By ohnson 
What an astonishing difference a single day can bring! We have transformed from being stressed over the tiniest matters to now simply relaxing, indulging as race fans for the next several days. From the multitude of text messages, phone calls, and social media communications, we once again sincerely wish to express our gratitude to each and every one of you! A highly significant aspect in conquering something of this magnitude is the emotional and mental challenge that accompanies it. Since the unwavering support has continuously streamed in our direction, our team has managed to maintain a composed state of mind as we forge ahead in the race for the Golden Driller.
On Wednesday, the Triple X house car #99 was speeding out of our pit. So, after having lunch, we made our way to the track to offer assistance. After a lengthy night of intense competition, the #99 driven by Colton Heath concluded in 16th place in the first C Main.
The #31 Travis Berryhill, followed by Jake Swanson and Colby Copeland, managed to secure their positions in the 31st Chili Bowl.
Thursday night witnessed 96 cars drawn, all aspiring to finish within one of the top three positions in the night’s A-main. Larry’s teammate for the week, Coleman Gulick, was set to commence in heat 11, starting in the second position. Coleman hails from Binghamton, N.Y., and has dedicated the majority of his racing career to following the USAC Wingless Sprint Series.
In 2017, we can anticipate seeing Coleman return to the Northeast, following the Empire Super Sprint Series. Gulick is accompanied at the Chili Bowl by his parents, Crew Chief Josh Carpenter, and long-time friend Parker Evans.
Gulick triumphed in his heat as well as his qualifier and subsequently began the feature in the sixth position. Coleman completed the feature in 16th place. Our friend Christopher Bell, Danny Stratton, and C.J. Leary emerged in the top three of the A-Main, thereby guaranteeing their starting spots in Saturday’s race.
Both Heath and Gulick will resume their racing journey towards the Chili Bowl A-main starting Saturday morning.
As the week progresses, you can’t help but long for home and all your beloved ones. Larry and I seized some leisure time during the racing tonight to have a Facetime chat with our family back home and our charming little pup Lola.
Chuck and Kelly Hebing arrived on Thursday afternoon to relish the remaining days of the week’s racing. Spotting familiar faces amid a sea of strangers is incredibly comforting.
Last year, it seemed that the expo wasn’t overly crowded until Friday night. This year, the crowd has been extraordinary right from the very first day and continues to expand. When you head up to the stands to take a seat, you need to start moving at least ten minutes earlier if you desire any chance of catching a glimpse of the cars on the track. Once you’re in the stands, you’re committed until all those heats or qualifiers are over, unless you enjoy crawling over people because nobody is willing to budge.