A Checkered Weekend

The River City Hustler was on top of his game this past weekend at the Davenport and Peoria Speedways. Two crews, two different cars, same driver, same outcome – two wins in dominating performances. Ray is in sync with both the RC RaceCars 112 modified team and the Avenue Rental 12 late model team. Driver and crews have dialed in the chassis and Ray is now showing the way to the checkers in both cars. Such was the case this past Friday and Saturday night at the races.

The Saturday night venue of the Peoria Speedway saw Ray and the RC RaceCars 112 modified team, lead by car owner Robert Crump, take to the track with 17 other fast mods seeking the checkers first and their number at the top of the scoring pylon for the week. In Robert’s own words, “This car is real good. He (Ray) has no complaints about this one!” There was little of anything to cause any concern on Saturday night. Ray started the heat race in the second row, promptly drove to the front and won. The win and subsequent “re-draw” for the feature put Ray in the 7^th starting position. The journey to the front in this feature would take a little longer than the previous night though. Ray had worked his way into the 4^th position and was beginning to work on getting by the 2^nd and 3^rd place cars. Those two cars had been racing for position the entire race and catching the leader at the same time.  Just as Ray caught them, they had caught the leader. A slight bobble by the leader caused the cars in front of Ray to slow slightly. Ray, seeing the opening the others had left, went from 4^th to 1^st all in one turn. Just like that, with four laps to go, the lead belonged to the 112 and Ray drove away from the others for the win. Robert, Joe, Harold and crew have got this car set up perfectly right now. Ray is able to put the car just about anywhere he needs to on the track to take it to the front. The crew has worked hard to get the various chassis-tire combinations worked out to remain fast wherever they may race. That is giving the driver a lot of confidence and the result is the 112 being in contention for the win each and every time it hits the track. Just as with the late model, the sponsors on the 112 - A. Lucas and Sons, Massey Auto Sales, Draco Mechanical Supply, JM Industrial Supply, Kartville, Depperman Excavating, Yoder Oil, Inc. and Custom Racing Engines – look great out in front! It always pays to go with the proven winners. Ray, Robert and all of the 112 Team are well out in front!

Racing action for Ray and the race teams this coming weekend will include three nights of racing, weather permitting. Friday night Ray, Tom and the Avenue Rental 12 Team will be back at the Davenport Speedway quarter mile looking to make it two wins in a row. Saturday evening will also be the same as last weekend with Ray, Robert and the 112 Team also looking to make it two in a row at the Peoria Speedway. This Sunday evening Ray and Tom will go back to the Quad Cities Raceway looking to improve one finishing position over their last visit to that track and get the Avenue Rental 12 to the checkers first. So, Guss fans, head out to the track and take advantage of warming weather and shorter trips to the local dirt track that will save you on the cost of gasoline. You will see Ray pilot two very fast race cars!

 GO 112 and 12!

May 6, 2008

 Front-Running at Fairbury and East Moline

The weekend of May 3-4 was no departure from the previous week of racing for Ray, Robert and the RC RaceCars 112 modified team. Deciding to take the fast mod to the road, Team 112 headed to Fairbury American legion Speedway for a $1,500-to-Win UMP modified special. Ray had driven race cars at Fairbury before, but not in the past 25-plus years. He clearly did not forget his way around the fast quarter mile. Ray went out and circled the track in qualifying in 14.38 seconds, good enough for 4^th quick time. Then he returned to the track for his heat race and backed up the quick qualifying lap by blistering the field and taking the checkers first in pretty much an uncontested fashion. Undoubtedly, expectations were high for the feature. Lining up with a field of cars that included Kevin Weaver, Jeff Leka and others considered to be among the best UMP modified drivers in the area, Ray left no doubt how he and the RC RaceCars modified compared to these guys. Ray started 4^th in the 40-lap feature and after feeling the car out and settling into a racing rhythm, he settled on the high side of the track to make his way to the front.  Both car and driver were excellent throughout the majority of the race. Ray stuck to his high line and guided the car into second place late in the race. But as the laps wound down, the team realized the choice of tire compound that they chose for the right rear was not the correct one for the high line. The tire began to go away on the dry surface causing Ray some trouble getting through the corners. With about a lap and a half to go, the car just wasn’t fast enough through the corners on a blistered right rear tire and Ray had to ease the car home to 4^th place finish that was not indicative of just how fast it was for most of the race. The 112 Team was very happy with the car and looked forward to Sunday evening at the Quad Cities Raceway in East Moline.

The story of Sunday evening at the Quad Cities Raceway was dust, dust and more dust. Eyewitness accounts of the racing were pretty much in agreement that if you were not within 50 yards of the cars on the track, you could not see them through the dust. Even though track conditions were less than desirable, Ray guided two different race cars through the low visibility conditions to run second with both, even though one would not finish in that position. Yes, you read that right – TWO cars. Ray and Robert had definitely planned to run the modified in the $750-to win feature special, which was part of the program to honor the late local racing legend, Ronnie Weedon. Late in the week, however, Ray and Tom put the finishing touches on the 2008 version of the Avenue Rental 12 late model and had it ready for its debut in the Weedon Memorial race. 

The evening was kind of a déjà vu all over again for the 112 Team. The car was again consistently fast and Ray was en route to front, much the same as he was on an evening at East Moline last year when misfortune that was none of his creation bit the 112. Running 3^rd in the feature and very close to challenging for 2^nd was Ray when two cars got together in front of him and pretty much blocked any route for Ray to guide the 112 around the melee. Even though Ray was able to get the car stopped without doing much major damage to it, he still made contact with the spinning cars. Thus, as a result of no fault of his own, he was sent to the back to restart the race. With few laps left in the race and wanting no more of the dusty conditions, Ray headed for the pits and the end of the night for the mod. The fastest car doesn’t always win the race and that was definitely the outcome in this race. The 112 Team has built and tuned themselves a very fast race car for 2008. All of the sponsors that have come on board - A. Lucas and Sons, Massey Auto Sales, Draco Mechanical Supply, JM Industrial Supply, Kartville, Depperman Excavating, Yoder Oil, Inc. and Custom Racing Engines – are seeing their name in the front of the field when the 112 Team shows up at the track. Many thanks to all of them for their support each week. 

Track conditions were no better for the late models. The Avenue Rental 12 late model looked good anyway. The luck of the draw put Ray outside of the third row in his heat race. He drove the car to a 2^nd place finish, just behind the winning car of Mike Murphy. The 2^nd place heat finish earned Ray the 10^th starting position for the feature. When the green dropped to start the feature, Toland Roberts and Murphy battled from their up-front starting spots for the early lead. Meanwhile, Ray carefully found his way to the bottom of the track and began chasing down the Top 3. By mid-way through the race, Ray had caught and passed all but the pole sitter, Toland. Running 2^nd and chasing down the leader became futile, though, as Ray just simply ran out of laps in his pursuit. The 12 was clearly a faster car, but the time needed to get from 10^th to 2^nd was too much to overcome to take the checkers first.

There is no question,  Ray is behind the wheel of two very fast race cars. Guss fans have seen and/or read about the 112 and how it has been performing. Now with the debut of the Avenue Rental Ostrand Decorating Iowa Battery Jim’s Knoxville Tap Rock River Arms late model the number of fast race cars piloted by the River City Hustler has doubled. This, race fans, has the makings of a very, very entertaining summer watching the 112 and 12 Teams when they come to tracks near you. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to see these race teams in action.

Speaking of being in action, Ray, Tom and the Avenue Rental 12 will be in action this Friday evening at the Davenport Speedway. Ray, Robert and the 112 modified team will tentatively be in action on Saturday night at the Peoria Speedway. As always, all race dates are tentative. Please check the Home page and/or Forum for the latest schedules for both race teams. Dates and venues will be posted as soon as information becomes available. 

Have a great week and we’ll see you at the track!

GO 112 and 12!

Getting Faster!

The RC RaceCars Team 112 made their season debut at the Peoria Speedway this past Saturday night in fine fashion. The Crump-lead, Neltner-wrenched 112 mod driven by Ray Guss Jr. was bad fast on the high banked quarter mile bullring as soon as rubber met dirt. Ray drew a three putting him on the front row for the first heat race. The finish was never in doubt for this one. Ray took off at the drop of the green and pretty much left the field to race for second place. He took the checkers far ahead of the second place running Baker #5. The only suspense left from the heat was where would Ray start the feature and how long would it take to get to the front?

GO 112!

Impressive Start Ends Flat

The Davenport Speedway was the venue of choice for many dirt track racers in the area to open the 2008 local racing season. Ray Guss Jr. and the RC RaceCars 112 modified team were among the 60-plus modified, late model and stock car teams on hand last Wednesday night for the season-opening WDRL race at the big half mile speedway. Ray, car owner Robert Crump and the 112 Team were attempting to build on their early 2008 success at East Bay Raceway where Ray had the 112 in contention each of the three nights there against some heavy hitting competition.

The Davenport track was “greasy” in the early evening and race teams worked to get the track packed into racing conditions. When the modifieds finally took to the racing surface to get down to business, Ray rolled the 112 off from inside the third row in the first heat. True to form, the car was very fast and Ray had it on the point by Lap 3. There was no suspense to this race. He drove away from the pack and won the heat in impressive fashion. The starting line up for the feature was set on a re-draw basis and Ray drew 10, putting him on the outside of the fifth row to start the feature.

 The feature was set to for a 20-lap duel among 23 drivers. With several very fast cars starting ahead of Ray, his work was cut out for him to get to the checkers first. The start of the race saw some wild action in front and alongside of Ray resulting in front, side and rear contact for the 112. The front contact looked to be the worst of it after contact with the rear of the 2H. The front bumper was completely caved in and after the races it was discovered that the chassis was slightly bent in front, also. This would not prove to hinder Ray, though, as the race progressed. After the melee and subsequent restart, Ray began moving forward steadily. The car was a handful with all of the damage. However, by midway through the feature, Ray had passed all cars but leader Ryan Dolan. The only way he was going to catch Dolan was if a caution flew. It did! The caution was both good and bad news. The good news was Ray was now right on Dolan’s tail. The bad news was that a bent car on the left rear was now severely rubbing the left rear tire now that the body had settled back down on the chassis under slow speed. The bad news won out over the good as the bar cut the tire before green flag racing could resume. Ray pulled the car into the pits and the racing the 112 was finished for the night.

It would have been interesting to see what “might have been” had Ray been able to challenge Dolan in an undamaged car. The 112 was flying even though it was bent. All of the 112 Team at the track – Ray, Robert, Joe, Harold – were all encouraged by the run of the car even though it ended prematurely. The team would like to thank all of its sponsors for their support – A. Lucas and Sons, Massey Auto Sales, Draco Mechanical Supply, JM Industrial Supply, Kartville, Depperman Excavating, Yoder Oil, Inc., Custom Racing Engines. Their support makes it easier for the 112 Team to get to the track and put a fast car out there.

Guss fans, if you are making race plans to see Ray at the track, look for him to be in the 112 Mod driving for Robert for the 2008 racing season. He is focused on putting Robert’s car in Victory Lane many times this season. The team plans to race at the Peoria Speedway on Saturday nights on a semi-regular basis. If there is a special show somewhere in the area that is paying well, the team will load up and be there. Sunday nights will see the team at the Quad Cities Raceway, also on a semi-regular basis. Right now there is no late model racing in the picture for Ray. Perhaps that will change as the season progresses, but it is not imminent. Check this web site mid-week each week for the most up-to-date racing schedule. All racing dates are tentative and subject to change. But, the schedule will be posted on the home page as soon as possible. Hope to see all you Guss fans at a track soon!

One last note; for you health enthusiasts and those of you contemplating a healthier outlook for yourself, Ray recommends checking out the following web site:  www.monavie.com. More to come on this health beverage, but in the mean time, check it out and contact Ray if you have an interest.

 GO 112!

Ray and 112 Mod Team Set To Open 2008 Midwest Season At Davenport Speedway

Hello Guss fans! Its been a long, cold, snowy winter without racing in the midwest! But this Friday evening at the Davenport Speedway the racing season will get underway in eastern Iowa ending a six-month racing drought. Among the drivers rolling out for the new racing season will be the River City Hustler, Ray Guss Jr., in a nearly brand new RC RaceCars 112 modified. Robert, Joe and all of the 112 Team worked hard over the winter to build a brand new, and improved chassis for Ray to compete with in the 2008 racing season. They took the car to Florida for the East Bay Raceway Modified Winter Nationals and also to Western Kentucky Speedway just a couple of weeks ago. Those are the only two events for which the car has been on the track. The car has a brand new Custom racing engine under the hood and is ready to make a winning impact on Friday night at Davenport. Don't miss Ray and the high speed action he and the 112 Team are going to bring to the track in the modified portion of the WDRL opener.

The 112 Team is planning to run at the Peoria Speedway on a regular basis on Saturday nights. Ray is no stranger to the Peoria Speedway, having competed there in both late model and modified classes in past seasons. Ray was the Peoria track champion in the 112 mod for 2006 when he last raced there on a weekly basis. So his most recent history in competition there was quite successful and hopefully an indication of very good things to come in 2008.

Many Guss fans have been asking about Ray and his plans for driving the Avenue Rental 12 late model. Right now the late model plans are not set. The 12 Team will NOT be in action this Friday night at Davenport. Preliminary plans are to possibly run the 12 with a spec motor in it at Davenport and East Moline on Friday and Sunday nights and hit an occasional Deery Brothers race when the Series makes appearances in eastern Iowa/western Illinois. Again, though, these plans for the late model are not definite and there is no set date at this time for the 12 Team to appear at a track. The 12 Team will likely compete at whatever venues current and/or additional sponsorship will allow them to run. Sponsorship is essential to successfully compete at the race track and the 12 Team is seeking that sponsorship. Continue to visit this site - both the News and Forum pages - for any breaking news on the late model effort.

Its racing season, Guss fans! Lets head out to the Davenport Speedway this Friday night and cheer on Ray and the RC RaceCars 112 Team to the checkers and Victory Lane!

GO 112!

October 5, 2007

A Two-Car Debut!

The River City Hustler got behind the wheel of two cars that he had never sat in before and qualified one for the A – Main tomorrow night and drove the other to a qualifying heat win and 4^th place finish in the feature. The first of those cars was a brand new Crump-prepared, RC Race Cars 112 modified. The second of those cars was the very familiar 21H usually piloted by Brian Harris.

The venue was Night 1 of the season finale of the WDRL at the Davenport Speedway. The evening got underway with Ray rolling the IITI Harris Company 21H on to the starting grid in the pole position for the second of three qualifying heats. Ray gassed the MasterSbilt by Stuckey and took the lead right from the drop of the green flag. He was never headed in the race and outran the 15b of Brian Birkhofer to take the checkers first in the heat. Ray earned 59 qualifying points by winning, good enough for the outside pole position in the Pole Dash. The 21H crew made some adjustments on the car after the heat and sent Ray back out for the Pole Dash. The car was still fast and Ray finished 4^th in the 6-lap event to earn an outside second row starting position for the 25-lap WDRL feature. Ray held that position for much of the early going in the feature until Birkhofer got past him shortly after a restart. The laps wound down quickly in the feature and Ray was settled comfortably into 5^th with a 20 car length lead over the 6^th place running Denny Eckrich. The white flag flew on the field with Ray still holding 5^th, but mechanical misfortune struck the 32 of Simpson, who was running 2^nd. By virtue of the 32 not completing the race, Ray moved into 4^th at the checkers.

The new RC Race Cars 112 modified is a very nice looking car. Robert has changed up the color scheme and graphics on the car and it looked very sharp rolling off the trailer without a spot of mud on it. It also looked very racey for the very first night on the track. The modified program for this WDRL weekend consisted only of qualifying heats and a consi. Ray took the green flag seventh, and last, in the third mod qualifying heat. The new car had a few issues with negotiating the turns, but Ray found a way through them that helped the car perform well in its infancy. Eventually he made his way far enough through the field to catch the checkers in 4^th and get the car qualified for the A – Main tomorrow evening. The 112 crew isn’t satisfied with the performance of the new car, but they are encouraged and happy to have made the feature without having to qualify through a consi.

Saturday evening brings Night 2 and the final night of racing in the WDRL season. A complete racing program will be run for the WDRL super late models and Ray will once again be standing on the gas in the 21H. The car is well prepared and extremely fast. Both Guss fans and Harris fans can cheer in unison for Ray and the 21 Team to own that checkered flag tomorrow night! Additionally, the 112 mod team will return with their eyes on taking the checkered flag first. Tonight was beautiful night at the race track and tomorrow night is supposed to be just as nice. It feels like summer in October, so head out to the track and cheer on Ray to two big wins tomorrow night!