Sometimes in life you just have to have lady luck on your side.
Sometimes in life you just have to have lady luck on your side.
She was definitely on our side for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series-sanctioned 33rd annual Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic presented by Racing Optics at Attica Raceway Park.
In the days leading up to our event we had a horrible weather forecast showing as high as 70 percent chance of thunderstorms on race day. When race day arrived, we had numerous thunderstorms popping up all around the race track all day long but they seemed to thankfully be missing us.
When the drivers‘ meeting was just beginning to get underway, a very sudden and very dark cloud appeared and started dropping large rain drops. As most of the fans headed toward some type of cover, a few of the teams rolled their cars back into their trailers because it looked like this could be the big one that might just cause a cancellation or at least a long delay.
As it turned out, it only lasted 15 minutes or so and most of the heavy rain seemed to go around us, and it went around us on both sides of the race track. It ultimately only delayed us by a total of about 30 minutes. So far, so good, but we all knew we weren‘t in the clear. Literally, as the radar showed more rain moving our way and, at times, showed a lot of red, which obviously meant severe thunder storms.
But, just like the first storm, it also split and again went around the race track and we could actually see it raining off in the distance on both sides of us.
Shortly after celebrating in victory lane with first-time WoO winner Spencer Bayston, the skies opened up and I, for one, got soaked before I got to my car. But at that point I certainly couldn‘t have cared less that it was raining!
The WoO officials and ARP officials worked very well together and went into “rain mode,” running off a very fast and efficient show. They had the next race lined up and staged before the white flag of the previous race would wave and they would start pushing cars out as the last cars from the previous race were leaving the track.
The drivers and teams all knew what was at stake too, and they all busted their butts and hustled between races to get the cars ready to keep the show moving along.
Obviously, every minute that was saved paid off because we got all 40 laps of the A-Main completed with only a few minutes to spare before the rain hit.
Maybe it is actually the WoO that has lady luck on their side, because the previous race to ours was at Wilmot Raceway in Wisconsin. They had rain hit the track at around 7:00pm but it didn‘t last long enough to cancel or postpone the race and, after a track rework, they too were able to get the complete show in.
At the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville they cut it closer than we did as far as getting wet after the race was over because winner Brad Sweet and those in victory lane were actually getting drenched even as everyone did their best to make it possibly the shortest victory lane celebration in history.
Promoting a WoO race takes a lot of work and months of preparation, and we have some great marketing partners who help make our event even feasible.
Along with those sponsorships comes the responsibility to make sure they get the proper signage and logo placement, press releases and, most importantly, the correct verbal mentions throughout the event.
WoO announcer John Gibson and ARP announcer Brian Liskai work very well together to make sure all of our sponsors get their deserved mentions when needed.
ARP promoter John Bores and general manager Rex LeJeune and I have already talked about, and made notes regarding, things we need to improve on for next year‘s event.
Although ARP‘s regular season isn‘t over, the best part of getting our WoO race in as scheduled means we have some time to savor that we got this year‘s event in and I don‘t have to worry about the weather for another year!
It seems we have been plagued with an unfavorable weather forecast for this event over the past several years, except last year which was held with COVID restrictions, so I am thinking that next year‘s race will be held on a bright and beautiful sunny day!
How‘s that for optimism?