Can We Go Racing Again? (ft. Dalton Pipgras)

So many changes recently in my life, but one thing doesn't change, my love for racing. We are back in action this Friday night at Tri-City Motor Speedway. Michigan's best lightning sprints are going at it non-points style. Just for fun.

Tune in to hear me and Dalton break down the past month including, Dalton's return to the site of his first win: Ionia County Fairgrounds.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

From the fast lane to the pit lane, we got you covered for all things racing, where every lap is a chance to make history. With some of the talents you may know and some trying to make a name. This is Fourth and Rect. And I'm your host, Matthew Rieger. Hello, everybody. My name is Matthew Rieger, and it has been a long time for me to post a podcast. We'll get into it more just a little bit later in this episode, but today's episode is sponsored by ARS Automotive. Tell me if this sounds like you. Check engine light is on, oil light is on, you hear some knocking noise, and you've got an electrical problem. Have I caught your attention yet? If you have any of these problems, and maybe more, maybe you want it fixed. ARS Automotive is a place for you. Arlie Cooper Jr. is a certified tech based out of northern Michigan who will help you out with your car problem. If you want to schedule an appointment, call ARS Automotive at 231-357-2835. Again, that's 231-357-2835. And for all you first-time customers, if you let Arlie over at ARS Automotive know that you heard about ARS from Fourth and Rect, then my dude is going to give you $25 off your first service with ARS Automotive. And he's helped me out in a pinch. So don't think he doesn't know what he's talking about because he's been doing it for a long time. I've had so many life changes, but the person that we got on the podcast, you guys know him well. He was my co-host, the driver in the Motor City Sign Works, Rhino Lightings of Michigan, H H Powder Growing, Sprint Prink Inc. Auto Value of Fenton Pipgrass Outdoor Services, number 76. Welcome to the podcast, Mr. Sponsor, Dalton Pipgrass.

SPEAKER_02 2:01

Hey, thank you for having me, Matthew. It's great to be back on here.

SPEAKER_01 2:05

Dude, it is great to have you back on. So now you dad can't yell at me anymore. When are you gonna have my son on? Give me a second. I gotta I planned this out actually. Planned it out that I was gonna have you back on the I uh after the Ionia race, just because you know you won there first. So I want to get your thoughts on like how was it? Was it any better running it the second time than the first time? You know what your thoughts were. So man, it's just I I really can't I can't think of it. You know, I really haven't posted in a long time. Uh the last podcast we had was with Thomas Meserall. If you guys hadn't a chance to look listen to that, uh this is just just the previous episode is on my Facebook page, Fourth and Rect. But yeah, I mean the last points race, me and Dalton were just talking about this, was July 3rd. And the next points race that we are going to house is at Mill Stream Speedway on August 14th. We got two non-points races. They were added in uh after the schedule had already been released. Things got switched around. It's been crazy. So, first of all, Dalton, I'm gonna ask you enough of me rambling, how you doing, dude?

SPEAKER_02 3:12

Man, we're we're doing good. We're hanging in there. Just ready to go back racing, like you said, it has been forever. And just ready to get back into it, man.

SPEAKER_01 3:22

It has been forever. And I'm gonna be honest, Dalton's gotta get up at four o'clock in the morning. Uh, just everybody shout your prayers out. Get your uh do whatever you can. We want Dalton to make tomorrow's race. So we're still, you know, he's still up in the air about it. So I'm really hoping to see you tomorrow. I really am. But if I don't, I will see you in Ohio next.

SPEAKER_02 3:45

Man, I'm I'm really hoping to make it tomorrow. It's you know, I I tried getting the day off of work, but I can't get them all right.

SPEAKER_01 3:53

Yeah, and but I will tell you the good thing about this one is that uh it's a non-points race.

SPEAKER_02 3:59

Yeah, that's uh that's the one good thing about it. Um I've been debating calling off, but with it being a non-points race, I didn't want to get in trouble with my work and potentially lose that as well. So sticking it out.

SPEAKER_01 4:14

Yeah, seriously. Definitely uh sticking it out is the uh the place to say. And you're doing pretty solid in points. You're about uh fifth in points. Um with the news of Jacob Shebayant not making the rest of the season or having a part-time schedule for the rest of the season, um, you're about a race worth of points ahead of him. So the next guy you'd be worried about is Chad Kali. And um unless he tries to pull a silver bullet and tries to jump you, um, I think we should be good.

SPEAKER_02 4:43

We call him the leap fraud for a reason. He keeps me on my toe.

SPEAKER_01 4:46

Yeah, seriously. Just hopefully he can jump you in points, right? That's uh that's the jumping that Chad wants.

SPEAKER_03 4:52

Hey, hey, hey.

SPEAKER_01 4:54

I'm I'm throwing it out there. I'm throwing it out there. I mean, I haven't been on this podcast for a while, so we're just gonna start some beef. So let's start this uh Chad Collie Dol and Pipgrass beef up again.

SPEAKER_02 5:09

Man, you you're a bad influence on me, Matthew.

SPEAKER_01 5:11

The beef we didn't know we needed for the lightning sprints. No, seriously, it's um it's seriously good to be back. Um I I've been I've had so many life changes. So July 3rd was a great weekend. Did we even no, I didn't even recap Mount Pleasant. Let's go back. Let's recap Mount Pleasant um just for a little bit. Are you alright doing that?

SPEAKER_02 5:39

Yeah, if I if I can remember.

SPEAKER_01 5:41

Okay. Well, uh I'm gonna pull this up so we can uh jog our memory a little bit. So we had 14 cars. Bill Dunham went at the top of qualifying. Bill won heat race number one. Grayson Thompson won heat race too. Okay, so now memories jogged. Uh, this was a race that Grayson and Justin were literally like white on race with each other, the entire race. Like it was not I wish I was kidding. It was a close race.

SPEAKER_02 6:19

Not that uh you're talking about, I think I do I do remember it a little bit. It's coming back to me.

SPEAKER_01 6:24

Yeah, Grayson was all over Justin. And I will tell you, if Justin gets to the front, I'm not saying this as like trying to be a fan, or if Justin gets to the front, you ain't be gonna pass him. Right? The only way you're gonna pass Justin is if I don't know, by some sheer miracle. Because I don't have you ever seen Justin out front lose the lead? Probably he probably has, right? Jake won nine times in 24, so yes.

SPEAKER_02 7:00

You know, we're all human, right?

SPEAKER_01 7:02

Well, yeah, I'm just saying, like uh out of the races so far this season, you know, Justin, if he's out front, you're not getting him. You know?

SPEAKER_02 7:11

Oh yeah, Justin is no if, ands, or buts. He is quick. There's no denying that.

SPEAKER_01 7:17

No, not not at all. No denying that. But uh, yep, he ended up uh picking up is that feature win number five? Am I calling that right? I gotta pull up my stats. It's been forever.

SPEAKER_03 7:32

You're off your game a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 7:34

I am one, two, three, four. Nope, that's feature win. No, yeah, feature win number four. Uh, but he did break the all-time uh win list. Uh not finally knocked down Cascadin. Um it only took him a little bit, but we got a new champ up top.

SPEAKER_02 7:57

This is where you gotta insert the uh audio clip of the audience clapping.

SPEAKER_01 8:02

Yeah. Or you want to just clap right now?

SPEAKER_02 8:05

Hey.

SPEAKER_01 8:07

Way to go, Justin to the top. He is at 20 wins. Brendan Cascaden. Oh no. Is at 19. 19 wins. Actually, now I'm now I'm second guessing myself. See, this is what happens. I'm off my game. I am off my game. All right, let's let's be honest. Okay, so let's roll back a little bit. So we had the double, the the race at Mount Pleasant. You're gonna um everybody's gonna understand why my brain is so shot. We had the race on July 3rd. Wonderful weekend. Me and my wife and uh my stepson Zakari. We had a wonderful weekend there. And then the following weekend, it was off weekend. Then the following weekend it was supposed to be a doubleheader on the 16th and the 17th. Uh, the 16th ended up getting moved to the 23rd, which was Ionia, and then Friday, the 17th, was supposed to be Tri-City. That was supposed to be our next points race date. Uh, but 90% of my listeners are out of Michigan. So everybody knows what happened during like the 15th, 16th, 17th, the Canadian wildfires kind of blew up and the air quality got super terrible. So they canceled the race. Uh, but after they canceled the race, a couple of our drivers, a couple of fans, Sheila, um got together and were like, hey, what if we just reschedule the race? Guess what, Dalton?

SPEAKER_02 9:31

They rescheduled it.

SPEAKER_01 9:32

They rescheduled the race. See, this guy's paying attention. So they rescheduled the race. So then the week after, went to the Ionia County Fairgrounds on the 23rd. The 24th, um, a lot of you guys may know. Um, me and my wife, uh, she's expecting, and the 24th is when she was gonna go to the hospital and start, you know, getting deuced for labor. So the 24th. So I wasn't gonna go to the race on the 23rd and try to make it back at 6 o'clock in the morning for the 24th. So I skipped Ionia, and my baby was born at 3 44 in the morning on Saturday. So Christmas in July, baby. Really happy about that. Uh, her name is Evelyn. Evelyn. And so, so happy to have her. So, yes, my brain is completely shocked because I have baby brain. Would you would that be a fair assumption?

SPEAKER_03 10:31

I think, yeah, you know, I think that's fair.

SPEAKER_01 10:34

All the parents in here are gonna listen to this and be like, ah, that makes sense. Because it does.

SPEAKER_02 10:39

Get order this guy.

SPEAKER_01 10:41

Seriously. No, but um, and then the following week, I was gonna take off because I spent it out with my wife, took a week off of work, spending my wife's kids, and they canceled it because of rain. So wild month of July, to say the least.

SPEAKER_03 11:01

But we got our rescheduled Tri-City race. Excited? Dude, I'm I'm excited.

SPEAKER_02 11:11

I want to get back in the car. I feel like it has been forever with all the races being canceled, and it's just oh man. It doesn't feel like we've had many races in the past month, which I guess really we haven't, but I'm just I wanna get back, I'm eager. I'm eager to get back in.

SPEAKER_01 11:32

It feels like the offseason. I haven't seen you guys in over a month. It's starting to wear on me.

SPEAKER_02 11:37

It has been quite a while.

SPEAKER_01 11:40

It seriously has. I literally haven't seen any drivers in like over a month. Nobody. Now I've been keeping up with a couple of drivers, but I haven't seen anybody in a while. Speaking of keeping up with drivers, there's three drivers that um just about called the 2026 season of quits. Uh Jacob Shabai, I don't know if he wants to be telling any of his business, but he's gonna step away for a little bit. He said he might make one or two races coming the rest of the season. Uh, then we got Kevin Millen. Kevin's been driving problems into his car. I don't know what's going on with uh that group, uh, but I'm gonna catch up with them, see if I can talk to them, see what's going on with them. But Kevin Millen, he's out and Jerry Napier. Uh it's he blew up his car at the Ionia uh at Ionia. So three cars already down and a non-points race coming up this Friday. So hopefully we get a good car count for Tri-City. Tri-City is one of my uh better tracks. I enjoy that one. So really excited.

SPEAKER_02 12:50

Man, I'm hoping for a good car count, especially with three of us dropping out now. It's it's just sad to see, you know, we want everyone to be able to go the whole season and stay in it. So it's just it sucks to see all that, man.

SPEAKER_01 13:03

Yeah, absolutely. And it definitely does, you know, because we want to have great car counts, we want to see everybody, we want to enjoy all the races, we want to do all the stuff, but you know, I mean it's life. You know.

SPEAKER_03 13:20

Like I said, the best quote I think racing racing.

SPEAKER_01 13:23

Well, yeah, the best quote. If you ever want to make a million racing, you gotta start with two.

SPEAKER_02 13:30

And ain't that the truth?

SPEAKER_01 13:31

That's the name of the game, you heard. But like I said, Tri-City coming up this weekend, so hopefully. I'm excited. Excited. So let's go, let's go back up just a little bit. The Iona County Fairgrounds. I was falling at just a little bit. So I know you were.

SPEAKER_03 13:54

You missed out on a good time not being there.

SPEAKER_01 13:58

I'm gonna be honest. At that moment in time, my wife mattered more than anything. So sorry.

SPEAKER_03 14:05

I respect that.

SPEAKER_01 14:07

Yeah. As much as I as much as I like race cars, I race cars don't talk back to me.

SPEAKER_03 14:18

The race cars won't force you to sleep on the floor.

SPEAKER_01 14:21

No. The floor's worse than the couch. Yeah, but race cars are only I'm not gonna debate this. Like I said, I am mentally here. Oh no, I'm not. I'm physically here, not mentally here. Not at all.

SPEAKER_02 14:47

Just gotta get back into the flow of things.

SPEAKER_01 14:50

I'm gonna really try. I'm really gonna try. It's gonna be tough though, these next couple weeks, um, putting out episodes just because two kids, wife, wife, yeah, wife, two kids, job. There's a lot, a lot going on. So for everybody listening, just bear with me the next couple um next couple weeks and um like I said, we'll get the ball rolling. But uh it'll be alright. You know what I'm saying? Shirts. I will be picking up my shirts tomorrow, bringing them to the racetrack. So if the people that are listening that wanted to get some shirts from me, um come see me. I got your shirts. I'll have them tomorrow. I will. Have you ever gone to the racetrack and you saw a paint scheme that you fell in love with? Well, look no further than DCR Graphics. For all your graphic designs, from wraps to banners to stickers, hats, die casts, hoodies, shirts, and even flags, turn to DCR Graphics. Find DCR Graphics on Facebook or by calling 419-308-9523. DCR Graphics has helped me out. If you see my fourth and ranked logo, the longer version, that's DCR Graphics. He made that. The stickers, DCR Graphics, he made that. DCR Graphics has definitely been helping out. His name's Dale. Dale Cole Jr. So if you want to call him, let him know, hey, you know a Dale Jr.

unknown 16:28

now.

SPEAKER_01 16:30

If you're looking to get into the Great Lakes Lightning Sprints and you need a fast car, look no further than JWR Speed Shop. JW Speed Shop is back and board in 2026, wants to help you get to racing with us. If you want a car, contact Justin Ward at 231-383-0947. Justin is a man to talk to for everything. Lightning Sprints and everything, JWR Speed Shop. And while I'm talking about it, if you look up on Facebook, Ward Racing, Justin Ashley Ward, uh, their Facebook page. A lot of people have a lot of stuff up for sale. Justin's got his trailer up for sale. He's looking at downsize for next season. Um, Arlie heard word that Arlie might put his stuff up for sale again. I say again because everybody does this every year. Uh, but we still see you back every year. Just saying. Who else has got stuff up for sale? Oh, AJ Thompson. Uh, they got their trailer for sale. Um, it's won a lot of races. At least in the go-karting side of things. Almost lightning sprint side of things. He said the what uh fast qualifier at Silver Bullet beat the track record. Do you hear about that?

SPEAKER_03 17:41

I I I did not hear about that.

SPEAKER_01 17:43

Yeah, Grayson uh broke the track record at Silver Bullet Speedway when we went there for the uh second time. Oh wow. I know. Seriously. Kid's what, 13? 14 almost? Might already turn 14. I'm gonna yell at by his dad or him. I'm gonna really I'm gonna hear about it. I really am. No, but seriously. The um yeah, they got their trailer up for sale. So if you're looking for trailers, if you're looking for I don't think anybody's got their car up for sale yet. And do you know of anybody that's got their car up for sale? You're not on Facebook, why am I asking you?

SPEAKER_02 18:26

No, I'm not on Facebook, but uh not that I heard of.

SPEAKER_01 18:30

Which is surprising you're not on Facebook. Why?

SPEAKER_02 18:35

Hey, I I'm not I'm not old enough for Facebook yet.

SPEAKER_01 18:38

You're not old enough for Facebook? No, no offense, no offense. Facebook was the first uh social media that I ever had in my life. Got in what, 15, 2015, 2014? No, I got it in 15, 2015. So it's what, 13, 12, 1213? Yeah, I got Facebook, Grayson's over here winning races. I'm like, what the heck?

SPEAKER_03 19:05

Different milestones, different milestones. Seriously.

SPEAKER_01 19:10

Seriously. That's crazy though, just to think about. So, anyways, let's go back to um let's go back to Ionia. How so how did Ionia go for you guys? Like, what was the feel of it, you know, going from last year to this year? Did anything change? Did that feel different? I mean, I wasn't there, so what what was it like?

SPEAKER_02 19:37

Yeah, I mean, um, well, first thing we noticed is they did some more work on the track, mid-corners wider, didn't did a few other things to it. Um, so it looked different, changed the feel of everything around there. And they, I mean, even when we were there, they continued to work on that track all day long just to make it perfect for us.

SPEAKER_01 19:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:59

But um, we were, I mean, everyone was excited to be back at the fair. It's a fun environment to race in and just just a great time, honestly. Having all that in the background, all the people there watching was really cool. You know, fair food, can't go wrong with that.

SPEAKER_01 20:15

Stop. I've been wanting fried dough for so long. Crystals fried dough does not satisfy my fried dough craving.

SPEAKER_02 20:25

Let me tell you that, dude. You missed out on some really good fried dough there.

SPEAKER_01 20:29

I know, so stop telling me about it because I don't want to hear about it. Our fair's coming up soon, alright? Gotta be patient, man.

SPEAKER_02 20:40

No, but uh we were all you know, we're all excited to be back at the fair. Just a great environment to be back in. Um we went out for qualifying, we're trying some new things with the gearing and all that, and found out our our gearing was a little too small for the track. So we we had to bump that up a bit. But um after, you know, I had to start back in the back of the heat, made our way back up to third. So we were we were happy with that. Just getting back up there, made second in the redraw and was just trying to hold on to positions the whole race and just have a good time.

SPEAKER_01 21:16

Better say it looks like uh you guys went 12th and qualifying 19.058. Um, I really thought the track record was gonna get broken by one of our former regulars, but for those of you that didn't know, uh Great Lake Super Sprint Drivers Max Stanbaugh and Dustin Daggett um jumped in some cars. Uh Max jumped in uh Justin's backup and Dustin Daggett jumped into LCA Motorsports car. So be honest, they waxed you guys. Sorry.

SPEAKER_02 21:51

Don't need to rub it in, man.

SPEAKER_01 21:53

No, I don't I don't know. I don't okay. Maybe that was the wrong thing to say, but they they went one too.

SPEAKER_02 22:01

They did, and they're they're fierce competitors, they are fast. And again, there's no doubt about that with them either.

SPEAKER_01 22:07

No, and no doubt about that. Because here's the thing, they've been racing like bigger cars, right? So you jump in those uh it's uh like can you imagine? For those of my NASCAR fans, I like to relate a lot of things to NASCAR. So, first number one, I wanted to relate Ionia County Fairgrounds to Martinsville Speedway. That's the best way to put it. Would you say so? Dalton?

SPEAKER_02 22:26

Um, you know what? I wouldn't know.

SPEAKER_01 22:28

He took man. All right. I need a new co-host, I need Dalton out of here.

unknown 22:36

Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_01 22:37

No, I'm just kidding. No, so Martinsville, like you go down the front straightaway, and then you gotta slow all the way down to make the corner. It's literally like very tight turns. So would you say that? Very tight turns compared to what we race.

SPEAKER_02 22:53

Yeah, you know, compared to what we normally race, I would I would say it's more like that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:57

Do you use do you use brake at Ionia?

SPEAKER_02 23:00

Oh, yeah, definitely. I have to there.

SPEAKER_01 23:02

Okay, for sure. So do you use brake at crystal?

SPEAKER_02 23:07

Uh crystal, just a moment to set the car, but not much. Just a little top of it.

SPEAKER_01 23:13

So this is what I'm talking about. So for Bristol Motor Speedway, that's what I would relate to Crystal Motor Speedway. Yes, surprisingly. They're so close. They sound like almost exactly similar. Um, but you can only need a little bit of brake, set the car, you're doing great. Ioni County Fairgrounds, I'd relate it to Martinsville. You're going on the front straightaway, then you got to use a lot of brakes to get through the corners. You know what I'm saying? So, did it fare any better with them widening out the corners? Because I know that when we first went there last year, um, getting around traffic was I wouldn't say awful, if you would say. I would say it was very difficult for the drivers that don't really have experience.

SPEAKER_02 24:01

Yeah, and uh them winding out the corners definitely made it a lot easier. More of a two-lane track than last year for sure. Now, was it still really good battles?

SPEAKER_01 24:11

Was it still bottom side of the racetrack, or could you find a little bit more speed maybe up top? Or I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 24:21

You know, for the most part, I believe, you know, I I could only see what I was doing. Um, I was trying to run more bottom. That's just where the car felt better, but we could definitely find something higher up the track as well.

SPEAKER_01 24:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:38

So it wasn't just strictly running the bottom.

SPEAKER_01 24:43

Okay. Like I said, I I wasn't there, so I was checking in with qualifying. I was pretending to call qualifying. Um, I didn't realize you guys said practice too. Because I was looking at it and I was like, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. And then everybody was done, and I'm like, why have they gone out five at a time for qualifying? I was like, this is and I was like, oh, that's practice. Had no idea. But yeah, I was following along. Yeah. How did so did that help? Because I know last year when you guys did hot laps, I think you had like two or three this year. You guys had like five, six, seven, it up to like ten laps of hot laughing last year. Did they give you a lot this year?

SPEAKER_02 25:27

Yeah, we I don't know how many we did, but we did quite a few hot laps.

SPEAKER_01 25:33

Now, did uh did the racing fare better than better than last year?

SPEAKER_02 25:40

Oh, yeah, definitely. Um, there were a lot of different battles going on throughout the whole race, and I think like it was fairly close throughout the whole pack, so it was very nice to see that. And we definitely put on a show out there.

SPEAKER_01 25:55

That's great. That's so great. That's really good for you for uh to hear, you know what I'm saying? Because you guys that's what we're looking for in racing, you know, is the battles. Because not gonna lie, first time we ever went to Butler, or that I ever went to Butler, it was like Jake dusted the field, you know. He was out front, so he was he was gone, you know what I'm saying? So to have racing involved, like do you guys remember the championship race at Crystal Motor Speedway? Y'all three were going at it, dodging, weaving in out of lap cars, you Arlie and Justin.

SPEAKER_02 26:34

Yeah, that was that was an amazing race.

SPEAKER_01 26:37

That was probably one of the best races I've ever called. Um, besides the one that merit race, do you remember that? Oh, that merit race last year. That was incredible. Incredible. The one where uh Justin Arlie were like literally, we were like green flag, flag to flag. Took us like six minutes to complete our feature.

SPEAKER_02 26:57

Yeah, that was that was a quick and fun race. I believe uh was that the one where lost the brakes? Yes, yeah, okay, yeah. I'm I'm remembering that.

SPEAKER_01 27:07

He's like, Yep, I remembered. Stop reminding me. Let's not mention that one anymore. No, seriously, um, it's good that you guys came able to get uh pretty racy, you know what I'm saying? Like I said, I didn't see any videos, I didn't see nothing about it, so I'm just taking your word for it. So but that's good uh from a driver perspective, uh that it is it was a little bit more racy, um, because that's what you're looking for, you know.

SPEAKER_02 27:33

Oh yeah, exactly. And it was a lot of fun being back there. Honestly, it might have it might have been more fun the second time being out there, just with how many more battles there were from a racing perspective. So I mean it was just it was a fun night.

SPEAKER_01 27:47

Yeah, absolutely. Now I'm looking here, said you started what second?

SPEAKER_02 27:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:56

Dropped all the way to ninth.

SPEAKER_02 27:59

You wanna Yeah, we uh we had a little mishap during during the race to say the least. Um coming in, it was it was a pretty dusty track with everyone being that close and everything. So coming into one and two, there was a tractor tire kicked out in the middle of the track, and uh didn't see until a little too late. Hit it a little bit, knocked our steering out of alignment a bit. So that uh that sent us to the back, to say the least.

SPEAKER_01 28:28

The defending race winner at the Iona County Ferry Runs. Dang. I was really pulling for you guys. I really was just because that uh I mean you've won there before, so you got uh a little bit of experience knowing how to win there, you know what I'm saying? That didn't make any sense, but I'm gonna roll with it. Um that really no, seriously, that really sucks for you guys.

SPEAKER_02 28:56

Hey, I mean, we we were really trying, and we we still had a fun night. We didn't damage anything on the car, just knocked it out of the alignment a little bit. So it was just it was a great night.

SPEAKER_01 29:07

Oh, I bet. I bet. Still got a top ten, though.

SPEAKER_03 29:13

W I still got a top ten. I'm happy for that.

SPEAKER_01 29:17

Seriously. Uh man. I am uh like I said, I'm excited, a little tired myself. I don't I really hope I'm gonna be alright tomorrow. Cause I'm we do feeds, so I gotta feed her at 3 o'clock, then I gotta go to work at be at work at 6, get off at 1, drive to the track, do all the stuff, get home by 3 o'clock in the morning, and then I have another feed, and then I can go to bed. It's gonna be rough.

SPEAKER_02 29:52

It will definitely be an eventful day for you, but you know, once you get in that booth, I think it'll be you like riding the bike, it'll come right back to you.

SPEAKER_01 30:00

I know, like I said, I haven't announced in a while. I'm not making things up, am I?

SPEAKER_00 30:17

No, no, you heard that?

SPEAKER_01 30:23

I'm like, what was that? I'm awake now. Thank you. Thank you very much. Man, what a way to wake me up. You need another reason to wake up in the morning? Well, I got the place for you. Do I? Do I ever have the place for you? Extreme indoor cart racing and entertainment is the place where you want to wake up and you want to go on your Monday night, Tuesday night, Wednesday night. Heck, if they're open Monday through Saturday, Monday through Sunday, why not go every single day of the week? It's Michigan's largest indoor track with a quarter mile long challenging road course. It's family-owned and operated for over 18 years with 20 arcade games with pool tables. If you're not there for the racing, which I don't know why you'd go there for just pool tables, but if you want to hang out at the pool tables, hang out at the arcade games, go hang out at the arcade games. Plus, we have uh there's private rooms for any birthdays, any parties, any special occasions. It's it's the place for you. Extreme Indoor Cart Racing and Entertainment Center is sponsoring today's episode as well. So if you're looking for a place to go go-karting, your next place to go cart go go-karting, head over to Clyo, Michigan, and it's Extreme Indoor Cart Racing and Entertainment Center, along with a snack bar and drinks for your pleasure. Now, I don't know if they have adult drinks, but if they do, that might be another reason for you to go. But if they don't, don't skip out on the racing, because that's where I would be right now if I lived in Michigan. What do you think, Dalton? Would you be there?

SPEAKER_02 32:32

I would be there.

SPEAKER_01 32:33

I'm gonna be honest. AJ has been been talking to Barry about maybe getting the banquet at the go-kar track. Where where do I sign? Like, where where where do I sign?

SPEAKER_02 32:49

That'd be sweet.

SPEAKER_01 32:51

I really gotta talk to him. Uh you know what? We're gonna I'm gonna see Barry tomorrow. So I'm gonna I'm gonna talk to him. Hey, um Dalton, see if you can get on my level. Do you know the thing I stole from you in last race?

SPEAKER_02 33:12

You mean at the start of July? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:17

Well, um, if you're not there. Uh what a wonderful day.

SPEAKER_02 33:28

I'm passing the torch to you, man.

SPEAKER_01 33:31

Just for today. Just for today. Or just for tomorrow. Just for tomorrow. Just for tomorrow. I'm trusting you. Alright. I got it. You can trust me. Just not on July 3rd. Oh, man. What a year so far it has been. What a year.

SPEAKER_02 33:59

It's been a good year. It feels like it's been a short year, though. It's it's flying by. I know it's August. I'm trying to think. We got how many, five, six more races left?

SPEAKER_01 34:17

We have Tri-City, we have Millstream, we have the doubleheader at Merritt and Millstream, then we have Crystal and Mount Pleasant. So, yeah, six.

SPEAKER_02 34:30

Man, it's crazy to think it's it's already coming to that point.

SPEAKER_01 34:35

Five races left. Still your time to catch the six-time champion. Justin Ward. Only ahead by 21 points over Arle Cooper Jr. Uh, basically, it's the championship uh is between Justin and Arlie, unless they have problems. Bill is 142 out. Chad is 146 out, you're 242 out. So unless Justin and Arlie just decide to skip a race. I'm sorry, Dalton. You're just fighting for third-fourth. Yep, that's the way the cookie crumbles.

SPEAKER_02 35:16

That's the way the cookie crumbles.

SPEAKER_01 35:18

But hey, I will tell you what. Um I'm a huge you guys are gonna hear this all the time. I'm a huge NASCAR fan. Jimmy Johnson in 2066, when he won his seventh championship, uh, Rick Allen was like, make room, Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.

SPEAKER_00 35:36

There's another seven-time champ. Jimmy Johnson's gonna win at homestead, right?

SPEAKER_01 35:46

Oh, we're gonna come to that final lap at Crystal the Championship race.

SPEAKER_00 35:51

Make room, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Jimmy Johnson, there's another seventh time champ, Justin Ward.

SPEAKER_03 36:00

Man, I better hear you saying that.

SPEAKER_01 36:03

And guess what? If we're if the champion championship, I hope is at Crystal. Well, the reason why I say I hope is because Mother Nature is always gonna play a factor. But if it is, I will get that on video and I will Oh man. But I'm not counting Arlie out of it. Arlie's had a wonderful season. So it's between JWR speed shop, Arlie versus Justin. Um, I'm gonna put a poll out, see uh what you guys are thinking, who uh you guys think is gonna go up top. Justin or Arlie. And uh whoever guesses right, and I'll put in a giveaway for like 20 bucks. What do you think about that? Right.

SPEAKER_03 36:43

That's a good idea.

SPEAKER_01 36:44

Or how about I'll do Justin Arlie or an or other? See if anybody picks other.

SPEAKER_02 36:51

Who's this other guy?

SPEAKER_01 36:53

Um anybody else. It's JDBR speed shot versus the field. Seriously. Seriously. But, anyways, I'm gonna let you go. So that way you can go to bed, you can get some sleep, and uh hopefully I'll see you tomorrow. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 37:14

I'm looking forward to it. I'm really hoping to make it tomorrow. I'm I really want to be out there. I'm excited.

SPEAKER_01 37:20

Me too. Me too. One loud shout-out I want to give is to my fellows over there at Pipgrass Racing. Um, just really want to give them a shout-out for everything they do. Uh, offer from Mike, Kim, my good buddy Dalton. What you guys are awesome. You guys really are. I mean, I don't give you guys a shout-out enough. So I just want to say I appreciate all you guys do. Um, you know, helping me give me dri rides to the racetrack. And you guys as coolers always stock full of water and strawberries and you know, helping me out during race day. And you guys are always lifting me up, giving me support. So this is the time I'm gonna take and give a shout out to Pipgrass Racing. So I just want to thank you guys for all that you do.

SPEAKER_02 38:08

Hey, appreciate that, man. And you're always welcome with us, brother. You know that. And we appreciate everything you do, man.

SPEAKER_01 38:14

I know, but I'm also tired of my good not just playing. I'm gonna hear about it. No, seriously. I love it.

SPEAKER_03 38:24

I don't know you're gonna hear about it.

SPEAKER_01 38:26

Oh, I will. Man, like I said, it was good to have you back on for real.

SPEAKER_02 38:34

It is good being back on, man. I appreciate the opportunity to come back here.

SPEAKER_01 38:38

Yeah, deal with me again. Deal with you again. I had to deal with your crazy schedule. No, you gotta deal with mine now. I know. No, it's both of us. So, but anyways, appreciate you, Dalton. Thank you everybody for tuning in. If this has been a wild and crazy episode, I hope it'll it will get better from here on out. Um, just baby brain is really kicking in. Being a newborn dad is something that is new to me. So just give me, give me, cut me a little slack, get your scissors, cut me some slack, and uh hopefully we'll see you at the track soon. So have a good night, Dalton. Have a good night, Matthew. All right, peace out, dude. Peace out, everyone.

SPEAKER_00 39:23

Bye.