2014 Carolina Fall Nationals

Dillon qualified 5th out of the 20 Blue Rookies that came to race in the Carolina Fall Nationals. That is quite an accomplishment all by itself and we are super proud of him!

Unfortunately, in the feature the cars in front of him had some issues getting the race started which resulted in the final start being single file. After that, the cars spread out and everyone pretty much just rode in their position as the race went caution free. Dillon raced hard, but there's only so much you can do in 20 7 second laps. He did his best though, and we are proud of him, as always!

So the 2014 season is over and we have officially raced our final "rookie" race. Next year we'll be heading to Jr. Honda and Jr. Animal. I'm both anxious and excited to see what it will be like racing in the competitive classes. This was definitely a learning year for all of us, often frustrating but always rewarding. We made some amazing friends and lots of fun family memories of time spent together. Dillon still has a lot to learn but when I look at the improvement he made from the start of the year to the end, I am amazed by our little guy! He accomplished a lot this year and we're looking forward to what the 2015 racing season will bring.

2014 Aug - Nov Race Recaps

August

Dillon has moved up to the Blue Rookie class!


8/9/14 - Dillon qualified 2nd out of 4 cars and will start 2nd in the blue rookie feature race. He fell back to 4th on the start but ended up back in the 2nd position after an early caution. He was able stay right with the leader and keep his position for the rest of the race. We are so proud of this boy and how he raced today!


8/16/14 - Dillon won a Blue Rookie Fun Race (ie no points)!

8/23/14 - Dillon started 6th and finished 4th out of 8 cars. He did pretty good on the starts and was able to hold off the cars behind him. We're slowly making progress...

September

9/6/14 - Had an exciting heat race. Dillon started on the pole and took off like a rocket at the start. He caught the back of the field, but got spun while attempting to lap the last place car. After restarting in the back, he dove in a little too hard trying to pass twice and ended up in a couple minor wrecks. He finished in the back, but we are super proud of this boy for finally trying to pass! He started 5th and finished 4th in his feature race.

Caroline loves her Abi!

9/22/14 - Saturday was simply an awesome day for racing! We could not have asked for more beautiful weather than what we had. Dillon started 3rd, fell back to 5th on the start, made it back up to 2nd after 2 of the cars ahead of him got together and spun out, and then fell back to 3rd for the finish. After the race, he was able to give us some relevant feedback about his car for the first time, which is a huge step for him! As always, we are so very proud of our little racer! After the races, we had a blast hanging out with the other racing families for our first potluck and campfire of the year. The food was amazing and the company was so good we didn't want to leave! Can't wait for the next one!

October

10/0514 - It was an exciting weekend of racing! Dillon started 1st in his heat race, was still leading with 4 laps to go, but got spun and had to go to the back of the field. He ended up finishing 3rd. He started 1st out of 8 cars in his feature race but got caught up in a wreck which sent him to the back again. He managed to bring home a 2nd place finish. We capped the night off with a potluck dinner and some time around a campfire with friends. All in all, a pretty good day!

Somebody thinks it's her turn to drive!

10/18/14 - Dillon had a good day today! He started on the pole but dropped back to 4th after staying high on the track a little too long after getting passed. He drove a good race though and we are really proud of him! We are also super proud of him for qualifying 5th out of 15 Blue Rookies, quite an accomplishment!

November

11/2/14 - Dillon finished 3rd in his heat race and 4th in the feature.

11/15/14 - Dillon finished 5th in the feature. Unfortunately, the finishing order doesn't tell you how hard our little guy raced and fought with a car that wasn't handling well (after which Ron was on a mission to make that part better). Dillon was heading to the front in both races but ending up getting spun out and sent to the back and there just weren't enough laps to get where he wanted to be by the end. He never gave up though and that made us really proud!

11/28/14 - Dillon qualified 5th out of 20 Blue Rookies that showed up for the Carolina Fall Nationals. He started and finished 5th in his race. Unfortunately, the cars in front of him had some issues getting the race started which resulted in the final start being single file. After that, the cars spread out and everyone pretty much just rode in their position as the race went caution free. Dillon raced hard, but there's only so much you can do in 20 7 second laps. He did his best though, and we are proud of him, as always!

Halloween at the track

We had an awesome time at the Halloween festivities at NCQMA, which included a costume contest, "mummy" making and hands-free donut eating!

Headshots

Dillon got a new driving suit from Robbie Stanley Racing and Radical Racegear, so I had to do a photo session with him to show off his new look!

He also built a bulldog at Build-A-Bear and named him Stanley (as a nod to his Stanley Bulldog chassis), so Stanley made it into a few of the photos, as well.

Dixie Shootout - Huntsville

Ron, Dillon and Ron's dad Bo headed to Huntsville, AL for the "Rocket City" race at Huntsville Quarter Midget Association.

They had a great time visiting the Rocket Center with a group of our NCQMA families and then Dillon pulled off his first regional series WIN!

Of course we had to continue the tradition started by Ron's mom of the checkered flag on the mailbox after a win! We are so proud of this boy!



































And this was part of the Dixie Shootout press release.

Here are some photos from their visit to the Rocket Center while they were in Huntsville.

Dixie Shootout - Nashville

For Labor Day weekend, we headed to Nashville, TN to race at the Music City Quarter Midget Racing Association for another Dixie Shootout Regional race.

Dillon did a great job in his race. He started 4th and finished 3rd. We are super proud of him!

Fun Race Win!

Dillon won a Blue Rookie Fun Race (ie non points race) on August 16th! Here's a little stop motion video of his victory lap!

2014 Summer Series

6/10/14 - Dillon finished 4th after a rain delay. I think it was a long evening for both him and Ron.


6/24/14 - Dillon started 4th and finished 4th


7/23/14 - Dillon's first Blue Rookie race! He finished 4th out of 4 cars in his first blue rookie race, but Ron said he took off on the start like he was supposed to, stayed right on the back of the car in front of him, and kept up with the rest of the pack. He's showing more and more improvement with each race and really seems to like the faster blue rookie class. We are so proud of him!


8/12/14 - Dillon did really well! He started 3rd and ended up 4th out of 5 cars. He raced hard and we are really starting to see some big improvements in how he stays with the other cars and stays on the gas. We are super proud of our amazing little guy!

Dixie Shootout - Metro Atlanta

Dillon raced his first Dixie Shootout regional series race at Metro Atlanta Quarter Midget Association in Braselton, GA.




















 

Dillon started 1st and finished in 2nd place after a great race! The 2nd place car got a better start, but Dillon chased him down and stayed right behind for the whole race. He looked to pass low and high, but never got an opportunity to make it around. Congrats to Dillon for racing the best he has so far this year and congrats to P.J. Motorsports for getting the win!

Happy birthday, Dillon!

Birthday practice! He said he wanted to get in a few more laps before we head home. Happy 6th birthday today to Dillon!

Dillon Meeting Ryan Blaney

Dillon got to meet Nascar Camping World truck driver Ryan Blaney when he stopped by the track over the weekend!

2014 Jan - June Race Recap

March

We added another Bulldog to the family! Dillon will be racing 2 cars when he moves up to the competitive classes!


What a beautiful weekend it was to be outside at the racetrack! Dillon loved getting to see all his NCQMA buddies again and Caroline is already hanging out with the girls (picture of that coming soon)! Dillon started and finished 7th in the fun run race but everyone got a trophy, so he was very excited about that!

May

We had a wonderful weekend at the track! Dillon started 3rd in his heat race, lost a position on the start, but then was able to pass back up to finish 3rd. The 3 heat races were combined into 2 feature races, so Dillon started 4th in the feature. He fell back to 7th after the start, but then passed 2 cars to finish in the 5th position.


It seems strange to be so excited about him finishing further back than where he started, but after weeks and weeks of him letting off the gas whenever he got behind other cars, he finally got to the point that he was racing and hanging in there with everyone else. Now we need to work on passing on the inside, since for some reason he was determined that passing on the outside was the way to go! 

After the races, we had a great time camping at the track and spending the evening around the campfire roasting marshmallows with some of the other NCQMA families. I think all of us are excited and looking forward to the next race!

Caroline enjoyed making friends with all the other girls at the track!

Dillon did great in his heat race! He was paper #6, but ended up starting 5th. He passed multiple cars, but some were right before cautions, so those didn't count towards his passing points. He did have 2 official passes to finish 3rd! We are so proud of his improvement!


Dillon did great in his race and finished 2nd! We're looking forward to him finally making it onto the podium for the trophy presentation.


Second place finish to end he month! Great job, Dillon!

June

Dillon started 3rd in his heat race, was involved in a wreck while passing for the lead, and had to go to the back of the field for the restart. Then he was involved in another wreck while passing for 3rd, and had to restart in the back again. Unfortunately, after that there just weren't enough laps to be able to do much, so he finished 4th. He will most likely start the feature race in 4th.


The day didn't end the way we had hoped. Dillon was involved in a crash that sent him into the outside wall and he was unable to finish the race, bringing home a 7th place finish. Dillon is fine and is off playing in the dirt with his racetrack friends now.


Dillon finished 4th in his race, but caught another car as he was exiting the track and went airborne. He flipped the car a couple of times and slid down the back stretch with the car upside down. The announcer was quite impressed... Dillon is fine but the top of the car has some nice scrapes and Ron has to replace a few rods to get everything ready for the feature race tomorrow. We have also decided Dillon is now ready for all the roller coasters at Carowinds!


Dillon finished 4th in the feature race.

All the rookies on the podium.

2013 Banquet

Photos of Dillon from the 2013 NCQMA awards banquet at Great Wolf Lodge Charlotte/Concord, NC. Dillon received a certificate for completing rookie training, a Summer Series trophy and a Championship Series trophy. He and the other drivers also received a really cool set of racing flags with a stand (made by the yearbook committee) and a Fly Racing backpack. After the banquet we spent a fun night at Great Wolf. It was a wonderful weekend!