Next Race: September 4th Pro Stock and Modified
(Pictured Above: Ryan with a fan during the autograph session.)
Saturday August 22nd: It was nice to see the Pro Stock back out on the track. The team was ready for practice and to adjust the car as needed. After the first practice Ryan was second quick and the car was just a bit loose in the center. Overall Ryan was happy with it. The team made adjustments and waited around to qualify. Ryan would finish 7th in qualifying with an 18.363, with the inversion he would be starting the feature inside row two. Heat heat races started and after the eight laps Ryan finished second but came in to the pits with out any brakes. The team went to work quickly adding more brake fluid and re-bleeding the front brakes. Ryan was ready for the feature. One the first lap the caution would come out as the back of the field piled up on the front stretch. Ryan wasn't involved in the caution, as soon as the track was cleared the race started up again. Earlier adjustments didn't help the car, Ryan fell back a few spots, only to gain a few back before pulling the car into the pits for the night. The team is ready to race again next weekend with both cars!
Friday August 20th: The team finally had the motor back and in the Pro Stock. With a new set up in the Modified it only made sense to bring the cars to the open practice at the track. Ryan felt at home in the Pro Stock taking it out on the track for only a handful a laps. The team learned a lot about the Modified and is ready to race it again on the 28th.
Saturday August 14th: The team was one car short this Saturday as the Pro Stock was left back at the shop. The Modified came to the track looking a bit different, the team made some cosmetic adjustments. The day started slow until the Modifieds were called up to practice around four. Ryan could defiantly feel the changes that the team made to the car. It was also tight. So Ryan pulled back into the pits for the team to make adjustments. He was out again the car came back better but not perfect. The team made more adjustments in anticipation for qualifying. Ryan's fastest qualifying lap was a 17.846, earning him the 6th qualifying posistion. Soon racing time came and Ryan was lined up with the rest of the modifieds to go out for the heat race. Ryan took the fourth place after the eight lap race. After a few more heat races and a short intermission the Modifieds were back out on the track for there feature race. Ryan was holding his own when the #6 of Ben Kleis and Ryan's #76 made contact coming in to turn three. After going back out for a lap Ryan pulled into the pits and remained there. The team is hoping to get the motor for the Pro Stock back and in the car for Saturday's race. With the contact during the feature the team will have a little bending and straightening out to do with the Modified.
Wednesday August 11th: UPDATE!! The team has learned that it is high unlikely that the Pro Stock motor will be ready for this Saturdays race. The team will grace Berlin with just the Modified, which will be looking a bit different, for the forty lap feature. Come cheer on Ryan and the #76 team.
Saturday August 7th: The Pros Stocks joined the ARCA series Saturday. The field was atleast one car short, as the #76 sat alone in the garage Saturday. Them team had engine trouble three weeks ago and is still motor-less. The original thought was that we only needed a new oil pump but when the engine builder looked into it further there was a little more that needed replacement. The team is planning on getting it back this week so we will be ready to race this coming Saturday.
Saturday July 31st: The team was trying some new adjustments on the Modified. Practice Ryan said the car was tight and after a series of adjusting tire pressures and tinkering with the new set up the car was loose. Qualifying came Ryan's best lap was a 17.558 claiming the sixth place. He was happy with how the car was handleing. Without heat races for the night Ryan pulled out on to the track for a scuff session before the feature race of thirty laps. Ryan started forth for the feature. With in the first few laps Ryan seemed to have fallen back a few spots, but it only took a few more to gain a couple some back. Around lap ten the #15 of Billy Shotko got into Ryan coming out of turn four. Ryan was able to avoid a few passing cars, but there was a small amount of damage to the left rear panel. Ryan pulled into the pits and was done for the night. The team will head back to the shop to play a little more with the new adjustments. An update with the Pro Stock motor, upon further investigation there was a bit more broken than just the oil pump but the team is hoping to get it back this week and have the car ready to race Saturday.
Saturday July 20th: UPDATE! The team has pulled the motor form the Pro Stock and sent it to the engine builder. We were happy to learn that the motor didn't blow but we do have to replace the oil pump.
Saturday July 17th: The team was ready for Double duty tonight with both the Modified and Pro Stock. But the last time the Modified had been at the track the power steering cap had come off covering the car in power steering fluid. Once the team got it back to the garage it was power washed clean. The problem with that was the MSD box got filled with water and shorted out, Causing the electric starter to stop working. So the team ended up only having to worry about the Pro Stock. During practice Ryan said the car was tight. So the team adjusted accordingly and got ready for qualifying. Ryan ended up in the seventh position after qualifying was over with an 18.650. As Ryan pulled in he got out of the car saying it was tight in the center, again the team made changes for the heat race. Ryan started fourth in the heat race and would work his way up to first place. The #51 of Weston Jewett was pressuring Ryan as the last few laps came and went but the time ran out for Jewett as Ryan captured the checkered flag still holding the first place. There was no rest for the team as they got the car ready for the feature race where Ryan would be starting on the pole. Starting on the pole Ryan took the lead right away and was able to hold it for fifteen laps before getting a little loose in a corner allowing the #76 of Brian Tillema to get past him. Only a few laps after that Jewett was also able to get by. This put Ryan and the third spot and that was where he stayed for the remainder of the race. As Ryan passed the flag stand while taking the checkered flag he noticed the drop in oil pressure. The team now has to check the motor and hope it didn’t blow.
Saturday July 10th: After a weekend of camping the team was back at the track and ready to race. The new opening time of 1:30pm left the team with a couple extra hours to get ready Saturday morning. But it also meant only one 30 minute practice for the whole day. It was a hectic practice. As Ryan pulled in after a few laps the team realized the car was leaking, after looking under the car a bit the team found that there was a hole in the brake line by the left rear tire. It was a major problem and the team had it fixed in time for Ryan to get a few more laps in during practice. With only one practice per division it was time to head to tech and qualify. Ryan ran a 18.343 and at the end of qualifying that had secured him the seventh position. The inversion was a two not helping Ryan in the least, so he would be starting inside row four in the seventh position. For the heat race he would be starting inside row two in the third position. The heat race went well with Ryan battling with the #40 of Dave Cutler all the way to the finish line to come in second. During the feature the racing was just as intense. After only a handful of laps Ryan and the #6 of Brandon Hermiller made contact coming out of turn two. Ryan and Hermiller were able to keep the cars under control but the #F1 of Randy Veldman drove off the backstretch causing the first yellow of the feature. The last laps were intense as the battle for first continued with #76 of Brian Tillema and #51 of Weston Jewett. The white flag was waved and Ryan was trying his hardest to pass the #33 of Allen Davis. Going down the back stretch both cars were side by side, by Ryan had the inside advantage and was able to drive away from Davis as they entered turns three and four. The checked flag came down with Ryan in the fifth spot, and the team congratulated him as the pushed the car over the scales. Now it back to the garage, with a week to fix a bit of damage to the right front fender but no major changes.
Saturday June 26th: It turned out to be a wonderful day for racing, with blue skies and a breeze. After a few weeks of focusing on the Pro Stock the team was finally able to give the Modified attention. It defiantly wanted some. The first practice Ryan seemed to be out on the track for only a few laps at a time as he pulled in again and again for a few minor changes her and a few there. When the practice sheets came out the team found that they were one of the bottom cars. That meant going out again for the second practice, as Ryan pulled in for the last time he was content with the car. The team bolted on the new tires and it was time to qualify, where Ryan finished seventh. After qualifying there was a Modified drivers meeting, the team found out that all Modified heat races had been scratched and instead we would be running two 30 lap features. With the inversion Ryan would be start the first feature in fourth and for the second feature he pulled for third place. The first feature started of good, as Ryan took the lead after only a few laps. The second #78 of Travis Eddie got in to Ryan in turn three. The contact did damage the car but the power steering cap came off covering the car with power steering fluid causing it to smoke. Ryan pulled it into the pits and the team spent the rest of the race wiping it down. With the car all wiped down it was time for the second feature. After 30 laps Ryan crossed the finish line in fifth place. The team was content with the night and glad to put the car on the trailer in one piece.
Saturday June 19th: Two weeks in a row the team was able to give the Pro Stock all the love and attention that it needed. The warm weather as always didn't seem to phase the car one bit. Ryan strapped in and was out on the track for his first practice, the car handled well. A bit tight in the center but nothing the team couldn't adjust for. With the car handling so well during the first practice the team skipped the second one, deciding to bolt on the race tires and save them for qualifying. Then it was time to push through Tec make the last few adjustments and hope the car handled well. It did and Ryan found himself in third place, and in the fast car dash for the second week in a row. The team relaxed, until the autograph session at 6:30 then it was time to get back to racing. The fast car dash came and went and the team was happy with Ryan's first place finish. The wait was short as the team topped off with gas and headed to the make ready shoot for the heat race. It was a race to the finish as Ryan just squeezed past the second place car to steal the spot away from him. The feature didn't seem to be going as well as the earlier two races. Ryan pulled into the pits during a caution because he thought he had a left front tire going down. The team check it for leaks and couldn't find any, but made the adjustment to pull a spring rubber. Ryan went back out and after a few more laps pulled the car into the pits and parked it. It was becoming undrivable and the team would rather have pulled in to the pits then to have been caught in an accident. The teams knows what needs to be done the next time its out on the track and was over all happy with the night.
Saturday June 12th: Hot and sticky, that was the weather for Saturday's race day, the Pro Stock was set to race with the open wheel cars for Berlin's Saturday show. The team unloaded the car and got the allowed two new tires for the week, bolted them on topped the car off with fuel and headed out to the track for our first practice of the day. Ryan said the car felt good, little tight, but not to bad, the team made some adjustments to the car and headed out for our second practice and the car was better, making top five for practice. With the open wheel cars on hand, we went through tech early and went out to qualify mid day at the hottest time. Ryan's car loves the hot weather usually and this weekend proved to be no different. Ryan qualifies fourth for the day, putting him in the fast car dash for the first time this season. The team took to the shade for the rest of the afternoon, and came back just before race time to tweak the car for the first race of the night, the fast car dash with the four fastest cars of the day. Ryan would start on the pole for this race and took off at the drop of the green flag never looking back and scores his first checkered flag of the year! The team was happy with the win, but kept busy getting the car lined up for the heat race. Being one of the faster cars for the day, Ryan started in the back of his heat race and hammered the throttle at the drop of the green flag to finish fourth at the end of ten laps. Back to the pits Ryan went to drink some much needed water and to cool down a bit before the feature race. The team made a few last minute adjustments and topped off the fuel tank. Ryan belted himself back into the car for his finally race of the night where he would start in the fifth position. As the green flag dropped, Ryan took off with the rest of the Pro Stock field, the feature was a clean race, with only one caution lap, Ryan drove the car to finish fourth. The team was happy with the night and knows what adjustments need to be done to make Ryan faster for the next weeks race.
Saturday May 29th: Saturday was a sure taste of July weather. It made the track slow for all divisions. After pulling double duty last week, the team only had to focus on the Pro Stock. Ryan suited up and pulled out on the track for the first practice. After running a few laps he pulled in and the team changed a front shock. Then he was right back out. After coming in Ryan didn’t mind the new adjustment so the new shock stayed on the car. Ryan would find himself third fastest during the first practice, with the top six cars only tenths off from one another. After trying to cool off a bit while the Late Models and Super Stocks practiced Ryan was soon heading back out for the second practice of the day. As the second practice concluded Ryan would hold the fifth position, but like the first practice the top few cars were close in times. Then it was time to play the hurry up and wait game as the team pushed the car through Tec and line up to qualify. Ryan’s fastest qualifying lap was an 18.947 putting him in the seventh position. After cooling off the team started to get ready for racing, Ryan would start inside row two for his heat race and inside three for the feature. The heat race would score us a second place finish. Then it was time to start the feature. The feature was slow to start while the field waited for the #18 of Mitch Meppelink to try and get push started. Many laps later he was black flagged and pulled into the pits. This moved Ryan up into the third position inside row two. The feature would bring about many cautions which Ryan avoided, but that didn't help from stopping the Pro Stock from getting tight and soon Ryan had fallen back into the eleventh position where he would end up finishing. With next weekend off the team has two weeks to work on the Pro Stock and hopefully when we take to the track again we will have a good car.
Saturday May 22nd: Hot, Humid and Dry, just how we like our Saturdays. Maybe not so much the humid part. Ryan was pulling double duty again with the USA Modified’s at Berlin for their first show of the season. First up was Pro Stock practice. After a few laps Ryan pulled back in, to give the team some feedback on the car. The team made adjustments for the next practice and Ryan jumped into the Modified to head out for its first practice session. When the modified came in after practice Ryan said it felt alright. Then Ryan and the team had a bit of down time while the Auto Value Super Sprints and 4-Cylinders practiced. Before too long Ryan was strapping back into the Pro Stock for the second practice. In the second practice Ryan found himself with the fast time of 18.3. Double duty had him jumping back into the Modified and heading back out on the track. Again Ryan said the Modified felt alright. Pro stock qualifying was headed through Tec. Ryan’s qualifying time was an 18.418, which put him in the sixth position. Ryan complained that the car was tight. The team adjusted it a bit for the heat race. Next up was Modified qualifying; Ryan ran a 17.804 lap putting him in the tenth position. Soon it came time to race. The Modified heat race was up first and Ryan was starting outside row two, and finished in second place. Ryan was hopping out off the Modified and jumping into the Pro Stock for its heat race where he was starting inside row two. He held on to his position throughout the whole race to finish third. After having to tight a car in qualifying Ryan said the car was to loose in the heat race. The team made more adjustments to the car for the feature where Ryan would start on the inside of row two. The feature didn’t turn out how any team would hope. After having contact with the #76 of Brian Tillema, Ryan drove up to the wall in one stopping to avoid hitting the wall and causing the first caution of the race. After trying to get his spot back in up front and not heading to the tail end of the field he was black flagged. The Pro Stock race couldn’t be dwelled on because the Modified’s were already lined up for their feature race and Ryan was starting on the pole. Ryan had a good lead when the first caution of the Modified race came out. Ryan had fallen back to eighth place when he went to pass a lapped car he thought was heading into the pits. At the last minute the other car started to move up the track with nowhere to go Ryan moved up the track and got into the #8 car of Billy Eppink. The contact did damage to the right front tire causing Ryan to have to park the car for the remainder of the race.
Saturday May 15th: It was nice to see the sun out on a Saturday morning. With the rain out the second week of the season this was the first real time the Pro Stock would be out. The first practice seemed to go smoothly with Ryan pulling in once for a quick adjustment, before heading out to run a few final laps. When the practice sheets came out Ryan’s fastest lap was an 18.4. The second practice came and went and Ryan was content with how the car was running. Pushing through Tec it was hurried up and wait while the VORA cars practiced. Then it was our turn to qualify. Ryan was one of the last to qualify, he’s fastest lap was 18.13, putting him in the sixth position. With the inversion Ryan would start outside row three. It was soon time to get ready for our heat race, where Ryan would start outside three. Everyone seemed to be all over the track so Ryan hung back trying to find a gap to make his move. The laps soon dwindled down and the checked flag came out a few cars got tangled together, with the #20 car of Dave Hull ending up in the wall. Ryan was able to skate through unharmed. Soon the team was getting ready to go out for the feature race. As the feature started Ryan seemed to hang around in the sixth position. It wasn’t until the first caution came when the #88 Tony Davis pulled into the pits after having engine problems. As the green flag was waving for the restart the #101 car of Laura Bush lost control with nowhere to go the #15 car of Scott Root crashed into the front of her car. The pile up damaged six cars and three including the #101 and #15 didn’t return to complete the race. Ryan was lucky again dodging the wreck. With the track finally cleared up the field lined up for another restart, where Ryan found himself in the fourth position. As the checker flag flew Ryan still held the forth position. The team was happy with the night.
Saturday May 8th: Cold, Rain and Wind don’t make a very good combination for race day. The team sat and waited through sprinkle after sprinkle. By 3 o’clock the rain let off even though the wind kept a freezing chill in the air. The modified didn’t seem to like the cold temperatures. After the second practice Ryan came in saying the car was just slow. Qualifying didn’t go any better, where we ended up eighth. Ryan still was saying how the car just didn’t seem to go. So the team decided to give him a bit more timing and more power by removing the restrictor plate. The feature didn’t seem any better as Ryan hung around in the sixth position for most of the race and ended up finishing there.
Saturday May 1st: A new season may have started at Berlin Raceway, but for the Gruppen race team it the same old same old. The day started off nice with the sun finally breaking through the rain clouds. Both cars did well during practice and Ryan liked how they handled. Qualifying was fine, with both cars ending up in the sixth position. Clouds were soon rolling in bringing some rain. Before we could get the Pro Stock out on the track for the heat race, the rain started. Rain changed the line up for the night, pushing the Modified feature up next. That’s when our night started its downward slide for us. With only minutes before we needed to be in the make ready shoot, we realized the Modified’s front right tire had a leak. With little time left the only choice the team had was to quick plug it and hope it stayed. During a restart from a caution Ryan pulled into the pits. The plug did not hold, so a quick tire change got him out on the lead lap at the end of the field. Soon he was fighting to stay on the lead lap as the leader was closing in at each turn. Ryan held his own for many laps before the leader, and second place car, got around him. Hurrying as quickly as he could Ryan jumped into the Pro Stock to go out for his heat. But wait what’s that? They started the race without him. Ryan decided he was going to make a statement by slowing down on the front stretch causing a caution. He was then black flagged and returned to the pits. Meanwhile the team had been trying to find out why they couldn’t have waited for us, hearing numerous times throughout the night that drivers were going to have plenty of time. May I ask where our “Plenty of Time” went? Then we were told he was being put in the back of the third heat race. The back wasn’t an agreeable place and we ended up in the front. A little warning would have been nice, an official to come say, “Hey we know you guys are running two cars and that’s ok. But we’re going to have him race in the third heat instead of the second. It will give you guys sometime and keep the races moving.” Communication seems to be quite crossed at Berlin. Drivers are the customers, like in any business you want to keep those people the happiest. I hope Berlin realizes that it’s not just the crew they have upset but our 20 plus fans that come to watch us every week. With all the drama, we have been summoned to Blackmer’s office, basically the equivalent to the NASCAR Red Truck. What a great way to continue the 2009 season. Sorry I mean a wonderful start to the 2010 season.
Saturday April 24th: Races canceled due to unpredictable weather.
Saturday April 17th: Today was the first time the team could give the Modified all their attention at the track. It seemed to like it, running for us the whole day without a problem. All though the cooler weather made the track a bit slower than the week before the team was happy with the lap times. Next weekend should be even better when the team bolts on fresh race tires.
Sunday April 11th: LOOK IN: The Grand Rapids Press in the Sports section for a picture of the Pro Stock!!
