Andy Seuss started the 100-lap True Value Modified Racing Series event at Waterford Speedbowl (CT) from the very back of the pack after a last minute decision to enter the race. The Seuss team arrived to the track late and only had a few laps of practice, but that didn't slow them down at all. Seuss started 26th and moved into the top 10 within the first 30 laps of the race.
“We had a really awesome car, the best car that I have ever had here,” said Seuss. “We actually have always had good cars here, but haven't had any good luck. But it really showed tonight when we started last and by lap 35 we found ourselves up in fifth. It was not from just riding around, we were real fast. The car stayed there all night long.”
From there Seuss continued to go forward until lap 73 when Andy's car slowed on the track and he pulled into the infield while running in fifth. A fuel issue for the #70 Modified may have caused the team a top five finish or even a win.
“The cautions really killed us,” said Seuss. “We put in the same amount of fuel as we have done for the last four years here and we ran out of gas. There were a lot of cautions and a lot of hard racing.”
On lap 78, a caution allowed the Seuss car to get a push to the pits for gas. Waiting for a caution for five laps really set back Andy's run on the field back. The team feverously worked to get the car back out but only to find out that they had to wait for another caution for officials to let them back on the track.
“They would not let us come back out on the green. We had to wait for a caution to go back out.”
On lap 97, a caution finally came and the Rockingham Boat-Stuart's Automotive car was allowed back out on the track for the last four laps.
“We checked a few things too while we were in to make sure that it was not the motor. That was why I wanted to get back out and run those last few laps to make sure that the motor was ready for next week and the 150-lap showdown at All Star Speedway.”
Racing in this week's TVMRS event was not something that the #70 team had planned on doing. The team came home from work mid-afternoon Saturday, reset the car for TVMRS racing and headed south from New Hampshire to Connecticut to race. The team had originally planned on going to All-Star Speedway in Epping, NH for their weekly Modified show, until rain cancelled Saturday nights racing.
“We intended to run at Star Speedway to get ready for next week's race. I was at work. I did not get out until 2:00 PM. When they said that the race (All-Star) was cancelled and it was going to rain down here, we kind of figured it would get cancelled.”
Waterford's weather held out and the Seuss team decided to go where there was racing. “I was kind of taking my time getting out of work and they said come on home we need to get the car loaded. We had to change the car to get a few things ready for True Value rules.”
Even though the Seuss team arrived at Waterford Speedbowl according
to the schedule to make the first heat race, they were out of luck. The
decision had been made to move the modified heat races up a half hour.
So as the Seuss hauler pulled on to the pit road entrance they were met
head on with the True Value cars as they were lined up to go out on the
track. The team scurried but they missed their heat race qualifying and
started at the back of the pack since all twenty-six cars started the race.
“We did not even get to scale it (the car) today. It was real good out of
the box. We had it scaled for the American Racer Tires yesterday but
we never got to scale with these Hoosiers. We mad one small
adjustment after we scuffed the tires and the car was really good.”
Andy summarized his thoughts on Waterford's first TVMRS race of the
season.
“There was not enough give and take that I would like to see. We came out on the short stick after I was up next to some body that pushed me up into the wall pretty good. After that the car was not the same. It was not our race but they know we were here and we have fast race car to go to Star next weekend.”
