Our race in Phoenix this past weekend started off the season with a bang, but not the kind of bang we wanted. The weekend had been fairly uneventful, as we were trying to get Scott used to the new Hendricks car we had purchased over the winter. It was the first time he had been on the track with it.

Winston Cup driver Kenny Schrader came down to race with us and race in the Southwest Tour race before our event on Saturday, along with Winston Cup driver Kurt Busch. We didn't qualify that well, but we were still in the middle of the pack at 14th.

However, we were really excited after happy hour, as Scott had the third fast time. The crew was a little anxious going into the first race of the season with a new car, a new motor and the crew had to go over the wall on pit stops for the first time with fire suits and helmets under the new safety rules.

All of this went by the wayside on the 4th lap of the race. On lap one, Scott had picked off two positions and was running 12th and was planning to pick them off one by one, as his car was faster than those in front of him. However, going into turn one on the 4th lap of the race, Mike David in the 5 car who Scott just past had rammed Scott in the rear and sent him spinning into the wall.

The rear of the car hit first and spun the front around to hit the wall. We were going to try to get him back into the race, but the frame was badly bent. As a result, we left Phoenix from the first race of the season with a totaled car and last place in points. All the other driver could say after the race was that he made a mistake.

I guess that is racin'

We go to the Bullring in Las Vegas in April 13 for the next race.

(Photo courtesy RacingWest)