This past Saturday I was back at Oakshade Raceway to defend my 2008 win in the "Celebrity Charity Race" pitting a handful of well-knowns against each other in racecars on Oakshade's clay racing surface.

The idea is to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation...and we did that, to the tune of over $4000.  A special thanks to all those who donated in my name...and in the names of the other drivers competing in the event.

I won the event last year...and was eager to defend my title.  I was paired up with Jeff Geis from Wauseon, who had graciously offered me his ride for the big race.

We took to the track for our practice session early in the night.  The track was tacky...and the car was set up a bit tight...but after rolling off a few laps at speed I felt like I had a good idea what it would take to get it working good for me in the actual race.

Jeff's qualifying heat race was up before the Celeb race.  He started on the tail...but within a few laps had managed to be up front fighting for the lead.  Unfortunately, a car that he had passed punted him in the middle of the corner and spun him out.  Jeff didn't realize it at the time, but the car was damaged.  And within a few laps a blown tire put him out of the race. 

When he came back to the pits, we all realized that there was more than just a blown tire and some bent sheet metal.  The rear suspension had been knocked loose and the car was done for the night.

Now the scramble was on to find me a new ride since Jeff's car was out of commission.  There was a backup car available...but it wasn't one that would have been competitive against the other cars.  Jeff hit up a fellow competitor and asked him if we could use his ride...and he said yes.

The car belonged to Craig Dippman...and with no time for formalities, they drove the car onto the front stretch for introductions.  The first time I even climbed into the car was after they interviewed the Celebs and told us to strap in. 

Craig is pretty tall...so I was lucky to reach the pedals.  A quick Q & A on how the car was set up and how it handled...and it was time to start the engines.  I was going to have to do the same thing I did last year...win it or wear it in a car that I had never driven until the actual race!

Lucky for me, the generous donations from race fans at Attica Raceway Park and Fremont Speedway were more than enough to put me on the pole for the race.  That front row starting spot proved to be a good thing as I could learn the car without having to deal with others in front of me.

At the drop of the green flag...the car to my outside stayed with me into the first turn and onto the backstretch...after that I never saw him again...nor did I hear any other cars near me.  I knew I was doing good when I heard the tower come on the radio and make some sort of comment about me getting a big lead.

Soon after that, a caution flag came out for "debris" and the field was bunched back up.  (There was debris on the track...but only after two cars got together trying to slow down).

On the restart, being much more familiar with the car, it was hammer down and back out to another big lead.  When you are leading you just keep on chugging since you don't have any mirrors or spotters to tell you where the other cars are.  After a few laps, I caught up with and passed a slower car, (I think it was the Mayor of Wauseon), and kept sailing.

I took the white flag still not sure how big my lead was...but knowing I now had a lap car behind me and that I hadn't heard or seen any other cars I figured I was golden.

I made the best corner of the night in turns one and two, pointed the car down the backstretch and told myself "One more corner".  I let off of the throttle going into turn three...tapped the brake to set the car up for the turn...and when I went back to the throttle the engine just revved with no forward push at all.

I initially thought it had popped out of gear...but a few quick moves of the shifter made no difference.  The transmission had broken...and I was now coasting along the bottom of turns three and four.

As I was rolling the bottom of turn four the gaggle of cars finally caught up with me...one of them thumping me pretty hard from behind.  Eventually the pack buzzed around me on the outside and crossed the finish line out ahead of me.

The last bit of inertia was enough to barely roll me across the start/finish line before the car finally stopped....smoke now starting to billow out of the rear end of the car from the now toasted tranny.

I finished dead last in a race that I owned.  I was told that I had a full half-lap lead when the transmission let go...just one corner from glory.

Scott Hammer, Oakshade's announcer, in an apparent duck and roll maneuver, managed to pass two cars in that last corner as they swerved to avoid me on the bottom and went on to take the win.

I have to thank Craig Dippman for putting me in his car at the last minute.  I feel especially bad since his car was now out for the night too...and he was slated to start on the front row in his feature race.  Sorry Craig!!!

Special thanks too to the Geis family for giving me what would have been a great car earlier in the night.

And yet more thanks to all the great fans at Attica, Fremont and Oakshade Raceways.  Your generous support is always amazing.