Con-way Freight
Hey ya'll...Bubba here. Let’s catch up on the last two weeks, which were Texas and Phoenix. First Texas ― we went to Texas this time with higher expectations, thanks to the fact that Colin has been there a few times. I also thought it would be really nice to win in his home state. It was an unusually uneventful race and we managed to drive chassis No. 43 from a 19th starting position to a fifth-place finish. The truck just kept getting better throughout the race, and Colin also managed to keep himself out of trouble. After a 16-hour trip, we were back in Charlotte. One of the biggest issues for these two races is being sure to get your 34-hour reset time in before leaving for Phoenix. Knowing I would have to leave Monday night, I put a lot of faith in my crew to get many of the weekly things turned around on the truck. Once again, they did a great job, which makes my job easier, and also gets me out on time. On the way to Phoenix, we had the displeasure of driving through the remnants of tropical storm Ida. Other than a lot of rain, and a little wind, it wasn't too bad.
Phoenix is a track where I've never really had a good finish. I thought for sure this was the year to change that. After an okay qualifying, Colin steadily picked up spots, and found himself racing in the top six for much of the night. I just knew we would run well enough to hold onto our top-five position in driver points. Then, out of nowhere, the truck lost power, and Colin limped onto pit road. Something in the engine had broken and there was no way to fix the problem. The dreams of top five were definitely slipping through our fingers. We finished 28th, and dropped two spots in the points. After looking at the numbers, we are only 25 points out of fifth place. This is definitely not impossible. A lot of things will have to go in our favor, and Colin will have to drive the race of his life, but I think we can do it. It all comes down to our last race at Homestead.
We have come so far in the points that it really hurts to drop these positions now with only one race left. We have some of the best engines in the business, but you just can't control a random part failure. Everybody has this happen, but for us, it couldn't have come at a worse time.
Next week, I'll wrap up the season, and start working towards a new year with new goals. Until then.
Stay safe...
Bubba
Monday, November 16, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Reflecting on Talladega
Hey ya'll... Bubba here trying to keep you updated from the past week. We were in Talladega for last week's race and we had very high hopes for a promising weekend. After sitting on the pole in Daytona, we knew that we hoped we would have the truck to beat in Talladega also. The weekend started just as we had expected with Colin capturing his fourth pole of the year. And then the rains came...again. It seems like I've seen more rain this year than any other year before. Luckily Mother Nature worked with us, and we got the race started about 30 minutes late on Saturday. You never know what a superspeedway race holds in store for you so I was nervously optimistic. We led a lot of the race and then we got spun mid-way. After a little damage repair, we were right back in the hunt for the win. The big one came with four laps to go and we narrowly missed it. I thought for sure we were in a good spot to have a great finish. On the last lap we were shuffled out of the draft, and came home to a 12th-place finish. I remember years when I would have loved a 12th-place finish, but this year it kinda burns. The one positive to come out of this weekend was that we did move up into fifth place in driver points. Now it’s just a matter of holding onto that spot or moving further forward.
After a short week in the shop, we'll be going to Texas for a Friday night race. This will be Colin's fourth time at Texas and I expect he will run better there than he has in the past. He has really been doing a good job of learning and remembering the tracks we've already been to. I, on the other hand, am looking forward to seeing some of my family, because this is the closest race to their home in Oklahoma City. It’s very important that we finish these last three races on a strong note to help carry us into next season. Although the season is winding down, our point battle is just heating up. Thanks to all the Con-way Freight employees for all their support in the past couple of years. It’s much easier to be successful when you have a strong backing like Con-way Freight and their people. Thanks again.
Stay safe...
Bubba
After a short week in the shop, we'll be going to Texas for a Friday night race. This will be Colin's fourth time at Texas and I expect he will run better there than he has in the past. He has really been doing a good job of learning and remembering the tracks we've already been to. I, on the other hand, am looking forward to seeing some of my family, because this is the closest race to their home in Oklahoma City. It’s very important that we finish these last three races on a strong note to help carry us into next season. Although the season is winding down, our point battle is just heating up. Thanks to all the Con-way Freight employees for all their support in the past couple of years. It’s much easier to be successful when you have a strong backing like Con-way Freight and their people. Thanks again.
Stay safe...
Bubba
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Pep in our Step
Hey ya'll, Bubba here... buckling down for our last push of the season. First things first... for everyone who missed it, Con-way Freight did announce they will be going to Nationwide racing with Roush Fenway and Colin next season for 18 races. The company was part of the unveiling ceremony with the new Ford Mustang. This definitely put a little extra pep in everyone's step. I am very grateful that they will be coming back next season, as are my teammates, I'm sure.
With five races to go, the first track we needed to conquer was Martinsville. Remembering what had happened in the spring race, I was more than a little scared to go back to this short track. After qualifying 12th and then sitting in the rain most of Saturday, Colin showed us he is definitely maturing by driving to a third-place finish. To have survived Martinsville and finish in the top three almost feels like a win to me. If you remember the spring race, this is one of the tracks where we have to unload everything we'll need for the weekend. So once again, we built tent city and worked with no trailer. Although this is one of the harder things to do, all of my crew stepped up and made things a little easier this time around. But in the end, I'm glad this race is over.
This week we are preparing chassis No. 23 for Talladega. If you'll remember this is the same truck that sat on the pole at Daytona in the spring. This is a specially built, superspeedway truck that only runs at Daytona and Talladega. For me, this means remembering all of the special parts and pieces because most of the parts on this truck are designed especially for superspeedways. I have real high hopes going into this weekend that Colin will do very well at Talladega. It is very important that we keep finishing in the top five or top 10 so that we can get Colin a secure spot in the top-five driver points standings.
Thanks for the continued support from everyone who is a fan of Colin or part of the Con-way Freight family. It’s very exciting for us to be moving to the Nationwide Series next year, and knowing that Con-way Freight will be supporting us again makes it that much more special. Now it’s time to focus on the last four races of our truck season.
Stay safe...
Bubba
With five races to go, the first track we needed to conquer was Martinsville. Remembering what had happened in the spring race, I was more than a little scared to go back to this short track. After qualifying 12th and then sitting in the rain most of Saturday, Colin showed us he is definitely maturing by driving to a third-place finish. To have survived Martinsville and finish in the top three almost feels like a win to me. If you remember the spring race, this is one of the tracks where we have to unload everything we'll need for the weekend. So once again, we built tent city and worked with no trailer. Although this is one of the harder things to do, all of my crew stepped up and made things a little easier this time around. But in the end, I'm glad this race is over.
This week we are preparing chassis No. 23 for Talladega. If you'll remember this is the same truck that sat on the pole at Daytona in the spring. This is a specially built, superspeedway truck that only runs at Daytona and Talladega. For me, this means remembering all of the special parts and pieces because most of the parts on this truck are designed especially for superspeedways. I have real high hopes going into this weekend that Colin will do very well at Talladega. It is very important that we keep finishing in the top five or top 10 so that we can get Colin a secure spot in the top-five driver points standings.
Thanks for the continued support from everyone who is a fan of Colin or part of the Con-way Freight family. It’s very exciting for us to be moving to the Nationwide Series next year, and knowing that Con-way Freight will be supporting us again makes it that much more special. Now it’s time to focus on the last four races of our truck season.
Stay safe...
Bubba
Monday, October 12, 2009
Looking Forward to a Strong Finish
Hey ya'll, Bubba here...trying to catch everyone up on some much needed blogging. I guess first we need to start with the Loudon, NH race. Honestly, there wasn't much too exciting about Loudon. We qualified in the top 10, and finished in the top 10, but we were never really in contention for the win. For some reason this track has always been tough for us. Who knows...it could have been a different story if we could have salvaged our St. Louis truck for this race.
After a quick trip home, and a 34-hour reset, it was already time for us to leave for Las Vegas. This is one of the roughest stretches of driving that we do during the year. We are almost going from corner to corner of the United States. It’s very important that Mike and I, and our equipment, are ready for these long hours. Thankfully our trips to Loudon and Vegas both went flawlessly. As far as the Vegas race goes, I really had high expectations because we were bringing truck No. 43. We qualified well, and if the beginning of the race was any indicator, it was gonna be a good night for us. We quickly moved to the lead before our first pit stop. After changing tires and taking on fuel, the truck was never the same. It’s almost like a mystery for us that will never be solved. By the time we had a chance to change tires again we were already a lap down. This was very disappointing for a team and a driver who had hopes as high as we did. But, we still have to move on.
During the last couple of weeks off, I've had a chance to go testing with the No. 99 Sprint Cup car as well as time to get my truck and trailer serviced. I know in a few weeks we will be doing a five-race push so it’s very important that everything is working well. We are also preparing to do our first Nationwide test next week. This test is not only to benefit us for the following year, but it’s also to help our current Nationwide teams in their last few races. I can honestly say the end is in sight, and now it’s time to dig deep to finish strong.
Stay safe...
Bubba
After a quick trip home, and a 34-hour reset, it was already time for us to leave for Las Vegas. This is one of the roughest stretches of driving that we do during the year. We are almost going from corner to corner of the United States. It’s very important that Mike and I, and our equipment, are ready for these long hours. Thankfully our trips to Loudon and Vegas both went flawlessly. As far as the Vegas race goes, I really had high expectations because we were bringing truck No. 43. We qualified well, and if the beginning of the race was any indicator, it was gonna be a good night for us. We quickly moved to the lead before our first pit stop. After changing tires and taking on fuel, the truck was never the same. It’s almost like a mystery for us that will never be solved. By the time we had a chance to change tires again we were already a lap down. This was very disappointing for a team and a driver who had hopes as high as we did. But, we still have to move on.
During the last couple of weeks off, I've had a chance to go testing with the No. 99 Sprint Cup car as well as time to get my truck and trailer serviced. I know in a few weeks we will be doing a five-race push so it’s very important that everything is working well. We are also preparing to do our first Nationwide test next week. This test is not only to benefit us for the following year, but it’s also to help our current Nationwide teams in their last few races. I can honestly say the end is in sight, and now it’s time to dig deep to finish strong.
Stay safe...
Bubba
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Racing into the Top Five
Hey ya'll...Bubba here back from St. Louis and getting ready to head to Loudon, New Hampshire. First let’s wrap up St. Louis. Gateway has never been a favorite, but I was sure things would turn around when Colin put the No. 6 truck on the pole. Things were looking promising for another top-three finish until a late race spin by Colin and then a wreck with Todd Bodine and Matt Crafton that we were innocently caught up in. Chassis No. 55 took a beating, as well as Colin. Our driver was hit right in the driver's door, but thanks to NASCAR's safety innovations, he was not hurt. Believe it or not, Colin told me today that this hit felt harder than the Atlanta wreck, which surprised me quite a bit. Thankfully he is okay and now we must move on to Loudon.
I always dread these next two weeks, because for me it means a lot of time away from my family. We travel to Loudon this week, and then must be in Las Vegas the following week. These two tracks are about as far away from each other as you can get. I spent most of today getting all the Loudon parts and pieces together, as well as making a separate cart for all my Vegas parts and pieces. By doing this in advance, it really helps speed up the turnaround time. I will also depend a lot on my crew guys to help get things swapped out while I am taking my 34-hour reset. It’s something that takes a lot of thought and planning every year, but we always manage to make it go smoothly. We are racing chassis No. 39 this week. Hopefully we can transfer some of our recent flat track luck to this truck as well. We are really trying hard to get Colin into the top five in driver's points. We can see it’s within our grasp, now we just need to dig in and get there.
Now on to some reader comments. To answer the first question...I spend most of my driving time listening to Sirius radio. I can always find a channel that fits the mood I'm in, plus I love the fact that there are no commercials. My favorite channels are No. 60, which is a country channel, and No. 9 which is a 90s music channel. Plus, it’s always nice to able to listen to the races while I'm traveling on the NASCAR channel. To answer the second question...the race trailer I haul is a Featherlite. Their factory is in Cresco, Iowa, and I have had the privilege of going there twice to pick up new trailers. Although it’s in the middle of nowhere, they have quite a nice operation.
Because of our quick turnaround this week, I will do my best to get a Loudon blog to everyone. Hopefully I'll find a little bit of time to catch up. If not, maybe I'll do it while I'm on the road. In case I don't talk to you next week, I will definitely catch everybody up after the Vegas trip.
Stay safe...
Bubba
I always dread these next two weeks, because for me it means a lot of time away from my family. We travel to Loudon this week, and then must be in Las Vegas the following week. These two tracks are about as far away from each other as you can get. I spent most of today getting all the Loudon parts and pieces together, as well as making a separate cart for all my Vegas parts and pieces. By doing this in advance, it really helps speed up the turnaround time. I will also depend a lot on my crew guys to help get things swapped out while I am taking my 34-hour reset. It’s something that takes a lot of thought and planning every year, but we always manage to make it go smoothly. We are racing chassis No. 39 this week. Hopefully we can transfer some of our recent flat track luck to this truck as well. We are really trying hard to get Colin into the top five in driver's points. We can see it’s within our grasp, now we just need to dig in and get there.
Now on to some reader comments. To answer the first question...I spend most of my driving time listening to Sirius radio. I can always find a channel that fits the mood I'm in, plus I love the fact that there are no commercials. My favorite channels are No. 60, which is a country channel, and No. 9 which is a 90s music channel. Plus, it’s always nice to able to listen to the races while I'm traveling on the NASCAR channel. To answer the second question...the race trailer I haul is a Featherlite. Their factory is in Cresco, Iowa, and I have had the privilege of going there twice to pick up new trailers. Although it’s in the middle of nowhere, they have quite a nice operation.
Because of our quick turnaround this week, I will do my best to get a Loudon blog to everyone. Hopefully I'll find a little bit of time to catch up. If not, maybe I'll do it while I'm on the road. In case I don't talk to you next week, I will definitely catch everybody up after the Vegas trip.
Stay safe...
Bubba
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Another Third-place Finish
Hey ya'll... Bubba here, back from the vast cornfields of Iowa. Well, we went to another new track, and scored another third-place finish. The Iowa Speedway is a nicely built race track I look forward to racing at in the future. The fans there were very gracious to have NASCAR visiting their town. Plus, it always helps when you run well in the race. Chassis No. 55 ran so well we decided to do a quick turnaround and bring it this week to St. Louis. Because we are bringing the same two trucks this week, it made some of my job a little easier. All the specific parts for these two trucks were already in the trailer. So basically all I had to do this week was re-stock any used items and re-organize the toolbox.
I've never really had much luck at St. Louis with any driver I've worked with. It's one of the flatter tracks we go to, and it also has two distinctly different corners. Although we have not run well there in the past, I am very optimistic we can keep our stretch of good luck rolling in the right direction. Hopefully this year will be the beginning of some fonder memories of St. Louis.
Now to answer some questions and comments from my last blog... Although it’s been reported that we are going to the Nationwide Series next year, I know that Colin, the team, and myself remain 100 percent focused on the truck series this year. We are really pushing hard to get ourselves into the top five in driver points. It's a very attainable goal I think we can definitely meet. As for myself, I've spent most of my NASCAR career in the truck series, and with Roush Fenway not running a truck next year, I am a little saddened but excited at the same time to move on... I really love truck racing. Con-way has been the best sponsor I've worked with, and I really hope they will continue with our team in some form or another next year. Colin and Con-way are definitely a perfect fit.
To answer the next question, my opinion of the Iowa Speedway is a good one. Rusty Wallace has built a first-class facility that lends itself to great racing. Although it was out in the middle of nowhere, the fan base at this track is amazing! Well done Newton, Iowa!
Now to answer the question about my sleeping arrangements while on the road... While at the racetrack, the team, including myself, spends all nights in a hotel. The hauler actually doesn't have any sleeping quarters. Only my tractor has a place to sleep. While traveling, my co-driver, or myself, will spend our non-driving time sleeping in the tractor. Or, if we get to the track early, and we can't get to the hotel, we will stay in the truck. A night or two in the tractor will make you appreciate even more the comforts of a hotel room.
Next question... Although I can't speak for the whole team, I prefer racing under the lights at night. I love to see the sparks when the trucks hit the track, and the shine of the reflective decals some teams use, in the lights. It's also a plus to not be working in the sun.
And finally... our team does full pit stop practice, usually about two times a week, with full workouts following right after. In the middle of the season, with everyone traveling all the time, it's very hard to get the whole team together much more than one or two days. Usually on a Monday or Tuesday we will all sit down, watch film from the previous week, and work on any issues we had. Roush Fenway takes pit stop practice and workouts very seriously, and so do we. Keep all the questions coming! Look forward to seeing you at the track, or on the road.
Stay safe...
Bubba
I've never really had much luck at St. Louis with any driver I've worked with. It's one of the flatter tracks we go to, and it also has two distinctly different corners. Although we have not run well there in the past, I am very optimistic we can keep our stretch of good luck rolling in the right direction. Hopefully this year will be the beginning of some fonder memories of St. Louis.
Now to answer some questions and comments from my last blog... Although it’s been reported that we are going to the Nationwide Series next year, I know that Colin, the team, and myself remain 100 percent focused on the truck series this year. We are really pushing hard to get ourselves into the top five in driver points. It's a very attainable goal I think we can definitely meet. As for myself, I've spent most of my NASCAR career in the truck series, and with Roush Fenway not running a truck next year, I am a little saddened but excited at the same time to move on... I really love truck racing. Con-way has been the best sponsor I've worked with, and I really hope they will continue with our team in some form or another next year. Colin and Con-way are definitely a perfect fit.
To answer the next question, my opinion of the Iowa Speedway is a good one. Rusty Wallace has built a first-class facility that lends itself to great racing. Although it was out in the middle of nowhere, the fan base at this track is amazing! Well done Newton, Iowa!
Now to answer the question about my sleeping arrangements while on the road... While at the racetrack, the team, including myself, spends all nights in a hotel. The hauler actually doesn't have any sleeping quarters. Only my tractor has a place to sleep. While traveling, my co-driver, or myself, will spend our non-driving time sleeping in the tractor. Or, if we get to the track early, and we can't get to the hotel, we will stay in the truck. A night or two in the tractor will make you appreciate even more the comforts of a hotel room.
Next question... Although I can't speak for the whole team, I prefer racing under the lights at night. I love to see the sparks when the trucks hit the track, and the shine of the reflective decals some teams use, in the lights. It's also a plus to not be working in the sun.
And finally... our team does full pit stop practice, usually about two times a week, with full workouts following right after. In the middle of the season, with everyone traveling all the time, it's very hard to get the whole team together much more than one or two days. Usually on a Monday or Tuesday we will all sit down, watch film from the previous week, and work on any issues we had. Roush Fenway takes pit stop practice and workouts very seriously, and so do we. Keep all the questions coming! Look forward to seeing you at the track, or on the road.
Stay safe...
Bubba
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Answering your questions
Hey ya'll, Bubba here... We were in Chicago last week, a new track for us in the truck series, and it turned out to be a pretty good run for our team. Colin did a really good job adapting to this track and brought the Con-way Freight True LTLSM Ford F-150 home to a third-place finish. Our trusty chassis no. 43 was definitely the right truck for this track. I can't wait to take this chassis to Las Vegas, where it has been to victory lane before. Once again, we dodged the raindrops, and got the race in as scheduled. After a quick 12-hour trip home, we had the race hauler unloaded by 2pm on Saturday, and I proceeded to do my weekly 34-hour reset.
This week we are off to another new track, this time in Newton, Iowa. I'm pretty excited about going to Iowa Speedway. After seeing the enormous crowd the Nationwide Series had, I'm sure there will be a lot of fans in the seats for our race, especially since it's Labor Day weekend. For any of the fans who are in or around the Newton area on Thursday, the truck series will be having a hauler parade through the downtown area at or around 6pm. I know there will be extra pressure on all of us hauler drivers to have our rigs sparkling clean for all the fans to see. We all take a lot of pride in this and to me it's about taking pride in our sponsor too. We were fortunate to do a tire test at this track in May which should help us in the long run. It is important to the team, me, and especially Colin to keep our recent good luck rolling in the right direction. Hopefully any bad luck that was around was left in Montreal, where Colin ran the Nationwide race last weekend.
Now to answer some of my recent questions... First I'll talk about our pit stops for Colin. Although we've been doing really well, we all strive to be the best on pit road every week. Some weeks we achieve this goal, and some weeks we fall a little short. It's a whole lot more fun when you're on top, and there's no better feeling than knowing you got the driver out ahead of all these other teams that are trying to beat you. Hopefully, this gives you some insight into our pit stop mentality. To answer the next question posted, my family is doing great. Both of my boys are growing like weeds, and my wife is going crazy trying to keep up with both of them. She deserves more credit than I give her sometimes, for putting up with my schedule and taking care of our family. I definitely couldn't do it without her. Although she hasn't been to many races since the boys were born, I'm sure as they get older, she'll be there again to support me in person. Now on to the third post... My Oklahoma family goes to at least two races a year, both of these being the Texas races in the spring and fall. Since Dallas is only three hours away from them, it's the easiest for them to get to. Both they and my wife never miss a race though... a lot of this is thanks to the greatest invention... DVR. I also use the DVR to watch the races when I get home, especially if it was a good one. Thanks for all the comments, and I look forward to answering more of your questions!
Stay safe...
Bubba
This week we are off to another new track, this time in Newton, Iowa. I'm pretty excited about going to Iowa Speedway. After seeing the enormous crowd the Nationwide Series had, I'm sure there will be a lot of fans in the seats for our race, especially since it's Labor Day weekend. For any of the fans who are in or around the Newton area on Thursday, the truck series will be having a hauler parade through the downtown area at or around 6pm. I know there will be extra pressure on all of us hauler drivers to have our rigs sparkling clean for all the fans to see. We all take a lot of pride in this and to me it's about taking pride in our sponsor too. We were fortunate to do a tire test at this track in May which should help us in the long run. It is important to the team, me, and especially Colin to keep our recent good luck rolling in the right direction. Hopefully any bad luck that was around was left in Montreal, where Colin ran the Nationwide race last weekend.
Now to answer some of my recent questions... First I'll talk about our pit stops for Colin. Although we've been doing really well, we all strive to be the best on pit road every week. Some weeks we achieve this goal, and some weeks we fall a little short. It's a whole lot more fun when you're on top, and there's no better feeling than knowing you got the driver out ahead of all these other teams that are trying to beat you. Hopefully, this gives you some insight into our pit stop mentality. To answer the next question posted, my family is doing great. Both of my boys are growing like weeds, and my wife is going crazy trying to keep up with both of them. She deserves more credit than I give her sometimes, for putting up with my schedule and taking care of our family. I definitely couldn't do it without her. Although she hasn't been to many races since the boys were born, I'm sure as they get older, she'll be there again to support me in person. Now on to the third post... My Oklahoma family goes to at least two races a year, both of these being the Texas races in the spring and fall. Since Dallas is only three hours away from them, it's the easiest for them to get to. Both they and my wife never miss a race though... a lot of this is thanks to the greatest invention... DVR. I also use the DVR to watch the races when I get home, especially if it was a good one. Thanks for all the comments, and I look forward to answering more of your questions!
Stay safe...
Bubba
Monday, August 24, 2009
Con-way Freight Champions
Hey ya'll... Bubba here. We need to catch up on the Bristol race, but first I need to give a big congratulations to Dale Duncan for winning the National Truck Driving Championship, and also to Brandon Souder for winning the Rookie of the Year! Well done gentlemen! I know you deserve these accolades. Hopefully we will get to see you at a race sometime soon! Now, on to Bristol... Our Bristol race definitely wasn't as bad as last year...the truck came home in one piece, which can sometimes be a rare thing at Bristol. Colin's 12th-place finish was just enough to help us gain two spots in the points. Any race where you can gain points is always a good race. I also had the pleasure of pitting the No. 60 Nationwide car for Carl Edwards last weekend. He drove the car to a second-place finish while our teammate David Ragan won the race. All in all, it was a good weekend for our shop.
This week, we're off to Chicago for the first-ever truck race at this track. It's another mile and a half, so naturally we will be pulling out chassis No. 43. If I could have picked any truck to take to this track, this would be the one. I personally have only been to this track one time, so a lot of this weekend will be new for me too. NASCAR allows us a lot of extra practice time to help get all the teams dialed in to this new track. It's always good to have the resources that Roush Fenway does to help in the set up, since our Nationwide and Cup teams have been running there for a while. Our company is very good about sharing data between all three series. Another good thing is that because it is the first time we've been there, none of the drivers will have a distinct advantage. This should definitely be good for Colin.
My co-driver Mike and I will definitely be busy this next month. It is good that we have had a few weeks off to help prepare us for a lot of travel coming up. I know that I appreciate any time I get to spend at home with my family. Colin and the team are making a charge right now, and I hope we can keep this surge going in the right direction.
Stay safe...
Bubba
This week, we're off to Chicago for the first-ever truck race at this track. It's another mile and a half, so naturally we will be pulling out chassis No. 43. If I could have picked any truck to take to this track, this would be the one. I personally have only been to this track one time, so a lot of this weekend will be new for me too. NASCAR allows us a lot of extra practice time to help get all the teams dialed in to this new track. It's always good to have the resources that Roush Fenway does to help in the set up, since our Nationwide and Cup teams have been running there for a while. Our company is very good about sharing data between all three series. Another good thing is that because it is the first time we've been there, none of the drivers will have a distinct advantage. This should definitely be good for Colin.
My co-driver Mike and I will definitely be busy this next month. It is good that we have had a few weeks off to help prepare us for a lot of travel coming up. I know that I appreciate any time I get to spend at home with my family. Colin and the team are making a charge right now, and I hope we can keep this surge going in the right direction.
Stay safe...
Bubba
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Gearing up for Bristol
Hey ya'll... Bubba here with another exciting addition to my race blogs. First, let’s catch up on the Nashville race. Chassis No. 43 turned out to be pretty quick in Nashville. Colin Braun sat on the pole for a long time during qualifying before being bumped towards the end by the No. 17 truck. Still, starting outside front row was definitely good for Colin and the team. Our race wasn't a pretty one... for some reason we just couldn't get Colin's truck dialed-in to his liking, but we didn't give up. After a couple of pit stops and some big-time adjustments, Colin roared to a third-place finish! We just need to find a way to slow down Ron Hornaday and that No. 33 bunch.
After a quick trip home, and a day of rest, it was off to Dover to do a tire test for Goodyear. If you remember, Colin blew a right front tire after taking the lead from Kyle Busch during the Dover race. We definitely thought that this test would be beneficial both for our team, and Goodyear. It was only a one-day test, so we were back late Tuesday night. Of course by this time, I was nearing my 70 hours, so I took a couple of days to help reset my log book. Testing after a race weekend definitely helps the week go by faster. We don't race again this weekend, so I'm spending most of my time this week catching up on some housekeeping at the shop. I have already had my tractor serviced, so now I am just going through all of our parts and pieces to make sure we're prepared for our next stretch of races. We are also preparing chassis No. 39 to go to Bristol. This track is definitely my favorite track. For anyone who has not been there, you just can't imagine what a feeling it is to see the trucks running around the track so close to you. I have had the pleasure of going to victory lane there in 2006 with Mark Martin... and last year with Colin, definitely a race both he and the team would like to forget. At a track like this, it comes down to survival, and I believe Colin is gonna be up for the challenge.
I want to give a special thanks to Sonny F. for coming to see us in Nashville. I really enjoyed meeting you, and look forward to seeing you at some future races. And I also want to say sorry to Bill... maybe next year we'll get you the guitar. I definitely feel the team is getting more confidence every week, and I'm sure this will soon bring us another win!
Stay safe...
Bubba
After a quick trip home, and a day of rest, it was off to Dover to do a tire test for Goodyear. If you remember, Colin blew a right front tire after taking the lead from Kyle Busch during the Dover race. We definitely thought that this test would be beneficial both for our team, and Goodyear. It was only a one-day test, so we were back late Tuesday night. Of course by this time, I was nearing my 70 hours, so I took a couple of days to help reset my log book. Testing after a race weekend definitely helps the week go by faster. We don't race again this weekend, so I'm spending most of my time this week catching up on some housekeeping at the shop. I have already had my tractor serviced, so now I am just going through all of our parts and pieces to make sure we're prepared for our next stretch of races. We are also preparing chassis No. 39 to go to Bristol. This track is definitely my favorite track. For anyone who has not been there, you just can't imagine what a feeling it is to see the trucks running around the track so close to you. I have had the pleasure of going to victory lane there in 2006 with Mark Martin... and last year with Colin, definitely a race both he and the team would like to forget. At a track like this, it comes down to survival, and I believe Colin is gonna be up for the challenge.
I want to give a special thanks to Sonny F. for coming to see us in Nashville. I really enjoyed meeting you, and look forward to seeing you at some future races. And I also want to say sorry to Bill... maybe next year we'll get you the guitar. I definitely feel the team is getting more confidence every week, and I'm sure this will soon bring us another win!
Stay safe...
Bubba
Monday, July 27, 2009
Getting back in the swing of things
Hey ya'll... Bubba here, catching up after a couple weeks of racing. It was tough to get back into the swing of things after a couple weeks off. First we went to Kentucky and Colin showed us our previous momentum had not completely left us. We took chassis No. 60, which had only been run at Texas this year. The race was pretty uneventful for us until 16 laps to go. Somehow we were wrecked under caution by another truck. Once again, just a freak thing neither Colin nor the team had any control over. Our assured top-five finish was gone in the blink of an eye.
Luckily for us, the kid came back even more focused to Indianapolis. Indy is one of the hardest tracks for the team, me especially. It’s what is called a one-day show where we park at 6 am, unload everything from the trailer, practice, qualify, and race, all in the same day. My day ended at midnight after the race. Luckily for me, my co-driver Mike was off duty for most of the day. Although I wasn't a big fan of having a co-driver at first, I am definitely starting to see the benefits now. We brought chassis No. 39, which is one of the older trucks in the stable to Indy. After two great practices, Colin put our truck on the pole for the race! The kid was definitely in contention for a win the entire race, but we just lacked one little thing... I'm not sure what it is, but we're working on it! I have to say I'm definitely proud of the way Colin ran the entire race. He has definitely shown a lot more maturity lately.
This week we prepare to go to Nashville. This track is a special place to win because they give a Gibson guitar as a trophy. We won one of those guitars in 2007 with Travis Kvapil, and it’s definitely one of the most unique trophies in our series, and also one that everyone wants to obtain. Hopefully after this week, Colin will need to take some guitar lessons!
Be sure to keep all the questions and comments coming! I look forward to hearing from you...
Stay safe...
Bubba
Luckily for us, the kid came back even more focused to Indianapolis. Indy is one of the hardest tracks for the team, me especially. It’s what is called a one-day show where we park at 6 am, unload everything from the trailer, practice, qualify, and race, all in the same day. My day ended at midnight after the race. Luckily for me, my co-driver Mike was off duty for most of the day. Although I wasn't a big fan of having a co-driver at first, I am definitely starting to see the benefits now. We brought chassis No. 39, which is one of the older trucks in the stable to Indy. After two great practices, Colin put our truck on the pole for the race! The kid was definitely in contention for a win the entire race, but we just lacked one little thing... I'm not sure what it is, but we're working on it! I have to say I'm definitely proud of the way Colin ran the entire race. He has definitely shown a lot more maturity lately.
This week we prepare to go to Nashville. This track is a special place to win because they give a Gibson guitar as a trophy. We won one of those guitars in 2007 with Travis Kvapil, and it’s definitely one of the most unique trophies in our series, and also one that everyone wants to obtain. Hopefully after this week, Colin will need to take some guitar lessons!
Be sure to keep all the questions and comments coming! I look forward to hearing from you...
Stay safe...
Bubba
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Keeping Busy During the Off-week
Hey ya'll! Bubba here checking in after a long couple of weeks off. First let me wrap up Memphis... The temperatures soared upwards of 100 degrees so it was mostly miserable. I wish I would have kept track of how much water we went through for the weekend. I'm sure it would have been an impressive number, not to mention the amount of money I spent on ice. Colin brought home another top-10 finish in a truck that was just a little off the mark. It's pretty impressive to note that from Kansas to Memphis we've gone from 19th to 10th in the driver's points. It feels good to have a little momentum on our side.
After a long weekend off for the 4th, which I spent with my family, it was off to Rockingham again. This time we were testing a Nationwide car. It also helps for all of the guys on these weeks off to stay tuned up for the upcoming races. The test was a great success and we learned a lot of new stuff, hopefully to better us in the future.
I spent most of the last couple weeks catching up on maintenance items we haven't had time to do while racing every week. These off-weeks are always a good time to do things like change the oil in the generators, and give everything a good cleaning. Mostly, it’s a lot of busy work, but it usually pays off in the end. This week we prepare for Kentucky, a track where we usually run pretty good. We're taking chassis No. 60, which is the same truck that we ran at Texas to a third-place finish. Other than chassis No. 43, it’s one of the best trucks in our stable. Hopefully Colin and the team will pick back up where we left off.
To answer the question about the Iowa test... everything I've heard from our team tells me that it will be a great race. They've done a really good job building a great track, and the truck race there will no doubt be exciting. Hope everyone has a great week!
Stay safe...
Bubba
After a long weekend off for the 4th, which I spent with my family, it was off to Rockingham again. This time we were testing a Nationwide car. It also helps for all of the guys on these weeks off to stay tuned up for the upcoming races. The test was a great success and we learned a lot of new stuff, hopefully to better us in the future.
I spent most of the last couple weeks catching up on maintenance items we haven't had time to do while racing every week. These off-weeks are always a good time to do things like change the oil in the generators, and give everything a good cleaning. Mostly, it’s a lot of busy work, but it usually pays off in the end. This week we prepare for Kentucky, a track where we usually run pretty good. We're taking chassis No. 60, which is the same truck that we ran at Texas to a third-place finish. Other than chassis No. 43, it’s one of the best trucks in our stable. Hopefully Colin and the team will pick back up where we left off.
To answer the question about the Iowa test... everything I've heard from our team tells me that it will be a great race. They've done a really good job building a great track, and the truck race there will no doubt be exciting. Hope everyone has a great week!
Stay safe...
Bubba
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Proud of the Kid
Hey ya'll... Bubba here with another exciting blog... This week we were in Milwaukee and once again the rains came and they came big. As most of you already know, our race was rained out Friday night due to a torrential storm that came through about an hour before the race. At one point there was about a foot of water right outside the back of my trailer. To say things were flooded is an understatement. Luckily the team and I were prepared and had everything covered up and buttoned down. Sorry to all the Con-way winners that weren't able to return Saturday for our race. I'm sure a lot of them were still drying out from Friday night.
Overall we had a good race... coming home to an eighth-place finish. A top-five finish was right within our reach, but some hard racing late sent us back to eighth. I am really proud of the kid this year because he has definitely picked up his game. Our race was over at about 2:30 p.m. local time, but we had to wait until after the Nationwide race that evening to leave the track. Because there is no tunnel, the NASCAR officials didn't want us tracking our transporters across the track. So while my co-driver slept most of the afternoon, I stood in Carl Edward's pit box for the Nationwide race. Colin actually practiced and qualified Carl's car while he was en oute from Sonoma. It’s always good experience for him to get as much seat time as possible. Colin's teamwork paid off because Carl took that car to victory lane that night.
This week we're off to Memphis before getting two weeks off. As of right now, they are not calling for any rain on Friday or Saturday, but temperatures are supposed to be around 99-101 degrees. It just seems like we go from one extreme to the other. Since I know it’s gonna be hot, some things that I'll do for the guys that are out of the ordinary are stock extra water in the trailer... I'll have bags of cut-up fruit for the guys to eat... I'll also keep some wet rags in the cooler for anybody who needs them. Keeping the team, Colin and myself hydrated is an important issue at these hot races. Another secret I've learned is to buy a lot of Pedialite for the guys to drink. Any kind of fluids we can get into them, the better off they'll be. For any of our winners coming this week, don't be shy about asking for something to drink... I'm glad to help ya'll too. Watch out for the heat, and hopefully we'll see you from victory lane!
Stay safe...
Bubba
Overall we had a good race... coming home to an eighth-place finish. A top-five finish was right within our reach, but some hard racing late sent us back to eighth. I am really proud of the kid this year because he has definitely picked up his game. Our race was over at about 2:30 p.m. local time, but we had to wait until after the Nationwide race that evening to leave the track. Because there is no tunnel, the NASCAR officials didn't want us tracking our transporters across the track. So while my co-driver slept most of the afternoon, I stood in Carl Edward's pit box for the Nationwide race. Colin actually practiced and qualified Carl's car while he was en oute from Sonoma. It’s always good experience for him to get as much seat time as possible. Colin's teamwork paid off because Carl took that car to victory lane that night.
This week we're off to Memphis before getting two weeks off. As of right now, they are not calling for any rain on Friday or Saturday, but temperatures are supposed to be around 99-101 degrees. It just seems like we go from one extreme to the other. Since I know it’s gonna be hot, some things that I'll do for the guys that are out of the ordinary are stock extra water in the trailer... I'll have bags of cut-up fruit for the guys to eat... I'll also keep some wet rags in the cooler for anybody who needs them. Keeping the team, Colin and myself hydrated is an important issue at these hot races. Another secret I've learned is to buy a lot of Pedialite for the guys to drink. Any kind of fluids we can get into them, the better off they'll be. For any of our winners coming this week, don't be shy about asking for something to drink... I'm glad to help ya'll too. Watch out for the heat, and hopefully we'll see you from victory lane!
Stay safe...
Bubba
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Welcome Back to Victory Lane Con-way Freight!
Hey ya'll... Bubba here with a BIG smile on my face! First things first... welcome back to victory lane Con-way Freight! The stars finally aligned and the No. 6 truck got its first victory with Colin behind the wheel. We ran chassis No. 43, which is the same truck that was wrecked by Kyle Busch in Charlotte. Chassis No. 43 was also the same truck that took Travis Kvapil to victory lane in Michigan two years ago. I am very proud of Colin and our whole race team for getting Jack Roush's 50th truck series victory. I am also happy we were able to win in Con-way's and Ford's backyard. You almost couldn't have scripted a better story... and to beat none other than Kyle Busch was the icing on the cake!
After the race, the post-race inspection took about an hour. The NASCAR officials always go through the winner's truck with a fine-tooth comb. A lot of times things are taken apart such as gears, shocks, rear-end housing, and usually the motor. It does make it a little difficult to keep everything organized and also get it back to the race shop without damaging the parts or the trailer. I keep a few extra plastic tubs just for these parts and pieces. It's just a way I've found to keep everything clean and together.
This week we are off to Milwaukee. We are running chassis No. 55, which is a truck that always seems to run good, but never sees the checkered flag... I've got a good feeling that we can change that pattern this week. Now that Colin has tasted victory lane, hopefully he will be hungry for more. For me, Milwaukee is a one-day show, which means that we unload, practice, qualify, race, and load back up all in the same day. It's great to get everything done and be on your way home, but it makes for a long, hard day. My co-driver will spend most of the day sleeping so that when the race is over, the #6 hauler can head on down the road, while I catch up on some rest. Hopefully Michigan was the beginning of many more wins for Con-way Freight, Colin, and Roush Fenway.
Stay safe...
Bubba
After the race, the post-race inspection took about an hour. The NASCAR officials always go through the winner's truck with a fine-tooth comb. A lot of times things are taken apart such as gears, shocks, rear-end housing, and usually the motor. It does make it a little difficult to keep everything organized and also get it back to the race shop without damaging the parts or the trailer. I keep a few extra plastic tubs just for these parts and pieces. It's just a way I've found to keep everything clean and together.
This week we are off to Milwaukee. We are running chassis No. 55, which is a truck that always seems to run good, but never sees the checkered flag... I've got a good feeling that we can change that pattern this week. Now that Colin has tasted victory lane, hopefully he will be hungry for more. For me, Milwaukee is a one-day show, which means that we unload, practice, qualify, race, and load back up all in the same day. It's great to get everything done and be on your way home, but it makes for a long, hard day. My co-driver will spend most of the day sleeping so that when the race is over, the #6 hauler can head on down the road, while I catch up on some rest. Hopefully Michigan was the beginning of many more wins for Con-way Freight, Colin, and Roush Fenway.
Stay safe...
Bubba
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Momentum is turning our way
Hey ya'll, Bubba here with another exciting addition to my blog. First let me catch you up on the last few weeks... Two weeks ago we were in Dover scheduled to race Friday evening. Once again the skies opened and we were postponed until Saturday evening. While this is pretty normal for the race team, I'm sure it made it difficult for most of our Con-way guests to return on Saturday. Luckily a few returned to see us take the lead, and in the same breath, blow a right front tire. Unfortunately truck #57 didn't fare too well. Rain-outs are always hard for my position because my groceries are bought for a specific time frame. Anytime there is a change in the schedule, it's usually up to me to work on the fly and figure out what the crew is gonna eat, as well as make sure I have all the supplies and drinks that we need. Luckily everything went well except for the fact that I was getting close to being over on my 70 hours for the week... adding another day because of the rain just added more hours to my work week. Our team has the resources to be able to help my situation, so they put me on a flight home with our crew. Just saving those extra 10 hours helped me get my 34 hour reset in.
The next week we were headed to Texas. This time we took chassis #60, which was a brand-new truck that had never been raced. You just never know what kind of troubles a new truck will give you, but chassis #60 performed flawlessly thanks to our great mechanics back at the shop. The Texas race was quick and quiet, and Colin came home with a third-place finish. Based on our finishes as of late, this really felt like a victory to a lot of us. It just goes to show that persistence really does pay off. And by the way, the group of Con-way winners who joined us in the pits were definitely some of the most fun people I've met in the organization. Any winners coming to the upcoming races have a lot to live up to.
Another short week this week as we prepare for Michigan, which, as a lot of you know, is a big race for Con-way and ourselves. While Charlotte is the one everyone wants to win in their own backyard, Michigan is the one everyone wants to win for their manufacturer. We went to victory lane here two years ago with Travis Kvapil, to get him his first of four wins for the season. I finally feel like maybe momentum is turning our way. It's up to Colin and us to keep it headed in the right direction.
Thanks again for all the warm wishes and keep the questions coming!
Stay safe...
Bubba
The next week we were headed to Texas. This time we took chassis #60, which was a brand-new truck that had never been raced. You just never know what kind of troubles a new truck will give you, but chassis #60 performed flawlessly thanks to our great mechanics back at the shop. The Texas race was quick and quiet, and Colin came home with a third-place finish. Based on our finishes as of late, this really felt like a victory to a lot of us. It just goes to show that persistence really does pay off. And by the way, the group of Con-way winners who joined us in the pits were definitely some of the most fun people I've met in the organization. Any winners coming to the upcoming races have a lot to live up to.
Another short week this week as we prepare for Michigan, which, as a lot of you know, is a big race for Con-way and ourselves. While Charlotte is the one everyone wants to win in their own backyard, Michigan is the one everyone wants to win for their manufacturer. We went to victory lane here two years ago with Travis Kvapil, to get him his first of four wins for the season. I finally feel like maybe momentum is turning our way. It's up to Colin and us to keep it headed in the right direction.
Thanks again for all the warm wishes and keep the questions coming!
Stay safe...
Bubba
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
A Special Thanks from Bubba as He Heads for Dover
Hey ya'll... Bubba here checking in after a busy couple of weeks. I guess the first thing we should talk about is the Charlotte race. Everything was finally cookin’ with the truck, the driver, and the pit crew... special thanks to Kyle Busch for bringing all that to an end. I honestly believe we were going to win our first race. But as fate would have it, things didn't quite work out our way. Chassis #43 was hurt, but not killed. I believe it is scheduled to run again at Michigan in a few weeks.
I have spent most of the last two weeks getting to know my second son Tyson, as he and Momma continue to do well. I have gotten a small taste of what it would be like to be a single parent while Julie recovers, and I did not like it one little bit. I found out just how tough it is to take care of a 2-year-old and also work all day. So, to all you single parents out there, you have definitely gained some respect from me.
Well, we finally get to race every weekend for a while here. The first race of this stretch is Dover this weekend. I have had the privilege of winning at Dover in 2006 with Mark Martin behind the wheel. To me, Dover is like an over-sized Bristol... it's concrete, and has a lot of banking also... definitely a fun track to go to. We will be running chassis #57. This is a truck that doesn't have a lot of history with us because it was inherited from one of our other teams last year during the off-season.
Special thanks to everyone regarding the warm wishes for my new son. Your thoughts are definitely appreciated. To answer Sonny F., yes, Martinsville hot dogs are almost on the top of my list as a track delicacy. It's hard to go to Martinsville and not have one of their great hot dogs. While the hot dogs are good, the best thing I have ever had at a track is a South Boston bologna burger. If you ever get a chance to go to South Boston, Va., definitely go to the infield concession stand and get one of these... it's sure to please. To answer Clara, unfortunately I don't have access to Con-way merchandise. If you visit con-wayracing.com, I'm sure you will find everything you could want and at a reasonable price. As always, I appreciate all the comments and questions, and look forward to answering any other questions ya'll might have.
Stay safe...
Bubba
I have spent most of the last two weeks getting to know my second son Tyson, as he and Momma continue to do well. I have gotten a small taste of what it would be like to be a single parent while Julie recovers, and I did not like it one little bit. I found out just how tough it is to take care of a 2-year-old and also work all day. So, to all you single parents out there, you have definitely gained some respect from me.
Well, we finally get to race every weekend for a while here. The first race of this stretch is Dover this weekend. I have had the privilege of winning at Dover in 2006 with Mark Martin behind the wheel. To me, Dover is like an over-sized Bristol... it's concrete, and has a lot of banking also... definitely a fun track to go to. We will be running chassis #57. This is a truck that doesn't have a lot of history with us because it was inherited from one of our other teams last year during the off-season.
Special thanks to everyone regarding the warm wishes for my new son. Your thoughts are definitely appreciated. To answer Sonny F., yes, Martinsville hot dogs are almost on the top of my list as a track delicacy. It's hard to go to Martinsville and not have one of their great hot dogs. While the hot dogs are good, the best thing I have ever had at a track is a South Boston bologna burger. If you ever get a chance to go to South Boston, Va., definitely go to the infield concession stand and get one of these... it's sure to please. To answer Clara, unfortunately I don't have access to Con-way merchandise. If you visit con-wayracing.com, I'm sure you will find everything you could want and at a reasonable price. As always, I appreciate all the comments and questions, and look forward to answering any other questions ya'll might have.Stay safe...
Bubba
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Getting Ready to Win at Charlotte
Hey there everyone... Bubba here just trying to catch you up from the last couple weeks. My life has had a significant change in the last week. My second son, Tyson Riley Carr, was born Thursday evening. He was a whopping 10.2 pounds! Luckily his delivery went a whole lot better than his brother Zachary's... we had no complications this time. I had forgotten how much work taking care of a newborn is, not to mention keeping up with a 2 1/2 year old at the same time. Luckily for me and my family, we are racing in Charlotte this week and off the next.
Our team was chosen to do a tire test in Iowa this week. So, once again, my truck and trailer were in the dependable hands of Mike Goins, this time assisted by Mike Freeman. I can't begin to tell you how much their help has been a blessing to me. It’s nice to have friends who will change their schedules to accommodate you, just as I would for them. Since I have no truck and trailer to work on, this week I have been working hand in hand with Richie (Letendre, truck chief) on setting up our Charlotte truck. Once again we are going to run chassis #43. This is the same truck we just ran at Kansas with a sixth-place result. Unfortunately Mother Nature didn’t let us show our full potential in that truck at Kansas.
I have never really had a lot of good luck at Charlotte, no matter who was driving our truck. Although that may be true, I do feel that we are finally headed in the right direction and a win for Colin could be just around the next turn. One good thing I can say about Charlotte is that you get to sleep in your own bed at night. That in itself means a lot to most of the people on the team, especially me because any help I can give to my wife and my two kids right now is greatly appreciated! This is the track that we all want to win at because it’s like winning in your own backyard. Somebody has to win... may as well be us! I will catch up on questions and comments in my next blog, so keep `em coming.
Stay safe... Bubba
Our team was chosen to do a tire test in Iowa this week. So, once again, my truck and trailer were in the dependable hands of Mike Goins, this time assisted by Mike Freeman. I can't begin to tell you how much their help has been a blessing to me. It’s nice to have friends who will change their schedules to accommodate you, just as I would for them. Since I have no truck and trailer to work on, this week I have been working hand in hand with Richie (Letendre, truck chief) on setting up our Charlotte truck. Once again we are going to run chassis #43. This is the same truck we just ran at Kansas with a sixth-place result. Unfortunately Mother Nature didn’t let us show our full potential in that truck at Kansas.
I have never really had a lot of good luck at Charlotte, no matter who was driving our truck. Although that may be true, I do feel that we are finally headed in the right direction and a win for Colin could be just around the next turn. One good thing I can say about Charlotte is that you get to sleep in your own bed at night. That in itself means a lot to most of the people on the team, especially me because any help I can give to my wife and my two kids right now is greatly appreciated! This is the track that we all want to win at because it’s like winning in your own backyard. Somebody has to win... may as well be us! I will catch up on questions and comments in my next blog, so keep `em coming.
Stay safe... Bubba
Monday, April 20, 2009
Pre-Kansas
Hello... Bubba here... just touching base with everyone again before we head to Kansas! First, let's talk about what I have done the past couple of weeks. We had a two-day Rockingham test, which was very successful. We shook down a brand-new truck, chassis #60, and mostly tested chassis #43, which is my favorite truck. This truck knows its way to victory lane. It's been there with Mark Martin and Travis Kvapil, and I'm sure it will soon guide Colin there also. We'll be running chassis #43 at Kansas this week. One afternoon I spent with a camera crew filming a hauler tour for the "Con-way Freight Truck Stop" on the TV show Raceline. I don't see how Colin does this every week, because for me it was very nerve-racking. Something about getting in front of a camera makes even the most talkative person forget what they want to say. In the end, I think it turned out pretty well, thanks to a lot of creative editing!
Kansas is a place where I have been to victory lane with Jon Wood. It was Jon's first-ever victory, so Kansas could be a good place for Colin to get his first victory. Another first for me this week will be that I am flying to and from the track instead of driving. My wife is due to give birth next week, so time is of the essence for me being home. It's nice to work for a company such as Roush Fenway that will accommodate your schedule to meet the needs of your family, so this is me tipping my hat to them! And by the way, I really hate to fly, so this should be interesting! Hopefully, it will be a good story to tell after Kansas. My co-driver, Mike Goins, will take full driving responsibilities to and from Kansas. I am also very grateful to him for working with me.
Hopefully good luck is just around the corner, and we will get out of this sophomore slump that we are in. In case I haven't said it enough, I really appreciate the support that Con-way Freight gives us. They are definitely the best sponsor I have ever worked with. Please keep your questions and comments coming... I really enjoy answering them. Also, keep me in your thoughts as I nervously fly, and become a Dad again, all in the span of a week!
Stay safe...
Bubba
Kansas is a place where I have been to victory lane with Jon Wood. It was Jon's first-ever victory, so Kansas could be a good place for Colin to get his first victory. Another first for me this week will be that I am flying to and from the track instead of driving. My wife is due to give birth next week, so time is of the essence for me being home. It's nice to work for a company such as Roush Fenway that will accommodate your schedule to meet the needs of your family, so this is me tipping my hat to them! And by the way, I really hate to fly, so this should be interesting! Hopefully, it will be a good story to tell after Kansas. My co-driver, Mike Goins, will take full driving responsibilities to and from Kansas. I am also very grateful to him for working with me.
Hopefully good luck is just around the corner, and we will get out of this sophomore slump that we are in. In case I haven't said it enough, I really appreciate the support that Con-way Freight gives us. They are definitely the best sponsor I have ever worked with. Please keep your questions and comments coming... I really enjoy answering them. Also, keep me in your thoughts as I nervously fly, and become a Dad again, all in the span of a week!
Stay safe...
Bubba
Monday, April 6, 2009
Post-Martinsville
Hello... Bubba here. First I guess we should wrap up Martinsville. The one word that comes to mind when I think of the Martinsville race is WET. It rained while we were unloading on Thursday... rained a little on Friday... and completely rained us out on Saturday. The only positive thing was how well our team and I were prepared for the weather. Luckily everything stayed dry for the most part because we brought a total of four tents. In the race, on the other hand, we didn't fare as well... those of you that watched probably saw our truck hit the wall early in the race. This, in turn, damaged the radiator, which damaged the motor. Needless to say, it was fatal. Where o’ where is good momentum when you need it? If you have any to spare, please send it our way!
In the past week or so, we've spent a lot of our time going through the trailer to reorganize some parts and pieces. There is always a lot of cleaning that needs to be done after a race. We've also been preparing to do another test at Rockingham. This time, all of our laps will be on the big track instead of the small one in preparation for the Kansas race and beyond. We are also on a very regimented pit stop practice and workout program every day. We have a coach for pit stops and also a strength coach in the workout room that spends a lot of time with us during the week. This is yet another benefit of being on a race team and going over the wall. With these long off-stretches, it's good that they are there to keep us focused on the job at hand.
Now to answer a couple of your comments... To answer Sonny F., the hardest track for me to get in and out of is definitely Bristol. The speedway has no tunnel for the transporters to go through. There is a cross-over gate in turn three in which the haulers drive through and down the banking before making a slight left to go in the infield. Getting in is definitely much easier than getting out. A lot of trucks, not including myself, have lost their driveshaft trying to climb the banking. It's a place where you need to lock in your power divider, and keep it in a low gear to climb the steep banking. Now to answer Kelly, the best advice I can give you to become a transport driver for a race team is to live in or around Charlotte, NC. A majority of the race teams are in this area. You also need to be willing to start at the bottom and work your way up. Thanks for the questions Kelly and Sonny! And by the way, tell Rick I said "hello!"
Stay safe...
Bubba
In the past week or so, we've spent a lot of our time going through the trailer to reorganize some parts and pieces. There is always a lot of cleaning that needs to be done after a race. We've also been preparing to do another test at Rockingham. This time, all of our laps will be on the big track instead of the small one in preparation for the Kansas race and beyond. We are also on a very regimented pit stop practice and workout program every day. We have a coach for pit stops and also a strength coach in the workout room that spends a lot of time with us during the week. This is yet another benefit of being on a race team and going over the wall. With these long off-stretches, it's good that they are there to keep us focused on the job at hand.
Now to answer a couple of your comments... To answer Sonny F., the hardest track for me to get in and out of is definitely Bristol. The speedway has no tunnel for the transporters to go through. There is a cross-over gate in turn three in which the haulers drive through and down the banking before making a slight left to go in the infield. Getting in is definitely much easier than getting out. A lot of trucks, not including myself, have lost their driveshaft trying to climb the banking. It's a place where you need to lock in your power divider, and keep it in a low gear to climb the steep banking. Now to answer Kelly, the best advice I can give you to become a transport driver for a race team is to live in or around Charlotte, NC. A majority of the race teams are in this area. You also need to be willing to start at the bottom and work your way up. Thanks for the questions Kelly and Sonny! And by the way, tell Rick I said "hello!"
Stay safe...
Bubba
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Pre-Martinsville
Hello! Bubba here... Well, Atlanta came and went and we have a destroyed truck to show for it. The race went pretty well until about 12 laps to go. While running in third, we got bumped out of line which shot Colin straight into the backstretch wall. For those of you who watched the race, you know that it was a pretty amazing hit, but also there was nothing Colin could do. Luckily he was okay, but I can't say the same for chassis #58... It was a total loss. After the race, we cut almost everything from the windshield forward off of the truck. We had to do this to be able to load it into the transporter. Another little trick that I've learned is to lay a tarp down underneath the motor after a wreck, to keep the oil from getting on the floor. We unloaded the truck as soon as we got back so it wouldn't leak any more than necessary in the trailer.
We have spent the last week or so doing some testing at Rockingham. We went there earlier in the week, and ended up watching it rain all day. We will return later in the week, and try it again. All this testing is for Martinsville. I have spent a lot of time getting ready for Martinsville as well. This is a track where we unload everything from the trailer that we need for the whole weekend. We work on pit road out of tents, and it usually rains. It's very important that I remember everything we could need for the weekend. It takes about an hour and a half with five guys to unload the whole trailer. We race here twice a year, and I have been going to Martinsville for eight years, so I am used to this procedure. The transporters are then moved about a quarter of a mile up a hill to a gravel parking lot. You realize very quickly how much you miss the trailer when it's so far away. After the Martinsville race, we have three more weeks off, but I already know there is another Rockingham test planned, so I know we'll keep busy. And don't forget, my Baby Boy #2 is closer and closer to being here! I am really looking forward to his arrival.
To answer Frankie's question from my Atlanta blog, my co-driver spends most of his non-driving time in the sleeper. We really keep the wheels rolling on this truck, so it's important that we both get as much rest as possible when it’s available to us. Other times, he'll just sit in the passenger seat, and we'll talk about almost everything, or just look at the beautiful scenery. Driving can be tough sometimes, but I'm really glad that I get paid to see the country. I'm sure most of you will agree.
Stay safe...
Bubba
We have spent the last week or so doing some testing at Rockingham. We went there earlier in the week, and ended up watching it rain all day. We will return later in the week, and try it again. All this testing is for Martinsville. I have spent a lot of time getting ready for Martinsville as well. This is a track where we unload everything from the trailer that we need for the whole weekend. We work on pit road out of tents, and it usually rains. It's very important that I remember everything we could need for the weekend. It takes about an hour and a half with five guys to unload the whole trailer. We race here twice a year, and I have been going to Martinsville for eight years, so I am used to this procedure. The transporters are then moved about a quarter of a mile up a hill to a gravel parking lot. You realize very quickly how much you miss the trailer when it's so far away. After the Martinsville race, we have three more weeks off, but I already know there is another Rockingham test planned, so I know we'll keep busy. And don't forget, my Baby Boy #2 is closer and closer to being here! I am really looking forward to his arrival.
To answer Frankie's question from my Atlanta blog, my co-driver spends most of his non-driving time in the sleeper. We really keep the wheels rolling on this truck, so it's important that we both get as much rest as possible when it’s available to us. Other times, he'll just sit in the passenger seat, and we'll talk about almost everything, or just look at the beautiful scenery. Driving can be tough sometimes, but I'm really glad that I get paid to see the country. I'm sure most of you will agree.
Stay safe...
Bubba
Monday, March 2, 2009
Pre-Atlanta
Hello everyone. Back from our coast-to-coast trip, we now look forward to Atlanta this week... but first let’s wrap up California. I thought we would have a promising finish, but a mechanical failure kept us from reaching our full potential. We decided to try to stretch our fuel mileage, but it turns out that it was a little too far to go. The trip to California and home went off without a hitch and I even got to stop and see my parents on the way home for lunch. Any chance I get to go through Oklahoma City and see them always gives me a little extra motivation for a long trip. After a 3pm ET race on Saturday, my co-driver and I were back in Mooresville by 8am ET Monday morning. As you can probably tell, we don't stop and waste much time when going across the country.
I had a short week, and then a nice weekend off with my family. I spent most of my free time painting a bedroom for my new son, who is to arrive in May. One good thing about the truck series is that we don't race every weekend. This week we are prepping to go to Atlanta. I will probably leave Wednesday night, so I can be down there first thing Thursday morning. This seems like the best time to drive through Atlanta... it’s best for me if I can avoid any Atlanta rush hour... I'm sure a lot of you know what I am talking about. I am looking forward to some southern warm weather after our surprise snowfall of six inches this past weekend. We should be pretty competitive in Atlanta, and I hope we can get our momentum headed in the right direction.
To answer Greg M's question from an earlier blog, the stretch of highway that I hate driving the most is I-20 going through Jackson, Mississippi. It is some of the roughest road that I have ever driven on, but Oklahoma City is a close second. As far as just not liking the roads, the trip to Loudon, New Hampshire doesn't rank very high in my book either. If anybody out there has any other questions for me, feel free to add a comment, and I'll try to get to them in future blogs.
Stay safe!
Bubba
I had a short week, and then a nice weekend off with my family. I spent most of my free time painting a bedroom for my new son, who is to arrive in May. One good thing about the truck series is that we don't race every weekend. This week we are prepping to go to Atlanta. I will probably leave Wednesday night, so I can be down there first thing Thursday morning. This seems like the best time to drive through Atlanta... it’s best for me if I can avoid any Atlanta rush hour... I'm sure a lot of you know what I am talking about. I am looking forward to some southern warm weather after our surprise snowfall of six inches this past weekend. We should be pretty competitive in Atlanta, and I hope we can get our momentum headed in the right direction.
To answer Greg M's question from an earlier blog, the stretch of highway that I hate driving the most is I-20 going through Jackson, Mississippi. It is some of the roughest road that I have ever driven on, but Oklahoma City is a close second. As far as just not liking the roads, the trip to Loudon, New Hampshire doesn't rank very high in my book either. If anybody out there has any other questions for me, feel free to add a comment, and I'll try to get to them in future blogs.
Stay safe!
Bubba
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Pre-California
Howdy... Bubba here! Race number one is finally behind us. After qualifying on the pole, Colin ran to a ninth-place finish. Daytona week for me is always one of the hardest. Getting used to new people in new roles for the trucks always seems to throw a wrench in your plans. Overall the week went very good. Some of the things you would have seen me doing at Daytona would be keeping the cooler full, tidying up the trailer, helping the guys work on the race truck, among other things. I wound up cooking five meals while we were down there, and had zero complaints! Yay!
Since I also go over the wall, the new pit rules were a little confusing... a little hard to follow, but all in all made my job easier. Now when I fuel the truck, it’s gas only... no tire changers... no other jobs being performed. After a short weekend at home with Julie and Zach, Monday it was off to California. We had a quick turnaround this week, but thanks to the help from my crew guys, everything was swapped out and ready to go to California. I really appreciate their help, especially on the days when I am trying to get my 34-hour reset done. For all the non-truck-driving people, this means I am resetting my working hours for the week, by taking 34 hours off. California should be a good race for us. It's a two-mile oval, and last year we finished in the top 10.
Right now, I am lying in my bunk and I believe we just crossed the Arizona state line. Thanks to my lovely wife, I am able to call in this blog, while she types it. And thanks to my co-driver, I can get some rest after a long day driving through Texas. We should get into California around 5am east coast time, so I better get some rest. Tomorrow will be a long day of cleaning the truck and grocery shopping. I still haven't decided what this week's menu is gonna be... maybe it will come to me in my dreams.
Stay safe...
Bubba
Since I also go over the wall, the new pit rules were a little confusing... a little hard to follow, but all in all made my job easier. Now when I fuel the truck, it’s gas only... no tire changers... no other jobs being performed. After a short weekend at home with Julie and Zach, Monday it was off to California. We had a quick turnaround this week, but thanks to the help from my crew guys, everything was swapped out and ready to go to California. I really appreciate their help, especially on the days when I am trying to get my 34-hour reset done. For all the non-truck-driving people, this means I am resetting my working hours for the week, by taking 34 hours off. California should be a good race for us. It's a two-mile oval, and last year we finished in the top 10.
Right now, I am lying in my bunk and I believe we just crossed the Arizona state line. Thanks to my lovely wife, I am able to call in this blog, while she types it. And thanks to my co-driver, I can get some rest after a long day driving through Texas. We should get into California around 5am east coast time, so I better get some rest. Tomorrow will be a long day of cleaning the truck and grocery shopping. I still haven't decided what this week's menu is gonna be... maybe it will come to me in my dreams.
Stay safe...
Bubba
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Pre-Daytona
Hello everybody... Bubba here with my pre-Daytona blog. The 2009 season starts next week and we've been spending the last two months just getting ready for this year. You'd be really surprised how much time and work go into a truck that you only race twice a year. The Daytona/Talladega truck is different from any other truck that we run. It is specially built for superspeedway tracks. We will be running chassis #23, the same truck we raced at Talladega last October.
I've spent the last two months prepping all of our equipment for the season. We've painted all the tool boxes and pit boxes, and just last week, I decaled all of them. We typically paint everything in the off-season every year because we like to start Daytona with fresh, new equipment. I've also spent a lot of time re-stocking the trailer, and getting it ready to go this year. It’s my job to get with all of the shop mechanics to see what parts and pieces of the truck have changed from 2008 to 2009. I've also had to deal with some crew changes, which is pretty typical in this business. Firesuits and uniforms have shown up for all of the guys about two weeks ago, so they all needed to be handed out. On top of all of that, we've had to go through all of our tractor and trailer paperwork to make sure all our permits and such are up to date for the year. We are also trying to get as much California race stuff ready because we only have a two-day turnaround before leaving for the west coast. Doing a coast-to-coast trip takes a lot of planning to keep your logs straight. Thankfully this year, I have a full-time co-driver, whose name is Mike Goins. This is a first for me. This is just one step that Roush Fenway is taking to keep all of its truck drivers 100 percent compliant.
I've been lucky enough to win at Daytona in 2006, and it’s one race I will never forget winning. Colin should have a really good chance at winning the Daytona race this year. It seems like just yesterday we were coming back from Homestead, and now Daytona is already knocking on our backdoor. I hope to see all of you from Victory Lane soon.
Stay safe...
Bubba
I've spent the last two months prepping all of our equipment for the season. We've painted all the tool boxes and pit boxes, and just last week, I decaled all of them. We typically paint everything in the off-season every year because we like to start Daytona with fresh, new equipment. I've also spent a lot of time re-stocking the trailer, and getting it ready to go this year. It’s my job to get with all of the shop mechanics to see what parts and pieces of the truck have changed from 2008 to 2009. I've also had to deal with some crew changes, which is pretty typical in this business. Firesuits and uniforms have shown up for all of the guys about two weeks ago, so they all needed to be handed out. On top of all of that, we've had to go through all of our tractor and trailer paperwork to make sure all our permits and such are up to date for the year. We are also trying to get as much California race stuff ready because we only have a two-day turnaround before leaving for the west coast. Doing a coast-to-coast trip takes a lot of planning to keep your logs straight. Thankfully this year, I have a full-time co-driver, whose name is Mike Goins. This is a first for me. This is just one step that Roush Fenway is taking to keep all of its truck drivers 100 percent compliant.
I've been lucky enough to win at Daytona in 2006, and it’s one race I will never forget winning. Colin should have a really good chance at winning the Daytona race this year. It seems like just yesterday we were coming back from Homestead, and now Daytona is already knocking on our backdoor. I hope to see all of you from Victory Lane soon.
Stay safe...
Bubba
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
About Bubba
Hello... My name is Brian Carr. Most of you know me as Bubba, driver of the No. 6 Con-way Freight transporter in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. How ’bout a little about me? My racing career started in 1996 at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City, OK. I owned a factory stock dirt car and we raced there every Friday night. I worked at a printing company in Oklahoma City while I was racing. At this time I met Ron and Lance Norick. Lance was a driver in the Craftsman Truck Series. After much persuasion, in 2000 I packed up and went to work for him in Concord, NC. I raced with Lance for three years, and in the fall of 2002, I made the move to Roush Fenway Racing. During this time I met my future wife, Julie. We were married in January of 2004. In 2007 we had our first child, and are expecting our second in May of this year. Being a husband and a father is definitely one of my greatest accomplishments in life.
Some drivers I've worked with at Roush include Jon Wood, Carl Edwards, Todd Kluever, Mark Martin, David Ragan, Travis Kvapil, and of course, Colin Braun. While at Roush, I've been a part of 10 wins with various drivers. I've also been fueling for Roush since 2003. I consider Roush Fenway one of the premier organizations of NASCAR, just the way Con-way is seen as one of the premier trucking companies. Throughout the year I will try to give the people of Con-way an inside look at the racing world as I see it. My primary goal this year with the race team is to get Colin his first win, and to also get Con-way their first win with Roush Fenway Racing. This is gonna be a great year and I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the track. Keep an eye out for the No. 6 Con-way Freight transporter as I travel the country.
Stay safe...
Bubba
Some drivers I've worked with at Roush include Jon Wood, Carl Edwards, Todd Kluever, Mark Martin, David Ragan, Travis Kvapil, and of course, Colin Braun. While at Roush, I've been a part of 10 wins with various drivers. I've also been fueling for Roush since 2003. I consider Roush Fenway one of the premier organizations of NASCAR, just the way Con-way is seen as one of the premier trucking companies. Throughout the year I will try to give the people of Con-way an inside look at the racing world as I see it. My primary goal this year with the race team is to get Colin his first win, and to also get Con-way their first win with Roush Fenway Racing. This is gonna be a great year and I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the track. Keep an eye out for the No. 6 Con-way Freight transporter as I travel the country.
Stay safe...
Bubba
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