Fighting New Battles - Arkansas National Guard

The Arkansas Minutemanthe Modified class his second year because he was on activeduty at the time, and if he’d received orders, his Hobby Stockcar might have required serious modifications, depending onthe sanctioning body of the region of the United States wherehe might have been stationed. Modifieds are sanctionednationwide by IMCA.He sold his Modified in the middle of the second seasonso he could buy a house. But the racing bug wouldn’t goaway. To feed the bug, he bought a new car for the EconomyModified class and plans to run it this year at tracks in Beebe,Augusta and Batesville.Being new, the car will be in great shape to start the seasonand there’s no doubt it will stand out on the track. If hisdriving skills don’t earn supporters in the stands this year, thepatriotic look of his car is sure to be a fan favorite.Service before selfThe car is red, white andblue – a spin off of GregBiffle’s No. 16NationalGuard car that races in NASCAR’s Nextel Cup. It has theAir National Guard’s Minuteman logo on the hood. Downthe side, are logos for the Arkansas Air National Guard, andPOW/MIA remembrance logos. As he passes opponents theycan learn how to fuel their own future in the ANG.How much did the ANG pay to advertise on his car?Nothing. He offered up the space for free. “This is one wayto give back to the unit,” he said.He said he felt he owed the Air Guard something becausethe timing worked out great for him to leave activeduty but continue to serve his country in the Air NationalGuard.On the decking on the passenger side, he included a memorialto the Arkansas National Guard Soldiers who died inIraq, listing each Soldier’s name so people won’t forget thosewho gave the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq.He hopes to take it to victory lane early and often thisyear.“I’m sure the first thing its going to probably win is thecar show,” he said. “They typically will have a car show atthe beginning of the year.”Racing is an expensive hobby. Cars can cost thousands.Engines alone can run from $1,000 used to $30,000 new.Tires are cheap at $25-$30 each. The methane fuel he burnsis around $2 a gallon. A driver either needs a lot of sponsors,a deep wallet or learn how to race on a budget.Top speed is an estimated 55 mph on the straight-awaysat Beebe, which is a quarter-mile track. The cars use a tachometerin place of a speedometer.Augusta and Batesville are longer tracks at just under ahalf mile, so speeds there are a little faster. “It’s just a matterof changing gears to run those tracks,” he said.Terms to knowHeat races: A track will have several preliminary races,known as heat races, to select the best drivers of that nightfor the A Main Feature race. Usually, there are eight to 10cars per heat race and they typically race eight laps, dependingon the rules for a given race track.B Main Feature race: The B Main Feature is a lastchance for one or two lucky drivers to advance to the featurerace. Drivers who lost in the heat races can try to qualify forthe feature by finishing well in this race.A Main Feature race: The A Main Feature is the moneyrace. Every driver wants to make it to this race, so he cancash in on his success. There are usually around 20 drivers,and they race 20 laps for the checkered flag.Dirt track secretA dirt track driver’s best friend is baby oil applied to thecar before a race. Why baby oil? It keeps mud from stickingto the car. Mud equals weight and more weight equals aslower car.Summer 2006 Page 25