Mike Linder earns career best NST finish Tuesday evening at Fremont.

Remember asking your parents when you were growing up if you could stay up late on a school night. You could watch different programs on TV, talk more on the phone, it was great. Now as you get older doing a mid-week race makes you tired at work all day, then you have to turn the car around in a smaller time frame. I wish we were still hot for teacher.

With the NST in town Mike and the guys were ready to show why they won last year’s track championship. With the track dry slick already from the warm summer day a high pill draw for qualifying would be tough. Going out very late Mike timed in sixteenth out of the forty-five cars in the pits.

Prep for the heat race was made where Mike’s start would equal his car number, 3. Using the track’s spec right rear the driver and crew of Andy James Motorsports decided to use this as a test night for the rest of the season. What they did different I have no idea, plus I bet I wouldn’t be allowed to tell ya anyway. With the track as it usually is, Mike rolled out ready to go. The track however was slicker than they thought and Mike dropped two spots holding the car down on the bottom for the ten laps.

Time for the dash; the red 3 lined up outside pole thanks to the little girl who picked Mike "because he is good". Still battling for forward bite Mike lost one spot to earn third. This finish gave Mike a fifth place start in the A.

With everyone ready to go, the A was pushed off and Mike punched the time clock once again. In the early stages of the finale Mike battled with the 1r and the 7k. Later on it was the w20. All the while the track was getting tougher and tougher to get a hold of, slicking off more. At times Mike was entering the corner on the bottom but lack of grip forced the car to the middle or even the top. In the end Mike and the guys earned an eighth place run.

Andy James Motorsports is sponsored by Linder’s Speed Equipment, Beaverdam Contracting, Pro Shocks, Vision Quest, Engler Printing, Ultra Shield Race Products, Kistler Engines, Slammers Sports Bar, Woleslagel Moving Company.