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(Bill W) May 14, 2009 – Billy Alley had been plagued by mechanical gremlins so far this year in the 410 sprint car, but a simple fix rectified the problem in the nick of time! After failing to get a time in on Saturday night at Knoxville Raceway, the Lincoln, Nebraska driver surged from the back of his heat race to a transfer, and from 20th to 5th in the main event. This weekend, he’ll tackle the Spring Nationals at Jackson Speedway in Minnesota with the 360 before returning to Knoxville on Saturday. With group qualifying in the offing, Billy came out in the first group, but pulled it in before a time could be registered. He tried again late in time trials, and still there were problems. With a starting spot at the tail of all events locked in, the Billy Alley Enterprise #22 team finally found the problem. “There’s a fitting that runs off the tank, on the main line to the pump,” says Billy of the problem. “The fitting itself was loose. That’s been our problem, and it haunted from the Outlaw show. It just kept getting worse. It got looser and looser and finally it wouldn’t run.” There was no panic while finding the connection issue. “I was able to stay calm and focus on the problem, and we overcame it,” says Billy. “It was kind of trial and error. Jay Eckley was in there helping us out too. Luckily, that’s what we checked first. You have to take the plate off to get to the fitting, so it wasn’t an easy fix by any means.” Starting tenth in his heat, Billy needed a top five. That’s just what he got as he rocketed past five cars during the 8-lap event. “We caught it just in time,” he says. :I hadn’t made a single good lap at Knoxville until that heat race on Saturday night. I knew the consequences of not getting a time in. If I didn’t make it through the heat, I would be starting dead last in the B and fighting twelve laps for a top four. I didn’t want that to happen.” Billy felt good about the car heading into the feature, where he would be lining up 20th. “The heat race gave me a lot of confidence,” he says. “I know we have a team that’s capable of winning the title at Knoxville this year. That one little hiccup could have cost us a lot on the season, but we overcame it by making it through the heat.” By lap six of the 20-lap feature, Billy was already past nine cars into eleventh. Billy continued his run into fifth by the time the checkers fell, earning hard-charger honors for the night and mounting more confidence. “The car was great, but I know we can get better,” he assures. “At the end of the race, I made a few mistakes and the car got free. I was proud of the way the car worked in dirty air. I could maneuver pretty much wherever I wanted. Most importantly, it ended up being a lot of fun.” The 2006 track champion is confident in his team. “If you’re in the top five all year, you’re going to win this deal,” he says. “I’d also like to thank Bill Glasgow from Burlington too. He was our fuel sponsor for the night, and we can use all the help we can get. Another partner or two, and we could really turn the heat up!” Billy, who captured the Jackson Nationals last August in Minnesota, will return to the track to run the $5,000 to win Spring Nationals on Friday. He’ll return to Knoxville on Saturday, seeking his first 410 win of the year. On the Web To learn more about Billy Alley, including updated results and photos, visit www.BillyAlley.com! Check out the new “The Shop” gallery. T-Shirts! T-shirts are coming soon. Stay tuned to www.BillyAlley.com! Vintage Ric Flair Clip of the Week! We need someone like Ric Flair in racing. Like Billy at the Jackson Nationals, “Kiss stealin’, wheelin’ dealin’” Slick Ric is the champ… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrXTVFx8DXs Down the Alley Brady Timmons asks: Winning the Jackson Nationals has to be one of the highlights of your career. What’s the secret to getting around a track like Jackson?
Billy answers: You have to be comfortable there, especially heading into turn three. You have to be up on the wheel. It can be intimidating if you’re not comfortable. If your car is not right there, it will definitely show. The thing that helps me there is it’s a momentum racetrack, and we’ve learned a lot about that racing at Knoxville. The other thing is, moving from the 410 to the 360 will help us as well. I know the locals up there haven’t run there yet this season, so we will be in the same boat there too. Got a question for Billy? Send it to us at sprntcar@iowatelecom.net, and we may answer it in this section! Put "? for Billy" in your subject line. Alley's Anecdotes Billy has just four shows under his belt at Jackson. His first was a 2004 17th place finish with the World of Outlaws. He teamed with Mark Burch in 2006 for a 6th place run in ASCS regional action. Last August, he ran third in the Jackson Nationals prelim, before his big win at the Jackson Nationals ahead of Brian Brown, Wayne Johnson, Gregg Bakker and Johnn Cressman. Tornado Alley "Tornado Alley" is an up close look at the past, present and future of 2006 Knoxville Raceway track champion, Billy Alley. To receive "Tornado Alley", send an e-mail to sprntcar@iowatelecom.net with "Alley" in the subject line. Billy would like to thank Buss Excavating, Bolz Farms, Schmit Automotive, Aeroquip, K&N Filters, Awesome Racewear, Hoosier Tire, Wesmar Racing Engines, McLain Motorsports, The Buckles Brothers, “High Roller” the Pig Farmer, JEI Chassis, Red Devil Brakes, Harris Decals, Penske Shocks, RCI, and Terry’s Body Shop.
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