Welcome race fans to the 2009 racing season. Over the winter Draven and his family made the decision to purchase a Baby Grand Race Car and move from the Minicup division into the Baby Grand Jr Pro Division. is very excited about the new car. It is a 2/3 scale replica of a Nextel Cup Stock Car. It uses a Yamaha XJR1300 engine that produces 120-125 HP. In other words-it is fast-just like Draven likes it! So come join Draven for another racing season. He will be competing at most of the MMRA Division Events. For more information, schedules and points standings click on the following link www.mmraracing.com. For more information on Baby Grand Race Cars click on the following link www.babygrandracing.com
Sorry for the updates not being posted until now..
June 13, 2009-Draven arrived at Riverview Speedway and started working on the car with his Crew Cheif (his dad) to fix all the damage from the night before. Draven went out to practice and ran fast times. He qualified 2nd. He started the race and was going really fast. He got in a battle with the #99 car and they stayed side by side for awhile. After Draven got pass him, he was going to catch the #5 car for the lead. There was a caution which made Draven not have enough time to get the lead. Draven finished 2nd. He would like to thank Arty Hall for all the support of the Baby Grand drivers and treating them so well. Check out the Riverview Points to see where Draven is in the points standings.
June 12, 2009-Draven competed at Beech Bend Raceway and raced with the Baby Grand Pro Division. This is one of Draven's least favorite tracks. He has come a long way, but still has work to do. He was up to 3rd place when he got body slammed by #77. The hard hit did some pretty extensive damage, cutting the left rear tire and causing it to loose air, and some front end damage that caused the car to drag. Draven did persevere and finish the race, but unfortunately it was finished in next to last place. Draven is currently in 5th place in the Beech Bend Baby Grand points standing. You can check it out at Beech Bend Points
June 5, 2009 - Beech Bend Raceway makeup race for May 22, 2009 Draven raced with Baby Grand Pro. Qualified last. Finished in 4th Place.
May 30, 2009-Draven competed at his favorite track Riverview Speedway Draven qualified 4th and finished the race in 2nd place. So far there have been no other Baby Grand Junior Pro Drivers to race with in any of the events, except 2 that Draven has competed in. Draven has been racing with the Baby Grand Pro Division so that he can competively race, but he can not receive points for the Pro Division because he is not old enough to officially be a part of the group, so MMRA is just counting his finishes towards Junior Pro Points.
May 24, 2009 -Huntsville Motor Speedway-Rainout
May 22, 2009 -Draven headed out after a half day of final exams at school to Bowling Green, Kentucky to Beech Bend Raceway . The Baby Grands got all of their practice and hot laps in. They were the next to the last race to start when the track lost the lighting in turn 3 and could not get them up and running in time to get the race in, so the Baby Grand racers did not get to compete that night.
April 25, 2009-Draven and his family made the 13 hour trip from Chattanooga to Tulsa, Oklahoma to race at JRP Speedway. This track has never been nothing but grief for Draven. He raced there twice in the Minicup Car, with one race rained out by one of the heaviest rain storms he had ever seen and the other one resulting in an inexperienced driver getting caught onto his car and taking him straight into the wall. That accident resulted in a trip to the hospital with a concusion and a totaled car. This trip prooved itself to be no different. Draven had never been in the car on this track and was only given 8 laps of practice to try to figure the track out and for the crew chief to find the gear. He place 2nd in the heat race, but the field was inverted, leaving him to start 6th. Draven became too impatient too fast in a car that didn't have any heat in the tires. He tried to pass on the outside of a slower car and got into the loose stuff on the track and spun out. When he spun out, he lost his radio communication with his spotter. He then did not get his tires cleaned off good enough and spun out again which resulted in him being black flagged due to the tracks 2 spin out rule. *F.Y.I.-This track was not the most racer friendly track if you are traveling there for the first time and are not able to get any testing done beforehand.
April 18, 2009 -Draven woke up in Bowling Green Kentucky and headed out to Carthage, Tennessee to Riverview Speedway Draven loves this track, it is definitely one of his favourites. Draven was the only Jr Pro car to show up so he had to race with the Pro division. Draven finished 2nd in the Pro race and 1st in Jr Pro.
April 17, 2009 -Draven traveled to Bowling Green, Kentucky to Beech Bend Raceway for his first Baby Grand Race. He had to use the 2 practices to try to get a feel for the car and the track. While qualifying, he hit the wall, causing some damage to the car. Draven would like to thank his Crew Chief (Dad) and David Daniels for working hard and getting the car ready so that he could make the race. Draven ended up winning the Jr Pro race and was glad to have his first race in a new car under his belt.
