10.19.24
Brandon Grider rolls into lake Ming ready, willing, and able. Yes, him and the team have plans for a big weekend.
Even though it’s October it’s California and the weather is nice. The team pitch their spot in the pits and proceed to nut N bolt things with a general look over. Some of the team are in set up while others are onto registration then tech. Things are going according to plan and the team has done this many times before.
‘Brando’ and the team get ‘Wild Fire’ UN-trailered and go to the start line for a pass. The boat is set and Brando hits it lighting up a 6.15 dead off the trailer. Whats fortuitous for the day is this pass turns out to be one of the quickest Wild Fire has laid down. The team has been together for some time and they almost expect great results. So they know they’re only as good as their last blast and it will take more than this to move up the ladder. The team is seasoned.
The driver and boat are pop’n off great qualifying runs at 6.32 and 6.12 again buttressing the days expectations.
The first round elim have him against his good friend Tony Scarlatta. Now this is probably one of the toughest races the team and that Rex Power will be in all weekend. Scarlatta is a many time World Champion and He’ll be looking for the win like a dog on a butchers bone. Brando is focused and ready. His reaction time was poised and then he pulls the trigger. The boat leaves beautifully and he trailers his good buddy. As close friends, the classy and always tough Scarlatta eagerly congratulates Brando.
The Grider team will have have great rounds through out this day and of course, Luck favors the prepared. Especially if you have that Rex Power.
Sunday comes and its another beautiful day in California,,,,, weather wise anyhow. LOL
Brando is lined up in his Cole ‘Flatty’ with Sean Rogers sitting in ‘High Wire’. Brando believes hes got some bank, but hes concentrating on the fundamentals like not going red or a breakout. High Wire leaves and has Grider chasing. Grider roots High Wire at half track passing Sean. Not wanting a breakout Brando coast to the finish turning on the win light for the team.
In the 3rd round Scott Tilling is strapped up in ‘Aggravated Assault’. The weather has changed and Glenn Hutchison, the ‘Doctor’ refines the Rex Power engine tune correcting for things like temperature, water grains, density, altitude and a few other things from all his years as a former 3-Time Top Alcohol World Champion himself. Brando in ‘Wild Fire’ are chasing him and will rap it up with a half boat to spare.
Next up is Tim Ortiz in ‘Never Satisfied’. Satisfied is dialed in at 5.94 so Grider and the team need to be concerned with both ends in this round. Brando bangs the button and that Lenco fires him off. The team can see Satisfied is not satisfied and is broke at the line. Brando at half track is perplexed not seeing or hearing Satisfied. As he finishes he gets the win light. Only then did he realize Satisfied wasn’t to Satisfied this day at lake Ming.
This next round has the Grider team knowing they are living life right because its a bye. Brando just practices a leave not wanting to hurt anything and hauls Wild Fire safely to the win light.
Well needless to say, going into the final, Grider and the team are guardedly optimistic. The seasoned team knows you first have to be in it, to win it. Second if it was guaranteed….. they wouldn’t run the race.
In this final the team faces Craig Lucas in ‘Little Blue’. Little Blue is one of the most formidable drag boat racing teams in the paddock along with the many time World Champion team of Scarlatta. Brando will be chasing Little Blue. The team is in a tight mental state reflecting this is for all the marbles. As the team continues to do what great teams do, prepping, checking and rechecking every thing not wanting to leave anything on the table. Brando is cool and even ‘Zens Out’ a bit visualizing the leave, the race, and the finish.
As the boats come to the start line it’s 3:00 pm. Wild Fire is locked and loaded because Little Blue is most defiantly doing the same.
Each racer leaves on their number. Little Blue squirts out front a half boat on Wild Fire. Grider knows his hands are full and hammers down flogging Wild Fire. As the boats blast down the track. Little Blue is holding and Wild Fire is digg’n at half track. Brando continues chasing Little Blue. Little Blue is relentless, swipes the win light and pops the Champagne.
The Grider team knows they had a tremendous weekend regardless. Little Blue is no Joke and The team was in tough. What would you expect in a field this loaded for nine rounds… a cake walk? not hardly !
The team will move on to the next race, and the next race, and so on. It’s Racing man.
Von Richards