We've returned from a very exciting and long weekend filled with highs & lows aplenty. Terry Cheetham pulled "double duty" during Thursday's practice session in the #5 SST Modified and in the Johnny Giglio #18 Super Stock as driver Kris Hillegeer was unavailable for the test session. The #18 is a rebuild of the former Race of Champions winning Luke Cino mount and is for sale at this time. Kris' dad, Dale Hillegeer was "chief wrench" on Thursday and got the car in good running condition. Terry's efforts in the #5 were supported by his dad Doug Cheetham, owner Tom Fecteau and his son John Fecteau. Thursday ended on a high note as Terry's chassis experiments concluded with his best times of the day and a top 10 time overall.

Friday started out with continued great weather for this time of year in Northern NY and allowed us to say at the end of the day, "at least we didn't get wet, cold and muddy". Things also were looking up in the "luck" department as Terry had a great random draw, a pole position in heat #2. However, earlier that day, during a motor check, trouble was found with a spark plug which left our motor maintenance pro Doug quite perplexed about the potential for future motor problems. We had put in too much effort to stop now, and we had reasons to be optimistic, so the EpicVentures team forged ahead. Terry's qualifier went well with him finishing second thus securing a redraw opportunity. Terry drew "outside pole" for the main event and now it was time to adjust the chassis for cooler evening air and track conditions.

As the #5 paced the field, the entire crew's excitement was evident: Doug Cheetham & Donna Fecteau were high up in the back grandstands being an extra set of eyes and ears (spotting) for Terry. Pit row had Tom, John, Steimy, and Mark (a fan that volunteered to lend a hand) were all at the ready, and Kris Hillegeer standing high on the pit box, talking strategy with Terry and being ready to orchestrate a response to whatever came our way. At the drop of the green Terry looked for an inside opening and found it on lap 2, Terry settled in to fourth place for a couple laps then steadily fell back through the field. Although it was a 100 lap race, it's not the type of race where you can overcome great deficits later on. We had to face the truth, that Doug's motor prediction was coming true. After about 25 laps and the gauges indicating trouble, and no simple fixes at our disposal, Terry, Doug and Kris agreed to call the #5 in before the motor exploded out on the speedway. Terry's run at the 2007 SST Modified 100 would be a 30th position result out of 36 starters and a total field of 49 entries.

On Saturday, Kris Hillegeer made his rookie debut at the Steel Palace in the #18 Super Stock and with each practice, Kris picked up speed. As the crew learned how to best use the new tires, the handling got even better. Starting scratch (last) in his heat he gained more speed and began learning to drive and pass in traffic. Chris started near the back of the pack for the main event but quickly showed his driving talent by moving forward and avoiding the wrecks that would claim several of his competitors. A skip in the motor would appear and Kris pitted thinking his day was done. Terry Cheetham was assisting Johnny and Dale pitside and dove in to repair what turned out to be a melted spark plug wire. Kris climbed back in to the driver's seat only a couple laps down but determined to do his best. After several laps of racing he went to pass a fellow competitor and they made contact, sending the other driver in to a spin. Unfortunately, the driver behind Kris could not stop and drove in to the back of the #18 causing it to climb over the first car resulting in a blown right rear tire. Erring on the side of caution, the Monte Carlo was parked for good to allow inspection of all the chassis components for hidden damage and a 29th place finish. Although listed as a DNF, Kris and crew were satisfied with the competitive capabilities of the car and (now former) rookie driver. It was later determined that no structural damage was incurred. The #18 is for sale for $5,000 complete and ready to race. Call or email us with any questions if you are interested in a very good starter car.

The EpicVentures team then relocated to the main grandstand area to enjoy the ROC Sunoco Modified 200. What a great race it was as the lead battles were fantastic. There were also a lot of spins and crashes that reduced the field significantly. But in the end, the race went down to the wire with the win taken by Jan Leaty. Check your favorite racing news resource for a full write up or you can go to our links section and see what kind of post race discussions and bravado are being shared at RaceNewYork.com, just one of several favorite racing information sites.

Because of our mechanical woes, EpicVentures Motorsports Group will not have any SST Modifieds running at the US Open at Lancaster Motorsports Park this coming Saturday and Sunday. However, we are working on some opportunities to be involved at the Fall Shootout at Wyoming County International Speedway in two weeks. In the mean time, you will see our financial support of the Dave London Super Stock Memorial in honor of our dear friend.

Keep an eye on this site later this week for any additional announcements. After all, the racing season is not over yet. Be well.