Top Ten Weekend

This past weekend the Brachmann Racing team took to the Wild West ovals of Ransomville, Merrittville and surprisingly the New Humberstone Speedways. 

Brachmann had the pleasure of starting the 358-Mod feature on the outside pole after a tremendous effort in qualifying last Friday.  Unfortunately, fast qualifier "Tornado" Todd Burley kept his fast habits rolling, and was nearly untouchable on the restarts. 

In a brief conversation before hot laps over a can of Mango Power Trip, "That's the man to beat today right there (pointing to Todd Burley).  He looked tough in trials, and he commands respect around here."

When the green flag flew to start the feature, Burley jumped out on a clean start to a 3 car length lead over the rest of the field.  As the tandem began to negotiate lapped traffic, Brachmann closed in hard on Burley. Chad actually nosed ahead of Burley on the back stretch of lap 17, but Burley made a jaw dropping manoeuvre to navigate through turns 3 and 4 around 3 cars, sealing a gap that Brachmann would need time to work through.

 On lap 19, the first caution flag flew, allowing Brachmann to line up along side of Burley again.  The same story would repeat itself, as Burley extended a lead on the first lap, and Brachmann closed at lapped traffic was reached.  Caution flew again. The feature ended a few laps later, with a repeating theme - Burley mastered the start, and Chad was left in chase.  Clearly, however, Burley and Brachmann were the class of the 28 car field.

 All in all, a very solid performance from the 3b Mighty Taco/ Power Trip Modified to begin the points race at Ransomville Speedway.

 Saturday night the team unloaded at Merrittville, and after an afternoon jab by Mother Nature the Thorold oval was bound to be quick.......for everyone. Chad drew the 9^th starting position in his heat and failed to qualify by a single position, sending him to the consolation race. There, he would turn laps below sixteen seconds that propelled him to the consi win and a 16^th place start in the feature race. While the extremely fast track made passing difficult, Chad wheeled the car to a sixth place finish just behind the 38 special of Scott Wood who caught him in the closing laps. Bicknell would go on to pick up his second feature of the season, this one with more than just dough on the line.

  Sunday night brought a small shocker too many of us, when the team ventured over to Humberstone for the first time since the 2008 season when Chad went 2 for 2 in the Lucas Oil Shootout taking home checkers both times. After starting his heat in the 5 hole, Chad would use his eight laps wisely to test some lines for later in the night and took his 3^rd place heat finish to the pits for some feature adjustments. Later that night, Chad would start 8^th and was moving his way forward, when an inside pass of fellow competitor Rich Vinson put Chad’s left front tire hit the retaining barrier and drop him to 8^th in the running order. The race saw just one caution all night, but Chad would continually look to the bottom side of the speedway to make his passes and the Sanborn pilot made small gains in the final stages to bring home a 3rd place finish and three top 10's for the weekend. After his return to Humberstone Sunday evening, Chad stated that “The track was super smooth and racy from top to bottom” and he enjoyed the visit.

  This coming weekend the Brachmann Racing team will be in action both Friday and Saturday nights at the Ransomville and Merrittville Speedways for regular point’s events. Grab your mother, grab your grandma and even your wife and let them know, you’ll provide the DIRT for their flowers this Mothers Day. On behalf of Brachmann Racing, happy Mothers Day to all the moms this weekend, without you, we wouldn’t be racing!