Consistency is Key: Derek West is Holding Strong
Just received a 2015 Glen Helen race recap from Derek West, and wanted to share that with you here. It’s well worth the read, especially given just how consistent Derek has been this year. He’s almost always consistent, he’s the guy you bet on in Vegas if you want good odds, but with his new Spider 9 powered Jimmy’s 4×4 Ultra4, he’s 100% in the game this year. With that, enter Derek West’s race recap from Glen Helen.
Consistency is key
Top 5 finishes in every race so far this year
The Jimmy’s racing team had a rough start when the front drive shaft flew out at a speed close to 100 mph on the back stretch. The damage included a crushed exhaust system which would have to be fixed. The team rushed to replace the drive shaft and fix the exhaust to get on the track for qualifying. With just a few minutes to spare the team had the car fixed and Derek was on the track and qualified in the fifth spot. In the first heat Derek started 3rd and was looking great until a sensor wire came loose from the engine, which then wrapped around the drive shaft and took the lower engine harness wiring with it. Again, the #20 car was towed back into the pits to be repaired. This put the team in the last chance qualifier race (LCQ) fighting for a chance to make the main race. Starting 3rd in this heat as well Derek quickly made it to the front only to have some more problems forcing him to make a quick pit stop. Once the issue was addressed Derek was back on track and pushing hard to catch up as the entire field had passed by. Derek managed his way back up to the front of the pack to finish 3rd which would advance him to the main race.
The Nitto Tire/ NorthStar Battery car was in the 39th position, the second to last spot. The race leader was starting three and a half minutes in front of Derek with the staggered start. “I was just determined to catch as many of the racers in front of me as I could and still keep the car together so I could get a decent finish. During the last hour of the race, the track conditions were brutal!”, said Derek. The race lasted for a little over 2.5hrs and at the end Derek and team had secured a 5th place finish. This would be enough to increase their 1st place lead in the Nitto national points championship as well as the move into 2nd in the western division.