2005 News Page

On January 21st, the 2005 season came to an end with the INEX International Banquet, which was held at the Speedway Club at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. Mr. Jack Roush was the guest speaker. Mr. Roush was very interesting, as he talked about how he got to where he is today, and what he looks for in a young driver. He was very motivating, and I thank him for taking time out of his busy schedule to spend the evening with us. The award show was great, as Darrel supplied plenty of fun to go along with the awards. I was honored to be named the Bandolero Outlaw National Champion. I know that a season like this doesn't happen every year, and it will be one I remember for the rest of my life. I again want to thank everyone who made this possible.

On January 14th, we closed out the season at Lake Erie Speedway with their Banquet at the Zem Zem Club in Erie, Pennsylvania. I had a very good year at LES, winning four features, and despite missing two races, a strong fifth place finish in the points. Congratulations to Grant Kirik on winning the Championship!!!!

On November 12th, the KOIL Tour season can to an end with their Banguet at the Belterra Casino and Resort in Belterra, Indiana. I had another good year in the KOIL Tour, winning four features, and again, despite missing several races, a very strong third place finish in the points. Congratulations to Justin Hines on winning the KOIL Tour Championship.

This was a fun year of racing. I got to meet new people, race at new tracks in several states, and most of all, had some great racing. Our team is still working on our plans for the 2006 season, and we hope to have an announcement by the end of February. Thanks to everyone for a great 2005 season.

Instead of a bill coming in the mail from 600 Racing, it was a letter to congratulate me on being the 2005 National Outlaw Champion. From those first cold days of the season at Kentucky, the HOT days at Lowe's Motor Speedway, to no rain outs at Lake Erie Speedway, it was a satisfying year. I'll do my best to represent our sport in the future. It was fun to race with different drivers from around the country. I got to make new friends. It was also fun to race at different tracks, Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem was a blast! I want to thank my parents for giving me a chance to do something I enjoy. I want to thank all the people who helped me this year. AMSOIL, and dealer Ronald Farrell; Jensen's Target Collision; Andrzejczak Landscaping; C. A. Bailey Excavating; McIntyre Web Design; Ohana Racing; & Wooster Motorsports Media. And to thank all the owners and promotors who provide us a place to race. Thank you, everyone.

The heavy rain stopped around noon, and under cloudy skies, the last night of racing started on time. After two rounds of practice, and some adjustments, the car wasn't working well. Very loose, with no forward traction. We made more adjustments for the heat, which I started 6th, and finished 5th. The car was terrible. The crew chief made several major chnages to the car, and I just made it out onto the track for the feature race. I started 4th, and after a caution and running several laps, I settled into the 3rd position. The car was much better. On the last lap, some contact was made up front, and I found myself the winner. It was a surprise win, and goes to prove, it isn't over until the checkered flag falls.

Our National point season is over September 25th, and we have no plans going any where next weekend. We'll see where the points fall, when everyone's races are tabulated. Overall, we had a very good year. winning 4 times at Lake Erie, winning the Summer Shootout for the Outlaws at Lowe's, a runnerup spot in the Nationals, and meeting some great people along the way.

After testing at the track several weeks ago, it was nice to be back to the fast 1/3 mile oval. Our car worked well in both practice sessions. Air pressure adjustments were all that was needed. I started 4th in the heat, the car was working well, and drove to the win. I started on the pole for the feature and took the lead. We ran a few laps, the caution came out. On the restart, I could only lead for a lap. Justin Hines & Mitchell Coble both went around on the low side. The car seemed alright, but just didn't seem to have the speed it did before the yellow. I could stay close, but wasn't a factor at the end. Hines won, and I congratulate him on his win, with Coble second. They are first & second in the young Gun National Points. I was disappointed by my performance, but is it fun going fast at Columbus!!!!!!!We will be at Lake Erie in the 16th for the final race of the point season.

Another solid performance at LES tonight. I started 6th in the heat race, and at the end of the six laps, I was in the 3rd position. For the feature I would start fifth. After a few laps to get things sorted out, J.P. Weisser would have the lead, followed by Grant Kirik. After several attempts, Kirik took the lead, and I followed. For the rest of the race I was on Kirik's bumper. On the last lap I tried to cut under him coming off turn two, but broke loose, and couldn't make the pass. Grant went on to win, with myself second, and James-Paul Weisser third. Our team will have a day off, and then for the first time ever, Bandolero cars will race at the fast 1/3 mile Columbus Motor Speedway.

After a win at LES on Friday, it was a few hours of sleep and we hit the road to Kentucky. It was a special 40 lap race, the longest of the year at any of the tracks we've raced on. I would start 2nd in my heat, and won. Since it was a special race, the track had a 6 lap dash race for us. With the invert, I would start last, 6th place. I worked quick and won the dash. It was a fast six laps. By winning the dash, I would start on the pole for the feature. Sixteen cars took the green flag, and I took the lead over Mitchell Coble. Mitchell & I were running some very fast laps, and were pulling away from the rest of the field. I came up to lap a slower car, and the car spun out right in front of me. I had to make a quick decision, either to T-Bone the car right in the side, or spin to try to miss, and not hurt someone. I spun, but made hard contact, which put me out of the race. There was heavy damage on the rear end, with the oil filter mount getting broke off, sending oil every where. Repairs were made for Sunday. Mitchell Coble went on to win the race, and I congratulate him on the win.

When practice came for Sunday, the first time out, the car was lacking power, so I came in. The chain was a little tight, so the crew adjusted it, and I went back out for the second practice. I noticed I didn't have any oil pressure, and the engine started to get tight. It seems that the impact from the day before, damaged the engine, probably when all the oil got pumped out. Running on a tight schedule, as the Legend cars had another race later in the day, we decided not to change engines, but to load up and head home. Mr. Coble, Mr. Hines, & Mr. Shelton offered to help change to engine, but after Saturday's big disappointment, we just wanted to go home. That's how racing goes. There will be another day to race.

We'll be at Lake Erie on the 9th, and the big race at Columbus Motor Speedway on the 11th.

Nine Bandolero's were in the pits for the nights show. I started 7th in the heat, and had a strong 2nd place finish. For the feature I started 4th. I quickly moved into the 3rd spot, as James-Paul Weisser and Grant Kirik ran 1st & 2nd. As we started our 9th lap, Grant made his move as J.P. went high off turn two. I went for the bottom of the track and we went three wide down the back stretch and into turn three. I had the inside line, and that was the place to be, as J.P. spun. I couldn't tell if there was any contact, but they left me a spot and I took it. When it's the end of a race, and you have a chance to win, you have to go for it. That's what race car drivers are suppose to do.

After a good run at LES the night before, we made the drive to Kentucky Speedway. A smaller then normal field of Bandolero's were there. I started 4th in my heat, and chased down the leader, but had to settle for second place. I started 4th in the feature. I worked my way up to 3rd. Justin Hines was the leader with Hunter Shelton running a strong second. My car was very tight from the center of the corner out, so all I could do was to sit back and watch the race in front of me. Lap after lap Hunter tried to figure out how to get around Hines. And just when he got by, the caution flag came out, which they go back to the last completed lap. With only two laps left, Hines hung on for the win, with Shelton second, I was third, Megan Reitenour fourth, and Justin Campbell fifth. All in all, it was a fun race, and always a treat to run under the lights at Kentucky.

The ERM team will be at Lake Erie Speedway on September 2nd. Then we'll be at Kentucky Speedway for a KOIL Tour race, a 40 lapper on the the 3rd, and a regular day of racing on the 4th. Please keep in mind, the race at Columbus Motor Speedway for Legends and the first time for Bandolero's on the fast 1/3 mile banked track. If you like speed, come and race!!!!!!!

After two months of doing plenty of travel, it was nice to be home at LES. I started 9th in the six lap heat. After a mid race incident, I ended up with a fifth place finish. For the feature, I started fifth. After several laps I worked my way up to second. Grant Kirik had the lead and I gave chase. But battling a loose car, I couldn't even come close to catching Grant. I congratulate him on another feature win. Justin Hines was third.

With the temperature in the high 90's, it would prove to be a hot and competitive weekend for racing. The Music City Motorplex is rich in history of racing, and our team was excited to be in Nashville. On Saturday, we started off with several practice sessions to get the car dialed in. The car was loose, so the crew made several adjustments. After the heat race another adjustment was made. Sixteen cars were started for the 15 lap feature. Working my way through some traffic, I ended up in 2nd place at the wave of the checkered flag. I was happy with my performance, but the car would need more TLC for Sunday's National race.

Sunday morning, the National's are here!!!! This day would have time trials, heat races, and a 25 lap feature. I had a solid time trial lap, 4th out of 16. I finished 4th in my heat race, so I got to start the feature in 4th place. Sixteen cars would make the start. I quickly moved into 3rd place and had a great battle with Chris Morgan. I just got into 2nd place and the caution came out, which was good for me, as the leader had about a 4-5 car length lead. We restarted about lap 7, and what a race it was. Trey Maughan lead the way, and I was glued to his rear bumper. I was a little better then him in turns 1 & 2, and he had the upper hand in turns 3 & 4. With about 5 laps to go, I had a run on him coming off turn 2, and almost got into turn 3 where I needed to be to get Trey off his mark. I had to back out some so we both wouldn't wreck and lost some track position. I tried again to make a run at him, at times pushing him down the back stretch, but Trey held me off and recored the victory. I was 2nd, with Daniel Moore 3rd, Chris Morgan 4th, and Artie Clever getting a solid 5th. We were running the fastest times of the day, and it was a very clean, hard fought battle. I came up a little short, but I had fun, and was pleased with our performance for the day.

We'll be at Lake Erie Speedway August 26th, and Kentucky Speedway on the 27th. Just a note, on September 11th, the Bandolero's will be racing at Columbus Motor Speedway, along with the Legend cars. This will be a Tom Gill Chevrolet KOIL Tour race. Columbus is a 1/3 mile track with some banking. We did a test session there, and it is FAST!!!!!! See you at the races.

Fresh off a win at Lake Erie Speedway on the 12th, and heading into the final shootout race with a slim 18 point lead, our team decided to make a rare Monday night practice session at Lowe's to dial in the car. Monday's day started about 5 am, to give us plenty of time to make the ten hour trip. Once at the track, only our second practice session, the car was way off. After four different adjustments, the lap times were the quickest I ever turned during the ten week series. We loaded up and were ready for Tuesday. I started 6th in my heat, and with 2 laps to go made a pass for the lead, and won. The car felt great. With a 12th starting position in the 16 car feature, my crew chief gave me my instructions, just to keep doing what got me to this point. Racing in the Shootout has always been a blast and tonight was no exception. A fast track and plenty of traffic made it interesting. Lap after lap, I picked off cars, playing it safe, but moving slowly up to the front. At lap 16, I took over the lead, one lap later the caution flag waved. With the choose option in place, my night wasn't over. When the green came out, Tim Keener tried everything he could to get by me. Tim was runnerup last week, and wanted to win one before the series was over. The last lap, I was able to pull away, and won for the fourth time out of ten in the series. I saluted the crowd standing on my roof roll bars. Our team goal for the Shootout was to win a race and finish in the top five in points. To win the race and the Championship in the same night will be something I'll never forget. Winning was nice, but the great people our team met at Lowe's was just as nice. The other drivers I got to know were great to talk with. I want to thank Lowe's Motor Speedway, Hardee's, 600 Racing, and the Speed Channel for letting us have some fun every Tuesday night. My good friend Chris Bailey Jr., his Dad, and J.P. traveled from Pittsbugh to cheer me on, and after the race we all went to celebrate. I hope I did the little teapot dance alright, and everyone there enjoyed it!!!!The celebration will be short, as it's home for a few days, and then to Nashville for the Nationals.

After a long road trip, it was nice to take the short drive to LES. Our team decided to put new tires on the car to get them through the break in period. After two rounds of practice, I could feel them coming in. I started fourth in my heat, and made a last lap charge and took second place coming off turn four. I started fourth in the feature, and found myself in third when a caution came out on lap two. As the first and second place cars battled, I made my move to the inside coming out of turn two, and it was three wide down the backstretch. By the time we got to turn one, I had the lead and never looked back. I notched my second win of the year at LES, my tenth overall win of the season. Eric said in his interview after the race that we were breaking in tires for the final race of the Shootout. The crew chief said the were really for the Bandolero Nationals in Nashville next weekend, but he would give it some thought about using them Tuesday.

Eric will be at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Tuesday the 16th and will attempt to win the Bandolero Outlaw Championship. It's the last race, and should be a great one. We will be in Nashville August 20-21 racing in the Bandolero Nationals. They expect over 100 cars for this event, which will feature Bandits, Young Guns, Outlaws, and the Young Lions in the Legend Series. The Music City Motorplex is a great track, rich in history of stock car racing.

The Eric Redmond Motorsports Team made it a week of racing in early August. We started at Lowe's Motor Speedway for race number eight of the Hardee's Summer Shootout. During my heat, after a litle help from the rear, I made my first trip through the barrels. No damage to the car, but I finished sixth in the race. For the feature, I started tenth, but it wasn't my night. I got into the back of another car, and spun them out. The rule is to avoid the black flag, you must drop to the rear of the field, which I did. I was coming back up through the pack, and with two laps left, I lost power, and pulled off the track. My second DNF in the Shootout, and now I find myself 34 points out of first, with two races left. We spent all day working on the car, and found we had bad foam in the fuel cell. A special thanks to Bobby Phillips from 600 Racing who never gave up until the car was fixed.

On August 4th we visited Atlanta Motor Speedway to race in their Thursday Night Thunder Series. Needless to say, we missed the setup by a mile or two, and weren't competitive. It's rare our team misses like this, but goes to show in racing when you think you have things figured out, you get knocked down and have to go at it again.

From Atlanta we went to Winston-Salem, NC to race at the famous Bowman Gray Stadium. 600 Racing was putting on a special show for the Bandolero and Legend cars. As bad as the car was the night before, it was almost perfect at Bowman Gray. I started ninth in my heat, and made it up to sixth. It was a heads up start for the feature. I slowly but surely made my way up to second, but the leader had about a 10-15 car lengh lead. I raced hard to catch him, and when the white flag came out I was on his bumper. I made my move coming off of turn two and got on the inside going down the backstretch. Not to be denied, the leader didn't give me much room and as we entered turn three, I found myself off the track and onto the football field of the stadium. I hung onto the car and finished second. It was one of those short track battles, and I'm positive the estimated 15,000 fans watching enjoyed the show. Congrats go out to Benny Mingo, as he won his first Outlaw feature!!!!! Good job.

From Winston-Salem we went to Kentucky Speedway to race in a Tom Gill Chevrolet KOIL Tour race. We had a very good day at Kentucky, winning our heat, and the feature. It was my ninth overall win of the year. From Kentucky, we headed home for a day, then it would be back to Lowe's, for race number nine of the Shootout.

Summer Shootout race #9 didn't start out to good. The car was so loose in the heat, I couldn't hang onto it. After talking with my crew chief, we decided to make a big adjustment to the car. The adjustment worked and the car was almost perfect during the feature. I ran hard the whole race, picking and choosing passes, and when the race was over, had a solid third place finish. It was a double point race, and with the point leader having problems, I regained the point lead. For the last four races I lost points in each of them, but how fast things can change. During these five races, our team drove about 3,500 miles. It was plenty of fun and we met some really nice people.

We'll be at Lake Erie Speedway on Friday, the 12th of August. It will be nice to be home for a few days!!!!!

It was nice to only drive thirty miles to our home track, Lake Erie Speedway. With one of our engines in the car, it would get a good test at LES. I started fourth in the second heat, and drove to the win. I also started fourth for our twelve lap feature. I settled into third position and watched a great battle ahead of me. I was waiting to see if a mistake would happen. With a lap to go, Grant Kirik attempted a pass on the outside. This allowed me to tuck behind leader James-Paul Weisser going down the back stretch. James-Paul was the winner, with myself and Kirik side by side at the line. The track posted me in 2nd, Kirik third. Our engine ran strong, so it's back to Lowe's Motor Speedway for race number eight of the Hardee's Summer Shootout.

The first nine days of August will be busy, as we have five races scheduled. See you at the races.

For the third time in the series, our friends at Ohana Racing let us use their engine. I drew a ninth starting position, and pulled off an exciting win. With the air temperature at 100 degrees, the car felt great. We made a slight air pressure change for my eighth starting position for the feature. The car started out really good, but at the half-way point, it was a handful to handle. I thought about taking the choose option on a lap twelve caution, but with a bad push I didn't want to chance it. At the end of the race I stood in fifth place, which I felt good about. Bruce Benson II won for the first time in the shootout in 2005. Point leader Ryan Salomon was second. I again want to thank Bob and Justin Campbell for the use of their engine.

After a steady third place finish in race number six of the shootout, out team made a stop at Kentucky Speedway, for a Tom Gill Chevrolet KOIL Tour race. I drew a seventh starting position for the heat, and settled for a fourth place finish. The clutch was making a noise, so it was changed. I started fourth in the feature and took over the lead on lap three. Soon after, the engine developed a miss and it got so bad towards the end of the race, I pulled in the pits. We headed home to change engines, something we've done often this year.

After last weeks DNF, which wasn't a good birthday gift, I was determined to get back on track. I finally got a good draw for my heat, which resulted in a third place start. I took the lead early and won my second heat of the shootout series. The car wasn't handling right, so after some talk with my crew chief, an adjustment was made. It was the second out of three double point features, and what a wild race it was. I started ninth on the grid. It didn't take long for a caution, as point leader Randy Spencer and defending Champion Bruce Benson II were involved in the wreck that elimated them for the night. There were about six cautions, I took the choose option on several of them, but couldn't get the car to work on the outside on the restarts. Ryan Soloman didn't have any problems with his car working, as the brightly colored #00 looked like a rocket out there, as Ryan won his first Outlaw feature. Last week's winner, Dawn Eagens, who won her first feature last week, ran a very strong second. Benny Mingo gave me everything I could handle, as he was fourth, and Derrick Long had his best run of the series, placing fifth.

We will be at Kentucky Speedway for a Tom Gill Chevrolet KOIL Tour race on July 23rd, and back at Lowe's for race #7 of the Hardee's Summer Shootout on July 26th. We are also looking at racing at the famous Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on August 5th. We will also be at the Music City Motorplex for the Bandolero Nationals August 20-21. See you at the races.

Lowe’s Motor Speedway has done a feature article on me, and is the top story on their web page. Please check it out and let me know what you think. I’d like to thank the staff at Lowe’s for a great article.

At last, we have one of our engines in the car to test it out. I again want to thank Ohana Racing, Bob and Justin Campbell of West Chester, Ohio for the use of their engine. I started 9th in my heat, and fought the traffic for all six laps. I finished sixth, as I ran very cautiously. For the feature, I started sixth, and ended up with a strong third place finish. Grant Kirik won his third race of the season. James-Paul Weisser was second. It was a record breaking attendance night at Lake Erie, as over 9300 people were there. The staff also did a great job to get the show in, as rain was in the area.

Our next race will be July 19, 2005. Race #6 of the shootout.

Today is my 17th birthday, and I was ready to go. I started 6th in the heat, and found the outside groove slick. The car was loose, but I still managed a fourth place finish. We decided to adjust the air pressure for the feature starting 12th in the sixteen car field; I had my work cut out. To say it was a rough night would be an understatement. I was involved in three separate incidents; the last one put me out of the race. I guess after the success in the first half of the series, we were due a bad race. A 14th place finish isn’t what I would consider a nice birthday present, but it’s a thrill to be racing at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in the Hardee’s Summer Shootout.

Next race will be July 15th at Lake Erie Speedway.

With the three race show in three days over at Kentucky Speedway, we headed to Charlotte for shootout race number four. From the sixth starting position, I finally got my first heat victory of the shootout. I would start tenth out of eighteen cars in the feature. A caution early gave me a chance to use the choose to gain several positions. A few more laps of racing and another caution. While running sixth, I again used the choose option to move up to the front row, outside in the second position. Two laps after the green came out; I took the lead, and scored my third victory in four starts. Bruce Benson II had a strong race, coming from the back of the field after getting caught up in one of the early cautions. Ryan Salomon had another consistent race, scored third at the finish. I again want to thank Ohana Racing, Bob and Justin Campbell of West Chester, Ohio for the use of their engine.

Next race will be July 12(my birthday) for race number five of the Hardee’s Summer Shootout.

Seventeen Bandolero’s were in the pits on the eve of the Summer Nationals. The divisions were split, the Bandits ran alone, while there were eight Young Guns and Outlaws. I started sixth in the heat; beat out Mitchell Coble for the win. I started on the pole for the feature, and drove to a convincing win.

With a strong run behind me, I was really looking forward to the 2nd Annual Summer Nationals. I came into the event as the defending champion, and wanted to repeat. I qualified in the second spot, and would start the heat in second. Darrel Wallace Jr. was the fastest qualifier, and would start from the pole. I didn’t have anything for Wallace, as he drove to an easy victory. With the main race next, I would start third. I again found myself chasing the blue #16 of Wallace. Shortly after the race started, my engine started to sound strange and I was low on power. I tried hanging on to second, but as the laps went on, the engine went sour, and I had to leave the race. Not the way I wanted the race to end, but that’s how it goes. Darrel Wallace Jr. was the winner and I congratulated him on his win. Darrel and I had some great races at Kentucky this year.

With a sour engine, and the spare at 600 Racing getting rebuilt, out team had three offers to loan us an engine, including the Wallace Racing Team. Jim Weisser of Pittsburgh, and the Campbells of West Chester, Ohio offered engines. Since we were parked next to Campbell, we took him up on the offer. My dad wasn’t all that happy with using someone else’s engine, but with Shootout Race #4 two days away, it would be a good chance to ensure everything is in order. I started third in the heat, and drove to a convincing win. A pole start for the feature, and I drove to an easy victory. The engine was strong, and our team wants to thank Ohana Racing, owner Bob, and driver Justin for the use of their engine. We’ll head to Charolette and try to keep the winning streak going.

With one day off, Summer Shootout race #4 is next on July 5th.

Race number three of the shootout was the first of three double point races in the ten week series. I started ninth in the heat and ended up fourth. Being the point leader, I started twelfth on the invert. On the first caution, I made contact with someone, and knocked the toe out off on the front end. After the half way point, I found myself running tenth and having trouble hanging onto the car. A caution came out, and with the help of the choose, I was able to move up to seventh. Another caution came out on lap eighteen. I was running fifth, and decided to go for it, and advanced to the outside of the front row. On the restart, I was able to maintain my position, and at the end of the race, I would be sixth. With a DQ being handed out to someone in the top five, I would end up officially in fifth. The car handled terrible, so a top five was great. When we checked the car over, the toe out was at ¾”, a little too much.

Next racing weekend, the Summer Nationals at Kentucky Speedway July 1-3.

After my second win in as many starts in the Summer Shootout, it was nice to be home at Lake Erie Speedway. I started ninth in the heat race, and ended with a strong finish of second at the end of the six lap race. For the feature, I started and ended third, behind winner James-Paul Wiesser and second place Grant Kirik. The car ran and handled well, I was a little more careful, as I didn’t want to wreck the car and loose our winning setup for the shootout.

Summer Shootout race #3 is up next, June 28th.

After last week’s opening win, I was ready to go for race number two. I started the heat race in the second position. Bruce Benson II started on the pole and took the lead. After clearing traffic, I was able to chase Bruce down, but ran out of laps. Bruce won, I was second. The shootout inverts the top twelve in points for the feature. Since I won last week, I got to start twelfth in the eighteen car field. Working my way up through traffic, I found myself in sixth place when the first caution came out. I took the choose option and restarted on the outside in the fourth position. Settling into a strong third the second place car made contact with the leader, who spun out. The next lap around the black flag was out for the car now running first, and I then found myself the leader. After the race I felt bad by what happened to the two cars, as we were all running strong, I then found myself locked into a battle with Jason Haynes. Lap after lap our cars seemed to be locked together. Some lapped cars came into play, and then ended up between us. As the checkered flag came out, I won my second race in as many starts. It was a very fast race, and a different type of racing, racing with all outlaws. Jason Haynes was second, with Chris Morgan, Ryan Saloman and Artie Clever rounding out the top five.

We’ll be at Lake Erie Speedway on June 24th. A team decision was made to skip the KOIL Tour race at Kentucky on June 25th. We’ll get some rest over the weekend and prepare the car for shootout race number three on June 28th. We will be at Kentucky Speedway on July 1, 2, & 3 for the Summer Nationals. July 4th will be a travel day, and race number four of the shootout will be July 5th.

Have a safe Fourth of July!

Our first trip back to Kentucky Speedway in two months was a thrill, as we shared the garage area with the Nascar Bush Series race teams. Due to the Bush cars having practice and qualifying, we were limited to a feature event, and were lined up by KOIL Tour points. I started second, and by the time I got to the inside, Darrel Wallace Jr. had the lead. I stayed close to him, but on the last lap, my engine blew, and I was out. The crew changed engines to get the car ready for our next race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Our second time at Kil-Kare Raceway in Xenia, Ohio was much better than the first. A start second, finish second in the heat was a good start for the night. I started third in the feature and battled for the lead for most of the race. In the end, I had to settle for third, but the car was all together, which was a big improvement from the last time.

My first trip to Lowe’s Motor Speedway will be one I’ll remember for a long time. Our team took advantage of Monday’s practice to get the car dialed in. Twenty Bandolero Outlaws were in the pit area, just part of the 210 total car count. I started eighth in my heat, came up through the pack and finished a strong second. They inverted the top four from each heat, giving me a sixth starting position for the feature. By lap three, I was in third and running strong. After a caution, I was able to take the lead just after halfway. The popular choose for restarts is used in our class. Cars behind the leader can move up on the outside row, if they choose to. Another caution and I had Bruce Benson II next to me. Bruce is the defending Hardee’s and National Champion. I kept the lead as the green came out, with Benson on my bumper. I had to make it through another caution, and drive through a wreck in turns three and four to secure the victory. Bruce Benson II was second, followed by Randy Spencer, Kara Clarke, and Jason Haynes. Everyone there was great to race with. It was my fourth feature win of the season, winning in four different states.

Enjoy whatever race your at this weekend

Twelve Bandolero's were in the pits for our twenty-five lap National points race at Lake Erie Speedway. What a great race it was. I had a flat tire in our second practice. Our spare wasn't as good, but we had to make it work. With only having one heat, and a seventh starting position, it would be a quick test to see how the car handled with the other tire on. I had a very strong run, ending up second. We decided to make several changes for the feature. I started fifth, and after two cautions, the field got going. I slowly made my way up to third, and had a great battle with James-Paul Weisser. Second place went back and forth several times, but I would gain the position. Justin Hines had a great battle of his own with Nate Rodgers to get the lead. I settled in behind Hines. Two cautions gave me a chance to figure out how to make a pass, but it was not to be this night, and I settled for second. Justin drove a perfect race, and I congratulate him. James-Paul Weisser was third, Grant Kirik was fourth, and Nate Rodgers was fifth. The top five were nose to tail after twenty-five laps, it was a fun race!

Next week will be a busy one. Race #1 of the Hardee's Summer Shootout at Lowe' Motor Speedway will be June 14th. Tom Gill Chevrolet KOIL Tour races at Kil-Kare Raceway in Xenia, Ohio on June 17th. We also will be racing before the Busch Series event at Kentucky Speedway on June 18th.

The Eric Redmond Motorsports Team is very excited to be racing in the Hardee's Summer Shootout this year. The series is a ten week event, starting Tuesday, June 14th, and ending with Championship Night on August 16th. Looking over the pre-entry list, there will be about twenty Bandolero Outlaws to do battle with. The Speed Channel will be there taping all the races, and will show them in the fall and winter. Eric has been looking forward to this series for over a year. The team will be traveling about 1200 miles a week, for ten weeks. We will try to make every race at our home track, Lake Erie Speedway, and the KOIL Tour that we can. Some other big events coming up are the Summer Nationals, a three day KOIL Tour event at Kentucky Speedway. As soon as the Shootout is done, it's on to Nashville for the Bandolero Nationals at the Music City Motorplex. It's going to be a busy, but fun summer for our team. Check back often for more news and results.

In front of 5,122 fans, I got my first win at Lake Erie Speedway in nearly two years. It was autograph night and it was great to talk with the fans, and autograph so many flags, books, and shirts. There were no heats, thus I started in the fourth position. I wasted no time to gain the lead. I made a brave pass between the front row going into turn one. The move paid off, as I had the lead going down the backstretch. A caution on lap five erased my nice laed. On the restart, Grant Kirik was second, followed by James-Paul Weisser. The pressure was on as Kirik made several attempts to pass. With less then two laps to go, J.P. made a move to take over second, which gave me a litle breathing room. In the end, it was a hard fought battle, and I finally got the LES monkey off my back!

Our next race will be a 25 lapper at Lake Erie Speedway on June 10th. This is a National Points Race. On June 14th, I'll be at Lowe's Motor Speedway for race #1, of the Hardee's Summer Shootout.

With no local races scheduled, a Saturday morning decision was made to make the long trip to the Music City Motorplex in Nashville, Tn. This is the track where we will be racing in the Bandolero Nationals, August 20-21. A total of fif-teen Bando's were there, ten bandits, four young guns, and I was the only outlaw. I raced with the young guns. I won the heat, but I didn't pass the tech inspection, thus I had to start last in the feature. I took the lead on lap four, and recorded the win. I'll take a win, but it would of been nice to race with more cars. I raced at this track last Labor Day weekend and liked it. I hope to make one more trip before the Nationals.

It was another cool night of racing at Lake Erie Speedway, with no chance of rain. I started third in my heat, and after several laps I was running second. The last two laps I made several attempts to get the lead, one time I pulled even, but couldn't make the pass. I settled for a strong second. For the feature, I started in the second spot. After a couple of laps, the field got spread out and I was running third. From that point on, the race was on. James Paul Weisser was the leader and Grant Kirik a close second. With two laps to go, I got a good run off turn four to make it three wide down the front stretch and into turn one. We all made it through the turn, and I briefly had the lane, but was unable to hang on. James Paul Weisser became the first double winner in the Bandolero's at Lake Erie this year. Grant Kirik was second, I ended up third.

For Friday the 13th, things worked out well. With heavy thunderstorms expected around ten pm, the start time was moved up fifteen minutes. I started third in our heat, on the first lap, turn four, the leader spun, I had no where to go but up and over his hood. I continued, but the toe out was way off. The crew discovered a spindle was bent, but had enough adjustment, that it didn't need changed at the track. For the feature, I started and finished third. After a caution on lap one, the rest of the ten lap race was run at a fast pace. The top four cars were nose to tail the rest of the race. Justin Hines of Erie was the winner, his first feature win at Lake Erie Speedway. Grant Kirik was second, and James Paul Weisser was fourth. The track staff did a great job getting all of the races in. It would be nice to see our friends that race the KOIL Tour at Kentucky Speedway with us, come and try their skill and luck at the super fast, Lake Erie Speedway. Any takers???

Next race, Lake Erie Speedway, May 20th

Finally, a nice night for racing in Xenia, Ohio. I started third in my heat, and finished second. I also started third in the feature. John Myers used his pole position start to take the lead. After a caution, Alan Baker and myself were able to get by Myers. Alan and myself were having a great race. Several times we were side by side. The night ended to soon as coming out of turn four, a lapped car came down the track and into my right side. It was a chain reaction after that, with Richard Shank running third, he tagged me and sent me around. John Myers came back to get his first win in the Bandolero's. Good job, John. I ended up with a little more then a wrecked race car. I had some pain in my right shoulder and wrist, and went to get checked out by the EMT's at the track. They iced me down, as I had some swelling. I'm surprised that I'm so sore. I've been in worse wrecks, but that's how racing goes. I have a follow up visit with my family doctor on Monday. Hopefully, I'll be ready to go this Friday. I want to thank everyone who called to see if I was alright on Saturday.

Next up, Lake Erie Speedway, May 13th and May 20th

For the second straight week our scheduled KOIL Tour race at Kil-Kare Speedway was rained out. The team was driving through Cleveland when the cell phone rang, and we got the news. We headed back to the shop to change gears, and went to Lake Erie Speedway in North East, Pa. It was cloudy with a good chance of rain, but the staff at LES did a great job to get the complete show in. Eleven Bandolero's were ready to go racing. Eric drew starting position nine for the six lap heat race. He had a steady run, finishing third. Every division drew a starting position pill for the feature. Eric drew the tenth starting spot for the ten lap feature. Eric had a solid run, working the traffic to finish fourth. Eric said the car handled well, he just needed more laps to see if he could catch the front three. Congratulations to Grant Kirik of Waterford, Pa. on his first win of the year. J.P. Weisser of Pittsburgh was second, followed by Justin Hines of Erie.

We will try again at Kil-Kare on May 6th.

Both of our Tom Gill Chevrolet KOIL Tour races were rained out. Weather permitting, we will be at Kil-Kare Speedway in Xenia, Ohio on Friday, April 29th. It's also opening night at Lake Erie Speedway in North East, Pa. With the INEX point system, I can gain more National points at Kil-Kare, based on there are three Outlaws that run the KOIL Tour. It was a difficult decision, but I want to make a serious run for the National Championship, so I have to go where I can gain the most points. Of course if it rains out at Kil-Kare, our team knows it's way to Lake Erie!

See you at the races.

It was another beautiful weekend for racing in the Tom Gill Chevrolet KOIL Tour series. The ERM Team put together another strong weekend. On Saturday, Eric won the heat and started on the pole for the feature. Darrel Wallace Jr. was too much to handle during the feature, and won by several car lengths over Eric. Richard Shank III was third.

On Sunday, the team made some adjustments to the car. With Wallace winning the heat, he started on the pole for the feature. At the drop of the green, Wallace took the lead, then Shank, and Redmond. Redmond passed Shank for second and closed on Wallace. Wallace and Redmond staged a great battle, and with two laps to go, Eric had his car sideways coming out of turn two attempting a pass. Wallace was the winner, with Eric second and Richard Shank III third.

The all-star race was next. For the nine cars that took the track, it was a 12-lap shootout. Darrel Wallace Jr. made a bold move at the start of the race, being the inside car, as they went three wide into turn three. All three cars made it through without bumping, which was great to see. Wallace took the lead several laps later and held off steady competition from J.P. Weisser who was second, and Redmond was third. The all-star race was exciting to watch, and congratulations to Darrel on an outstanding move to get up front and secure the win. He had confidence in his ability and that his car would stick low for the pass. How many times have we watched the Nextel Cup boys make moves like that in their All-Star race?

We’ll be at Kil-Kare Raceway on Friday, the 22nd and at Kentucky Speedway on the 23rd. Both races are part of the Tom Gill Chevrolet KOIL Tour Series. A special thanks to Mr. Gill, for sponsoring the series.

Finally, a dry and warm weekend for racing. The racers were split this weekend, with the Outlaws and Bandits running together while the Young Guns ran alone. On Saturday, Eric started on the pole for the heat, and scored the win over Darrel Wallace Jr. Feature time saw Redmond and Wallace stage a great battle, exchanging the lead several times. When the checkered flag dropped, it was Wallace scoring the win. Richard Shank III put together another strong run finishing 3rd, with Justin Campbell forth.

As the temperature reached 80 degrees on Sunday, the competition got just as warm. The heat race again saw Redmond and Wallace stage a great battle, with the lead going back and forth the entire race. With Redmond leading coming out of turn four on the last lap, some contact was made, sending Eric across the finish line spinning. Eric did get the win. Wallace came back and dominated the feature, as Eric fought an ill-handling car. The battle was for third, with Justin Campbell edging Richard Shank III for the spot.

In the Young Guns, Justin Hines of Erie won his first feature on Saturday at Kentucky, while Sunday’s race saw a first time winner, J.P. Weisser of Pittsburgh. Congratulations to J.P. and his dad on their first win.

KOIL Tour at Kentucky April 16 & 17.

Saturday’s events were rained out, thus a double schedule was run on Sunday. Eric started fourth in the first main and quickly moved into second. In the end, Darrel Wallace Jr. got his fourth KOIL Tour win of the year. Richard Shank III had another solid run finishing third.

A heat win put Eric on the pole for the next main. Eric took control early, with Darrel Wallace Jr. providing the pressure. With two laps to go, the two cars made contact in turn one, and around they both went. Both cars were able to continue, but started at the end of the back. Hunter Shelton scored his first victory ever in a Bandolero, good job. Richard Shank III put on a great battle, but settled for second. Doug Myers came in third, for his first top three. Eric rebounded to finish sixth, Wallace was seventh.

Next up, Kentucky KOIL Tour, April 9th & 10th.

After last weekend’s problems, the ERM team was determined to turn it around. And turn it around they did. Eric scored his first heat win of the year after a great battle with James Paul Weisser of Pittsburgh. Eric started on the pole for the feature, and had his confidence back. The car performed well and Eric lead all 20 laps for his 1st feature win of the year. It didn’t come easy, as Justin Hines of Erie kept the pressure on Eric, one mistake by Eric and Justin would have been gone. It was Hines’ third second place finish in four starts. Great job! Justin Campbell of West Chester, Ohio, only in his second year of racing, came in 3rd, for his best finish ever. Way to go Justin!

Next up, Kentucky Speedway, April 2nd & 3rd.

A steady rain canceled Saturday’s races, thus double heats and features were scheduled for Sunday. Eric had a strong run in his heat, finishing 2nd. A 3rd place starting position for the feature enabled Eric to take the lead coming out of turn two on the first lap. He held the lead for four laps when his chain broke and put him out of the race. A DNF is bad enough, but when the chain broke, something got damaged in the engine. The crew didn’t have enough time to change engines for the next feature. Not the way we wanted to start the year, but that’s racing.

The season got started on a cloudy, cold day along with some snow. The practice on the 12th was canceled due to snow. On the 13th, with the temperature around 38 degrees and overcast, I made my first laps of the season. In practice, the car was very loose. The car was better after several major adjustments. I had a good starting spot in the heat, but got collected in a crash on lap 3. The crew had to change the rear axle and replace a bent wheel.

I had a 11th starting position for the feature and had my work cut out for me. I was very patient in working my way up through the pack. As the checkered flag flew, I ended up with a solid 3rd. Fifteen Bando’s started the feature, a great field.

I want to congratulate Darrel Wallace Jr. for getting his first feature win at Kentucky Speedway. Justin Hines of Erie was second, with Megan Reitenour fourth, and Alan Baker fifth.

Our next race is a double weekend at Kentucky on March 19th & 20th. See you at the races!

Our season opener will be March 13, 2005 at Kentucky Speedway. This will be the second year in a row I will be competing in the Tom Gill Chevrolet K.O.I.L. Series at Kentucky Speedway. I’m also excited about racing several times in 2005 at Kil-Kare Speedway in Xenia, Ohio. For a complete schedule, please click on schedules.

On January 29, 2005, our race team attended the INEX International Banquet. The banquet was at the Speedway Club at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. It was great to see all my racing friends again. I had a very good year in 2004, and brought home a nice trophy for fifth place in the Young Gun National Points. I want to congratulate Chris Bailey Jr. for winning the National Championship for the Bandolero Young Guns. My uncle Paul, who moved to Concord, NC this past summer, told me to leave the snow in Pennsylvania next year! We all had a great time, despite the weather.

For the second year in a row, I would like to thank Jensen’s Target Collision for the “winning” paint job they did on my car. Thanks to you “Ranger” and to your crew for a great looking car. Jensen’s offers a complete body repairing and painting service. They can also offer you a rental while your car is being repaired. For more information, please go to our sponsor link for Jensen’s Target Collision, and please mention that I sent you.

I would like to give a special thanks to Ron Farrell of Marengo, Ohio. Ron is an independent dealer for AMSOIL products. Since the introduction of AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oil in 1972, AMSOIL has gone on to develop the most complete line of synthetic lubricants and automotive products in the world. I’m very pleased to be using AMSOIL lubricants and products in my race car. For more information on AMSOIL products, please visit their link under our sponsors section.

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