Team Patience Pays Big Dividends
22 May 2006

What can only be described as a rough start to the 2006 sprint car season for 15 year old Cap Henry, team patience paid big dividends Saturday May 20,2006 at Sandusky Motorsports Park. After a horrific crash ended the 2005 season at the Sandusky Cavalcade, the 2006 season began with a struggle to complete the HMC Ltd. Internet backed car for the first race that was held May 06, 2006. After what can only be described as struggle with everything mechanical on the new car which is often the case, the team finally made it to the track to test on Thursday May 04, 2006. This test did not turn out good for the Elite Collision sponsored car. The car was fired for warm up laps, and when Cap brought the car in to the pits power steering fluid was found in the driver’s compartment along with a firewall covered with oil. After tightening fittings the team attempted to return to the track when a bolt in the brake system was found stripped, and not able to be repaired at the track. Dejected the team discussed the situation and the young driver showed years of maturity stating “the car feels like a death trap right now and I don’t feel safe driving it this weekend.” The decision was made to take the car back to the Henry MotorSports Safety Gear Shop, and go through the car bolt by bolt before returning to the track. This being done the team was hopeful to get some good test days in before the next race on May 20, 2006 . Unfortunately the weather chose not to cooperate for the next 10 days and the team was only able to get one test day in with the G-force Racing Gear Sprint Car. By this time both Father Kit Henry and son Cap Henry were thinking that kart racing was much easier, and maybe not such a bad idea after all, as it was familiar territory. The team moved forward, and this final test was positive as everything went fairly well and the team was hopeful they might be able to make the show for the race on May 20, 2006.

Race day began uneventfully, though it did not stay this way. First the team had trouble getting the car to fire and stay running. This may have been an adjustment that was made in the shop , or possibly the drivers nerves on race day as it turned out the car was not coming all the way out of gear and therefore stalling when it would be brought back into the pits. Once this was solved the team was able to make hot laps and overall Cap was pleased with the car, though it appeared an oil leak problem had returned. Friend and fellow racer Matt Ferrell came over and showed us that the car was blowing back through the oil breathers and this problem was then solved. As qualifying time approached the team received a call from Crew Chief Keith Whaley and he had had a car break down and would be late arriving. Overall the day was going along well with the car though little things were nipping at the Trailer Wiz.com sponsored team. Qualifying appears to be getting better for the driver as he went faster that he had ever been at Sandusky Motorsports Park, running 16.30 putting him some where in the top 15 of the 31 signed in cars. Cap appeared to become more comfortable with the new car as his first hear race was a strong one starting fourth and finishing second. This would give the AACO golf carts car the 4th starting position for the feature event. The feature began with a bang as 10 cars pile up going into turn one all of them behind the first 4 cars leaving Cap's car unphased. On the restart Cap's Kear's backed car got a strong start and moved right into the third position. The leader then "Broke Out" (going quicker than his qualifying time), sending him to the tail moving all the cars up one position. This put Cap in the second position as he began to run down the leader. Trent Stephens another of the young guns in this class than came by the front three from the ninth spot to take over the lead, with Cap Henry passing Dickerson for second bringing Joe Rebman with him. The next caution would appear on lap 16 when leader Stephens right rear tire blew sending him into the turn 2 wall ending his night. At this point Cap Henry inherited the lead with Rebman, Buchanan and Neil following close behind. Joe Rebman appeared to be trying to intimidate the driver on the restart darting up next to him on both the inside and the outside though Cap was not having any of this. The Rollersville Racing Engine powered car seemed to have plenty of power and he was able to repeatedly hold of the advances of Joe Rebman, as the laps wound down the team began to realize that Cap may be able to win his first race the first time out in the new car, as he had begun to pull away from the field slightly. With 2 laps to go the yellow flag flew again as the cars in 2nd and 3rd came together trying to move up. On the restart Cap was able to jump just slightly as Todd Buchanan made a bold move on the outside of Rebman in turns one and two to take 2nd, giving him a possible shot at Cap. As the white flag flew Buchanan was coming with a head of steam going in to turns one and two for the final time. The Sandusky Motorsports Park veteran used the same move on Cap for the pass driving dirt track style around the high side to take the lead and finish the race as the winner. Cap Henry came home a very satisfied 2nd place, far exceeding the teams initial expectations. With Joe Rebman coming home third.

The team now has a week off to go through the car further and look for a little more elusive speed that may help put the Linder's Speed Equipment Car in the winners circle.