Out with 2021 and into 2022
Out with 2021 and into 2022
It is the time of year we all get the opportunity to sit back and reflect on the past and dream of the future. It is no different for us at DDR Motorsports. Being the true racers, there is always the next race, the next season, or the next chase for a victory.
For us, 2021 started with great hope. We had secured a garage to use for the winter, which allowed us to do some upgrades to the chassis, and we also got a new motor with a decent pedigree. It was looking to be a strong start come April. It was even more exciting that one of our home tracks planned a six-race series, and it fell into our budget and timing to race there. Well, to tell you, the beginning of the season was not what we expected. Ten laps into practice, we had issues, it was something we could fix reasonably straightforward, and the crew went to work doing so. So we went out to the next practice, and to our demise, the same issue popped up. At that time, we loaded up to get everything fixed for our next race.
During the prep for the next race, we diagnosed the issue from the Icebreaker and made the necessary corrections. But, during final preparations, a strange noise was heard from the motor, and upon removing the valve cover, we discovered a broken rocker arm. Unfortunately, it was not as simple a fix as we hoped, and we had to send the motor out to our engine builder for work. Of course, this being 2021, the year of the supply chain disruption, meant we were like everyone else who had to wait for parts, wait a long time.
Thankfully a fellow competitor stepped up and lent us a motor. I was a kind jester and allowed us to run a handful of races while waiting for the primary powerplant to be fixed. We met with mixed results during that time, but it was still good to turn laps and get meaningful data for the notebook.
Late August, we finally got our engine back from being fixed, and we got to run a few races before the end of the season. Of course, we had hoped to run more, but in the end, we did finish the MRS season with a pair of top-ten finishes at Lee’s Octoberfest. We also finally found our footing in the Tri-Track series with a car that kept getting faster and faster during the day. Though the season started poorly, we made the best of it and kept plugging away. I cannot give enough credit to the crew for sticking with us all year.
As the season was winding down, things back at the garage were heating up. The second chassis purchased is being updated with some in-house designs that we hope will help us go faster, and a new race shop was in the works.
With the ringing in 2022, the race shop construction is underway, and the new chassis is getting its body. The final details of the season are being ironed out, and the hunt for marketing partners continues. Like every other season that has come before us, the next one is filled with excitement, promise, and the desire to do good. I can only hope the gremlins of 2021 have been left behind and the angels of 2022 will shine upon us.
See you all at the track.