Heroic Efforts Fall Short but Another 200+mph Acheivement Again!
It was a race like so many in our collective histories in this tough, sometimes elating, sometimes brutal endeavor, where to win on race day, it must all come together, over and over, to the last run, to take the overall win and get that Wally.
On this occasion, the BlackbirdX team worked hard, and our awesome driver, Alex Laughlin, as almost always, found a way to drive what we gave him, hanging with it and taking it A to B. In fact, A to B quicker and faster than any other Factory X competitor, in qualifying, and in the first round of competition, recording the quickest and fastest passes of the event in the class and becoming only the second driver to take a Factory X entry past 200 MPH, joining another BlackbirdX pilot, Allen Johnson, in the Jesel Valvetrain Innovation 200MPH club.
But all the elements must come together and in the thick, water saturated air of round one, the always tough Aaron Stanfield, left first and hung on for the win.
Team Underdawg Racing car also progressed, performing all weekend, without spinning or any unusual gremlins but likewise, like half the competitors in the race, not making it through round one.
Despite this less than strived for outcome, we will head back to the shop with two race cars, having gone out in round one, but, with two race cars that are both still running well, making progress, and in the case of BlackbirdX, back to being the quickest and fastest in the class and both, ready to continue to test and improve.
We thought we might make or see, the first official 6 second pass in Factory X but it wasn’t to be and that leaves the door open for us, to do it again, this time officially first.
A huge thank you to the whole BlackbirdX team and to the many supporters who stopped by, cheered us on in person and through media. So greatly appreciated !!!
A big congratulations to Lenny Lottig, Linda Lottig, Tomi Laine, Todd Hoven and the rest of the team for their first win in Factory X.
With our less than hoped for performance in Ohio, the better half of team Horsepower Haven is continuing to collect wins with the four hooved race rides in Oklahoma with what I predict to be many more over the remaining course of their event, where they are solidly in contention for the overall event championships.
Time to test, improve, refine and get ready for Brainerd and then the Big Go, with a bit of a break to refuel the team and BlackbirdX’s afterburner tanks.
