More Comfortable, More Confident at Bear Ridge

Sometimes race day really doesn't go according to plan.

Raccio Racing was already on the road and just 20 minutes from Waterford when we got the news that Saturday night's racing had been canceled because of the pending threat of rain.

So, what do racers do when their race gets canceled? Find another place to race.

We contacted the Ray Miller Racing team to see if we could meet them at Bear Ridge. Luckily, Johnny's dirt trailer was still packed from the previous day's trip to Loudon, and the team told us to come. Even though we would be the last ones arriving, they saved a spot for us so the entire team could pit together.

We turned around, headed home, swapped our Waterford trailer for Johnny's dirt trailer, and changed course. Instead of a Saturday night racing the SK Light on the pavement at Waterford, Anthony was headed north for another night behind the wheel of the Dirt Midget at Bear Ridge Speedway.

It was going to be close. We pulled into Bear Ridge about 15 minutes before practice, and the Dirt Midgets were the first class scheduled to hit the track. Dad's driving deserves some credit here—he got us there in time!

After the rush to get there, it was great that Anthony had both practice and his heat race before the feature. That gave him valuable track time to settle in, get comfortable with the car, and prepare for the feature.

By feature time, something else was becoming noticeable: Anthony was getting much more comfortable passing cars.

Dirt Midget Style

One thing we're learning about Dirt Midget racing: pushing the car into its parking spot sure beats lifting, running with, and dropping a half-class Quarter Midget on pavement. Our backs are enjoying this kind of racing! 😂

Every time Anthony gets behind the wheel of the Dirt Midget, the goal is to gain experience. He's still relatively new to dirt racing, and every lap gives him another opportunity to learn the car, the track, and a completely different style of racing.

This night, though, we could see the progress. Anthony looked noticeably more confident in traffic and more comfortable looking for opportunities to make passes and move forward.

Anthony finished the feature 11th, but the finishing position wasn't the biggest takeaway from the night. Seeing his confidence grow—and watching him become more comfortable racing and passing other cars—was the real progress.

What started with a race cancellation just 20 minutes from Waterford turned into a trailer swap, a race north to Bear Ridge, and another valuable night of dirt racing with the Ray Miller Racing team.

Sometimes Plan B turns out to be exactly what you need. 🏁