Special to teamvlr.com by JFR_Jim
KOKOMO, INDIANA (March 18, 2012)- Race number five of the VLR tour headed northeast east from Knoxville, Iowa to Kokomo, Indiana for the Kokomo Klash this past Sunday. Thirty-nine drivers signed in at the front desk at the famed Kokomo Speedway. A very tight points battle was the main topic of discussion on this warmer than usual March night. VLR_JW was the point standings leader coming in to Kokomo followed by VLR_Shock, VLR_Wheel, BLS_BW43, and JFR_Jim.
VLR_Shock was a heavy favorite coming into the race at a track he has dominated recently. Shock was so confident that he guaranteed a victory at the 1/4 mile track. “I've guaranteed to win Kokomo Sunday. I didn't want to do it but I felt I had to. With that said, if I do not win and winner wins cleanly, I will run around in the streets of Kokomo naked until the cops tackle and arrest me.” Needless to say, many drivers and fans were cheering for Shock to win so they wouldn't bear witness to the site of Shock naked.
VLR_Shock started off strong by taking the pole position with a lap of 11.56, and his guarantee was looking more and more possible. VLR_JW was 2nd, followed by JFR_A2D, BLW_BW43, and JFR_Jim. VLR_Shock was ecstatic to win the Elwood Haynes Museum Pole Award.
Shock will get free tickets to the museum for life and he gets to take a unique automobile home for free. “This is sweet, thanks for the museum coming on board for this pole awards. I look forward to cruising the streets naked in my new car and I can’t wait to check out the museum tomorrow and bring the car back to Tennessee to show my friend, um, um, uhhhhh, never mind.”
Event coordinator VLR_Wheel went off to the VLR hauler and made up lineups for heat race action, which consisted of 4 races with the top two drivers going to the amain, and the rest to C or B mains.
Heat one action saw VLR_Shock and JFR_Jim transfer straight through to the A main. Heat two transferred WFO_x59 and JFR_Woods. Fans witnessed JFR_A2D and XCR_T92 take the top two spots, and BLS_43 and IFRT_OCF took their cars straight to amain action from heat 4.
Two different C mains were on tap, and only the winners transferred to the tail of the B mains. DS5 took the C Main 1 victory, and C2 saw point’s leader VLR_JW take home top honors, as he looked to overcome his dismal heat race finish.
One B main was set to take the track, and the top two finishers transferred to the A main. BLS_Jsn and VLR_Mcgee ended up taking the transfer spots after VLR_Wheel gave up the spot after rough driving. VLR_18's bid for a seventh straight championship is almost out the window after his third finish of 7th or worse this season in five race. It's ironic that his chase for a title may end in season 18.
After crazy B main action and position swapping, the field was set for the 70 lap Kokomo Klash. While the parade laps were going on the packed house was going wild since one of their local heroes was in the feature. BLS_Jason was acting all goonish after making an amain at his home track, after previous struggles at him home track in recent races. Rumor has it that VLR officials allowed Jason 50 extra horsepower in order to get more fans to show up to see their hometown hero in the feature event.
Also during the parade laps, VLR_Wheel, who missed his 1st VLR amain since November 2008 at Georgetown, came up with terrible format ideas for the next VLR season. Let’s hope it’s another four years before he misses an amain, because one bad idea from him every four years is enough.
Front row starters VLR_Shock and JFR_A2D set a torrid pace in the first few laps despite running side-by-side the whole time. Shock ran the momentous top side, while Las Vegas, Nevada driver A2d stuck his car right on the bottom groove. Shock eventually prevailed on lap 15, and immediately began to pull away.
Once Shock got away from A2D, JFR_Jim and BLS_43 heavily pursued A2d. Jim snuck by A2d around lap 17, and A2D followed in Jim’s tracks for the next 20 laps. A2d then slipped by Jim again for 2nd before a late race restart. While the JFR teammates battled, BW stalked their tracks waiting for each to make a mistake, but that never happened as A2D and Jim ran clean for the first 53 green flag laps.
Behind Jim, A2d, and BW, another epic battle was developing for fifth place. Rainman ran in his own little bubble before IFRT_OCF slowly reeled him in. OCF put heavy pressure on Rainman before the caution came out. After the caution, OCF was able to sneak by Rain, but Rain captured 5th place back in the final circuits.
VLR_Mcgee was behind OCF for the majority of the race, but could never get to his bumper and challenge in the long run. BLS_Jason also ran in his own bubble for most of the race, along with XCR_T92. JFR_Woods had mechanical problems early in the race, but got his car back together for the 17 lap dash to the finish.
On lap 53, XCR_T92 went up in smoke and blew up his race engine, causing fluid to be leak all over the flat quarter mile. Cleanup crews cleaned up the track in an efficient manner with 14 boxes of Tide, and action continued with a 17 lap dash to the finish.
Shock’s feelings on late race restarts, “I was just cruising out there with a very safe lead, just hoping that no caution would fly, or my motor wouldn’t blow on me after a very long race. It was the worst feeling hearing the flagman yell caution, caution, caution, because anything can happen on these short dashes to the finish.”
A2D took some jabs at Shock before the restart. "I'll beat his little on the restart. He got out there the first time but I'm gonna rough him up more this time."
Race vehicles were lined up in Delaware double file format with Shock on the front row by himself, and A2d and Jim in row two. Shock got a heck of a start and gave nobody a chance to rough him up for a bump and run finish. JFR_Jim followed in 2nd place after A2D lost power on the last lap while running in 2nd place, but he was able to coast to the finish line in 3rd.
BLS_BW ran a super consistent race to finish in fourth place, followed by Rain to round out the top five after a intense race to get by OCF who crossed the stripe in 6th. Ole Slider McGee ran in 7th all race and finished there, followed by BLS_Jsn (his car was impounded after making 2 consecutive mains at VLR), JFR_Woods finished 9th after a very frustrating amain, and rounding out the 10 car amain was XCR_T92 with a DNF after his motor fell 17 laps of the finish.
VLR_Shock was pumped about his win, but more excited that he didn’t have to run around the streets of Kokomo naked. “I am glad I won, it would have been hell being naked in Kokomo. I can’t imagine this place being a good place to live with crazy potheads like BLS_Jsn around. I'da been shot and eaten like a wild deer. Speaking of Jason, good job to him on his amain appearance and I’d like to thank JFR_A2d for running me very clean the first fifteen laps. It was a very intense start but I was able to pull away and get some breathing room.”
Second place finisher JFR_Jim was just as happy as Shock, “This place is friggin awesome, what an awesome racing place, it was a blast running with JFR_A2d. It’s too bad I am getting kicked off the team when A2d baby’s is born and JFR transitions to Just Father’s Racing. We ran great together, we even let each other ago a couple of times to see if one of us had anything for Shock, but he was just too damn good.”
JFR_A2d ran 2nd or 3rd all night and was glad to see JFR be a force in Kokomo tonight, “Had a very good run early with Shock, and then nose to tail all race long with Jim. It was a great night for all of us at JFR too; Woods had a strong run all night until issues or something in the amain, along with JFR17 and JFR Duster just missing the amain in a very tough racing environment."
We also gave BLS_Jsn an interview to please the home town fans and to hear if he would announce a retirement again.
We asked Jason on his night and his thoughts. “I like girls, I like beer, I like weed. I'm gonna go to the Hoosier Bar on Morgan Street, and get drunk. It’s all on me. Would someone also punch that punkass Woods, he driving all over the place like a monkey at the end. I like flowers. I tell ya what, f**kin JFR*Woods is a little bitch. He's 28 laps down and wrecks the shit out of my Valvoline car. I better get his spot. The fans didn't pay to see me finish ninth, they paid to see me finish eighth, dammit!”
VLR’s biggest fan and longtime supporter Bubba T. Bass also stopped by for his thoughts after watching from his pond in turn 3. “Hell yeah {Spits skoal on ground}, another big shot wins. I love the big dogs, but damn, what the f*ck is Wheel doing giving up spots to McGee? I mean come one man, Wheel’s a big dog, and he can do what he wants. And also Jay-Dubya. Where the f*ck was he? Enough of these little trains that could? I pay to watch the big dogs of DTR2 run, not slowasses like Jim, OCF, McGee, and T92 run these amains. That’s all I got homey’s {Spits skoal in kid’s face and walks away}. If them guys are in the a main and JW and 18 ain't sumtins wrong."
Points were shaken up dramatically as points leader JW and 3rd place Wheel finished 18th and 17th, respectively. Shock inherited the point lead, at 191 points, with JW 14 points behind, then BW 19 back, Wheel 22 points back, and Jim 25 back.
The first half of the season will conclude next week at OCFS 2k12 Slick. Tune in to see if Shock can extend the points lead, or will JW and Wheel claw back into action, and will Jmac stay perfect in amain attendance at his home track? We all know nothing is impossible, because Shock has had epic points collapses in the past and will most likely choke again before the season ends. Also fan favorite TXR_Rowdy is expected to attend at OCFS for no damn reason other than to cause trouble and raise hell.