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

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

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