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Start - 9th | Competitors - 17| High - 1st | Low - 15th | Finish - 9th | analyzer report
Race Report - October 25th, 2005 - Race 32 of 36
Put many of the best NASS has to offer on a small bullring, give them an identical setup, and turn them loose for two-hundred laps, that's a recipe for fun. No matter what the result is at the end of the night, each and ever driver has put in their time racing at Martinsville. No sooner are you on the gas up out of the corner do you find yourself hard on the brakes and into the next turn - that is if you have brakes.
The AMSOIL Chevy started mid-pack after a mediocre qualifying run. The first corner proved eventful as everyone bottled up and the AMSOIL Chevy bumped current CHASE leader Francois Coulliard which put him sideways in oncoming traffic. Francois manhandled the car and drove on, albeit several positions back from his starting slot of seventh.
Kevin settled in and had a decent run going in the early stages. A poor pitstop dropped him several positions and the team had to stay out one run to gain back some track position but Kevin ran second for quite a few laps and held his own against drivers with four fresh tires. Not every race has a happy ending however and the downfall for this event came on lap 82. Kevin saw a fast approaching Miles Hammrick and made an evasive maneuver to avoid contact. The car was on the edge and while trying to gain back control it clipped the inside curbing and spun lazily on the front straight.
Kevin found himself behind the leaders by the time got the car facing in the right direction and couldn't dig himself out of the hole that had been dug. Still, he hustled the car for the remainder of the race and ran right up within the leaders for the final segments but time was running out. Playing the only trump card left, Kevin short pitted to try and get back to the lead lap but as fate would have it the caution waived and he found himself clearly out of contention for a top finish.
With a never die attitude, Kevin battled onward with those in his vicinity and at the end of the evening brought the mount home in his original starting position of ninth.
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Kevin Inglin, the pilot of the AMSOIL Chevy had this to say after the run:
"I guess I'll start with a comment about that first lap contact. I feel terrible for getting into Francois and I'm glad he recovered as well as he did. My gas pedal wasn't working right and just before we went out to race I recalibrated. I didn't get a chance to test the calibration and you could imagine my surprise when I stepped on the brake and it didn't stop the car. I ran the whole race on eggshells as I had to slow the car by letting off and that's not an easy thing to do at Martinsville. I'll be sure not to make that mistake. One good thing came out of it as I didn't do what's common at Martinsville and that is to lockup the left front getting into the corner. I think it did hamper me a bit however as I probably could have run faster if I could have braked better.
I suppose I could find some solace in a top ten but I'm really not happy with the outcome here, especially after I ran most of the night with top five cars. I'm not sure how to explain that deal with Miles. I was sitting behind Dan Bailey and as I recall I was looking for an opening. I really didn't have a lane to get by and was patiently awaiting an opportunity - lest I crash my teammate. I was right on Dan down the backstretch and into three and recall looking in the mirror and seeing Miles coming. He had a head of steam and I could tell he wasn't going to stop. He was heading under me and there was no way we were both going to make it into the turn - at least that's what I thought having not seen the replay. I pulled up and let him by but it unsettled the car and I half spun into the curbing off four. That finished me off as after I hit the curb the car spun completely around on the frontstretch with no caution. By the time I got the car righted the top five had lapped me.
Its discouraging as I think my lap times were even with everyone else and I learned something in testing that made me good on long runs. I never got the chance to use it but that's the way it goes in racing.
We head out to Atlanta this week. I'll make no predictions other then I'll be there to give it all that I've got and it won't be for a lack of trying...
Until next week... "
