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2008 Year in Review

2008 was the first full year in the rough and ultra-competitive world of 360 winged sprint cars for Velocity Motorsports.

Myles Bishop of Escalon, CA and the Chuck Cypert-lead crew proved to be up to the task at hand, as the 40 race schedule the team laid out would be a long and large task for a first year team in the demanding Civil War series.

Myles and his Maxim Chassis/Charlie Fisher Racing Engines/CV Fabricators/ Maclac Paints/ Stud Welding Products/ Pacific Bolt/Escalon Body and Frame / Kaeding performance/ Yak Graphics/ CCR/ MRP sponsored sprinter would contest over 40 shows covering northern and central California.

The year proved to be a learning process for young Myles Bishop as he visited these tracks for the first time, but steady improvements saw the rookie Velocity Motorsports team contending for wins by mid-season.

The team ultimately tallied the following stats for the year:

(5) Top 5 main event finishes

(9) Top 10 main event finishes

(1) Fast-time qualifier

(1) Main event win

(4) Heat race wins

These milestones were accomplished through hard work and determination by driver and crew, but none of it would have been possible without our sponsors, who we greatly appreciate and look forward to having with us again as Team Velocity goes after the Civil War championship in 2009.

Watsonville, CA
8.15.08

Friday August 15^th found the CV Fabricators team lead by Chuck Cypert heading to Ocean Speedway to try and gain some information for a future Civil War show, the team also was trying to get locked into the Key Classic.

Myles and the Maclac Paints/MTL Manufacturing/Stud Welding Products/Escalon Body and Paint sprinter started the night out hot lapping and then getting ready for qualifying.

Myles would qualify at a respectable 8^th quickest.

The velocity team then went to work getting ready for the 4^th heat race where Myles started 5^th next to multiple time Golden State Champion Brent Kaeding.

On the initial start Myles shot in front of BK only to have the latter make a veteran move in 1-2 with Myles trying to follow him through the same spot. The hole closed and Myles was trapped behind the field.

Myles battled back but ran out of laps, meaning a 5th place finish and a date with the B-main.

Myles quickly handled the B-main traffic and finished 2nd to transfer to the A-main.

Track conditions change rapidly with the weather cooling off from the ocean breeze and the team went to work adapting the car to the conditions.

Myles started 11^th and played it smart and smooth running the low line and picking his way forward to 5^th with 9 laps to go, on the restart the bottom line had gone away with the middle taking rubber which is what many year sprint car veterans Ronnie Day, Stephan Allard and Craig Stidham found.

The next 9 laps Myles diced with these veterans and would finish 8th, which as of this writing put us one position out of being locked into the key race.

The main objective was met with wanting to gain info for the civil war show so it was a positive trip for team velocity and thank you all our sponsors for making it possible.

Calistoga, CA
8.9.08

Photo by John's Racing Photos

Team Velocity and crew chief Chuck Cypert headed to Calistoga Speedway ready to make a run at another Civil War Top Flight performance.

Wheel packing was the first thing on the agenda for the day, and as it concluded it became apparent the conditions would be dry and hard-packed surface.

The velocity Motorsports team got the Maclac Paints/CV Fabricators/Pacific Bolt/MTL Manufacturing sprint car ready for hot laps on the rapidly fading surface.

The next event after hot laps would be qualifying where Myles would go out 18^th out of 31 cars in attendance.

Myles would qualify with a time of 18.399 in his Kaeding Performance Center/Charlie Fisher powered/Maxim Chassis, it would hold up to be fast time.

The heat races were next and Myles started 6^th on a track that was now not only dry but very dusty, Myles would advance to 3^rd place battling with many time King of California Brent Kaeding and many time Civil War champ Andy Forsberg.

The next thing the team waited for was the main event pill draw where it was announced that the pills were 4,6,8,10,which meant not matter what the best Myles could start was 5^th due to being fast time, they drew a 10 pill which put Myles 10^th starting.

Note to self: why no 0 pill, fast time has no chance to start any better than 5^th so why be fast time?

Myles and the CV Fabricators crew lead by Chuck Cypert went to work reading the now slowly taking rubber track that was eating tires faster than Joey Chestnut eats hotdogs, small changes were made and the team was ready for an assault on the track.

The green flag was thrown and the cars disappeared into turn one in a cloud of dust and rubber, the laps clicked off one after another as the race looked to be a follow the leader rubber down freight train.

The laps wound down to 3 to go as Myles tried to maneuver around a lapped car, as Myles got beside the lap down car he got hit and turned around which sheared the inboard brake off the rear-end forcing Myles to the pits.

The Velocity Team, with their "never say die" attitude went to work fixing the problem even though with 3 laps left not much position would be gained, Myles restarted and finished 14^th.

Thank you to those who support team velocity.

Next race for team velocity is Watsonville 8/15/2008

Thank you to johns racing photos for the picture.

- Moose

Placerville, CA
8.2.08

The Velocity Motorsports team headed to Placerville Speedway on a day where the temperature was much like the price of gas: too high.

The night started out with a team member drawing our qualifying pill and got a 42, which meant being the 24^th car out to qualify.

Hot laps would show the track to be suffering from the heat early, and with the sun still beating on the track it would not get better.

Myles and the Maclac Paints/Stud Welding Products/MTL Manufacturing team qualified at 11.758,with fast time being first car out Cameron Mendes with a time of 10.754.

Myles and the Chuck Cypert lead team got ready for heat race action on what now was a very dry race track where Myles would start 10^th.

The Team Velocity/Kaeding Performance Center/Yak Graphics Maxim took the green flag and was making progress forward when Myles half spun and the yellow flag came out which sent him to the back of the pack.

Upon the green flag coming back out Myles jumped into nomansland and drove around the top where he came up a lap and one car short of transferring to the A-main.

The Civil War format is based on qualifying which meant that even though Myles ran 5^th from 10^th in his heat, he would be in C-main due to a late time.

The C-main would prove to be follow the leader on a single groove track that Indiana folk call "huggy pole", Myles started 7^th and ended up 8^th after trying the slick upper groove.

Thank you again for all your support and come see us at the races.

Next up Calistoga 8/9/2008.

Petaluma, CA
7.29.08

Team Velocity loaded up and headed to round #9 of the Civil War Series looking to advance in the rookie of the year, and Civil War overall points race.

Myles would qualify the CV Fabricators/Maclac Paints/MTL Manufacturing/Maxim Chassis sprinter at a time of 13.025,good for 6^th quick with fast time being Andy Forsberg at 12.860.

The Velocity Motorsports team prepared the Kaeding Performance Center/Charlie fisher powered racer for the heat race where Myles would start 5^th.

Race track conditions were a hard but wet surface that made traction difficult and passing very tricky in the first heat, the second heat would prove to be the same as Myles took the green and battled veteran Jim Richardson the whole way to finish 5^th which meant having to run the B-main.

Chuck Cypert and the crew got to work making many changes to adjust for fast changing track conditions where Myles and the Yak Graphics/Stud Welding Products/CCR racer would start 3^rd.

Myles got on the hammer soon as the green came out and quickly advanced as he battled the leader, they ran tooth and nail and at the checkered it was Myles in 2^nd transferring to the A-main.

Once again the crew went to work in a quick turn around to prep for the a-main.

Myles started in 8^th place and at the drop of the green was off and running to the front when on lap 3 a very uncommon thing happen and the rear-end broke sending Myles to the pits for the night.

Thanks for the support of the fans and sponsors and hope to see you all at Placerville Speedway on August 2^nd for round #10 of the Civil War series.

Petaluma, CA
7.19.08

After a very tough night at Chico, the team worked very hard, made repairs, and loaded up for Petaluma Speedway.

The trip would prove to be worth the effort as Myles and the CV Fabricators/Maclac Paints/MTL Manufacturing/Stud Welding Products/Kaeding Performance/Maxim Chassis/Charlie Fisher powered sprinter would be fast time with a time of 12.60, beating out veteran racer Art McCarthy who timed in at 12.82

Myles and the chuck Cypert crew got ready for the heat race where Myles would start 6^th.

The heat race started with the waving of the green flag and Myles quickly went to work on past track champion Adam McCarthy and started battling with Bradley Terrell, Myles would finish 4^th and transfer to the a-main.

Myles started 4^th as the crew went to work making numerous changes to adjust to the track conditions.

The field stormed into turn one at the waving of the green flag as everyone searched for a piece of track to run on, Myles made a move that took him into second place for several laps.

The laps winding down and the track changing, Myles found traction aplenty off turn 4 and pulled a monster wheelie that he eventually had to get off the gas to let back down where he lost fell back to 6^th.

Myles didn't give up and drove back toward the front and would finish a respectable 4^th place.

The team thanks everyone for their support.

Next race is Petaluma 7/26/2008...Please come see Myles and the team!

Chico, CA
7.18.08

The Velocity Motorsports team with driver Myles Bishop and crew chief Chuck Cypert rolled into Silver Dollar Speedway Friday night looking to move up in the Civil War points.

First event of the night was qualifying and Myles was ready for that mission as he would post a time of 12.098, good for 4^th quick. Fast time was 11.996 for Sean Becker.

Myles and the CV Fabricators/Maclac Paints/Stud Welding Products/Pacific Bolt/MTL Manufacturing/Kaeding Performance/Maxim Chassis/Charlie Fisher powered sprinter got ready for the heat race on a track that was slowly changing as the night went on.

Myles started 6^th and when the green flag dropped Myles went to work getting to the front, he battled with Bradley Terrell as they exchanged slide jobs back and forth with Myles finally taking the final transfer spot to the a-main.

The main event would be next on a night we as a team thanked the firefighters for allowing us to entertain them as they took a break from fighting the fires, the fairgrounds is the home away from home for the firefighters right now.

Chuck and the CV Fabricators team made calculations and made the changes to adjust for what the track would present for the 30 lap main event where Myles would start 4^th.

The green flag was thrown and a war broke out as the front 4 cars went at it tooth and nail with Myles right in the middle of the war, Myles worked the bottom of the track and as the leaders got into lapped traffic Myles made his move into second.

Laps wound down and the leader Forsberg bobbled in turn one running the tricky cushion as Myles shot to the bottom. Andy caught his car again and as he drove down the track Myles was already there and they made contact, ultimately ending our night with a 16^th place finish.

Placerville, CA
7.12.08

24 hours made a change as Placerville was hot and dry compared to Watsonville weather.

First event of the night was qualifying where Myles turned a lap of 10.778 which was 5^th quick, with fast time being 10.582.

Myles and the team went to work prepping for the 1^st heat where Myles started inside row 3 .

The green flag was thrown and off the pack went on a track that had greasy mud on the bottom and a developing cushion on top, Myles choose to use the low groove and held his own until he was collected from behind and got spun out and have to restart at the back of the field.

Myles tried every trick in the book but came up on spot short of transferring to the main event, the team would go to the b-main.

Myles would start the b-main from 3^rd position and was trying to make a transfer spot when he jumped the tricky cushion and spun to a stop, he would restart and again charge to the front but come up short with an 8^th place finish.

The team now puts our noses to the grindstone and heads to Chico for a civil war show on July 18^th and we hope to see you all there.

Velocity Motorsports has shirts for sale also for $10.00 a shirt.

Thank you your support of our sport.

Petaluma, CA
7.5.08

Saturday July 5th would find the velocity Motorsports/CV Fabricators/Maclac Paints/Stud WeldingProducts/MTL Manufacturing/Pacific Bolt/Kaeding Performance Center/Maxim Chassis team at the very fast and always tricky Petaluma Fairgrounds.

Myles and the teams first task at hand was hot laps, after which a small water leak was detected at the radiator and it was decided to change radiators after qualifying as we topped it off with water for qualifying.

Myles would qualify at 13.252 which would be 12th quick, Shawn Becker was fast time with a 12.781.

Myles was met at the scales by moose, and as he came off the scales the lower radiator hose was dropped and let the hot water out as the car was pushed back to the pits where Brian and Bob would change the radiator before heat race action.

Crew chief Chuck Cypert dyno-ed shocks and made changes getting ready for the heat race on a track where passing would be tough.

The green flag came out and Myles was off and running where he dove to the bottom of turn one and was greeted by very wet slimy mud and almost spun, he would recover but lost track position and wouldn't recover in time which meant the team would need to go to the b-main.

The Chuck Cypert lead team would make many changes trying to keep pace with a rapidly changing track condition.

Myles would get a good jump at the start and put the Team Velocity Maxim in a spot to transfer to the A Main, then what can only be described as a hit-and-run move was used on Myles and he found himself pointed towards the infield, losing several positions.

Myles would recover to finish 9th.

thank you for checking out www.velocitymotorsportracing.com - come see us at the races!

Chico, CA
7.4.08

Original photo by John's Racing Photos - 2008

The Velocity Motorsports team showed up at Silver Dollar Fairgrounds for the Fourth of July sprint car and fireworks show, with a special thanks to the fire fighters from all over the country for fighting the fires in the state and allowing us to continue to race at Chico even though the fairgrounds has become the home away from home for them.

The night started off with the unveiling of our new team mascot Sadie, thanks to Johns Race Photos everyone can see her on http://www.johnsracingphotos.com/.

First task at hand was qualifying where Myles would tour the track for a time of 12.350 in his CV Fabricators/Maclac Paints/Stud Welding Products/MTL Manufacturing/CCR/MRP/Kaeding Performance Center/Maxim Chassis.

The Chuck Cypert lead team then went to work prepping for the next event of the night which would be the heat race, where Myles would start outside row one.

Myles would use his Charlie Fisher horsepower to get the jump at the green flag and lead every lap holding of multiple time champion Brent Kaeding for the heat race win which transferred Myles straight to the A Main.

The team went to work getting ready on what was a quickly changing track as conditions got tricky with other divisions running laps on the track it changed with every passing lap.

Decisions were made and installed Myles was ready to rumble and would start the main in 14th.

The Velocity Motorsports sprinter held it own against the more powerful 410 sprinter as Myles ran consistent laps and learned a racing groove that he would use to make several passes to finally run 9th at the end of the main.

Today's report comes from the hot and humid Quincy speedway, where we enjoyed some strange weather - it was hot and then it would sprinkle for a minute and then go back to hot.

Myles and the Chuck Cypert-lead crew came to Quincy with the gun loaded as the team assembled a new car this week to replace the one destroyed at Calistoga - it made for a long week for all.

Myles hot lapped the new car and reported back that everything felt good. Nevertheless, the team checked and double checked everything and Myles was be the 21st car to qualify.

The team got the CV Fabricators/Maclac Paints/MTL Manufacturing/Stud Welding Products/Pacific Bolt/Kaeding Performance Center/Yak Graphics/Chuck Cypert Racing/Moose Race Prep/Maxim Chassis ready to qualify on what was a quickly changing track.

Myles timed in at 16.651 seconds on a drying track, behind the fast time run of 15.851.

The CV Fabricators team went to work making changes to get ready for the 4th heat, where Myles was to start outside row 1. He was ready to rip at the start, and when the green flag came out Myles was off and running into the lead and never looked back for a nice heat race run.

The Chuck Cypert-lead team now went to work getting ready for the main event where Myles was to start 15th. With the track drying and therefore getting slicker, team experience would be critical to make the right changes for such tricky conditions.

The main event started with several call backs for jump starts, then the yellows followed for more on track spins and crashes as it seemed everyone want to win on the first lap.

Myles managed to miss the carnage, as the next start got underway the leader spun and collected several cars and the red flag came out to clear the track.

Now the team went to work again as the red flag was an open red, the team added fuel because we had gone a lot of laps under the yellow and there were no laps down yet.

Now with the track clear again cars were fired off again, with all the carnage from previous starts Myles would now move up to outside the front row.

Myles was ready as the green flag flew and Myles quickly jumped out to the lead followed by the rest of the pack all trying to find a spot to run, Myles stretched his lead and was starting to close on the back of the field when the yellow came out again.

Myles used patience as the green came out again and continued to lead every lap and get his first California Civil War main event win.

Saturday June 14th found Team Velocity and the scenic and fast Calistoga Speedway.

Myles and the Maclac Paints/MTL Manufacturing/Pacific Bolt/Stud Welding Products/Kaeding Performance/Yak Graphics Maxim started out hot lapping around the dangerous half mile, which went well and the team went to work getting ready for qualifying as Myles would be first car out.

Myles circled the half mile in 18.652 seconds - a respectable time for a rookie taking his first laps @ Calistoga. Fast time belonged to visiting World of Outlaws driver Jason Johnson with a time of 18.167.

Starting the heat race outside row one, the Chuck Cypert-lead team made adjustments to the car and Myles held off veterans Bud and Brent Kaeding to finish 4th and transfer to the A Main.

Myles started 14th and was rolling along, gaining experience following veteran drivers, when disaster struck as he got loose with cars close behind. A chain reaction crash evolved and Myles sustained major damage and was done for the night ending with a 19th place finish.

The team now has a long week ahead to get ready for our next race at Quincy on June 21, we hope to see you there - please stop by and visit!

Placerville Speedway was warmer than usual as the team got ready for the nights races.

Myles qualified as the 16th car out and turned a time 10.674 which was 10th quick, with fast time being 10.477.

The heat race was next and the team prepared the car for Myles' 4th place start.

The initial start was called back as was the second start due to spins etc.

Finally the green came out and Myles was running in 4th when another car tired to defy the basic laws of physics by trying to occupy the space he was in and ran into the side of the CV Fabricators Maxim. By the time Myles recovered he had lost momentum and could only make it back to 5th place which meant getting ready for the B Main.

Crew chief Chuck Cypert and the Velocity team went to work making change to get ready for the quickly drying conditions.

Myles started the B-main in the now familiar 4th position and at the drop of the green flag the field was off and running.

He was then dealt a bad hand as he was blasted from behind and spunout in turn one. Myles regrouped and came to the work area to let the crew examine the car for damage.

Running 14th on the restart and working his way forward until after several red and yellow flags the officials called the race complete at lap 7 due to time constraints, Myles would be credited with 8th place although the team scorer had him in 5th.

Now the CV Fabricators team heads to Calistoga's 1/2 mile track on June 14th - please come and visit with us!

Velocity Motorsports and driver Myles Bishop arrived at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville ready and charged to race.

Hot laps went well on a track that was slowly drying out due to heat and wind.

Myles was the 10th car to qualify and ended up 21st quick.

The CV Fabricators Chuck Cypert lead team went to work to improve on the cars setup before Myles' 7th position start in his Maclac Paints Maxim.

10 laps later Myles and his Stud Welding Products/Yak Graphics Maxim finished 4th.

Now the team had to go to work on car setup on what turned out to be a tricky surface as the track was very dry and even beginning to take rubber.

The MTL Manufacturing/Pacific Bolt Maxim would start the main 21st, Myles drove a smart and patient race, learning with every lap what it takes to drive on such tricky conditions.

25 laps later when the main was over Myles had brought home the Kaeding Performance Center sponsored Maxim 16th.

New Car Dealers of El Dorado County, Hoosier Racing Tires, Coors Light championship racing season at Placerville Speedway.

A windy cold night at Placerville Speedway was just what the Velocity Motorsports team needed to put a whole night of top tens together

Drawing the second to last pill to go out for qualifying was not such a bad thing on this night. Myles was able to watch his competition from the infield and study his competitors lines while he waited in staging for his chance to time in. After a rocky start on the first lap Myles would power the black and orange Velocity Motorsports number 7 to a 7^th place fast time.

Enough to start inside third row of the third heat race Myles would be on the gas from the drop of the green flag. Battling a fast changing race track Myles was able to secure 4^th place and transfer to the A main where he would start 7^th due to a 0 pill drawn for the inversion.

On a night that the track had gone dry slick and created a nice cushion on the top and a steady line around the bottom Myles would work high and low in the main. Hugging the bottom of the track for the first ten laps Myles would work his way into 6^th place. After a caution flag Myles set The CV Fabricators, Pacific Bolt, MacLac Paints, Stud Welding Products, Escalon Body & Frame hard into turn one against the cushion and would run the rest of the race upstairs. After a couple close calls and a couple tactical passes Myles would bring the car across the line in 4^th place.

Velocity Motorsports would like to thank all of its sponsors and will be back out on the track sat April 26 in Placerville for the 5^th round of championship competition.

Velocity Motorsports returned to Petaluma on Saturday night to compete against 40 other teams in the second round of the Civil War Series.

The track was well groomed and Myles took full advantage, qualifying 14^th in his number 7 CV Fabricators/Maxim sprinter and moving on to the inside second row of his heat.

From the moment the green flag dropped, Myles battled the leaders for position. As he struggled against the other drivers, his right rear shock failed and he lost control, bringing out a yellow and sending him to the back of the field. He ultimately fought his way back into 7^th place to finish.

This minor malfunction meant that Myles would have to work his way up to the A Main. From his starting position in 5^th in the B Main, he wasted no time taking 4^th before putting pressure on the third place driver. By the time the checkered flag fell, he had maneuvered his way into 2^nd, transferred to the A Main, and regained his qualifying time.

With no time to rest on his laurels, Myles and the Velocity team started behind 14 other talented drivers in the main event. The race was wrought with yellows, but thanks to his timing and the near-perfect setup of the car, Myles ducked and dodged his way into 8^th place to finish the night.

The start of the new season is an exciting time in the world of sprint racing…visiting new tracks for the first time, working out set-up issues and mechanical problems, etc. In many cases, “exciting” simply means “stressful” or “unforgiving,” as Myles discovered this weekend at Placerville Speedway. Being a quick study, he leapt in and set to work learning the ins and outs of Placerville – on the first points race of the year, no less.

Spirits were high during hot laps, as car and driver seemed at ease with one another. This calm would be tested by the qualifying format, which had drivers stage on the infield before taking to the dirt. The “0-100mph” nature of this setup was a hindrance to peak performance, but Myles still qualified a respectable 18^th – not as high as the team had hoped, but they found some consolation in the fact that he shaved a second off of his fast time from hot laps. The young driver was realistic and positive when asked about the format. "Qualifying at Placerville was definitely a different experience, but I don't feel it was a bad deal, just something I'm going to have to get used to."

Thanks to a twist of fate which forced the pole sitter to withdraw from the heat, Myles took over the coveted position and modestly commented "it was a lucky deal...that's racing sometimes." Unfortunately, his inexperience on Placerville’s surface left him cruising to the finish line and the A main in 4^th place. Myles took these events in stride: "I had no gut feeling for (the track conditions) at all since all of it was a new deal to me. I felt Chico was easier to get used to the track than Placerville due to the size difference between the two venues."

Myles knew that, starting in the 15^th spot, he had a lot of work ahead of him in the A main. He and the Maxim Chassis #7, backed by sponsors CV Fabricators, Escalon Body and Frame, Maclac Paints, Stud Welding Products, and Pacific Bolt, were up to the challenge. On the initial start, Myles was fast out of the gate and hard on the tails of his fellow competitors. Ten laps and myriad yellow flags and restarts later, #7 was half way to the front in 8^th place when a wreck drew the red flag and traffic on the track came to a halt. Crew chief Chuck Cypert was able to come out and make some necessary adjustments to the car while safety crews took care of the crash. As the red lifted, Myles fell two spots to 10^th and he held on fiercely to the end of the event. Don't think for a second that the race delays distracted him, though. According to Myles, "My mind is completely focused on the race and the race night from the moment I pull into the track, so I never really lose the concentration on what's in front of me until the final checkered flag is waved."

Driver and crew were pleased with a top ten finish on the first night of racing in Placerville, but were hard at work on Monday morning preparing for April 5^th to try and better the performance. Come out and watch us grapple in the second round of the Placerville Speedway points series!

It’s been quite an off-season for Velocity Motorsports. We are back in 2008 with a new look, some new toys, and a renewed sense of purpose! The team hit the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, CA on March 21^st to get the season started. Myles and the potent Number 7, flying the colors of sponsors CV Fabricators, Stud Welding Products, Escalon Body and Frame, Pacific Bolt, and Maclac Paints came prepared to battle in the Silver Cup.

The team was confident going into the two-day show thanks to months of hard work led by Chief Chuck Cypert and the rest of the crew (Brian, Bob, Matt, Cody, Moose, and owner Steve Bishop). The car roared to life in fine fashion and performed as expected during mud packing, returning afterwards and checking out OK.

Myles faced a steep learning curve on the high banks of the Silver Dollar Speedway and knew that the 60-car pack would not allow him to make mistakes. He started on the outside pole in his heat beside none other than Tim Kaeding and on the green made a bold pass in turn two for the lead. Unfortunately, this position was short-lived thanks to a crash, which led to the first of several restarts. After narrowing the field to 10 cars and completing the race, Myles finished the night with 7^th place.

The crew returned early on Saturday morning to make adjustments and prepare for the night’s events. The car passed a series of routine maintenance checks and was deemed ready for the track. The first heat of the evening felt like déjà vu but left Myles with a third place starting position for the C Main. He had to think quickly to adjust to the dry-slick conditions, but did so and moved up into 2^nd place where he challenged the leader at every opportunity. He lost some ground and took third – still good enough to transfer to the B Main…and start in 23^rd. Once the green flag dropped, Myles was a man on a mission to find his way to the front of the field. He kept to the low line on the track and passed enough cars to finish 9^th, just 3 spots short of the cutoff for the A Main.

While the results ultimately fell short of the team’s expectations, the car rolled into the trailer at the end of the weekend without a scratch, and therefore still qualifies as a successful outing in dirt racing circles.

Team Velocity would like to thank all of our sponsors for their support – we couldn’t get the car on the track without you! Special thanks to CV Fabricators, Escalon Body and Frame, Maclac Paints, Stud Welding Products, and Pacific Bolt.

VMS ventured south to scenic Santa Maria this weekend to run with the big boys and their USAC/CRA sprints. Nerves and excitement knotted together as the night began and the team prepared to give it their all against the field of 410's.

Hot laps went well, and as driver Myles Bishop brought the No.7 car into the pits, his crew quickly began making the changes necessary to deal with the track conditions. The qualifying run would be the litmus test for these adjustments, and Myles did not disappoint with his 12th fast-time result.

Finding himself on the outside pole in his heat, Myles wasted no time in exerting his dominance. He sped around the leader as they entered turn one and never looked back, leading the race through to the end and taking the checkered flag. It is worth mentioning that he left a seven-car gap in his wake - hard to tell who was more surprised, Myles or his closest competitor!

His impressive performance in the heat earned him a starting spot in 9th (of 22) in the main event. He knew it would be a hard road, and was on the gas as the green flag dropped. Battling with the 410's for position, Myles held his own until the entire field reacted to a hard flip on the back straight that forced a restart. On this second go-round, Myles was right back in the game. During the fourth lap he attempted a pass and found a slick spot on the track that nearly spun him out. He recovered but found himself underneath one of his competitors in turn two. Now relegated to the back of the pack, Myles zig-zagged behind slower cars and waited for his chance to pass. Finally he found room in turn three and went high, only to get rocked by his slower adversary doing the same. The car broke free of its earthly bounds and soared to the top of the fence before crashing back down to the firmament. Crawling from the wreckage, Myles gave the crowd a wave and was met with cheers and applause. Perhaps not as satisfying as the cheers garnered by victory, but walking away is always an acceptable outcome.

Fear not, loyal followers, a mere totaled car cannot stop the VMS team - we will still run on the 25th with the SCRA in Hanford thanks to the generosity of our good friend Jimmy Riddell, who has agreed to let us borrow one of his cars until we're back under our own power. Thank you, Jimmy!

Santa Maria’s Grand Slam event brought the Velocity Motorsports team back to Southern California on July 28^th. With 50 cars on hand, it was sure to be a tough contest. Myles Bishop took his qualifying run and turned in a time of 15.5 seconds, good for 16^th fastest and a spot on the outside pole for the first heat. Time between events was sparse, but the pit crew still managed to make some adjustments before the evening truly got underway.

At the start of the heat, Davey Pombo found traction on the outside pole immediately and took the lead. Myles made repeated attempts to take his spot back, but Pombo left no openings. Taking advantage of the struggle in first and second, the night’s third-quickest qualifier edged between Pombo and Myles with just two laps remaining. Bishop had to settle for third.

What followed was an unusual chance to relax for the VMS team until the A-Main began ramping up. The track was taking rubber and every driver present could tell that it would be a good race! Myles started 10^th, knowing that he had his work cut out for him. He wasted no time once the flag dropped, working his way towards the front of the pack. A tie-up with Greg Porte drew yellow on lap 6, sending VMS back to square one. Myles spent the next 15 laps working his way back up to 9^th position, his charge interrupted only by a red flag (for fuel only). His crew, not knowing exactly how much fuel remained in the black and orange No.7 car, added three gallons for good measure…superstitious types might argue that this is what scrapped the night’s run of fortune. On restart Myles quickly found himself fighting for control of the still quite respectable 15^th spot, where he would finish.

This weekend the Velocity Motorsports Team will travel to Bakersfield for the SCRA event. Sitting 10th in points and 5th in dash points, the team hopes to make up some ground.

The Velocity Motorsports team challenged King’s Speedway in Hanford for the 9^th time in this 2007 season on July 21^st. Despite feeling and looking fast, Myles was only able to coax enough out of the car for an 11^th fastest qualifying time…unfamiliar territory for a driver accustomed to the top 8.

Expectations aside, Myles found himself on the pole in the first heat. The VMS crew (Steve Bishop, Matt Durica, Kory Miller, and Kent Miller) worked furiously, changing everything from bars to stagger to achieve peak performance. As the green fell to start the heat Myles took off as if he’d been shot out of a cannon, showcasing the precision of the team’s efforts. A caution on lap 5 bunched the field and narrowed the No.7’s lead. On restart Myles found Richard Harvey Jr. on his six and pushing hard, beginning a battle that continued throughout the remainder of the race. Harvey slid past on the checkered flag lap, but Myles found a line on the bottom and powered back into first and winning the heat. This earned him a spot in the dash, and the crew again dove into making changes on the car.

Poised again on the pole, VMS had excellent chances. Myles traded paint with the young Justin Hamblin through turns one and two, falling into second place. Repeated attempts to dive in were unsuccessful and moved the No.7 car back into the back. One pass later Myles took and held third through the checkered flag, the prize for which was the inside second row spot in the 50 lap main event.

Continuing the evening’s trend, the pit crew went straight to work changing almost every aspect of the car. As the main got under way, things were a little tight but loosened up until Myles was riding a rocket. Great driving all around lead to some battles during the first 30 laps until Myles and Jeff Gardner got together and brought out the yellow flag. With Peter Murphy having lapped all but the top eight in the field, Myles restarted in the 8 spot. The restart was short-lived as Justin Hamblin ran out of steam in turn four, and the field lined up to try again. This time around Myles ran high and lost the car to the ever-present forces of physics, placing him directly in front of Hamblin. With nowhere to go, Justin plowed into the No.7 and made an early evening of it for both teams.

The Velocity Motorsports team will return to Santa Maria for the Grand Slam event on July 28^th.

Special thanks to all of our sponsors, including CV Fabricators, Escalon Body and Frame, MACLAC Paints, D&D Roofing, Stud Welding Products, and Pacific Bolt.

Into the turn in Hanford, CA
Photo by Brian Ratzlaff of Racing Imagery - Visit his site!

On July 7th Myles Bishop and the Velocity Motorsports Team tackled Hanford Speedway for the 8th time in the 2007 season. Straight off the trailer the black and orange number 7 car (sponsored by CV Fabricators, Escalon Body & Paint, MTL Engineering, Stud Welding Products, MACLAC Paints, Pacific Bolt, and D&D Roofing) qualified 3rd quickest out of 15 cars. This put Myles and the team all alone into the back row of the 3rd heat.

Myles wasted no time pushing into a 4th place finish, earning himself a ticket to the dash. He found himself in the last row of the dash due to second fast-time qualifier not transferring. On the green flag lap Myles launched himself into 4th and then one turn later up into 3rd. The VMS #7 would finish the dash in 3rd, putting him in the second row of the main event.

At the start of the main Myles made the pass for 2nd only to lose the spot to Jonathan Logan one lap later, who would end up 2nd. On lap 20 a spin in 3 & 4 brought out the yellow. Myles was still running in 3rd, but with the car starting to loosen up, he would have his hands full. On the green he held on to the spot for a couple of laps but then slowly faded back to 7th, where he ultimately finished.

Now with a weekend off from the SCRA, the Velocity Motorsports team will make a first-time journey to Santa Maria.

Myles currently sits tied for 10th in driver points and 5th in dash points. Look for the VMS Team back at Hanford on July 21st.

Myles enjoys the infield after winning his dash.
Photo by Paul Trevino - Please visit his site!

Another roller coaster race night for Velocity Motorsports is in the books. Things got off to a good start during qualifying as driver Myles Bishop took the #7 CV Fabricators machine to 7^th place in a field of 26 cars. That put him in starting position number five in his heat, the third of four for the night. He found that the low line was perfect and passed car after car to the front of the pack and the checkered flag, plus a spot in the Passing Masters dash. Starting outside pole, the car was good from the get-go. Myles showed the competition how it’s done by taking the lead into turn one, working the low line, and never looking back. Points leaders Davey Pombo and Peter Murphy could do nothing to gain on the #7’s respectable lead.

Thanks to that impressive trophy dash win, Myles started pole once again for the main event and led the field of 22 cars to the green flag. An unsuccessful first start had the pack lined up for another go, and once the flag fell the #7 Velocity Motorsports car jumped into turn one. To the dismay of driver and crew, Myles had close company and was spun from behind coming out of turn two, metal clashing with metal on all sides. Aspirations for a sweep now hung on the end of the hook and the evening was over. The tentative schedule is to hit the track back in Hanford on Jul 7^th for the SCRA 9^th round of the series.

Ventura, CA
6.16.07

With Hanford having another dark weekend, the Velocity Motorsports crew traveled south to the tight 1/5 mile of Ventura Speedway. The night started out promising with a good car in hot laps and the team felt comfortable heading into the heat race. Since it was the team's first visit to the facility, track rules required a start in the 8th position. As the green dropped, driver Myles Bishop was in the mix battling for 6th place over the first two laps. To the ire of the team the track drastically changed and Myles battled the car for the rest of the race, finishing a disappointing 8th . Rolling out for the main even after the track had been cut and watered, the Velocity Motorsports #7 (sponsored by CV Fabricators, Escalon Body and Frame, Pacific Bolt, Stud Welding Products, Maclac Paints, and D & D Roofing) had to start in the 20th position, again due to the track rules. After an early pile-up in the middle of the pack, a crash stalled the charging #7. Once the restart was lined up, Myles Drove the tuned and responsive car set up by crew chief Steve Bishop, head wrench Matt Durica, and Kent Miller to a final spot of 13th .

This weekend the Velocity Motorsports crew will travel back to Hanford, where we sit in 12th place in points with 14 points behind 11th and 338 points behind the leader. Myles and crew hope to gain some points on the leaders. Hope to see you there!

Once again, Myles was one of the fastest qualifiers with a time of 13.288 seconds, which was good enough for second. A series of events that can only be described as unfortunate kept #7 from finishing the main. VMS will take a couple of weeks off and return to the circuit on June 2nd in Hanford. See you there!

Myles passes the #36 car on the inside
Photo by Brian Ratzlaff of Racing Imagery

The #7 car qualified 8th with a time of 15.640 seconds on Cinco de Mayo before finishing 5th in 10-lap heat #2. Myles capped the evening with a 13th place finish in the main.

Sideways into the front straight on April 28th
Photo by Brian Ratzlaff of Racing Imagery

Something to Prove
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Myles qualified second on this warm Saturday with a time of 16.170 seconds, bettering last week's fifth-fastest run. A conservative main event ended in a 13th place finish for VMS.

Back in the Saddle
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With the car back from paint and graphics, Myles and the Velocity team returned to Hanford's King's Speedway on Saturday to sling some mud. After turning in a qualifying time of 15.598 seconds, fifth-fastest time of the night, Myles took third in his heat. Some persistent engine troubles lead to a disappointing finish in the main, but there's a lot of season left and the winner's circle is calling...

A Great Beginning (from SCRA.COM)
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"...Myles Bishop, one of several promising rookies stepping up in class to contend for rookie of the year honors. Harvey will have recently retired driver Jason Yount as chief 'wrench.'
Bishop, a Micro-Midget driver who never sat behind the wheel of a sprint car prior to February 24th, surprised everyone with a hard-fought main event victory during open competition at Kings on that date, defeating Rusty Carlile (last season's runner-up in points) and the balance of the field."