What's up with Owens

[Bumpandrun]

I know Jimmy finished second one night, but other then that, he has been sucking. I bet he sure does miss his old crew chief Chris Fox. And Mike Reece's money.

[In The Gas]

Barry Wright. Look, Barry himself and son were the crew chiefs on Oneals car last year and pretty much threw the anchor. Two years ago they ran good enough to win the LODLMS but last year was way off. If they can't adjust their own cars how is anyone else to do so?
I'm still got by Owens switching to these, Moran too.
Chassis are measured on winning not just running in the top 5. I don't see BWRC's winning but very little.

[SnakeX3]

Sorry to bogart your Owens thread, but what about Earl Pearson Junior too...or Steve Francis? I realize it's early in the season, but they are all former champs that are too young to have forgotten how to drive. I just gotta figure the gap between the teams that are the best of the best (Wreck-it House car, Capitial House car, K&L Rumley, Bloomquist) has grown enough that the customers that don't get all the tricks are going to need some time to get things figured out. Even the Black Diamond house cars did well in AZ.

I realize Owens is in the BWRC house car, but my guess is they have fallen behind the curve and can't get up. I think R&W needs to look at buying an XR-1 or Club 49 and see if they can figure out what they've got that the BWRCs don't.

[Pennsboro23]

Sorry to bogart your Owens thread, but what about Earl Pearson Junior too...or Steve Francis? I realize it's early in the season, but they are all former champs that are too young to have forgotten how to drive. I just gotta figure the gap between the teams that are the best of the best (Wreck-it House car, Capitial House car, K&L Rumley, Bloomquist) has grown enough that the customers that don't get all the tricks are going to need some time to get things figured out. Even the Black Diamond house cars did well in AZ.

I realize Owens is in the BWRC house car, but my guess is they have fallen behind the curve and can't get up. I think R&W needs to look at buying an XR-1 or Club 49 and see if they can figure out what they've got that the BWRCs don't.

I will say that Steve Francis has looked better this year already. He isn't qualifying well, but he has been passing a ton of cars in the feature. If he can get that thing started up front, he will win a few races this year.

[SnakeX3]

I will say that Steve Francis has looked better this year already. He isn't qualifying well, but he has been passing a ton of cars in the feature. If he can get that thing started up front, he will win a few races this year.

It is early in the season and like you said, Francis has looked better. In the post-race interviews he's seemed loose and upbeat. Much like McCreadie he seems to have a much better attitude...and Francis hasn't even been running as strong as T-Mac (yet). I can't say the same for Owens though. Even after that 2nd place run he didn't sound particularly optimistic.

I wonder how much sharing of info Bowyer's team will do with Stuckey and the other Black Diamond teams. I think the problem Owens faces is that there aren't any other Tier 1 teams running Barry Wrights...yeah...Devin Moran...but I would think he'd be going to Owens rather than the other way around.

A friend of mine was saying he thought that having all these non-points races during Speedweeks is lame. I see his point, but allowing the teams a chance to run for some money while giving them a chance to shake down their new rides is a good thing...especially for teams that didn't get their new cars early enough to test or don't have the money to do so. At least with the non-points races it gives the other teams a chance to see where they stack up against the competition, try some things out and not fall hopelessly behind in the points.

[Tireguy17]

Slow down people.....its early in the season and East Bay is an animal within itself. No sense in judging anyone's season off what is happening this week or even Florida. The real race season starts in the spring.

[Nasty55]

Slow down people.....its early in the season and East Bay is an animal within itself. No sense in judging anyone's season off what is happening this week or even Florida. The real race season starts in the spring.



Im with Tireguy Jimmy will be ok and he is right the real race season hasnt even began yet..... East Bay has always been a breed of its own......

[fastford]

im with you guys, I hope.......

[wfofan]

Jimmy has been his own nightmare since he left Blomquist chassis... He needs to go back to what worked for him if he wants to have SWEET dreams again...

[Barbecueboy]

I'm betting he will be in another chassis before the year is out.......or at the very least have one at his disposal.

[dirtdobber45]

I dont see how their behind when Jimmy was in the car at the end of the season they should have some kind of data from that. Enough to have something to work with. His qualifing needs to be worked on for sure

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

I dont see how their behind when Jimmy was in the car at the end of the season they should have some kind of data from that. Enough to have something to work with. His qualifing needs to be worked on for sure

He wasn't Lucas legal at the National 100

[TUTY]

No matter what momentum is everything and he has none.

[AnonymousNate]

don't a lot of drivers do a lot of testing and experimenting with set ups and such things down there in Florida? have heard that a time or two people like doing a lot of testing with this and that down there!

[Kwoods25]

It's not the car. Moran is doing very well in his.

[Crossbones]

Jimmy has been his own nightmare since he left Blomquist chassis... He needs to go back to what worked for him if he wants to have SWEET dreams again...

It seems those Bloomquist cars really work well with Owens (better than anyone else). Since leaving Bloomquist chassis it looks like he has gone back to where he was before 2007, top 5 car but not dominating.

[zyoung25]

Has Jimmy ever done very well at east bay? I remember him winning down there a couple times, the last win there was '13, I wouldn't call east bay Jimmys strong suit. We get out of there and get to other tracks we will see what he's got.

[dirtfanbob]

First three laps of feature and passed 8 cars on sh^tty track.
5 cautions in 23 laps, 8 cars out. When 1/3 of the field is out before halfway....it needs to be considered how track conditions and other situations also cause problems. It's never just one thing.....

[fastford]

don't a lot of drivers do a lot of testing and experimenting with set ups and such things down there in Florida? have heard that a time or two people like doing a lot of testing with this and that down there!

according to a very reliable source, that's exactly what there doing , this new chassis is not a standard BW , I think the reason jimmy is not building his own is he don't have the time to build them and test them on his own , im not that crazy about barry, but you do what you have to do.........

[dirtdobber45]

Hes had 4 days to 'test' he should have something...its quailifing that needs the work. Yea he looked good last nite but if he had quailified better maybe hed been in the top 3

[fastford]

I don't understand it either, hitting the wall in qualifying is not the norm , but like someone else said hes never done that well in Florida, even the years he won the championships.....

[stroker#21]

He will be in a Longhorn be fore the year is up lol

[george w]

I think some of you are being a lil impatient an understandable, but he's dealt with alot early on never has really shined in Florida an has been moving forward majority of the times he's found himself in a hole early in the night . Just give it some time thats mainly what I'm getting at.....

[george w]

Got barried early an started 21st ..... finished 6th. Last night is a perfect example of on the kinda nights he's been having did anyone else pass more cars lastnight? I'd have to look myself? O'Neal McCreadie pearson pierce Sheppard weaver francis landers carrier an Davenport are all people he finished in front of after starting 21st with a newly formed team.

[dirtdobber45]

I agree that florida isnt his strong suit and eb is a rough track but not all tracks in any other state will be 'perfect' either. What will happen then???

[NormP]

I guess we're about to find out.

[Barbecueboy]

I agree that florida isnt his strong suit and eb is a rough track but not all tracks in any other state will be 'perfect' either. What will happen then???

See post 22.......

[dirtdobber45]

Ok bbq I can see that but would his backers go with him?

[TUTY]

(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) Equipement, lucky to finish 5th

[zyoung25]

Was running 6th tonight, and had a flat. I wouldn't call that sh!tty equipment, I'd call that bad luck.

[Kwd1253]

HE NEEDS FOX BACK SET HIS CAR UP RIGHT FOR HIM!! Fox knew what jimmy needed do to the car to help jimmy. Fox and jimmy is like jd and kevin they know what there wheel man needs to run. Jimmy did grate in club 29 with fox as his crew chief. I think jimmy needs stick with a team for 2 years so his crew chief and team can figure him out what he looking for and build modify his car to him.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

HE NEEDS FOX BACK SET HIS CAR UP RIGHT FOR HIM!! Fox knew what jimmy needed do to the car to help jimmy. Fox and jimmy is like jd and kevin they know what there wheel man needs to run. Jimmy did grate in club 29 with fox as his crew chief. I think jimmy needs stick with a team for 2 years so his crew chief and team can figure him out what he looking for and build modify his car to him.

Problem is, when you are the steering wheel holder, you can't decide if the team stays together.

[pink floyd]

Problem is, when you are the steering wheel holder, you can't decide if the team stays together.

good post mb racer

[HatTrick]

The Nightmare has been off the past couple of years. There's no doubt about that. We could all say it's a number of things. Different cars, different crew chief, so on and so forth. I'd have to say that it's a combination of things. At this level of competition there isn't one thing that makes a dominating team. Everything has to come together and work in harmony. One thing there is no doubt about, Jimmy is a smart man when it comes to dirt racing. He knows race cars. His crew is right there with him, and the people he surrounds himself with aren't dummies either. I would differ to say that the BW he's in is the same as everyone else's. I deal with the whole LG LLC crew from time to time. I know they were at the point of wanting to run their own design. Jimmy tried a BW a few years back and didn't like it. It went up for sale quickly. Barry builds his modifieds. Perfect man to build his Late Models. They'll get it figured out. Sometimes it takes a little bit to find the perfect combination and get back on the horse.

[Kwd1253]

Problem is, when you are the steering wheel holder, you can't decide if the team stays together.You are right about that. i was js jimmy needs try stay with one team. Think BW and jimmy will do great if they stay togeather more than just one racing season.

[SuperEight]

Slow down people.....its early in the season and East Bay is an animal within itself. No sense in judging anyone's season off what is happening this week or even Florida. The real race season starts in the spring.

Exactly, most years "somebody" gets on a roll in Fla and dominates, but that doesn't usually equate to a dominating season. Sure Clanton stunk up Volusia last year and won the title but that was the exception, not the rule. Most years Bloomer sucks in Fla, especially at East Bay going back even to his dominating years in the 90's. I think the BWRC/Owens combination will bear fruit in time. They'll go home from speedweeks and regroup, review the notes and get serious. Barry knows how to build competitive cars and has for many successful years. The cars winning have manly been the ones that were winning last year or the ones who did a ton of preseason testing, lots of people are behind. The Club29 cars look totally lost to me and if not for a ton of pre-season testing done by the Shinnston clan they would probably be searching too. B Shepp himself said the XR1 was finiky, that it was either dead on or ... He stopped short of mentioning left field, but it was on his lips. Florida tracks, for whatever reason, are an anomaly and don't transfer to the rest of the country. I find it curious that Don Oneal has been the best Club29 most nights on a consistent basis, the same as last year in the BWRC's ...
In 2014 the hot cars were BWRC in Lucas and Club29 in WoO.
In 2015 it was Longhorn/Bloomquist on Lucas and Capital in WoO.
In 2016 its unclear yet but the XR1 and Longhorns have some good runs
and at Screven Victory by Moyer and Capital with strong runs by Longhorn too.
Whatever happened to Mastersbilt? 5 years ago they were strong, now what...

It seems the evolution of current car designs and setups have come to a very sharp point and are difficult to keep in balance, JMO.

[zach51]

He looked like Yaggy in the heat race Saturday afternoon. But in all seriousness, hopefully something was wrong with the car, that was embarrassing.

[luke81]

Both Wednesday and Friday nights when I was there I noticed that the car just didn't look "comfortable" if that's the right term. It appeared that fairly often he was either fighting to get it to turn or once it did, fighting to get drive off....at least in comparison to the front guys.

[stroker#21]

The XR1 and Longhorns look alike to me jmo

[dirtdobber45]

It mite not be the driver or builder but shock and whose setting up the car. You jus work at all aspects. And I read Fox doesnt want to travel like he was so this team jus needs to gel and find a center to work with. Just wish theyed hurry lmao

[zyoung25]

Super mentioned Shepp. I've noticed he does better when he and Josh are at the same track. I know Shepp has one of the best rocket wrenches in the land with Randall, I'll be interested to see how he does after Volusia.