2009 Season Ending Writeup

A roller coaster is an amusement park ride that has many ups and downs throughout the entire ride. And for the #25 Concrete Alternatives Chevy our season was just that. A roller coaster ride with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.

Over the off-season I learned that I would be getting a very new opportunity. After five full seasons of driving for veteran crew chief Steve Wilkie, I would be moving into a different car and driving for different owners. Bill and Sue Barnett would be my new owners. Bill Barnett would become my new crew chief and Sue Barnett would continue spotting for me after half a season in 2008. Steve Wilkie's car would now be driven by Bucky Demurs and he would be my first ever teammate in the ACT Late Model division at Twin State Speedway.

 The first part of the season was very difficult as on practice day we had running problems with our engine which kept us from being able to get a good setup for the first event. The running problems continued into the first race and we finished outside the top ten. In the second race of the year we ended up with our first top-5 finish of the year, but suffered some damage as a competitor actually came up on the left side of our racecar. This tore a big whole in the left side rear quarter panel. After repairing that damage for race number three we also had our setup figured out and we were running 4th with two laps to go. Coming out of turn number 4 another competitor got into our right rear quarter panel and turned us front first into the wall. This was the worst possible thing that could have happened because we had to get a new front clip which was very expensive. It was also very bad timing for such a bad crash because my car owner Bill Barnett had major surgery scheduled for the very next week.

 After missing the next three weeks of racing while Bill Barnett and our car were both healing up we were back at the track trying to figure out our new front clip. The first couple of races back were difficult, and we weren't as competitive as we needed to be. Once we got our new front clip figured out, and got some luck we were one of the fastest cars in the second half of the season and only the #8 of Guy Caron and the #33 of Marc Palmisano scored more points than us.

 We ended up winning three out of the last five races of the season, and we had two wins in a row. We also not only made the ACT Tour race at Twin State Speedway, but we were competitive and ran in the top-10 for the whole 100 lap race, eventually finishing 10th. The #29 of Aaron Fellows finished 9th in this event and only one other Twin State Speedway regular finished on the lead lap. It was my first ever ACT Tour race and we hope to compete in it again in 2010.

 At the season ending banquet my new crew chief and car owner Bill Barnett was awarded the Sonny Fleury Outstanding Achievement Award for his hard work and determination in getting the #25 back to the track after his surgery. I was awarded the Most Improved Driver of the year award after starting the season out with some difficulties but ending the year with three wins and 6 top-5 finishes. The most positive thing that came out of 2009 was being able to build some momentum for 2010. We should be very competitive all year in the Late Model division and our goal is to win the 2010 championship. With Bill Barnett at crew chief and Sue Barnett spotting we should be a very competitive and determined team in 2010.

 By: Dallas Trombley