The Anatomy Of Pulling Out The Back-Up; Ryan Godown & Searock Motorsports

Column By: RUSTY RHOADES / RPW – SWEDESBORO, NJ – I don’t normally enjoy arriving to the track at the last minute. I usually like being there at least by the drivers meeting to catch up with other writers, photographers and some of the drivers to talk the normal shop or perhaps get a pre-race quote or two. But sometimes these things can’t be helped.

As was the case this past Sunday, coming in hot to Bridgeport Speedway for the STSS South Jersey Shootout right after my son’s 2pm soccer practice.

I arrived as all the cars were already out on the surface wheel packing and staging for their specific group of hot lap sessions. As I was walking through the new 3/8th version of the back pit gate, I noticed the Searock 26 modified being pushed back to their hauler located right inside the gate. Knowing that no modified hot lap sessions had even been completed yet, I quickly realized that I was about to bear witness to one of the more unique and fast paced off-track events you’ll see at a dirt race. I know people have surely seen the scramble by a team to unload and prepare a backup car after racing events have already begun. But have you really ever put an exact time on the process and thought deeper through everything involved in it? I decided to do just that.

The scramble starts with Ryan motioning to the crew that the backup is a must before he’s even done being pushed in the disabled primary ride. At just fifteen seconds, the jack is under the primary Searock 26 and the rear is going up to get the tires swapped. Godown is out of the car and other crew members are already up the ladder and in the front of the second level of the hauler, unfastening the backup from its secure travel position.

As the 45 second mark goes by, the rear tires are off the primary car ready to be thrown on the backup, the hood is off the primary and a portion of the crew is troubleshooting the problems causing these events to begin with, perhaps still getting it fired and able to be quickly repaired.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team has the backup pushed out and onto the lift gate and it begins to descend to ground level around 90 seconds into the start. By two minutes in, Godown and other crew are pushing it off the gate, with one member already in the cockpit working on firing the surprisingly necessary piece up as soon as possible.

In under two and a half minutes, the backup #26 modified was fired with the rear end being lifted for the race ready rear tires to be mounted. Fellow driver Dan Fleming had walked down to lend a hand and was sliding under the rear end to put the transponder on, as the 26 team wasn’t even going to miss a chance to participate in timed hot laps! In fact, he only had to move a couple timed groups back the by the time he pulled back on to the racing area.

None of the time elapsed during this was embellished either, as I was able to record it and go back for specific points of reference and more information for this as I needed. Also, this isn’t the first time I’ve seen this team pull off the changeover in such highly impressive fashion. Last season around this time, Godown was dominating a Big Diamond heat race only to start showing smoke coming to the white flag and completely expire the motor as he was taking the checkered flag. The fast-paced switch to the secondary modified was completed in a similar fashion. You would think the crew works on specifically this sort of thing, but that’s not the case. “No, no practice, just hands on experience. Everybody on the team has gone through the process and the scramble at one time or another in the past.” Godown noted when I spoke with him. “I just know that even though it’s not under the best of circumstances, everyone is going to try their best.”

As usual, the hustle and effort paid off, and Godown was able to qualify the backup out of his heat race and turn a 14th place feature start into an impressive 6th place finish as he flew under the checkered flags.