This one was a major thrash to make, with car issues and busted-ass truck; at least the biblical precipitation held off until on 295 between Cherry Hill and Trenton on the way home.

This was my son's first race on a Novice Permit, running my ITB car in STL, and did really good, getting racey at the start and passing the two cars that sort of outpowered him at the green by out-braking and going underneath them at T1. Motored around reasonably clean, lapping a bunch of LBC's the small-bore classes, and IIRC finished 9 or 10 of 22 overall and 3rd in STL. So in his first race ever gets a podium. Ran consistent mid-high 1:41's breaking his own air with no draft.

Me in ITB, well, this was one of the tightest races I have ever run. Any of us in the top 6 could have won. Jack Banha was leading but had something happen mechanical causing him to fall back, Nat Wentworth spun with only a few to go, leaving Marty Raguckas in the lead, Tom Martin in 2nd, Michael Reece in 3rd and me right on his bumper in 4th. I got by a couple of time into T1 but got over/undered by T2. Tom was having brake issues with lock-up and lost 2nd, I was close, and had a better run out of the tail of the devil on the final lap, but didn't have the straightline to even think about a pass by S/F. I ran a 1:40.0 in the race which was a personal best at Thunderbolt. Unfortunately, no video as the kid being in Group 5 and me in Group 7, things were busy in between getting him out of impound, gassing and going the car and making false grid.

I'm just glad in my household we made the weekend happen.