CAP HENRY IN TULSA FOR CHILI BOWL
21 January 2009

Cap Henry and Team CHR Satisfied 18 year old Cap Henry and the whole CHR team can describe there first Chili Bowl as successfully satisfying. Though the team did not make the final 24 car field, they far exceeded there initial goal of completing the event and bringing the car home in one piece. We weren't even sure if we'd really be competitive said team owner Kit Henry.

"I highly believe in my son Cap's skills, and the team behind him, though this was a new endeavor for all of us." Cap and the team had only ever run the midget one time since purchasing it last spring, and that was at the Rumble in the Seagate Center in Toledo, Ohio, running on the coke syruped concrete floor. Though they did make the show then, it was nothing like the Chili Bowl would be.

The team had to over come adversity from the time they left Ohio until after the first day of competition. The drive out to Tulsa defined the team's new slogan of "it's not just a job it's an adventure" as they had to replace 4 trailer tires, 2 batteries and an alternator before they even arrived. Then a broken rocker arm would hamper the first day of practice. Cap was competitive from the beginning with a car that was not running properly; with the motor repaired the team had a little higher expectations of how they might do, though they would have to wait until Friday to find out. Cap and his team took the 3 days of down time and used it to learn and learn they did. They studied the track, the cars and the other drivers so they could be as prepared as possible for there shot at the track. Friday came and Cap got right to it getting up on the wheel and driving the car for all it was worth from the beginning dicing with All Star Sprint regular Greg Wilson in his first practice session.

Cap would start dead last in his heat race with the likes of Greg Wilson, and USAC champion Cole Whitt to contend with. This did not seem to intimidate the young man, as his crew had the car dialed in and he worked his way very quickly from the tail of the heat race to the rear bumper of second place running Greg Wilson, passing Cole Whitt and the others. The yellow would then come out for a spun car and Cap would make his one driver error of the week on the restart costing him an automatic berth into the evenings A-main event. "I take responsibility for that mistake, I was to aggressive trying to get the 2nd position and slid high ", that allowed 2 other cars to slip by, taking him out of the transfer position. Cap would keep his composure starting the C-main on the outside pole. After the first two starts the C-main would get under way. Cap initially fell into the second position though was hanging right with the leader. The leader would eventually succumb to Cap's pressure and slid high letting Cap move into the lead. By the end of the C main he had built a 1/3 of a track lead over the rest of the field, giving him a berth in the evening's B-main event. Cap started the B-main in the 15th and final staring position and initially looked like he may be able to work his way to the front. He was running as high as 9th or 10th when the yellow flags would begin to fly for other competitors. Cap would make the best of a car that was getting little loose and would end up finishing a 11th for the B-main. This would give him a front row starting spot in the G-main on Saturday 125 cars ahead of other competitors trying to make the final 12 spots for the Final A-main of the week.

Saturday's G-main would be a strong one and Cap would have his hands full the whole event with the likes of Brady Bacon pushing on him. He would bring the car home 3rd, moving him onto the tail of one of the double F-mains. Unfortunately a second rocker would break as the green flew, ending Cap and Team CHR's first Chili Bowl.

The team was very happy with there results, We won a chili bowl C-main, ran with the best and were competitive our very first time here. This event takes skill and a ton of luck, let alone resilience. The team would like to thank the following people at the Chili Bowl for there help, Terry and Misty, Goodwin, Russ Bohaty, Wesmar Engines, Jim Hinley and the Grosz Construction Team, as well as our sponsors Race Fan Radio, Kistler Racing Products, Bell, G-Force, T-N-T Graphics, The Sports Hut, Go Pro, Race Coveralls, Level Performance, Kear's Speed Shop, Pro Shocks, Green Filters, GME Steering, and Schiets Motors.  

CAP HENRY IN TOLEDO FOR RUMBLE SERIES
07 January 2009

Cap Henry and Team CHR invaded the Toledo Seagate Center the weekend of December 19, and 20th, 2008 for the second and third stop on this years Rumble Series of indoor racing. 18 Year old Cap Henry was pulling double duty for the weekend running both his 600 cc outlaw winged midget, as well as running his full midget that he will be racing at the Chili Bowl in January 2009. The weekend was really a shakedown for both driver and crew, as his winged outlaw midget had just had an engine rebuild and the driver and crew had never run the midget, let alone indoors.

Friday became a test and tune day for both vehicles as the driver and crew acclimated themselves to the new car and motor. Qualifying did not fair well for either car, putting the young driver in the back of his heats. He took the 600 to the A-main directly out of the heat races, though did not fair as well with Midget as he did not make the show.

He finished 14th in the 600 A-main after $5.00 hiem joint broke dropping him out of the race. Teammate John Ivy brought the teams other 600 home 4th in the A-main.

Saturday brought a new day, and high hopes for both cars, as the team felt more comfortable as did the driver. The 600 winged midget was broken in and running strong as Cap was the first qualifier, and quick qualifier for a good portion of the qualifying session being nipped first by teammate John Ivy, and then a couple of the others putting the Team CHR cars 4th and 6th quick out of 26. The midget was also getting much faster and the practice session the car was closest to correct, Cap was able to run right with and pass some of the eventual front runners of Saturday night. He made the show out of his heat race and would be starting in the 14th position for the midget race and 5th for the winged outlaw 600’s. The winged outlaw midget race started as usual with immediate yellows as the drivers were over anxious at the start, the initial start found Cap being knocked in to the inside tractor tires knocking the car into a pretty severe toe out condition. The next start brought a red flag, and somehow the scoring lost Cap’s position of 5th relegating him to the tail of the field. Even with the car in less than perfect condition Cap was determined to move back to the front of the field consistently passing cars in better condition than his own. All Star Champion crew chief Brian Kemenah would later report that it had been a long time since he had seen a driver with such determination to get back to the front while making good passes, with a damaged car.
“Had he not wrecked while trying to pass a back marker he would have finished in the top 5 easily” He was scored as 10th after all was said and done. The midget would be a short lived affair for the Bellevue, Ohio native as the car was still not quite right, and Cap decided it was better to park the car and be ready for the Chili Bowl than to take a chance of wrecking it at Toledo. He dropped out while running 13th. John Ivy would win saturday in Toledo for team.

December 26th and 27th would find Team CHR competing at the final Rumble Series races of 2009. Unfortunately the weekend would be a complete heartbreaker for Cap Henry as his 600 outlaw sprint car went up in smoke during his heat race on Friday afternoon, ending the weekend. Team Driver John Ivy would take 3rd on Friday night and win on Saturday with a last lap pass of the leader.

Cap Henry and Team CHR would like to Thank all their sponsors for there support, Kistler Racing Products, Bell Easton Inc, Kear’s Speed Shop, T-N-T Graphics, G-Force Racing Gear, HMS Saftey Gear, Maximum Performance, Level Engines, Embroidery Unlimited, The Sports Hut, Sonny’s Machine Shop, Schiets Motors, Gme Steering.