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Crash in Tulare ends weekend for Brett Miller
By Gary Thomas
April 29, 2007... Chico’s Brett Miller continued his 2007 racing campaign this past weekend at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway and Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway. It turned out to be a tough weekend, but was another one where Brett and the Care Free Pools Racing team gained valuable experience that they can take with them as the season goes on. All young drivers go through a learning curve and Brett’s done a great job early this year as he’s gained a lot of knowledge throughout the first month and a half of the season.
The weekend began on Friday night at Silver Dollar Speedway’s Point Race #5. Brett qualified 12th quickest with a lap of 12.743 aboard the Care Free Pools, Care Free Custom Graphics, Platinum Powder Coating Maxim.
"The Catfish" then lined up on the inside of the second row in the third and final heat race. Brett was running in fourth when he got the wheels up in the air and came down awkwardly which resulted in him slipping off turn three on lap six to bring out a caution. He restarted at the rear of the field and only had two laps to try and get back up to the fifth and final transfer spot. As the green flag came back out Brett powered to the inside of the two cars in front of him and moved to sixth. The car running in the second spot had a wing issue on the start and he slipped off the track so Brett now found himself in the fifth and final transfer spot. The 17 year-old brought ‘er home in fifth to transfer the Jandy Pools, JP’s Paint & Body, Al’s Concrete, River City Pool Plastering No. 1x into the main event.
The 25 lap main saw Brett start from the inside of row six in the 11th position. Brett sat in 13th when a caution came out on lap three. After that he began to find his groove and moved forward a few spots as the race went on and at the checkered flag Brett brought home a ninth place finish in the Wolfe Electric, A1A Performance Muffler, The Country Craftsman, RPM Racing Engines No. 1x.
Saturday saw Brett and Care Free Pools Racing make the haul South to Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway to compete with the Golden State Challenge Series in the annual Pombo/Sargent Classic. The past two GSC races have been rained out so it nice to get the season back underway as warm temps greeted the team in the Central Valley.
Brett came out dead last in the qualifying order and turned a fastest lap of 14.290 placing the Aspire Homes, Smartwebsales.com, BR Motorsports, Kaeding Performance Maxim 19th quickest overall.
The youngster started from the outside of the front row in the night’s third 10 lap heat race alongside Ken Fredenburg. As they came out of turn four Fredenburg got the jump but Brett gassed it up on the top side and made a wild move to take the lead going down the backstretch. "The Catfish" was flying around the 1/3 mile as he was holding off Willie Croft, but it all came to a halt midway through as Brett biked in turns one and two and went for a scary flip in-between the corner. The 1x machine suffered frame damage near the front of the car and it put an end to the night for the Care Free Pools team. Brett suffered a sprained wrist, but was otherwise unscathed.
This coming Friday will see Brett and Care Free Pools Racing compete in Chico at Silver Dollar Speedway Point Race #5. Brett goes into night sitting sixth in points. The front gate on Friday night will open an hour earlier as an autograph session featuring many of the sprint car drivers will take place. Silver Dollar Speedway held a similar event last August and it turned out pretty well so hopefully everybody can make it out to support it this Friday.
Saturday we’ll be on down to Watsonville to compete with the Golden State Challenge Series at the Ocean Speedway. This will be Brett’s first night of ever racing at 1/4 mile bullring as the first GSC race scheduled for the track was rained out a few weeks back. "The Catfish" goes into the race eighth in GSC points, two behind Brad Sweet for seventh.
For more news on Brett Miller and Care Free Pools Racing visit http://www.brettmillerracing.net
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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