Update #19 Race #35 & #36

KJ Motorsports

Update #19

Race #35 & #36

By Kenny Johnson
27 Jul 2008

KJ Motorsports Update #19 Race #35 & #36 By: Kenny Johnson Date: 7-27-08 We started our weekend on Thursday by going to Muskingum County Speedway for $1,000 to win. Dad drew us a great pill to start us on the outside pole of the first heat. We got the win and this put us on the pole of the feature. I was somewhat hesitant for I really didn’t think the car was that good in the heat. I made some changes but as I somewhat figured I wasn’t that good. Part of the problem was our tire compound choice and we were also trying a new suspension part. I faded back several positions and at the halfway point decided to pull off for I was not going to gain any more money. So unfortunately we had a DNF.

Friday we changed the car around in hopes of finding the set up to get us back on track. We went to Skyline and since dad stayed home I had to find someone to draw my pill. I went to 13 year old Reilly Benson (sprint car driver Brian Benson’s daughter) to pull my pill. Did I ever make a good choice, for she got us the #1 pill. We started the pole of the first heat and won to put us on the pole of the feature. We took the early lead and I was running the light poles. Yes, I said I was running the very bottom. I’ll tell ya it wasn’t easy but I did stay there the entire race. With 2 laps to go, Rick Aukland passed us on the outside. That rarely happens for I am the one on the outside. But I was happy with the 2nd place finish.

Saturday we got up early to head to Stateline Speedway near Jamestown, NY. It was a 5 hour and 45 minute tow. We got the car unloaded and changed some things around. The track crew heavily watered the track and then we had a rain shower. One thing led to another and at 9:40 pm we were headed home. That’s an awful long way to get rained out, not including the $350 in diesel fuel. At this time we do not know when the make up date is.

Well this is the big weekend and one we have been waiting for a year now. It is the Harley race at Brushcreek Speedway which pays $10,000 to win or a new Harley Davidson. We finished 2nd last year and it was a heck of a race. I hope we can make another good race out of it again. I am expecting more cars this year and it definitely won’t be an easy one to win, but we’ll give it everything we have! If you want to see a great modified show, you should plan on making this trip. We have a $1,000 to win show Friday at Brushcreek and then the $10,000 to win on Saturday.

We hope to see you there! Remember! To make this work, support those that support us!

Thanks again for your support,

KJ

Update #18 Race #33 & #34

KJ Motorsports

Update #18

Race #33 & #34

By Kenny Johnson
20 Jul 2008

KJ Motorsports Update #18 Race #33 & #34 By: Kenny Johnson Date: 7-20-08 Friday we went to Skyline hoping to redeem myself from last weeks 8th place finish. We started 4th in the heat and finished 2nd. This started us 4th in the feature. We ran 3rd for a short time then went back to 4th and finished in 4th. Car was better than last week, but still needs to be better on the slick.

Saturday we went back to the Valley and I drew pill #1 to start us on the pole of the 1st heat. We won the heat and redrew for our starting position in the feature. My luck ran out on pill draws and we started 5th. We got in 2 starts and each time there was a wreck. On the 3rd start our engine developed a miss and I pulled it to the pits. Our first assessment was not a good one and we thought we’d be down and out for a while. Sunday morning we got up and started to pull the engine and found it was less of a problem. We should have it fixed for this weekends racing with very little problems. Our plans for this weekend are to go to Zanesville on Thursday night, Skyline on Friday and Stateline Speedway in New York for $5,000 to win on Saturday.

As an early reminder Aug. 1st and 2nd we will be at Brushcreek Speedway for $10,000 to win or a new Harley Davidson motorcycle. Brushcreek is located in Peebles, OH and hopefully will be a great weekend.

Saturday was Ralph Whited’s B-day and I hope she had a good one!

Remember! To make this work, support those that support us! Thanks again for your support,

KJ

Update #17 Race #31 & #32

KJ Motorsports

Update #17

Race #31 & #32

By Kenny Johnson
13 Jul 2008

KJ Motorsports Update #17 Race #31 & #32 By: Kenny Johnson Date: 7-13-08 Friday we went to Skyline and the night started out great when Dad drew us a #4 pill to start us on the pole of the 2nd heat. I felt like we would have a shot at winning the heat. I made all of the changes for a slick track except one. Tim and Jason both mentioned the one additional change and I said, we’ll just wait and make that one in the feature. Well I wish we would have made it because the car was too tight on entry. I was running 2nd to Jeremy Berwanger and I was forcing the car to turn and wound up spinning it out. Went to the tail and brought it back to 5th. We made the changes for the feature and were starting 9th. With our past runs at Skyline I felt good about having a good run. For some reason the car would not go, it would not hook up? We wound up finishing a disappointing 8th place. I left there scratching my head!

Saturday we went back home to Ohio Valley for double features. We started 3rd in the fog out feature and when the green flew I knew we were going to struggle. The car had no drive and we managed to hang on to a 4th place finish. So we made some changes for the heat race in which we were starting the outside pole. We luckily finished a 2nd place, but the car wasn’t that good! With a pill draw we started 5th in the feature. Jason and Tim made multiple changes just to see if we could find something. End result was that we were still not that good. We came off of turn 4 for the white flag and the right front lower ball joint snapped. Lucky we kept it out of the wall and were able to get it off the racetrack for a DNF. All in all a real frustrating weekend and we will be sorting thru everything on the car to see if we can identify any problems.

Saturday I found we had many visitors that came down to see me race. A group from work came down. My sister and her family and even my Mom who hasn’t been to a race in quite a while. Also saw Jimmy Simmons and his twin girls and Michael Willoughby. This was the Bubba Whited Memorial race for the mini wedges and the winner of the race was longtime friends of Mike and Ralph #25 Ronnie Pickens.

Definitely need to thank Tim and Jason for all of their hard work and effort! Without the 2 of them I don’t think I could do this! This weekends schedule will change and I’ll post it later. I do know Tyler will not be running on Thursday, they are scheduled for the regular racing night on Saturday. Once I decide what we are doing, I will let you know.

Remember! To make this work, support those that support us! Thanks again for your support,

KJ

Update #16 Race #29 & #30

KJ Motorsports

Update #16

Race #29 & #30 

By Kenny Johnson
07 Jul 2008

KJ Motorsports Update #16 Race #29 & #30 By: Kenny Johnson Date: 7-7-08

Mother Nature won quite a bit this weekend! Thursday and Friday Road Warrior Tour shows were both cancelled fro the rain. Saturday we were supposed to go to I-77 for a Road Warrior Tour race, but the track cancelled the sanctioned race, for they were unable to pay the RWT purse. Based on the weather conditions and track conditions, we opted to stay close to home and run the Valley. I drew a pill to start us 5th in the second heat and we were able to come up to finish 2nd. Did the pill redraw to start us 3rd in the feature, but Mother Nature showed up and it wasn’t rain, it was fog. So we will have double features next week.

Somewhat against my better judgment Cooper persuaded me to go to Midway. They were having the Jim Dunn Memorial race for late models. They pay the mod’s $700 to win but they pull pills. Well the pill pull, I put it all on Cooper and I thought he let me down. We started 6th in the 2nd heat and I shot to the outside and took the lead about 3 laps into it. This started us on the outside pole of the feature. Took the lead about 2 to 3 laps into it and recorded win #5. Need to thank Cooper for talking me into it. Of course you may know he didn’t have to work too hard at convincing me. Although on the way home I met Bambi’s mom and she was introduced to my left rear truck fender and then the side of the trailer! That $700 to win sure seemed to dwindle away pretty fast. We got home and in bed at 2:03 am. I’ll be keeping the caffeine in me today!

This week we will be at Skyline on Friday and back to the Valley for double features. Saturday night will also be the Mike ‘”Bubba” Whited memorial for the mini wedges. I’ll be presenting the trophies with his wife Ralph! Hope to see ya there!

Remember! To make this work, support those that support us!

Thanks again for your support,

KJ