7/2/2010
Eric Schulz
Schulz Nabs Third!
The Independence Day weekend started off with some great racing and a few bangs for Sioux Falls native Eric ‘Ricochet’ Schulz! The team arrived in Rock Rapids IA with a high hopes on the night, “Other than a few tornadoes, this season has been going fairly smooth,” explained Eric, “the car is working decent, and the motor has been purring like a kitten. As long as we stay out of trouble, we should have a good night!” Starting 4th in the second heat, Schulz displayed patience as he worked his way through the field. “The track was fast, everyone was really clipping right along,” says Schulz, “the car was handling great, but I really had to work the traffic to move up.” Eric wound up taking the lead with just two laps to go and held on through the end!
As the features drew near, the track really began to change. Schulz and the crew, which was one short tonight, went to work on the Papik Motors, Jack Egge’s Automatic Transmission Service Sprinter right away. Starting in 7th, Eric knew that he had to be able to move around on the track. As the crew buttoned up the car, Schulz strapped in to the #4 and pushed off for A-Main. As the opening laps unfolded, the ‘Ricochet’ found himself in some tight racing, with everyone gunning for the bottom. “There was six or seven cars racing wheel to wheel, bumper to bumper in the moisture on the bottom,” stated Schulz, “I had to try the top, I was a little weary of the track up there since the racing surface was so wide, and it looked real slick.” Eric flung his Keizer Aluminum Wheels backed sprinter into turn one on the cushion and gained a spot. After working the high side for a few laps, some of the other drivers started to catch on that there was something to get a hold of up there, that is when the racing really picked up! Racers were trying each other high and low, Schulz weaved his way up to fourth. “I really had to work on third place. Going into three for the last time, it was now or never, so I gassed the old girl up a little more, threw it on the cushion, and barley squeaked by at the checkers!”
After the races were done, the lights went dark, and the sky lit up with one of the best firework shows ever seen.
