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(August 28, 2013, Montclair , CA Montclair , California San Diego
S.D.: First race ever in a boat a few weeks ago. How did
you go about getting yourself prepared for that race having never done it
before?
C.J.: In my opinion, racing is 90% mental. So, I
listened to the people around me. Going into it, I envisioned practices. I
would picture me going into the corner and what I needed to do. Look for flags
and look for people. I just kind of ran through the racecourse in my head just
trying to prepare myself for the actual race. That was just preparing myself.
Then there was the boat. We got out there on Friday, got it all together and
found out I could do some testing. So I was scrambling trying to get the boat
all together and then get it inspected by APBA inspectors. It had to meet
specifications to get passed. It passed and we got everything together and got
it out there and did about six laps before we had to put it away when they had
to close the course for the day. That was the first time Miss Amsoil hit the
water and the first time I had ever been in it. Everything ran great in
practice.
Casey Jones in action at Long Beach Marine
Stadium.
S.D.: You prepared yourself mentally and you prepared the
boat. How would you, being a new guy, describe the water conditions and how
were the more seasoned veterans describing them?
C.J.: To me, the water conditions were fine. I did not
have any problems with Miss Amsoil getting loose in the straightaway or swapping
back and forth. Other people said it is a tough venue. Your wakes come back
and reverberate. They bounce off the side and come back at you. You have to
deal with that chop that is coming. With the hull that Ernie Dawe built me and
with the setup of the boat, to me the boat performed great.
S.D.: The course was 7/8 of a mile long,
correct?
C.J.: It is a long course for a small boat, about a
mile.
S.D.: Looking at video, it seemed like the straights were
long and the turns were extremely tight. Did that provide any problem for
you?
C.J.: It was on my mind! In the heat race where I placed
second, I intended on being on the outside on the start. As a rookie you have
to start on the outside in the back until you are cleared for full competition.
But, when the boats came around I ended up on the inside lane. This was on
Sunday, in the first heat of the day in the ASH class.
S.D.: On the inside of how many other
boats?
C.J.: I was on the inside and I had about six boats out
there somewhere besides me and I ended up hitting turn one first. So I had to
back off the gas so I could dig the boat in and make the turn because I did not
want to be that rookie who missed the turn and wiped out half the
field.
S.D.: Since you are talking about the start, the starts
are not like in a stock car race where you come down side by side to the green
flag. It is more of a timed thing just to get to the line,
correct?
C.J.: Yeah, you kind of get out there and warm up the
boat and you have to watch for the white flag. When the flagman puts out the
white flag, that starts the one minute timer. This is where experience comes
in. You need know your boat and where you need to be at when it is time. You
line up in turn three and turn four and you want to be wide open going down the
straightaway. The ultimate goal is to be at top speed when you hit the starting
line and it is at 0 seconds on the clock. That is what your goal
is.
S.D.: How did that work out for
you?
C.J.: That is a learning curve. In that race, it worked
out all right. I was in the back, but I had enough power in Miss Amsoil to
catch these guys. The boat was not a problem. Well, there were some issues
with electronics, but the boat handled very well. It was very fast for me. I
bumbled around trying to figure out who I should follow going to the clock and
engage where I should be at. Two times when I slowed down enough waiting for
the pack to show up, the motor stalled out. That is why I had some DNF’s. That
was Saturday. Come Sunday morning we had the ASH races. I got out there and
was toodling around and was cutting the course waiting for the other boats to
come around and the motor died.
S.D.: How frustrating was that having to miss races when
you were on the course?
C.J.: I call it focusing in on my driver development. I
don’t want to be that guy who throws his helmet on the beach and kicks his boat.
God wants to teach me humility and learn how to handle these situations, I take
it with a grain of salt. It is frustrating sitting out there and everyone is
doing circles and there is nothing they can do about you. I lost two entire
races because they went back to back and I did not get to race at all in that
class that day. That is why I took fifth.
S.D.: How were your finishes?
C.J.: The best finish I had was Sunday in the heat race
(2nd). I only had two other ones. There was actually 14 boats that
raced the ASH class. The top four out of each heat went directly to the main
and they only took two out of the last chance race. I got 300 points in my heat
race and that actually carried me over enough (even though he missed the other
two races) where I placed ninth overall out of 14. Racing is woulda, coulda,
shoulda and that is fine, but we could have been seriously competitive if the
motor had not had the electronic problems.
S.D.: The electronic problems had to be so frustrating.
How are you going about preventing them at the next
race?
C.J.: My crew chief Andy Jones (Casey’s twin brother) and
I are focusing on getting the motor reliable. We figured out what is what is
wrong with it. It was electronic related and we are getting that fixed. The
focus is not on how fast we can go. The focus is on starting and finishing
races and learning clock management (hitting the start finish line at the right
time). Everything else is going to come in time.
Crew chief Andy Jones, left, and his twin brother and the
driver Casey on the right.
S.D.: In addition to racing, you also sponsor some other
boat racers, correct?
C.J.: The AMSOIL – Oil Twins had four drivers in the top
10 in the ASH class. One driver took a podium in the ASH class and two drivers
took a podium in the AXH class.
S.D.: Was this the first foray in boat racing sponsorship
for the Oil Twins?
C.J.: No, we have been involved with them over the last
three races. We just went to the races, but didn’t have a race boat. We are
pretty proud of the racers we sponsor. I had some guy - a nice guy - tell me I
can’t run my oil the way I am running it. He is telling you have got to run
more oil and this and that. Listen, I am running AMSOIL and I do not need to
run more oil.
S.D.: Your next race is at San Diego
C.J.: Basically the reliability of the motor, keeping it
running for three laps. That is the main focus right now. We want to track
down the exact cause of the electrical failure and correct it. We do not want
to throw a bunch of stuff at it and assume that it is fixed. We want to know
for sure that we fixed it. I have taken the steps necessary to get the tools
and the equipment in to diagnosis that motor and go through it. That is going
to happen. We are looking forward to finishing races. That is the goal at
San Diego
S.D.: Most important thing of all. Did you have a good
time?
C.J.: We had a great time. I was talking to a guy today
and I said, ’put things in perspective. You are sitting in the middle of a race
course and your boat is not running, but hey, you are sitting in the middle of a
race course.’ Everyone else is on the sidelines, but you are there racing. I
had to be towed in three times, but I was racing. By the way, thanks to my
buddies from SeaTow for bringing me in. They are one of my AMSOIL customers.
There is a SeaTow in Lake
Havasu and there is one in Huntington
S.D.: Time to thank the people who helped
you.
C.J.: Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, my wife Ava,
AMSOIL - OilTwins.com, Lifeline Race Gear, Jennings Racing, David and Dan
Doidge, Knufamily Racing, Chino Signs Plus, Perris Auto Speedway and SeaTow.
Also have to thank my brother Andy and Steven “Bam Bam” Fangmeyer. They were in
the pits getting things ready and getting things prepped. Andy has already been
all over this electrical problem with this motor. He has done research and he
is an animal on this thing. I think Andy is more into it than I am. He is
amped about this thing and I am amped to see him so excited about it. His
support makes it a lot easier.
For more information or to order quality Amsoil Products
from the Montclair ,
California
This piece was produced by Scott Daloisio Sports: (909)
226-7768, mailto:sdaloisiosports@aol.com
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