W

 

W

 

W

 

Lucky at the Lady... | More >> | 2004 Recap Archive | 2003 Race Archive

Start - 11th | Competitors - 25| High - 9th | Low - 20th | Finish - 12th

The famed Darlington Speedway is hallowed ground. No other track evokes such gut wrenching emotion from a driver as 'The Lady in Black'. You don't run well at Darlington, you get lucky. This springs race proved to be a bit stingy with the luck. Give and take was the mode of the day as a solid hit early on relegated the ECI Express as an also-ran. Some might construe this as the team had a bad day at office. On the contrary, the AMSOIL Chevy survived to the checkers and finished in the top half of the field. Seems to us that that's not bad or good luck, just typical Darlington

Starting eleventh on the grid, Kevin kept an even keel in the beginning. The race actually started on lap four as a quick caution greeted the field before one lap was on the board. Sneaking up to 9th place, slipping and sliding was the order of the day. The race wasn't even 10 laps old when three cars got together exiting turn four. Trying to hold the car down on the exit of the turn is difficult and there was no avoiding the car sitting in the middle of the exit. Kevin solidly wrapped the car and required extensive repairs to get the car race-worthy again.

The team patched him up best they could and sent him back out for more. And more there was. Several cautions plagued the early going but everyone got it together and a long flag run ensued on lap 48. Kevin started climbing steadily through the field and was challenging for 13th when several cars stacked up at the end of the back straightaway. He had no choice but to lock up the tires to avoid a collision and flat spotted both front wheels. Everyone was slipping and sliding and some had started to make green flag pitstops. The crew chief wanted to stay out but the driver was screaming for tires and bouncing off the fence at each end of the speedway. Succumbing to the urge, the crew called Kevin in for four fresh Goodyears. The crew fired off an excellent stop and the ECI Chevy hustled off pit lane. Scrambling to make up as much ground as possible and praying that a caution didn't wave before the leaders pitted, Kevin was on a tear. Unfortunately that caution would fall on lap 108. Kevin barely got past the leader when the caution waved and found himself only one lap down when the field collected the pace car.

More >>

 

 

Lucky at the Lady ... | << back | 2004 Race Archive | 2003 Race Archive

From that point on it was an exercise to get as many positions as possible. The car was damaged enough that it was unlikely that a lead lap finish was possible. Kevin could only go after those cars that were one lap down. And go after he did. He stalked the 12th place car of Nick Boyd right until the end and got to him with only two to go. Note that the pass positioned the Ringoes rocket from unlucky 13th to the upper half of the field.

Kevin Inglin

"It was an uncharacteristic Darlington for us. We're usually good at staying out of trouble but trouble found us early tonight. I guess statistically its going to catch up with us sooner or later. I actually like this race track. The tradition, the drivers feel, the tire wear factor, it all adds up to a fun challenge. We'd have like to have done better but we got caught in someone's mess and had to get what we could out of it after that.

Hat's off to the crew this week. They banged out the fenders on more than one occasion and kept us on the lead lap. I hate it that we lost a lap there in the middle. Two or three more laps and I think the leaders woulda pitted. We knew it was a gamble and risked the lap down scenario to short pit. This week it didn't work in our favor. It was a pretty risky move but it provided our best opportunity for a top ten so we took it. Of course the caution fell at a bad time and we did all we could to make the best out of the race as it unfolded.

I'm pleased enough with the effort. I would have liked to have more but all-in all, it wasn't a terrible showing. We may have slipped a bit this week in the points but when you finish the race at Darlington, then you don't have much to complain about.

Bristol is next. it's another place where a little slip can make for a long night. We'll get what we can out of it. We're also headin' off to I-70 to run the truck race Thursday night. If you're going to make the trek, then stop by and say hi if you can. "