Rain, 2nd, 3rd, Win, Wall, Now What?

October 3rd was rained out. October 17th, Aaron had 4 features - 2 for the Mini-Stocks and 2 for the Super Hornets. We are very thankful for Ed coming out and helping us change the tires in between each of the races. We kept very busy!

The first Mini-Stock feature, Aaron finished 2nd behind #28. The 1st Super Hornet feature, Aaron started in 12th and made it up to 3rd. The 2nd Mini-Stock feature, Aaron started on the outside of the front row and ended up winning the race with #28 in 2nd. After, a quick victory lap, he had to stop in the tech barn for tech inspection. Meanwhile Ed, Joel and his friend and I were waiting for Aaron to get back to the pits because we only had a few minutes to change all 4 tires and the air intake and get him back out on the track. We waited and then I ran down to the tech barn and both Aaron and #28 were in there. The tech officials ended up letting them go and somewhat delayed the start of the Super Horner feature while we rushed to get Aaron out on the track. The green flag dropped and then going into turn 1 Aaron got loose, corrected, hit the gas, and turned into the turn 2 wall.

He's OK but the car is not. The picture is actually with a different hood and the fenders are torn off. He was trying to make it easier for the frame guy to work on but there's too much damage.

We've been praying for God's direction and it's been a week full of ups and downs. We aren't sure what God has in store for us but we are trying to wait on Him.

Michelle

Lots of Ups and Downs

You can read the race results for the month of September on the right side of the blog. Just like life, it's been a month (and a summer) full of ups and downs. After finally feeling comfortable behind the wheel of the big (compared to the CRX) new racecar, Aaron got a feature win and then a heat win and then he blew up the transmission. We thank God for a fellow racer who had an extra tranny and him and his friend were able to put it in for us in time for last week's race. It was a beautiful day and Aaron won both the heat and the feature. We've been having a great time handing out candy, toys and literature to the kids and families at the racetrack. We have made some new friends that even made a sign to cheer us on.
Only 2 weekends of racing left but both nights are double features.
Michelle

A Quick Note

We did not get the car ready for August 29th but we did get it ready for September 5th. Aaron took it easy in the heat. He started 13th and finished 13th. In the feature he took it easy for a couple of laps and then started moving through the pack. He started 13th and ended up in 5th. The car was only 1/1000th of a second slower than the fastest lap time the CRX ever got so even though the frame is bent up a little we are happy with the first night. I have a lot more to say about the night but I'll have to update the blog next week.

Michelle

Thankful for God's Protection

Friday, August 21st Aaron started out 9th in the heat and after only a couple laps ended up crashing into the wall. It all happened so fast I can't even explain how it happened. One second I saw Aaron going through the grass in turn 1 and then next thing I know he's hitting the wall. Apparently Aaron dove down in the grass to avoid #28 and then Aaron hit his breaks which made the grass like ice and he slung back out on the track hitting #28 and then the wall. He then bounced off the wall and hit #53 who ended up hitting #73. Aaron didn't even know he hit #53 until we talked to him at the end of the night. So, we kind of got the story all pieced together from fellow racers and spectators.
Aaron did take a ride in the ambulance and they brought him to our pit and checked him out. He jammed his heel and thumb and has a few bumps and bruises but thanks to God, Aaron is doing pretty good.
We have another racecar that we were saving for 2010 but it's a possibility it could be ready this weekend. However, we need to sell some parts off the CRX or something in order to continue racing this season.
My Dad did chain the CRX to a tree Sunday afternoon and used his skidloader to straighten out the front end. It is much straighter and it's a possibility that with hours at the framerack that the CRX could be fixed but everything is pushed back a few inches and the frame is really bent up.
Since God is the giver of wisdom, we have been praying for wisdom and will continue to pray. We really don't know what God wants us to do at this point. If Aaron doesn't race, we do plan on being in the pits this Saturday night helping others and giving out candy, toys and literature at the end of the night. We did have several people in our pits at the end of the night last Friday night. People love to see the cars that get trophies and even more so they seem to like to see the crashed cars too.
Our Pastor and his wife were at the races that night. Too bad they had to see Aaron crash but we are glad they, as well as other friends and family, came out to support us.









Michelle

Rain Shortened Our Night

On August 8th, Aaron started out 10th in the heat and moved up quickly to 5th place. Even though Aaron had faster lap times, he couldn't get past #28 for 4th place. Aaron tried passing him high and low but #28 would drift up/come down into Aaron's path and he'd have to back off. Aaron was a little frustrated but had a lot of fun. I on the other hand was a little nervous. Since I use to race, I can tell you there are a lot less butterflies sitting in the driver's seat than there are sitting in the stands watching your spouse, family and friends race.
The feature was supposed to start in basically the same order as the heat and I wasn't looking forward to a repeat of that race. The rain started coming down right before intermission and they ended up calling it quits for the night. I'm sure some were happy to see the rain come and some were disappointed. This was the last night before the Race For The Chase begins. Now, only the top 12 drivers in each division are eligible to win the championship. Also, all points are brought closer together so anyone in the top 12 could win depending on how the rest of the season goes. So, 1st place has 4500 points, 2nd place has 4490 points, 3rd place (ie Aaron) has 4480 points and so on.
Michelle

The Past Couple of Weeks Have Been Very Exciting!

Sorry I'm so far behind but I've been busy with work and I was in Washington DC from August 1st - August 8th (Basically the whole time between races).

Friday, July 31, 2009: Aaron raced the Super Hornets division and the Mini-Stocks at Elko. We had a really great night! It started out with him getting 1st in the Super Hornet heat and 4th in the Mini-Stock heat. He then got 2nd in the Super Hornet feature and WON the Mini-Stock feature. We had alot of friends and family at the races that night so they all came down to victory lane to congratulate Aaron and to be in our victory lane picture.
The rain came down at the start of the Super Late Model feature so unfortunately we didn't have anyone down in our pits at the end of the night. I had already left since I had to get up at 3:30am.

Saturday, August 8, 2009: CLEAN SWEEP! Aaron started outside pole for the heat and ended up winning the race. For the feature, he started in 6th place and quickly got out front to get his 3rd Super Hornet feature win of the year. I had very little sleep so I headed home while Aaron and our friend Josh handed out candy, toys and literature. There were a lot of kids there that night and Aaron and Josh had fun letting them sit in the racecar.
Michelle

Quick Update

I added the results to the last 2 races under the July Schedule/Results section on the right side of our blog. Here's a very brief summary:

July 18th: Aaron was leading the heat most of the race until the unbeatable #22 passed him so Aaron finished in 2nd. For the feature, Aaron was stuck behind #37 and #53 who battled for second almost the whole race. Aaron made a couple of peaks inside, outside and in the middle but backed off knowing that making it 3 wide might not be a good idea. He finished fourth in the feature.

ALS update: That morning, my Mom, Brittney and I walked the 5K for ALS. The weather was perfect as we walked through the neighborhoods and town of Elko and then finished the last stretch around the racetrack. We raised $450 as a team. Thanks to all those that supported us by giving to "A Race Worth Winning".

July 22nd: Dirt Nationals! It was really exciting to see dirt on Elko's asphalt track and to share the pits with Modifieds and Sprint cars. However, the way the CRX is set up now, it wasn't super fast in dirt. Aaron finished 11th in the heat and 9th in the feature. There were a few Super Hornet cars that showed up from local dirt tracks that dominated in the heat but it was exciting to see our Elko guys finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the feature! We are very thankful that the car is still in one piece.
Michelle

What an Exciting Week!

The summer has been extremely busy and this week has probably been the busiest so far so I apologize for being behind schedule. We don't have a race this weekend but Aaron did race about 180 laps in less than a week so it will be nice to have the weekend off.

Friday, July 3rd - Elko started a new 7 race series for the Raceway Mini-Stocks. Originally Elko said we couldn't race both divisions so we had been praying for wisdom whether to continue racing Super Hornets or just race the Mini-Stocks. Aaron had decided to just race Mini-Stocks but at 3:30 while we waiting to get into the track, we got a phone call saying that we could race both. We unloaded the racecar and Aaron quickly drove the truck home to get our Super Hornet tires. Elko set it up so we had just enough time in between divisions to change all 4 tires and change out the air filter/cold air intake as each division has different rules. Aaron practiced using the Mini-Stock tires, we then changed tires and set up the car for Super Hornets. Aaron started 1st in the heat and he took off and won the race. We then changed tires and set up the car for Mini-Stocks. The Mini-Stocks race on the inside track for turns 1 and 2 and the car wouldn't turn very well so Aaron started out 8th in the heat, quickly went to the back and then started getting the hang of it and ended up 7th. We then changed tires and set up the car for the Super Hornets. Aaron started 3rd in the feature and was making his way to the front when another car got into him and I remember thinking "We're done for the weekend" as he headed toward the wall but we thank God that Aaron was able to pull out of it and although he got sent to the back he ended up 5th. We then changed tires and set up the car for the Mini-Stock feature where he started out 1st. We had to make some big changes to the tire pressure because we needed the car to turn especially with Aaron starting out front. Two of the faster cars ended up passing him and we were really thankful for a 3rd place finish! We were then able to go up into the stands to watch a few races and ended the night with fireworks. The Assistant Pastor, his wife, their 3 children and 2 of their nieces came out to watch Aaron race. There was also another couple from church that came out. My parents were also there. It was a very exciting night. We ended up handing out a lot of candy, toys and literature. We ended up giving one lady a small bag full of our stuff so she could share it with her nephews.

Saturday, July 4th - Aaron raced a 100-lap Enduro race at Raceway Park. These races usually scare me as I watch Aaron squeeze through lots of other cars. Around lap 40, Aaron shifted and the car ended up jumping up on the back fender of another car but he bounced right back out. I jumped up and got up to the fence to see if he had any damage. The right front fender was sticking out but it looked like he was fine. At lap 50 there was a 10-minute mandatory pit stop in which we usually just get lined up back on the track. However, I told him to go to our pits. As I was running to our pitslab, a fellow racer from Elko went flying past me and beat me to our pits. He asked for some duck tape and he used that and a sledge hammer to get the fender away from the tire and bent back in. I scanned the tires and they all looked amazingly good. So, Aaron went back out on the track and finished the Enduro in 9th place (unofficially). We watched the rest of the races and some more great fireworks. We handed out more candy, toys and literature and hung out for a little while. My Mom was there and so was a couple that used to go to our church as well as there son.

Wednesday, July 8th - Rousch-Fenway night at Elko Speedway. Jack Rousch, Greg Biffle and Erik Darnell were there for a meet and greet autograph session and Erik raced with Elko's late models. Aaron raced in the Super Hornet division. He started out 6th in the heat and ended up 4th. He started out 1st in the feature and finished 2nd after several laps side by side with #33 who ended up 3rd.

ALS Walk Update - Thanks to Jan Moen, Tom Hakala, Pam Wolfe and Denise Bowe I have already raised $275 which is 55% of my goal. I thank God for all of you!
Michelle

A Race Worth Winning’s 4th Annual Walk/Run

Saturday, July 18th at Elko Speedway
This is the 3rd year that I, Michelle, will be participating in this fund-raising event. My Mom and my niece will also be doing the walk with me! If you would like to make a donation, you can do it online at http://web.alsa.org/goto/Michelle58.
As I mentioned in a previous post, Dan Ryan, Sr. a former racer at Elko Speedway died of ALS this past January. He retired from racing a few years ago but still spent every weekend at the racetrack helping his sons. 2008 he was inducted into Elko Speedway’s hall of fame and he was thankful for every weekend that he was able to be at the track. Elko Speedway along with many racers, crews and fans have been making an effort to raise money and awareness to this fatal disease.
The ALS Association is the only non-profit organization fighting Lou Gehrig’s Disease on every front. By leading the way in global research, providing assistance for people with ALS through a nationwide network of chapters, coordinating multidisciplinary care through certified clinical care centers, and fostering government partnerships, The Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while aggressively searching for new treatments and a cure.I am asking you to help by supporting my fund-raising efforts with a donation. Your tax-deductible gift will make a difference in the lives of many!
Any amount, great or small, helps in the fight. We greatly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on our progress.
Thank you!
Michelle

We Had a Great Weekend!

As usual, I put the race results on the side of this blog under July Racing Schedule/Results. Aaron raced a total of 155 laps this weekend between 5 races. I'll give a more detailed report within the next day or two.
Michelle

An Apology from Aaron

I want to apologize to everybody at the racetrack, friends and family of #33, and to the people that read our blog. I was wrong in what I said about #33 retaliating. I said that he did because I really did think he did. When you race, things happen really fast. I want everybody to know that I was not looking at the flagman throughout the race, and for some reason I was concentrating too much on #33, knowing that he was coming.
So after getting under #33 and accidentally hitting him, I did not know that the flagman was waving the checkered flag. That sounds really stupid on my part, and I cannot believe that I was not aware. I have been beating myself up about it for days. And I feel really bad for opening my big mouth and hurting people that I really care about. I should of thought about the situation first then I would of realized that it was all my fault and I put myself in the wall. If nobody knows what I'm talking about yet, I was still racing after the checkered flag and I came down on #33 trying to go into turn 1 thinking that it was just another lap. Yes, I was very stupid and I am very sorry to everybody. Please forgive me. And I am asking God to help me make better decisions on and off the track but please forgive me if I make the wrong one. I am human.
Aaron

A Tough Night

Last Saturday night was a tough night! During the heat, Aaron started out 1st with the points leader (#33) starting right next to him. #33 quickly took off ahead of Aaron and the 3rd place in points (#22) ended up passing him too. Aaron finished 3rd but we were thankful there were no accidents.
Aaron started out 6th in the feature and an early incident left a few cars scrambling while Aaron avoided the mess and jumped into 2nd. #22 was in first and Aaron began to pursue him. I remember thinking that Aaron could catch up to him but they seemed to be going close to the same speed. Meanwhile #33 was caught up in the mess so he had to work his way up to Aaron and the #22 car. With just a few laps left #33 caught up to Aaron and passed him. Aaron was trying to pass the #33 and found a small opening on the inside on the last turn of the last lap. Coming out of that last turn, Aaron accidentally bumped into #33 and got him loose. Aaron let off to make sure #33 had room and he was able to straighten himself out. Aaron then went to the outside of him after the checkered flag and ended putting himself into the wall. Aaron is fine but the car is getting worked on so he won't be racing this weekend.
After the towtruck dropped Aaron and the car off at the pitslab, Aaron wanted to apologize to #33 so we asked an official to escort us down to #33's pitslab. Elko officials want us to bring them along to keep things calm. #33 wasn't at his pitslab so we went up into the grand stands to watch the rest of the races.
At the end of the night we handed out candy, toys and literature to the racefans and then went down to ask an official to escort us down to the #33's pitslab. However, when we got down there, the #33 and his wife were already down there waiting while the officials were having a discussion about the incident. After a long wait, we finally were able to talk to the race director and he said he didn't see what happened after the checkered flag but he did see Aaron get into the #33 on the last turn. He has dealt with these issues many times over the years and said the best thing to do is to wait a week and then we can all talk it out and that things like this usually work themselves out. Aaron really wanted to apologize but I guess we'll have to wait. Although Aaron didn't hit him intentionally, he knows that the godly thing to do is to apologize.
Even though Aaron won't be racing this weekend we will be at the races so Aaron can have his meeting with the officials and #33. Please pray that it goes well. It's really hard because we really like #33 and his wife. Also, please pray for wisdom. Aaron is thinking about racing a different division.
Some good news for people 62 and older: Tickets to Elko Speedway are now only $5 for regular race nights and $10 for special events (Eve of Destruction, ASA Midwest Tour, Dirt Nationals, etc).

This Saturday night should be a great race for the late models! There's a 93 lap race in memory of Dan Ryan Sr, a former racer and father of 2 current racers. Dan Sr lost his life to ALS this past January and is deeply missed at Elko Speedway. visit http://araceworthwinning.org/.
Also, here's a neat story about Dan Ryan Sr: http://araceworthwinning.org/News/LosingALegend.htm

Michelle

Why Are We Slower?

Last Saturday night, the CRX ran slower than usual. We aren't sure if it was the humid air or because we changed some tire pressures. Aaron started in the back of the pack for both the heat and the feature. Once he made it up to 4th place he couldn't catch up to the leaders. Even the announcer noticed and said he was suprised that Aaron was unable to catch up once he passed the rest of the group. Well, he finished 4th in both the heat and the feature and we are barely hanging on to 2nd in points. With Aaron starting out in back for several races, he has more passing points than any of the Super Hornet drivers. In the middle of the 2008 season, Elko started giving passing points for every car you pass in the feature. We have benefited alot from that rule change!
This Saturday night is cheap date night at Elko. For $30 you can have 2 tickets, 2 pops and a bucket of popcorn. Hope to see you there. It won't be cold out.
We are going back to the same set-up we had when Aaron won his two features. The CRX doesn't like the humidity but maybe it will like the old set-up.
Michelle

Much Needed Rain Cancels Racing Tonight

We have been under drought conditions and many people have been praying for rain. Although we are sad to see the races cancelled tonight we know God's ways are always best. We found out around 2:00 that Elko cancelled their races. As a matter of fact, I called all the race tracks within a few hours from here and everyone has cancelled their races.

Our next race is Friday, June 12th. If you want to come out, let me know and I can email you a $5 off coupon. Just let me know by adding a comment to this post. Hope to see you there!
Michelle

Wisdom and Patience

Last Saturday night, Aaron started 8th in the heat. On the 1st lap, our friend Patrick ended up rolling his car. Thankfully he's just sore but his car has alot of damage. After that scary start, Aaron ended up 4th after trying very hard to pass the 2nd and 3rd place cars who were racing side by side. Aaron tried to go below them, above them and between them but ended up backing off.
In the feature Aaron started 5th. The 1st and 2nd place car were side by side when Aaron caught up to them. When the 4th place guy caught up, there was a 3 way battle for 2nd. Jeremy ended up taking off and got quite a lead before Aaron won the battle for 2nd which is where he finished in the feature.
It's kind of funny. From my perspective, Aaron looked like he was inpatient and I thought his fellow racers would be mad at him. However, Aaron felt like he was being patient because he backed off when it seemed like it wasn't a good idea to make the pass. Also, when we were in the tech barn (for inspection) at the end of each race, the guys Aaron had a 3 way battle with in both the heat and feature said it was a lot of fun. I pray for wisdom and patience for Aaron and all his fellow racers. I guess God is giving Aaron more than I realize.
Check out a picture of Aaron racing in the feature where he caught up to the 1st and 2nd place cars. http://www.elkospeedway.com/drivers/driver-news/173-mini-stocks-to-race-at-elko-speedway-on-july-3-2009-in-20-lap-feature.html
He's also on the home page: http://www.elkospeedway.com/
He's also on Elko's facebook page. You can make comments on his pictures: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elko-MN/Elko-Speedway/66144379561
Michelle

Better Late Than Never, Right?

I've been working a lot of hours. I praise God for my job but it's been hard to do anything extra lately. Anyway, here's a re-cap of the past couple weekends.

May 15-17th: We had the weekend off from Elko. Aaron ended up racing at Raceway Sunday night. We had been convicted to keep Sundays as God's day and that we wouldn't race on Sunday nights. However, Aaron really felt that God wanted Him to race and I really felt that God wanted me at church. Like usual when we have differing direction from God, we prayed that either God would change my heart or God would change Aaron's heart. Well by that Sunday morning, God hadn't changed either one of our hearts. In fact, we both really felt like we knew what God wanted. We even talked to our Pastor after church and he said there's really not a black and white answer. He directed us to some Bible verses in Romans and said that if we feel uneasy about something that we should not do it. We had a good discussion with our Pastor. We prayed with him and then went home to pray. We felt like my place was at church and Aaron felt like his place was at Raceway. Although, I never wanted to miss one of Aaron's races, I had to obey God first. We both felt we were doing what God wanted. That night, Aaron ran into the back of someone when a red flag came out to stop the race. He did some damage to the front end but went on to finish 5th in the Heat and 6th in the feature. He prayed with some of his fellow racers, handed out some tracts and gave out candy and toys to the kids. We both ended the night knowing we did what God wanted us to do.

May 22nd - 25th: During practice at Elko on Saturday, the car just quit and a tow truck had to push the car (and Aaron) back to our pit slab. We weren't able to figure out exactly what was wrong with it and we couldn't get it fixed so Aaron wasn't able to race. However, it was a beautiful day and the ASA Midwest Series was at Elko so it was a great night of racing and we were still able to hand out our new driver cards plus candy and toys. Aaron had wanted to race at Raceway Sunday night and Memorial Day but couldn't.

Aaron took the CRX to Kevin (our Honda tech guy) on Tuesday and we found out some great news. We had been thinking that the engine may need some major work and had been praying for direction on whether to fix the CRX or get our new Honda Integra up and running. Well, we found out that the distributor was busted and Kevin had a couple extras in his garage. They were brand new and he ended up giving them to us. We thank God for the talent and generosity that He has given Kevin. The CRX is ready to go for this Saturday night at Elko.

We also got 2 new sponsors since my last posting: Ace Hardware & Paint and Image Express Inc. Aaron has been doing temporary work at Image Express the last few weeks. We thank God for them and for Ace Hardware supporting us for another year!

Here's a picture of Rick and John, the President & Vice President of Image Express. (Happy Birthday Rick!)









Michelle

Faith in God = Win #2

Several weeks ago, Aaron wanted to make a modification to the engine of the CRX to make him more competitive. The tech inspector at Elko Speedway said it was a legal modification. However, it would have been very expensive. I didn't think it was a wise use of money but Aaron wanted so badly to be faster. We prayed many times that either God would change my heart or He would change Aaron's heart. One night shortly after Easter we had watched Passion of the Christ and then we prayed before we went to sleep. While I was praying Aaron felt like God spoke to him and said "What are you thinking?". Aaron felt like God was telling him not to make the modification. There are stories in the Bible of Israel's small army defeating large armies because they had God on their side. We knew if God wanted Aaron to win, we didn't need an expensive modification to get the victory. We knew we needed to depend on God and not on anything else. Well, in the feature Saturday night Aaron started out 6th and won the race. During the last six laps, Aaron raced side by side with Jeremy. Some laps Jeremy was in the lead, others it was Aaron but Aaron went across the finish line first with Jeremy close behind. We thank God for giving us another victory!

We had many visitors to our pits that night and I'm always amazed at Aaron's boldness. God has given him a gift that I often pray for. We have been studying the book of Acts at church and we know that boldness comes from God. Please pray for us.
Michelle

Victory Lane

Racing Update: Aaron finished 2nd in his heat and won his feature! Both races had exciting side by side racing and no boo boo's on the car. This was Aaron's first feature win of the season and we were all very excited and praising God!

Ministry Update: It was a little warmer so there were a few more fans in attendance and we probably had about 50 people come to our pits at the end of the night.

The Next Morning: With our pastor still in South Africa, we had Dr Huffman at our church again and he continued preaching in the book of Acts. It was exciting to make the connection of the people that I mentioned on the posting from April 6th, 2009-"The Unexpected" to chapter 2 in Acts. Many of the same people that at one point were there at the triumphal entry of Jesus praising Him, a few days later were yelling "Crucify Him" were now repenting of their sins and being saved. Wow! What a victory!

Michelle

Prayer and Patience

Racing Update: Aaron usually isn't patient on the racetrack however it seems like God is trying to teach him that. For the heat, he drew a high number which meant he started at the back of the pack. He started 12th and patiently worked his way up to 7th. One more lap and he could have got 5th. For the feature, he started 10th and worked his way up to 2nd. I think he could have won if he had a few more laps. It was an exciting race and felt just as good as a win.

Ministry Update: It was kind of cold out so there weren't very many fans. We probably only had 25 kids come to our pit at the end of the night. We had a few people say that they like Aaron's horn and that they were cheering for him. I think it's because the announcer brought it to everyone's attention that the "Honda was on the move". One guy even wanted his picture taken with us and the racecar. We gave him Aaron's driver card with his testimony on the back and a pen with Aaron's name on it. We are working on some new driver cards so we told him to come back to get the new one. We hope to see him at the races soon.

The Next Morning: Our Pastor is in South Africa so we had a special speaker. Dr. Greg Huffman, former president of Pillsbury Baptist Bible College, preached on Acts chapter 1. After Christ was resurrected, the apostles were instructed to wait in Jerusalem. While they waited, they all "prayed with one accord" in a group of 120 people. They prayed for 10 days. I've been working on not rushing into decisions that we are praying about. However, I again was convicted that I'm not praying enough. Not only are we having Missionary Mondays but we also want to think of other themes throughout the week so we spend more time in prayer. We need God's enlightenment and we need God to energize us and that is what the waiting time is for. Dr Huffman said "If God is not doing something for us, he's doing something in us so he can do something through us".

Missionary Monday: We prayed for Joseph & Danielle Contreras in Spain, Paul & Jo Anna Harmon in Uruguay, and Sam & Molly De in India.

Michelle

Missionary Monday

We had the weekend off from racing so there isn't a racing update but I thought I would tell you about something that Aaron and I are committing to do. We had Archie and Ruth Perez at our church on Sunday. They are missionaries to Uruguay. In Archie's message Sunday night he reminded us from 2 Thessalonians 3:1-3 that praying is the most important thing we can do for our missionaries. He asked us to pray for God's power in the lives and work of missionaries and to pray for protection from evil. Aaron and I would usually pray for a missionary for a couple of days after they came to our church and every now and then when God brought them to our minds but that was it. God layed it on my heart to have Missionary Monday in our home. So, going forward Aaron and I are going to have a prayer time every Monday night devoted to missionaries that we know. We have a huge list but we are excited. This Monday we weren't completely prepared but in our small first attempt we prayed for Aaron's sister and brother-in-law - Joseph and Danielle Contreras and boys who are missionaries in Spain. We also prayed for Archie and Ruth Perez and for Geber and Dione Coelho who are missionaires in Brazil.

Last night I went to a local Jewish Synagogue for Holocaust Rememberance Day. This was an amazing service honoring the survivors and remembering the 6 Million who were killed. Please pray for us as we look for more opportunities to reach out to God's chosen people and to build relationships with them in order to point them to the Messiah they are looking for.
Michelle

Wounded

Racing Update:
Aaron finished 5th in his heat and 4th in his feature. He got a few new boo-boos on the car during the heat. Both sides of the car and both the front and rear bumpers have some scrapes on them. During his heat, a car dropped power steering fluid on the track which made it slippery. One car got into the back end of Aaron and sent him into the wall but he bounced back and straightened it out and kept on racing until they finally called a caution to clean up the track.

Ministry Update:
We handed out candy, toys and driver cards at the end of the night. We have candy that has scripture verses on them, bouncy balls that say "Smile Jesus Loves You" and driver cards for Christian NASCAR drivers. Those driver cards plus Aaron's driver card has testimonies and scripture verses. We also have a Racing edition of the Daily Bread (a devotional). I'm guessing there were about 25 kids that came to our table. The night was cold so many went home instead of coming into the pits.

The Next Morning:
At church the next morning, we had breakfast at 7:30am and then we had a wonderful Easter service celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ! Friday night at church we had reflected on Christ being wounded beyond recognition (Isaiah 53) and dieing on the cross for our sins. So Sunday was a great celebration. If Christ wouldn't have been wounded for our sins, if Christ wouldn't have died on the cross for our transgressions then we would not have a way to be forgiven. He said He would be resurrected and He was. Praise God!
Michelle

The Unexpected

Racing Update:

Opening night was full of the unexpected. The high temp was in the low 40's. Rain and snow was supposed to come in the afternoon. We weren't able to put the rest of the graphics on because it was so cold. However, we went out to the track praying God would keep the wet weather away. There weren't a lot of fans and there wasn't a high turnout of racecars. Many of those that did show up probably wish they wouldn't have. I watched as a PowerStock's (8 cylinder stock car) throttle stuck during practice sending him wide open into the wall. I don't like crashes. I was crying and praying. The driver is OK but he took a hard hit. A few people blew engines, transmissions, etc. My heart ached for so many people. Aaron, on the other hand had a better day then we expected. Not only did he beat his fast time by getting a 17.783 (75.915 average mph), he won the first race of the season, an 8-lap heat race. He was supposed to start in the front row of the 15-lap feature but during the 5th division's heat race, the rain started. They canceled the remaining races because even if it did stop raining, it would have been impossible to dry the track with it being so cold. So, we loaded up in the rain called it a night. The rain turned to snow on our way home.

Ministry Update:

Since the races ended early, we weren't able to set up our table to hand out candy, toys, testimony cards, etc for the fans. However, I did have a wonderful conversation about the rapture with someone in the motor pits that afternoon. He mentioned how he wished that he would be more excited about the rapture. We talked about how even Christians are a little too attached to our life on earth. He mentioned how if we were in love with Christ, we would want him to come. Wow! It was nice to talk about his desires to have a closer relationship with God.

The Next Morning:

Sunday morning we woke up to a couple inches of snow. It was hard to believe that we raced the night before. The drive to church was beautiful as the snow was stuck to the trees. The message at church was about the unexpected response of Jesus after the triumphal entry. A few days before Christ died on the cross for our sins, a huge crowd praised and honored Him as He rode into town on a donkey. Read Luke 19:28-44. Our pastor pointed out Jesus' unexpected response - vs 41, And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,- He wept because He knew their hearts and that in a few day most of these same people would be saying "Crucify Him". We were challenged to examine our hearts. Many think that the days are coming soon when Christians will be persecuted in the US. Will we still stand for Christ?

Michelle

We're not wondering anymore...

Last night we went to practice and Aaron got a faster laptime than he did last year. He got a 17.853 (75.618 average mph)! The first twenty laps of practice he used his new Elko tires. The next 10 laps he used his new Raceway tires. The last 10 laps he used the old tires from last year that were at their prime break-in point. Those are the tires that he got his fastest lap in. Now we are ready for Opening Day tomorrow (if it doesn't snow). We'll be putting some more graphics on in the morning and then heading out to Elko. Please pray for our ministry and our safety.
Michelle

Still Wondering...

We are still wondering if the racecar will be faster after all the changes we made for the 2009 Racing season. Practice was postponed due to cold weather. We still went and were able to go through safety inspection. We passed inspection so now Aaron can get it out on the racetrack whenever we are able to. This is a picture of the track as it was on Saturday. There had been a big heavy equipment auction there a couple days prior to that so there was trucks in the infield and tons of heavy equipment in the parking lot.
Michelle

Will it be even faster?

Aaron's fastest lap time for the first race in 2008 in the CRX was 18.564 seconds (72.721 average mph). Throughout the year, Aaron improved his lap times. He got his fastest lap time of the season during the last race of the year - 17.961 seconds (75.163 average mph). So, you would think we wouldn't change a thing on the car for 2009 but we did. We had the CRX put on a frame rack to fix the alignment. It was really messed up but you can't help but wonder if the bent up frame made the car run around the track faster. The frame guy did say the way it was twisted would actually make us slower but we can't help but wonder what's going to happen. Logically, we should be faster but we'll soon see. We also had the CV shafts replaced, put on a fresh coat of paint and took off some extra weight.
The first practice is tomorrow - March 28th. I'll try to update the blog every Monday or Tuesday throughout the race season. For more up to date, results you can come out and watch or look online at http://www.elkospeedway.com/.
Michelle

We thank God for our parents!!!

We are praising God for our parents and all they are doing for us this racing season and in the past! Aaron's parents have bought a portion of the sponsorship space and it will probably say something like "We're Outta Here!" as they plan to move to Florida this summer. My parents continue to allow us to store the car(s) and trailer at their house, get frequent visits from us as we work on the car, pick up the car, and raid the fridge. Also, both parents watch Tori when needed and bring her to the races on the weekends we have her. My Dad not only helped me turn the Escort and the CRX into a racecar but he gets frequent questions from us on how to do something. I'm sure I could go on and on and I'm probably forgetting something that I shouldn't forget. Thank you Lord for the parents you have given us! Michelle

P.S. First Practice is this Saturday, March 28th. High Temp is supposed to be 42. Low is supposed to be 22. Here we go...

Thinking of my Uncles

My Mom's brother, my uncle Lee, is in heaven now. He has been battling throat cancer and he died Tuesday night. His memorial service is this Saturday. I have many good memories of him from my childhood and we had some fun times when we visited him a couple times this winter. I'm thankful that he was at our wedding and got to see us race at our wedding reception. I've been thinking alot about Lee the last couple of days. It's also made me think of my uncle Russ. He was my Dad's brother that died from a brain tumor about 18 years ago. Before he died he was making a racecar. He never got to race but because of him, 2 of my cousins (sons of another one of my uncles) started racing and eventually their sister did too. They started racing when I was living in Florida but as soon as I moved back to Minnesota, I never missed a race unless I was out of town. I eventually started racing too. And then Aaron started racing and here we are. Isn't it amazing how God interweaves all the people and situations in our lives to bring us exactly where He wants us.
Michelle

We thank God for our sponsors!!!

We are praising God that all of our sponsors from 2008 have agreed to back us for the 2009 racing season. If you are hungry for pizza, please visit Papa Murphy's! If you are looking to sell a house or buy a house at the current low interest rates, please contact Tom Hakala at ibr Realty. If you are hungry for steak, gyros, etc please visit Pete, Are and their family at Farmington Steak House! Both Papa Murphys' and Farmington Steak House have yummy food with great value in these tough economic times. Please thank them for sponsoring Aaron & Michelle Hopkins and supporting their ministry! We also want to thank B&T Automotive (Napa) in New Prague for continuing to give us a discount on the parts we need to maintain our racecar. Thank you Lord!
Michelle

Lord, you do the driving, I'll just hang on to the wheel

There was a wonderful godly man that went to our church who has been in heaven for a couple years. He was called Grandpa Jim by many people including us. He would tell stories of how God kept him safe on long trips even though he was about 80 years old. He would drive through the night without even stopping to sleep. When asked "How do you do it?", he said that he prays when he gets in the car and he says to God "Lord, you do the driving, I'll just hang on to the wheel." I heard this about the time I started racing so I've been using Grandpa Jim's prayer ever since then. I know God has got Aaron and I through some tight spots and just like in life, when we let God do the driving, everything will be perfect. The problems come when we take over the driving.
Michelle

The Number 58

Dani just asked a question on how we picked the number 58. So, I thought that might be an interestering story to add to our blog. Back in 2004, when I started racing (and before I met Aaron), I called Elko to see what numbers were available. There were so many Hornet cars back then that they said I could have 58 or 59. I had some numbers picked out in my head that correlated to Bible verses and those weren't any of my choices. So, I thought "I think my Dad likes some cool old car that's a 1958 something" so I went with that. That's how we got the number 58.

I then went hunting for a verse or chapter in the Bible that had 58 in it. One night a teenager at our church, while getting baptized, said his life verse was 1 Corinthians 15:58 so I quickly thought "That's it", what a great verse for our ministry! (See the top of the blog to read the verse.)
Another verse that has been around since day 1 of my racing is Isaiah 41:10.
fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. I would say that verse before I raced and while I raced. I would also sing the song "I love you Lord". God has really protected us. There have been many times that God brought us through some tight spots.

Check back soon and I'll add the story of a regular prayer of ours before each race.
Michelle

Thank you Dani and Lori

I wanted to thank Dani and Lori (they don't know each other) for checking out our blog and giving us encouraging comments!
Michelle

Sponsors, Accomplishments & Pictures

I added a list of businesses that have been our sponsors throughout the years. We hope to add a list of our 2009 sponsors soon. I also added our accomplishment and some pictures from the past few years.
Michelle

Racing Schedule

I added the first few dates of our 2009 Racing Schedule on the right side of this blog. I'll add more as I go along. If you have any recommendations of things you'd like to see on this blog, let me know. Thanks.
Michelle

Maybe this year...

I started this blog 2 years ago and only created 1 post and never told anyone about the blog. Maybe this year I will actually use this blog to update everyone about our ministry at our local racetracks. Our first race is April 4th so we are currently getting our schedules and sponsorship in place. I will post something soon to give a little more history of our ministry and what we plan to do in 2009. Come back soon.
Michelle