The USAC Western Classic Racing Series had their second point race of the season at the paved Madera Speedway last Saturday and for Geoff Ensign, it was a whole new ballgame.
Driving the Ted Finkenbinder #3f, Ensign tested on Friday and was met with handling problems, most notably a push, something that would plague the 21 year old Sebastopol driver throughout the weekend. "I couldn't get back into the throttle fast enough to stay with everyone. Every time I hit the gas in the middle (of the turns), it'd push and I'd go backward." Ensign would say after his first stint behind the wheel of any type of racecar on the pavement.
A new set of tires improved the handling somewhat, but somewhat doesn't cut it when everyone else isn't dealing with that same "somewhat" and Ensign, known as the Human Highlight Reel on dirt due to his wheelstanding, daring and edge of your seat elbows up driving style, was positively just human, timing in 11th and firmly in the back half of the field.
Ensign would start on the pole of his heat race, and quickly found himself in reverse. "I couldn't get back on the throttle. Frustrating." Ensign would finish 6th of 7.
Prior to the feature, the Finkenbinder crew threw the kitchen sink at the 3f, changing three shocks and whatever else they could do to get the car to turn. "We threw everything at it. It couldn't get much worse." said Ensign.
Whatever the crew threw at the 3f obviously worked because Ensign felt the difference as soon as the green flag dropped on the 100 lap feature. "The car was sticking and I could diamond off the corners and pass cars for the first time. I was passing cars and then I could think about racing." As the laps wore on Ensign was making steady progress. "I made a couple adjustments to the wedge from the cockpit when fuel started to burn off and we just kept getting faster and faster." Ensign's fortunes would take a turn for the worse however while running 5th when teammate Tim Barber spun in front of him, sending sparks flying from a damaged nerf bar. "I'd have run with it that way if it meant keeping my position, but officials called me in." Officials would pull Ensign to the infield and remove the damaged bar and Ensign was given his spot back in the lineup since it was the officials who made the call to stop him.....if he could make it there in time as the lights went out. With Ensign scrambling for position, he got back up to his 4th spot as the green flag signaled the restart and Ensign was back on the chase. "I didn't really know how hard I could go since I'm new to this tire thing. Was I burning off the tires? All I know is it was getting late and I was fast."
Ensign would pass Brian McClish for third spot and set his sights on second place running Shauna Hogg, but "I got excited towards the end and was probably overdriving it a little. I knew I was faster than her, but never got the opportunity to pass." said the now veteran of pavement racing.
After the checkers flew, Ensign had a 3rd place podium finish in his first pavement race and is positively back in the point chase with the next race for the USAC Western Classic Series set for Shasta Speedway later this month. "After this finish, I think I've got a shot at this season point deal. I know how to run a wingless on dirt." Ensign said with a gleam in his eye.
Geoff Ensign's next race is this Saturday, April 9th with the Civil War Sprint Car Series at Petaluma Speedway.
To contact Geoff Ensign, search Geoff Ensign Motorsports on Facebook or [email protected].
- photos courtesy Cleveland Digital Imaging
