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(Bill W) May 28, 2009 – Billy Alley is sure there was some divine intervention last week at the Knoxville Raceway. After his 360 motor blew up on Thursday, and he had a podium finish ruined at Knoxville, you thought things couldn’t be worse. In the end, he feels lucky with the way things turned out after avoiding a major accident, and he’s looking forward to being back at Knoxville on Saturday. Hopes were high heading into the I-80 Speedway with the ASCS-Midwest series on Thursday. Billy had won their season opener, and is always good at the banked 3/8 mile oval. Things went well enough in the heat before he lined up back in the feature event. Once in the top five, disaster struck. “We hadn’t run out of the top five with the 360 all year,” he says. “We haven’t been perfect, but we’ve been really good every time out. We shot up to fifth at I-80 again before it blew up. We were cruising along there, and then we dropped a cylinder. We haven’t had any problems with our 360 motors in the past, and we aren’t sure what caused the problem.” Suddenly, plans that he had for racing some 360 shows in 2009 were up in smoke. “It really threw me for a loop,” he says. “We were planning on running that motor all season, and now we’re in a position where unless someone steps up to help us, or gives us a chance in a ride, we’ll be sitting for awhile for the 360 shows. I didn’t think it was that bad at first; there weren’t any rods sticking out of the side. When we got it back, there wasn’t a hole, but there was a big dent in the oil pan. It’s bad.” Though the Billy Alley Enterprises #22 had to skip a race on Friday at the Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, they stepped up to another solid Knoxville effort with the 410 on Saturday. “I have good people around me in my wife, my dad, and “Buns” (Richardson), and we regrouped and headed for Knoxville on Saturday,” says Billy. After registering the seventh quick time of the night, Billy ran third in the heat and lined up seventh for the 20-lap main event. “We started off the feature really tight and we dropped back a ways,” he says of his start. “The car is set up for the end of the races really well, but I have to adjust earlier so we don’t lose so much ground. We got faster as the race went on, and I was battling with (Terry) McCarl and (Dusty) Zomer there three wide. After the caution, with some fuel gone and the tires warmed up, we really started to rock. It looked like we were going to definitely get a podium finish, and then the hub broke.” After jetting back up to third, the right front wheel hub broke. A quick reaction by the Lincoln, Nebraska driver saved the car from heading straight into the turn three fence at the end of the back straight. “I was extremely lucky that I didn’t launch over the fence or worse,” says Billy. “Someone was looking over me. I had enough wits about me to get on the gas in turn three and got it turned and straightened out. I didn’t know what it was, but I’m glad I didn’t see my right front tire flying into the fence. I thought it might have been the arm. When I found out that the hub broke, I realized how lucky I was, because people really get hurt that way. With the cushion having only worked halfway up the track, you realize how fast we were moving.” Despite the disappointment, Billy only dropped to sixth in the season standings, and is looking to get back on his horse this weekend. “We’ve got the car ready to go for Knoxville,” he confirms. “There wasn’t much to fix really, and we’d like to pick up where we left off on the track. I just want to have a night where we finish and I know that the car was really good.” 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. The “Greatest Wrestling Machine Alive” brings some of the finest ladies from the South on the set to visit with announcer Gordon Solie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=JP&hl=ja&v=mRGtMm2Ydz4 Down the Alley Bob Wilson asks: Billy, there will be better days. You and I both know that. My question focuses on the points chase at Knoxville. During a night of racing, do you think at all about what amount of points you've accumulated? Or, is your focus entirely on the racing at hand?
Billy answers: I learned when I first won a championship, to just go to the race and win. You try not to think about it, especially at the beginning of the year, but it’s hard not to. Especially with the way that Knoxville’s point system is now, and how you don’t get any qualifying points. You do get points for winning the heat though, so you have to position that way a little bit. Most of all, you just have to go out and win. No one is looking at us right now as a contender, and I’d rather have it that way and sneak up. Anything can happen when you run consistently. 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 This weekend, Billy will vie for his first win in the month of May in an odd year. As strange as it may sound, his six victories in the month of May have come in even years (2002, 2004, 2006, 2008). Thanks to www.OpenWheelTimes.com, we know that he won at I-80 Speedway and Eagle Raceway in Nebraska in 2002, the Junction Motor Speedway and the Butler County Speedway in Nebraska in 2004, and at the Knoxville Raceway in both 2006 and 2008. 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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