ERIC BOWLING DOUBLES UP AT 2012 NO BOX NATIONALS

This weekend brought on one of the best No Box races of the season.  The Ohio Crankshaft No Box Nationals is one race all bottom bulbers from all over the country look forward to every season.  This year it would be held at NHRA Division 3 track of the year Lyons Raceway Park.  The 3 day event would consist of 3 $5,000 to win No Box Races along with a 32 car shootout paying $4,000 to win and another 32 car shootout paying $1,600 to win.

Opening day of the weekend would not go well for Bowling as he would go out in the 2nd round with both of his entries.  “I was just on the wrong end of a lot of good runs” Bowling said.  

As Saturday approached Bowling made a few adjustments with suspension and button location hoping to give himself a chance for the top prize on Day 2.  Bowling would be entered in both of the 32 car shootouts and double entered into the main event.  The morning started off with the shootouts.  Bowling would come up short in the $4,000 shootout as David Wallen would throw down a .001 reaction time to eliminate Bowling from the 1st of the shootouts.  The 2nd shootout would be a different story.  Bowling would find his way into the finals with Chris Livingood out of Kansas.  Bowling would use a better reaction time to take the win in the $1,600 to win shootout.  

In the main event Saturday the momentum continued as Bowling would get the 5th round before getting eliminated by a mere .0005 “Saturday morning was the turning point of the weekend for me, things finally started rolling for me and I was finding myself on the right side of the good runs finally”.

To close the weekend on Sunday Bowling would opt to jump in the Footbrake side with one entry and remain in the transbrake side with his other entry.  Bowling would roll through the first 4 rounds with both entries then would eventually fall out of the footbrake entry as he was late on the tree.  With his remaining entry Bowling would get through Saturday’s main event winner Tim Walters, then get paired with IHRA World Champ Phil Combs and would get through that round as well.  Finally Bowling would find himself sitting in the finals after defeating Chris Livingood from Kansas for the 2nd time of the day.  In the Final Bowling would meet up with Young Gun Tesz Powell out of North Carolina.  Powell would have the starting line advantage with a .006 to Bowling’s .026 but couldn’t make it work in a double breakout race with Bowling breaking out less. “I knew we had both been holding all day and I figured he was holding around 3-4 so I decide to take 1 out of my pocket and try to bring him along then drop him off, to my surprise it worked.  I looked over and seen the front end start to bounce so I decided that was time to make my move I dropped a little more than he did and it worked out this time”.  Bowling added, “He did a great job and I’m sure he’ll be one to watch out for.”
 
At the end of the weekend Bowling would get 2 wins out of the 5 races held over the weekend and nothing more special than winning on Fathers Day for Eric. “This win will be one of my most memorable just because it’s Father’s Day, I lost my dad back in 1995 and I know he was watching over me today and I get to celebrate with my wife and daughter at home and wait for my son to be born in a couple days.  I couldn’t ask for a better weekend!”

Bowling also wanted to say thanks to Allyn and Greg and the whole Triple 0 Promotions crew for putting on yet again one heck of a race and the Lyons Raceway Park crew, “they all stood out in the heat and gave us an awesome track to race on as usual they went above and beyond”.

Eric also wanted to dedicate the win to friend and fellow racer Brandon Downey and his Family as they lost a loved one Sunday morning.  “This one was for Brandon and his Dad” Bowling said.

Eric also wanted to thank is Sponsors and Marketing partners that make it possible for him to race week in and week out. Bowling thanks Mickey Thompson Tires and Wheels, Ohio Crankshaft, K&N Engineering, Cometic Gasket, Spy Optic, Luke Bogacki and thisisbracketracing.com, Skaggs Transmissions, R&S Lawncare, Mother Lou, Don Cain, wife Amy, and his #1 fan daughter Isabella.

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