06/14/2026
This past week, we threw everything we had at chasing down our power issues. After making a long list of changes, we rolled into Attica Raceway Park feeling confident and ready to lay down some solid laps.
Back at the shop, and even in the pits at the track. The engine sounded much healthier than it did the previous week. At idle, everything seemed to be heading in the right direction.
Unfortunately, as soon as the engine got under load, it would fall on its face and barely produce enough power to spin the tires. You can see exactly what we’re talking about in the qualifying video we pulled from our GoPro.
Every time the car came back into the pits, more people showed up to help us chase the problem. Mike Bores, Kyle Moore, Mike Hensel, Garry Hensel Sr., and Shawn Scott. We can’t thank you guys enough. Because of your help, we found and corrected several serious issues throughout the night.
What makes that even more meaningful is that every one of those guys have their own race teams to focus on. Yet the moment they saw someone struggling, they didn’t hesitate to jump in and help. That’s what makes dirt racing such a special community.
Right before the B-Main, Billy came back into the pits while everyone was still working through carburetor adjustments. Running out of ideas, he suggested we open the Oberg oil filter and take a look.
Thankfully, we did.
Inside the filter was a noticeable amount of metal shavings, along with a small chunk of metal sitting in the reservoir. The second that filter was opened, everyone helping us came to the same conclusion: don’t run the engine again.
There was simply too much visible contamination to risk sending it back onto the track and potentially turning a repairable problem into a catastrophic failure.
That was a tough pill to swallow.
Half of our team had been working on the car since 8:00 Friday morning. The other half left work and drove straight to the racetrack. Everyone invested their time, energy, and effort into getting this car ready to race, only to load it back in the trailer before the B-Main.
It was disappointing. There’s no other way to put it.
At the same time, we’re incredibly grateful for the advice we received. It’s no secret that we don’t have the budget to simply replace an engine, especially a competitive one. Because of the decision to shut it down, we still have a motor to work with.
Now it’s time to tear it down and find out exactly what happened.
At the moment, we’re leaning toward a bearing-related issue, but we’re not engine builders. We’ll be making phone calls this week and putting together a game plan for the next steps.
As of right now, both the Mini Stock and Late Model programs are sidelined until we get things figured out. Thankfully, the Street Stock is still running strong, so if a local track is racing, you can expect to see us there.
Finally, thank you to all of our sponsors. We know this season hasn’t gone the way any of us hoped, and we’re sorry we haven’t been able to deliver the results we were aiming for. Your support means more than you know, and we’ll keep working to get back on track.
– Gage
Sponsors:
Dusty Stroud (Lynnys Auto)
Junior Howell (Amsoil)
DJ Directional Services
Buckeye Indoor Golf
Lorain Ohio KartPlex
Eagle Stores
Alan Bair (Bair’s Lawn-care)
Portz Performance & Machine
CS Show Cattle
Tim Hawkins
The Glenmont Tavern
Roger Dingee (750 Clear)
Triple S Energy Management LLC
Trash Talk Dumpsters
Pleasant Hill Detailing LLC
Dirt Behind The Scenes
Iracing Dirt Memes
James Chrystal Hickman (227 Motorsports)
Snyder Hot Shot Truck & Trailer
Steve & Michelle Hinton
Todd Brennan Racing #20
Chris Carpenter Racing
Kryptonite Race Cars
STAKT Products
Elite Artworks
