Brooks Unlucky At Caraway; Early Crash Yields 20th Place Finish

Racers are notoriously superstitious. Green race cars have historically been considered a harbinger of bad tidings, as have $50 bills. Anyone eating peanuts in the garage area is likely to be ushered away, as well.  

For the Godfather Motorsports Super Late Model team and driver Rockin’ Rodney Brooks, there is another sure sign that bad luck is imminent; a race at Caraway Speedway. 

The Sophia, NC, oval has never been kind to the #30 team, and in Saturday afternoon’s Pro All Stars Series “North-South Shootout,” Brooks and the Trinity Oaks Senior Living Community/KOMA Unwind Ford lasted just 10 laps before a grinding crash relegated them to a disappointing, 20^th-place finish. 

“It’s incredibly frustrating,” said Brooks after being towed back to the pits with severe damage to the front and rear of his machine. “We struggled in practice and qualified only 14^th fastest, but as soon as they threw the green flag for the main event, I knew we were going to be good. Crew chief Jim Gallison threw a ton of changes at the car for Saturday, and he hit a home run.” 

Despite passing two cars almost immediately, Brooks told spotter Tyler Monn, “I’m just riding right now. I’m going to save my tires and let these guys settle down a little. The car is perfect, and we can go to the front anytime we want.” 

Unfortunately, not everyone shared Brooks’ conservative approach. When another car clipped him on the front stretch of Lap 10, it tore the valve stem from his left-rear tire. The tire went completely flat as he stormed into Turn One at full throttle, resulting in a spin and hard contact with the outside wall that ended the team’s day.

“Typical Caraway luck,” said crew chief Gallison afterward. “In our last four starts here, we’ve had three crashes and an engine failure. Last spring, we demolished the car on the opening lap of practice! I feel like we have a black cat in our pocket every time we come here.” 

The Trinity Oaks/KOMA Unwind Ford team now faces a quick, two-week turnaround to make repairs before the final race of the 2014 season, the 150-lap “Mason Dixon Meltdown” at Southern National Speedway in Kenly, NC, on Saturday, November 23.  

Official Finish – Caraway North-South Shootout

1. #4N - Ben Rowe - 150 Laps 2. #4F - Jay Fogleman - 150 Laps 3. #77 - Ted Mickelson - 150 Laps 4. #09 - Randy Gentry - 150 Laps 5. #29 - Spencer Davis - 150 Laps 6. #8 - Joseph Murculi - 150 Laps 7. #1 - Justin Allison - 149 Laps 8. #50 - Karl Weber - 149 Laps 9. #88 - Kyle Desouza - 149 Laps 10.#51 - Bobby Measmer - 148 Laps 11.#71 - Lee Tissot - 147 Laps 12.#41 Daniel Hemric 146 Laps

13.#31 - Kyle Grissom - 146 Laps 14.#74 - Ryan Moore - 146 Laps 15.#98 - Jody Measamer - 146 Laps 16.#8F - Tate Fogleman - 116 Laps 17.#93 - David Russell - 62 Laps 18.#17 - Ashley Rogero - 58 Laps 19.#18 - Bill Catania - 58 Laps 20.#30 - Rodney Brooks - 10 Laps 21.#48 - John Batten - 7 Laps 22.#2G - Gus Dean - 7 Laps 23.#40 - Ryan Krachun - Did Not Start

About Godfather Motorsports – Godfather Motorsports is owned by Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio personality Dave Moody and enjoys major sponsorship from Trinity Oaks Senior Living Community of Salisbury, NC. The team also boasts a comprehensive list of technological and marketing partners that includes ARBodies, Valvoline Motor Oil, Eibach Springs, ASM Graphics, Race 101, CV Products and Phantom Racing Gear. For additional information on the team and marketing opportunities with Godfather Motorsports, contact Dave Moody -- mrnturn1@hotmail.com. Visit the Godfather Motorsports website at www.GodfatherMotorsports.com.

About Trinity Oaks Senior Living Community -- Located in historic Salisbury, North Carolina near the gently rolling hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and a few hours from the magnificent Carolina beaches. The community is conveniently located near Interstate 85 and midway between two airports, Charlotte and Greensboro, making travel easy. Here, the area is highlighted by gentle changes in the seasons. Trinity Oaks is a continuing care retirement community where those 60 and over focus on enhancing life’s many opportunities. The Trinity Oaks campus has become a Salisbury landmark where traditions of the past blend with the culture of the future. historic Salisbury, NC, Trinity Oaks is a continuing care retirement community where residents age 60 and over enjoy a lifestyle filled with activities, group and individual outings and personal enrichment opportunities. Its impeccably maintained campus is a Salisbury landmark, blending traditions of the past with state of the art amenities, fine dining and time spent in the company of others who share a passion for life. Learn more about Trinity Oaks at www.trinityoaks.net.

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