Sideways with Bubba - Bubba Broderick Racing Report - Edition 2- A Much-Needed Win

Sideways with Bubba

 

Bubba Broderick Racing Report

 

Edition 2- A Much-Needed Win

 

As if climbing on top of the roll cage, screaming at the top of his lungs and flinging Ciao Water across Victory Lane didn't tell the whole story; Bubba Broderick was quick to explain verbally what winning Sunday Night at Eriez Speedway meant to him and the team.

 

"We needed this win real bad," Bubba declared in Victory Lane.  "We've been working real hard with this brand new chassis and on this new car after the Canandaigua Crash. It proves to us that we can still do it."

 

Bubba knew two weeks ago that he was entering his best stretch of racetracks to round out the month of May, but a rainout before the feature was run at Woodhull, where Bubba had earned a redraw spot, meant that he would have to wait for Memorial Weekend to go after his first top-10 of the season.

 

"We had a decent car that night, but I knew we weren't as good as we should be there," he admitted.  "The rain was actually a relief that we can figure out the car for that feature in July."

 

The team got to Sharon Speedway early on Saturday and appeared to be poised to duplicate or better his third place effort from Memorial Weekend 2009 at the Eastern Ohio Facility.

 

After moving from eighth to sixth in his heat, Bubba would find himself in the Four Laps of Fame Dash, where he would finish in second and start the A-Main in ninth.  The track was tricky in the 25-lap Feature though, and despite having some bright moments and crossing in seventh, the No. 5 Team was scratching their head after the Checkered Flag Flew.

 

"It looked like a good finish on paper, but it felt awful for us.  We just couldn't get the car to get in the racetrack.  We knew we had to do something because it just wasn't going forward."

 

After sleeping over at the track, the team woke up early Sunday Morning and got back on the 3/8-mile oval, testing for about 40 laps to get a better feel for their new Eagle Chassis.

 

"It helped (Crew Chief) Bones get a better feel for what the car did, and that allowed me to establish better communication with him.  When we finished I finally felt comfortable about the way we were coming off the corner."

 

The team entered Eriez with new found confidence, which was quite impressive at a track where Bubba was a runner-up in both races there in 2009. 

 

Moving from sixth to fourth in the heats where passing was difficult was enough to put Bubba in the redraw.  Pulling the No. 2 tennis ball would set the stage for more than just his first top-five of the season.

 

"The other drivers had been talking about the bottom all night, and that's where a lot of people were in the other heat, but I have never been a bottom person.  I was so happy to be on the outside of the front row and a felt a berm was still out there.  On the warm-up lap I went up there and felt the moisture and knew we were good."

 

When the green flag flew, Bubba quickly jumped out in front on the cushion and sailed away from a field.  A caution on lap six would allow a number of drivers to get another crack at Bubba, but nobody was in his league on this night.

 

It appeared as the race went on that the bottom might be coming in, but Bubba was blasting the cushion and maintaining his hefty lead.  As solid as he was on the top, he did come ultra-close to the outside wall on numerous occasions.

 

"I felt like those guys were right on me, I always get paranoid in that situation.  That cushion did keep getting closer to the wall and with about five to go I knew it was really high and getting slick too.  But I knew if I went to the bottom it was uncharted waters and might cost me the race."

 

Bubba would avoid any disaster and hang on for his second career ASCS Patriot Win.  It also put him back into the championship picture and helped to bolster the confidence level.

 

"When you get that first win, it's a huge weight off your shoulders," he reflected on Tuesday.  "You don't think about not winning any more, just about winning."

 

The focus now shifts to this Friday's event at Ohsweken, where Bubba has qualified for both Canadian Nationals that he attempted.

 

"I definitely like Ohsweken, but we have never done well there.  I just feel we are on a roll right now though so I know we have the setup to get it done."

 

Bubba Broderick is a 20-year-old from Brookfield, CT in his third year of full-time 360 sprint car racing.  He was the 2008 Insinger Race Fuels Rookie of the Year for the ASCS Patriots and scored his first career win at Arcade International Raceway last June.  The Broderick Racing Team was named "Patriots of the Year" in 2009.

 

Broderick Racing is supported by Northeast Carpet, Brownie's Towing, Ciao Water, Eagle Motorsports, Mike Emhof Motorsports, Fyne Line Construction, Campbell's Painting, Jim's Welding Supply.

 

For more information, be sure to visit www.BroderickRacing.com. 

 

Contact Info: Rich.Vleck@ASCSracing.com