Facing the Fear: Friday the 13th at Linda’s Speedway

They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results—and maybe we were a little crazy for heading back to Linda’s Speedway on Friday the 13th. With our share of bad luck at this track in the past, we knew we were tempting fate. But after last week’s solid run and a promising rear shock experiment, we felt just bold enough to take the gamble.

Rolling the Dice Without the Right Shocks

While we had new shocks on order, shipping delays meant they wouldn’t arrive in time. So we rolled into Linda’s with what we had, armed with determination and a dialed-in setup that had worked just days earlier. After hot laps, Dominic gave the thumbs-up—handling on the #30s felt solid. A few minor tweaks later, we were ready to take on the heat race.

Heat Race Hurdles: Fighting a Tight Car

Starting P6, Dominic found himself fighting a car that tightened up under pressure. Despite the battle, he managed to hold his ground and finished the heat in P6. That result lined us up in P11 for the feature, a strong field with serious talent.

First Feature Finish at Linda’s: A 25-Lap War

Knowing we needed more flexibility in the car, we made some bigger setup changes, hoping to free it up for the long haul. When the green flag dropped, Dominic launched into what would be our first-ever feature race at Linda’s Speedway, a major milestone for our team.

The next 25 laps were a test of both grit and skill. Dominic held his own against a lightning-fast field, dodged a couple of close calls during cautions, and powered through to finish P11. Most importantly, he brought the car home in one piece.

Lessons Learned, Notes Taken

After a full debrief, it became clear we might’ve swung the pendulum a little too far. Those adjustments made the car just a bit too loose. But that’s racing. We took notes, learned more about what this car needs at Linda’s, and now we’re better prepared for the next round.

We Survived Friday the 13th—And We’re Coming Back Stronger

Friday the 13th didn’t beat us, we made our mark. And next time, we’ll be coming back with fresh shocks, new notes, and even more fire. See ya at the track!

Photos: Mike Knappenberger