onto the racing surface to meet with the drivers and get autographs. I really enjoyed watching little girls seek out Jaime Bubak's attention. I hope she realizes what a great inspiration she is to those kids. When I was knee-high to a grasshopper, I LIVED for having Sammy Sauer rub my head and call me "Butch". It was actually a crewcut, I think, but I thought I was special to him. But Jaime is truly a hero to those girls. Of course, all of our CARC drivers are heroes, aren't they? We also celebrated Bryan Gossel's birthday (which was on Friday) and the Bredeson's 41st wedding anniversary! Gosh, they don't look that old! Well, maybe Theron. . .
Anyway, the sun had gone down and the wind was blowing and THANK GOD we had blankets in the car and the concession stand had hot chocolate! Sheez, it got cold! Then the wind stopped and it wasn't too bad, but I had relegated myself to the sweatshirt under the jacket!
The HPM Main ran next and Scott Rhoades, from the front row, had enough to handle his Uncle Bruce, who followed Scott home into second, with JSP, Gossel, Gillen and Carr finalizing the results. A good win for Scott, who admitted in Victory Circle that starting on the front row makes it easier to win - he wouldn't have that same advantage for the CARC finale!
Which, by the way, came up after a few support races. The CARC Main was to be the featured race of the night, and it didn't disappoint! It was about 10:20pm when the cars came out, and I was ready for a pillow and a nap! I guess I'm not as young as I used to be; maybe I shouldn't get up at 5:00am on these days. This was to be a 25-lap slugfest with the field completely inverted, except for Kolb who chose to start at the back. A clean first lap showed Gossel into the first lead. Devich started lap two with an infield excursion in turn two. Suddenly, Rich Bubak broke through and charged after Gossel. Man, he was on a rail! I suspect that Rich smelled blood, and he can be really hard to beat when that happens! After just a couple of laps, he was on the 34's rear bumper and looking for a way past. Bryan doesn't give up a lead easily. It was a great battle! FUN to watch! Just then, Jaime's hastily repaired front bumper decided to take a solo flight against the turn four wall by the pit exit. This brought out a yellow flag and bunched up the field again on lap eight. Aw, she didn't need it anyway! Gossel led away at the restart, but Rich was HUNGRY for the lead and was making impassioned attempts to get around the white Vicky. On lap nine, the bronze car pulled outside of Gossel and roared into a huge lead immediately! Gossel was left into the clutches of four other cars who were having a great ding-dong of a battle for second! Guilford, Land, Rhoades, and Denning were all slugging it out, trying desperately to get around Gossel and have a shot at Bubak, who was setting sail into the distance. Finally, Rhoades got inside of Land and past Gossel on lap 17 and tried to carve into Bubak's huge lead, which by this time was about 1/4 lap! Gossel made it hard to pass and broke away from the pack. Gary Land, who's STILL looking for a break of any kind this season, followed Gossel around. I could tell that Scott Rhoades was going to need a yellow flag to get a chance at Bubak, but the yellow wasn't forthcoming. Rich smoothly and forcefully ran off the last five laps with no threat of losing his victory, followed home by Rhoades, Gossel, Land, Denning, Guilford, Vair, Jaime, JSP, Graham, Kolb and Devich. It was really good to see Rich get his first Main Event win of 2010, coming at a track that he truly loves. He recieved a big hug from his old buddy, Bruce Rhoades, in Victory Circle. Chet Graham won the "Lucky Dog" Award from 44th Auto Service. 
But wait! There's terrible news afoot! As Barb and I headed to the pits and to a nice warm car, I recieved the news that BOTH Rich and Scotty made a crucial error - they didn't proceed directly to post-race inspection without stopping at their pits. This is the THIRD time this season that this has happened, and after the last incident concerning Gary Land, the Board established definitive punishment for that infraction: being dropped to the last running position. Since all the cars finished, Bubak and Rhoades were dropped to 11th and 12th respectively. What a pity for both of them! Rich really deserved the hard-earned win, and Scott was probably in the throes of emotions about his "Gramps". But the CARC officials made the right call and had to hand out the penalties. Gossel was then awarded first place, although Bubak will get to keep the Warren Rhoades Memorial Trophy. This gives Gossel a commanding lead in the Rookie of the Year competition, and I think it is virtually impossible for him to lose that title at this point in the season. This also puts him into the lead for the competition for the Sammy Gallo Memorial trophy, with three Main Event wins!
We were cold and tired, and I didn't wait around for post-race interviews, which might have been pretty interesting! So I apologize for that. Final results were: Gossel, Land, Denning, Guilford, Vair, Jaime, St. Peter, Graham, Kolb, Devich, Rich and Rhoades.
A couple of final observations. Frank Denning has maintained his painfully small point lead over Gary Land by very fast and consistent driving. He's maturing as a Mod Coupe chauffeur and has developed a bit of patience that can serve him well. He sees the big picture, and the Champion's share of our $5,000 point fund will probably be worth working for! Gary, in the meantime, knows that he can take over that point lead with just three weeks left in the season but will need that elusive luck that's avoided him so far. It's good to watch from a spectator's view, as these two very good drivers are setting the standards for CARC drivers in the future. Bryan Gossel has been a wonderful addition to the family and I hope Russ' death won't mean the end of Mod Coupe racing for him. It's fun to watch him do whatever is necessary to get his car around the track. He may not always look smooth, but he's very entertaining! He has great car control! I also love watching Scotty Rhoades run when he's got the bit between his teeth! When the car's right, as it was Saturday, he really goes after it! And his aggressive style is a joy. Matt Devich surprised several competitors when he stayed next to people a lot longer than they thought he would. The car handles marvelously, and he told me that his "tired" engine will hopefully last the season and be replaced by a fresh crate motor for next year. We could be in trouble. . . It was also good to see Chad Guilford attempt the tight confines of BCS. He did really well in the heat, and I was hoping he could maintain for the Main. Joe St. Peter is a breath of fresh air in the pits. What a good attitude, and when his car is right, look out! I always enjoy watching Billy Kolb race, since we started our MiniStock careers together at Second Creek. You haven't lived 'til you've seen Bill dance on the hood of a Pinto wagon! And poor Chet Graham. . . I think he's bucking for the Hard Luck Award for two years running! Know any sponsors who can put a few more ponies under the hood of that coupe? He's such a good driver and keeps his chin up most of the time. Once again, a good bunch of guys. But I REALLY regret Rich having to be penalized. A BRILLIANT driver on his day, and he's needed one of those days lately. Sorry, Rich. I also suggest that spotters remind their drivers that they MUST go directly to post-tech inspection; do not pass go, do not collect $200.00. Or have a crew member at the pit stall to wave them on by. Just a suggestion.
Next race is September 4th at Colorado National Speedway, and I think Frankie Denning can't wait to get back there. He's at his best at the larger 3/8 mile track. But there are others who think they may have something to say about that. . . see you there!