GAME OVER

August 4 - On a night that usually had all five members of Team Hadley racing, two were missing. Terry and Krista Hadley. They chose to sell off their race cars, and instead devote their time, energy, money, and fun toward their family. Something they made sure to do in the days following their last race on July 23rd.
     Minus the two teammates, the rest of the team soldiered on, and had a pretty good night of racing. Time-in's weren't exactly what they were hoping for, as Preston Jones qualified sixth, Joe Guider came in ninth, and Jaime Guider finished it off in 10th.
     The first heat race was pretty exciting, as the father and daughter duo of the Guiders set to do battle with the other racers. As the green flag dropped, Joe Guider tried to make it three wide going into the corner, and made it stick. Everyone was waiting for the pileup, but it never happened. All the cars came out of turn two in fine shape. Joe managed to squeak out an advantage and was in third, while Jaime was caught behind everyone in sixth. Joe managed to work his way to second place, and did everything he could to pass the leader, but both cars were pretty equal. At the finish of the heat, Joe notched a second place and Jaime fell back to finish in seventh.
     The second heat had Preston Jones all by himself. At the start, Preston managed to take the lead but soon found out the old expression of "losing focus," means a lot. As he started his second lap, he spun out in between turn one and two, and everyone drove right by him. He did manage to get going again, but it was too late. Being a half of a lap down in such a short race meant there was no way of catching the leaders. He ended up finishing sixth.
     The A-Main was pretty exciting for two teammates. As the green came out to get things started, Jaime Guider either missed a shift, or it came out of gear, because she instantly dropped from her starting position of 10th to the back of the field. Meanwhile, Preston Jones took advantage of starting sixth to get a bead on the leaders, and see where his car would handle on the track. Joe didn't let his ninth place start detour him as he soon made his way to Preston's rear bumper.
     As the first handful of laps went by, Preston and Joe were playing "follow me" through the field. Preston would pick a lane, and Joe would follow. It was working as both drivers were picking off cars one at a time. The pair soon found themselves third and fourth. That only lasted for a couple laps as another driver found his way by Joe, to drop Joe back one spot to fifth. Now Preston was next on the other drivers list.
     As the last few laps ticked off, Preston did a great job of staying focused and finding a line on the track that worked for his car. By the time it was said and done with, the A-Main for the Super-4's was over with and Preston took another third place finish. Joe Guider did look strong tonight and finished fifth, while Jaime Guider seemed to struggle with her setup and finished the night in 10th.
     Even though Terry and Krista decided to call the racing season quits, we have to remember that there are more important things than racing. When the family suffers because of a hobby, it's time to put the hobby aside and refocus on what's more important. No one is ever wrong with that type of decision.

TEAM IS TRIUMPHANT!

July 14 - Team Hadley finally started to see the fruits of their labors, and had a great night of racing. The bad luck bug that seemed to follow them all season so far, was squished tonight, and how glad they were to be rid of it!
     The Time-In session was going to see Terry Hadley at the top of the charts, but he had to settle for second as he was beat by .007 seconds. Joe Guider timed in fourth, Preston Jones eighth, Krista Hadley 10th, and Jaime Guider clocked in 12th.
     The Trophy Dash race didn't go well for Terry Hadley, but the finish was too close to call for us in the pits. Terry was chasing the leaders until the turn one bug bit him, and he spun out, letting Joe Guider get by. Joe was leading, but the second place driver was catching him quickly. As the white flag came out, Joe Guider and the second place car were virtually side by side for the final lap. As the two cars came out of turn four, everyone knew it was gonna be close. How right we were. At the finish line, Joe was nipped by .043 seconds, to finish second. Terry did recover to notch another fourth place finish.
     The first Heat Race had teammates, Jaime Guider starting fifth and Krista Hadley starting seventh. Krista made great moves the first couple of laps to take advantage of other drivers racing side by side to jump up to third. Within one more lap she found herself in second, chasing down the leader. Unfortunately there wasn't enough laps left to go, but did notch a great finish with a second. Jaime struggled a bit with her cars handling, but did manage to finish in the fourth place spot.
     The second Heat Race had the remaining teammates, Preston Jones starting first, followed by Joe Guider in fifth, and Terry Hadley in seventh. Just as the first lap was completed, Preston found himself going into turn one, and started pushing up the race track. It soon became apparent to the pit crew that something broke in the front end. As Preston realized that he couldn't steer the car, he came into the pits, and settled for an eighth place finish. Terry was once again bitten by the turn one spinning bug, and wound up sixth. Joe found a groove for his car, but it too little too late, as he notched a fourth place finish.
     The A-Main started off with 2 or three laps of nail biting action. Cars were two and three wide from the front to back, but that didn't last long as "Intimidator Barbie," Jaime Guider, would take the lead. She held onto the lead for a handful of laps until she got rear ended, hard, coming out of turn four, and allowed other cars to get by as she gathered her car back up to get going. Meanwhile, Terry Hadley, Krista Hadley, and Joe Guider, were making their way through traffic, making up ground on the leaders.
     The caution came out on lap 11, which allowed cars to bunch back up and finally make a plan of attack on the cars in front of them. During the caution laps, Preston Jones was black flagged for tapping the car in front of him. Nothing intentional, but the race officials to be felt it was a "provoking" incident, and sent him to the pits for the rest of the race.
     As the green flag waved, Terry Hadley made his move to take the lead, and he did. Working the low line, he powered his way past the other car, and was looking strong. Krista, Joe, and Jaime, were all moving up. It was as though they just followed one another through traffic. "Spiderman" Joe Guider, suddenly slowed on the track, but soon got going again. Some in the pits felt his motor was either letting go, or it was possibly an ignition problem, but either way, he was scooting along again.
     As the white flag came out, Terry Hadley was still in the lead, and looking good as he did what he could to hold off the second place driver. As the two drivers came out of turn four, Terry was able to cross the finish line first, to take home is second win of the season. Krista Hadley finally had the night of racing she'd been wanting all season long. She claimed the third position, followed closely by "Spiderman" Joe Guider in fourth, and daughter, "Intimidator Barbie" Jaime Guider in fifth. Preston Jones wound up with a 13th place finish.
     After the race, Joe Guider let the crew know the reason why he slowed down on the track was that his car kept popping out of second gear. To finish the rest of the race, he was holding the car in gear with one hand, and driving with the other. It pays to have the web slingers skills when driving a race car.
     A great night of racing for the team, as they took home four of the top five positions. The team will have some time off until the next race, so that means some time to work on the cars, and spend some time with the family. Something that can really recharge the batteries.

TERRY HADLEY WINS HIS FIRST RACE OF 2007

June 23 - It was a bitter sweet night of racing for Team Hadley as Terry Hadley was able to notch his first A-Main win of the season. Mechanical issues, and accidents would claim three cars by the time the night was said and done with.
     The night started with Time-Ins and Terry Hadley would go out and set a time of 17.963 seconds, that was good enough for second. Preston Jones set a fifth place time of 18.215 seconds, followed by "Spiderman" Joe Guider in sixth with a time of 18.294 seconds. Krista Hadley timed in 10th, followed by Jaime Guider in 11th.
     The Trophy Dash was one that didn't quite go the way Terry Hadley wanted. After contending for the lead, Terry found himself going into turn one with three other drivers, which would upset the car enough, to cause him to spin out. Though he was able to get the car refired, and going again, there was too much distance between him and the leader, and wound up finishing fourth. The bright side of the race for Terry was that he did set fast time for the Trophy Dash, with a time of 18.007 seconds.
     The first Heat Race was a battle between the women of Team Hadley. Krista Hadley, and Jaime Guider, would do battle most of the race. Side by side, bumper to bumper to bumper, the two ladies put on a great show. By the time the race was over with, Krista would finish second, and Jaime finished third.
     The second heat race didn't quite go as well as the men had hoped. Terry Hadley and Preston Jones not only had to race each other for every inch of track, but were also trying to find their way by another driver. Those three drivers would come out of turn four to take the checkered flag almost side by side. With only 0.638 of a second separating them at the line, Terry would finish third, and Preston finished fourth. Joe Guider finished the race in sixth.
     The A-Main was not only one of the best races of the season so far, but it was also heartbreaking for others. "Intimidator Barbie," Jaime Guider, found her way by Krista Hadley very early to take the lead, and would stay there for about a third of the race, holding off rookie, Brian Johnsen. Terry Hadley had his work cut out for him as he had to start 11th, and would have to pick off almost the entire field if he was going to win. Joe Guider and Preston Jones started mid pack, and soon found themselves racing one another on the track.
     With the first third of the race finished, "Spiderman" Joe Guider's night would end early as he had to pull into the pits with mechanical issues. Krista was able to find her way back by Jaime, but wouldn't pull away from her. The two women would battle one another for many laps. Meanwhile, Terry and Preston worked their way up through the field, and caught up to the ladies. All Team Hadley cars were battling for position, before Terry would find his way by them to take second place. Now his main concern was the leader, Brian Johnsen.
     It didn't take Terry long to finally get side by side with the leader, and the race was on. With lapped traffic beginning to play a factor, each driver was trying to use them as a pick. To force the other driver to either make a mistake, or get hung up behind the slower cars. Neither driver would allow themselves to fall for that. As the laps were winding down, Terry went low coming out of turn four, and Johnsen would go high to get around a lapped car. That was all that Terry needed to take the lead, as the slower car forced Johnsen to lift for a split second. But the race wasn't done yet.
     Johnsen continued to ride Terry's bumper, and work him high and low on the track, but slower cars continued to play havoc with the two drivers. As that race was going on, Preston Jones had managed to get by Krista Hadley, and Jaime Guider, to put himself into third place, with Krista in fourth, and Jaime in fifth. As the white flag came out, Terry had been able to open up a small lead over second place, Johnsen.
     When the checkered flag waved to signal the end of the race, Terry Hadley would claim his first win of the season, and Preston Jones would chalk up another third place finish. This is where the night would come to a bitter end for the rest of the team. As Krista Hadley got to turn four, her motor would blow. Putting a hole the size of a baseball on the right side of the motor. Spewing a mix of oil and water all over the right front tire. Because of the oil on the tire, her steering coming out the corner was almost gone, which would cause her to drift up the track, and right into the path of Jaime Guider. As Jaime tried going to the high side to get by, the two would touch, putting Jaime into the front stretch wall, ending her night right there on the track, for an 11th place finish. Krista was able to coast by the finish line to take sixth.
     Though the race ended on a sour note for some, and a high for the others, most fans in the stands, and the crews in the pits, would all agree that the battle between Terry Hadley and Brian Johnsen, was one of the best races of the season for the Super-4's. Both drivers raced each other clean, and showed everyone else that you can race without taking each other out, or denting up one another's cars. Let's hope we get to see more of that the rest of the season.

KISS CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG GOODBYE

June 16 - Team Hadley was finally able to get all the race cars on the track, and keep them there, with great results. The team hopes this is finally a sign of good things to come.
     The night started off with time-ins, and Terry Hadley posted a second place time, followed by Preston Jones in fourth, Krista Hadley fifth, Jaime Guider seventh, and Joe Guider rounded out the teams efforts in 11th.
     The trophy dash would have been something Terry Hadley needed for points, but with low oil pressure, the team decided to change his oil pump, meaning Terry would have scratch on the dash. Being as Krista Hadley was fifth, she took his place on the track. As the green flag dropped, Krista took the early lead, with Preston Jones in third. As they completed the first lap, going into turn one, the second place car drifted up the track and hit the side of Krista's car hard. She kept her foot in the gas, and held her line, but the other driver continued to bang on the side of her car, and as they came out of turn two, almost put her into the back stretch wall. That forced Krista to lift, and slow down to avoid wrecking. Now the battle was on between teammates, Preston Jones, and Krista. What a show those two put on. If those two drivers weren't side by side, they were working high or low on the track, never hitting or tapping one another. By the time the checkered flag came out, they were side by side, and Krista took second by 0.100 of a second over Preston. Now THAT was how you race, and put on a great show.
     Heat races were a bit strange, as Joe Guider was the only Team Hadley car in the first heat race.  He didn't have a good start as one driver hit Joe so hard, it broke his left rear spring mount. The second heat race pitted the remaining four team cars against one another. Joe battled for the lead most of the race, but wound up finishing second by only 0.086 of a second. That's about as close as it gets for a win. The second heat race was the jolt Terry Hadley needed as he won the heat, followed by Preston Jones in second, Jaime Guider came in fourth, and Krista Hadley battled a loose car, to come in sixth.
     The A-Main was interesting for Terry Hadley to say the least. After just a handful of laps, Terry spun out in one corner, and Joe Guider was hit once again by the same driver that hit him in the heat race, and and caused Joe to spin out in another, and brought out the caution flag. That put Terry at the back of the pack, while Joe went to the pits for repairs. Preston Jones found himself leading the race, and Joe did make it back out on to the track. As the green flag came back out, Preston found himself getting pass on the high side, but that didn't stop him from keeping up with the leader. Meanwhile, Terry was picking cars off like they were standing still. Before you knew it, he was in third, right on the rear bumper of Preston Jones. The old racing saying of, "Catching them is one thing. Getting by is another," rang very true. Terry tried the high line, but couldn't get around him. Finally, after Preston drifted a little high, that opened the door for Terry to stick the nose of his car inside Preston and get by him for second.
     Krista Hadley and Jaime Guider had their own battle on the track as the two of them were each running different lines. One would go high, the other low, then they would switch it up again. Joe Guider's car was just a handful after he came back out from the pits, and just couldn't seem to find the handle the rest of the race.
     By the time it was all said and done with, Terry Hadley came from last, to finish second. Preston Jones had a great effort to finish third. Krista Hadley came in seventh, Jaime Guider eighth, and Joe Guider finished 11th.
     After the previous weeks of motors blowing up, or sounding like rattles, the team was finally able to kiss the chitty chitty bang bang goodbye, and put on a great night of racing for the fans. Let's hope this is a good sign of things to come for the team.

MAYHEM & DESTRUCTION

Motor Problems and Accidents Continue

May 26 - No one said racing was easy, or that it WOULD be easy, but sometimes, you have to ask yourself, "How much more of this &$%* do we have to put up with?" The team suffered more set backs by the night's end, and the theme of the year continues. Motor problems, and accidents.
     Krista Hadley did make a return to the track in her familiar number 16 Super-4. After getting some bugs worked out, she was more than eager to get out there and race.
     Due to a power outage in the track's scoring booth, time in and heat race results are not available. However, Preston Jones did win his heat race by almost a half a lap.
     The A-Main was one that the team wished had gone better. Terry Hadley completed one lap before something in the head let go, and put him out of competition. For most of the race, Krista maintained fourth place, Preston Jones, who started in the back of the pack, worked his way up through the field. Jaime Guider also picked off one car at a time moving toward the front runners. Joe Guider did what he could considering his motor sounded like an empty spray paint can. Lots of rattles.
     Preston Jones was driving great, when all of sudden, going into turn three, his car slowed, and eventually came to a stop just out of turn four. After getting to the pits, he said the car was over heating, and it just shut off. He also said he didn't have any power steering. His night was over.
     With a handful of laps to go, Krista was right on the tail of another driver, when going into turn one, the driver in front of her slowed drastically, causing Krista to hit him hard in the rear bumper, making him spin out. He spun out right in front of Jaime Guider, who had no place to go. The impact looked like a bomb went off in the front of her car. Sheet metal went flying, and with other damage, Jaime pulled off the track. Krista also suffered significant front end cosmetic damage.
     As the green flag waved, Krista was sent to the back of the pack. This meant she had to navigate lapped traffic, and had a long way to go to get back up front.
     Joe Guider was doing the best he could with the motor he had, but found himself getting lapped, but like a true racer, he pushed that car for all it was worth.
     By the time the checkered flag waved, Krista finished fifth. Joe limped his way to ninth. Jaime wound up 11th, Preston 12th, and Terry finished 13th.
     Looking at the cars, two cars were out with motor problems. One was on it's way to losing the motor. One was out with significant sheet metal and other damage. And one had some cosmetic damage. Basically it was a night of mayhem and destruction for the team.