Grant Enfinger Racing » drafting

What happened on the last lap at Talladega?

admin — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:02:00 +0000

Grant led the most laps by any racer at last Friday’s Talladega 250 ARCA race. Grant’s 42 lap lead evaporated on the back stretch of the last lap on the 2.66 mile superspeedway. Grant had stayed on the bottom of the race track while leading a pack of 11 cars at 190 miles per hour when the white flag flew. Grant knew that parade would not continue, as racers would do whatever they needed to advance their positions. The #55 car of Steve Arpin had been in 2nd place and Grant felt comfortable with him pushing from behind. Arpin was the season points leader and had won the 2 prior ARCA races. Grant expected Arpin to stay on his bumper until the final turn, when Grant expected him to then try to pass Grant for the win. Instead of that strategy, Arpin decided to pass Grant on the long back straight stretch.

GRANT LEADING THE RACE AT TALLADEGA

That decision by Arpin was detrimental for both he and Grant. When Arpin began moving around Grant, Grant responded by blocking Arpin. That meant Grant was driving 190 miles per hour while watching his mirrors, moving back and forth in front of Arpin. Because Grant had to leave the bottom line unprotected, the cars behind Arpin formed 2 packs—one high and one low. Those cars advanced quickly to the front. At that point, if Arpin had fallen back in line behind Grant, there would have been a 3 wide finish and a wild conclusion to the race. Arpin, however, kept searching for a better position and that resulted in him moving down the track in the path of the #16 car of Joey Coulter. Arpin wrecked, and that left Grant without any drafting help going into turn 4. One car alone is a sitting duck when multiple cars are hooked up at Talladega. Grant, out by himself, struggled to finish 6th in an exciting finish. Dakota Armstrong, in the #22 car, won the race, due to he and a group of cars sticking together to the end of the race when it became every man for himself.

Grant packing up for long truck drive to Daytona

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:32:24 +0000

The racing world, during an otherwise slow time of the year, is focused on the ARCA test session at Daytona Speedway Friday through Sunday. The Associated Press, ESPN, Speed TV and ESPN are not descending on the speedway to report on Grant’s practice sessions. IRL racer Danica Patrick, in her first public performance in a stock car, has generated more interest in a routine test session than is shown in many NASCAR races. Danica is holding a press conference in North Carolina Thursday, before boarding a private jet for the short flight to the Daytona Beach airport which is only a few hundred yards outside the high banks of the speedway. Grant, meanwhile, will be loading the BeasleyAllen Kenworth rig for the long drive down I 95 to the race track. While Danica is meeting the press in Florida or waiting in her motorhome during the time it takes her JR Motorsports crew to ready her car, Grant and a few of his friends will be setting up the BeasleyAllen car for practice.

“I’m sure Danica is excited to be heading to Daytona, but she isn’t looking forward to Friday any more than I am. Eleven years ago I raced my kart around the big track and I am excited to be running a stock car on the high banks. Just as racing at Talladega was a dream come true, running Daytona at more than170 miles per hour is something I have thought about for a long time. I am not worried about who gets attention during the test. We are going to stay focused on the reason we are testing this weekend to be in a position to win the race February 6th.” The season opener, to be televised live on Speed TV, will be sandwiched between Cup pole qualifying and the Budweiser Shootout Cup race.

Weather permitting, the test will allow the racers to shake down their cars and get up to speed Friday, when drafting will not be allowed. The 2nd day of the test will allow drafting and the drivers will be sure to draft only with other racers they trust. Drafting, even in practice, can be dangerous but Grant believes he needs to know before the race how his car will react to different cars, whether in front of them, behind them or in a pack with other cars on either side. Because of the drafting practice, the 2nd day of the test will be extremely intense. If weather doesn’t interfere with Grant’s testing, he will head back to North Carolina Saturday evening, but if the current forecast of rain for Friday is accurate, the drafting day will be Sunday.

For reports on testing this weekend and for current lap times, visit www.arcaracing.com.

Grant readying speedway car in North Carolina

admin — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 05:03:23 +0000

Grant, like many other ARCA teams, is making adjustments to the speedway car which has not been raced since Talladega. The speedway cars have special aerodynamics which aren’t used on shorter tracks. They have smaller brakes and unique chassis configurations. The only time Grant has competed in the BeasleyAllen.com speedway machine produced an 8th place qualifying and 3rd place finish. Unlike the other top running teams, Grant is working on his car by himself, he will drive the race rig to Daytona by himself and will be his own crew chief. He expects to have a couple of crew members help him at the track, including Jeremy Lundy who Grant is counting on to spot from atop the press box at the famous speedway. “My dad may have to substitute for Jeremy on Friday during single car runs, but I need Jeremy on Saturday when we will do some drafting.” Grant doesn’t trust Floyd on the radio while Grant is running 170 mph + inches apart from cars in front, in back on the sides.

The more time which passes since last Sunday’s Snowball Derby, the more Grant and the crew appreciate how the race unfolded for the BeasleyAllen team. Starting 24th in a car which was not handling well (the broken chassis part was only discovered after the race) and avoiding the wrecks which caused 14 cautions, Grant advanced as high as 4th place, before finishing 6th. Considering that 64 drivers tried to make the field for the 42nd Snowball Derby and that the BeasleyAllen.com car is the only car to have posted top 10 finishes in the past 2 Derbys, Grant is pleased with the outcome of the race. “Our pit crew was incredible. We had perfect stops all day, never losing a place in the pits.”

Practice times for Friday and Saturday’s test sessions will be available live on www.arcaracing.com.