CNS Challenge Cup - Fireworks, Trick or Treat, Tom Hughes Didn't Wreck the Car

October 3, Challenge Cup, the last race of the year. Colorado National Speedway put on a special show for the fans and racers alike with a 100 lap Super Late Model Main, a combined night for Super Stocks and Pure Stocks, Legends, DemoX, Circle Drags, pre-race Trick or Treating with the drivers and teams, and Fireworks! Unfortunately, the Super Late Model main was shortened due to rain, but all other events were a hit.

What a great surprise. Jax wanted to give a little back here at the end of the season, and gave me the car for Challenge Cup! I've had just a few opportunities to run a few laps on Friday hot laps, so I was really stoked to get to run a night in it. With no experience in it, I wasn't expecting a lot - and didn't deliver much, but I had a great time!

I qualified mid-pack for the Pure Stocks, but wasn't in that division tonight. Oh boy, last spot on the Super Stock board...

The dash was fun, got a lesson on getting beat out of the corners, but it was great to run in some traffic when I could hang with them. The main was where it was at, starting mid-pack in a 29 car field. I held on high, held on low and kept trying to keep up. Cars were high, low, front, back, three wide, four wide. I spent a lot of time looking at Joseph Mares' 84M driver's door as he came out of the corners a little more sideways each lap and my smile got bigger and bigger - but I never got by him. I finished 21 over all, 14th in the Super Stocks. It was a ton of fun, a great race with just one yellow - great job by all. Congratulations to Levi Greenly on the win - glad you could make it back for this race. Michael Cox, Chris Cox, Robert Davey, and Brian Yackey rounded out the top 5. Pure Stocks found our best friend at CNS at the top of the scoring pylon - Joe Mares, Jr.! Congratulations, buddy! Mike Mathiesen was a hot-shoe (boot) second, followed by Jamie Ward, Sean Smith, and Matt Sowash finishing 3-4-5 in the Pure Stocks.

Thanks to Jax for the chance to run it, thanks to all of our friends and help, and thanks to Colorado National Speedway and all of the great race fans in this spectacular 50th year of racing! (the track, not me...)