Four years ago when I started racing legends cars if someone ran a
17.9 something, racers were walking around saying "man he is fast"
with a sense of amazement. Those were the days when Nextel cup star
Kurt Busch had the track record of 17.87 something. This was a time
that we as racers thought it was very unattainable. Four years later
it has happened again. Jon Krizman runs a 17.257 beating the #6 Mike
Holders track record time by almost a tenth of a second. On Saturday

the 24th, Jon Krizman along with Terry Plummer, Chris Eggleston, and
Darrell Stewart invaded the little track of Rocky Mountain Raceway.
Watching these 4 guys run was like going to the zoo and watching a rare animal on display. Everyone at the track had their faces pressed against
the fence watching these animals run around the track. "Running"
seems like a very slow word after watching these guys, it is more
like "rocketing, flying or zooming" around the track.
Now when I mention these times. Realize that in the main
event where usually the fastest times are run. There are some
occasional 17.4's and rare 17.3's and usually only by the past record
holder. Now I have run a 17.3 something last year but I had Terry
Plummer chasing me like I had taken his last beer.
Terry Plummer opens the floodgate with a 17.39 with Chris
Eggleston close behind with a 17.59 in the first practice. Of the top
five fastest 3 were from Colorado.
  The second practice Colorado upped the ante again "saying if you
think that was fast watch us now. T.P runs a 17.257. Jon Krizman
backs that up with a 17.37 and the #22 of Chris Eggleston pushes a
17.4.  As if to say "anything you can do I can do better" the last
practice of the day was a barn burner. J.K. prepares to smash the
track record with the fast practice time of a smok'n 17.262. Terry P
followed with a 17.38 and Chris E. with his fastest practice time
17.47.  The preshow practice was just the beginning as the locals
waited in anticipation as to which one would break the track record.
Track championships were on the line for the locals. A possible
National point’s championship for Terry Plummer and the ever-told
bragging rights for the nights win.  The qualifying lived up to everyones expectations as the locals pushed their "a"game to the front. Jon Krizman blasted 17.254 on the first lap of the two-lap format for qualifying breaking the old track record by almost a 10th, everyone including the announcer cheered and clapped. If this had been golf, Jon would have had to ask for a loan to pay for all of the drinks he would have had to buy.
  Terry Plummer runs a 17.507 for 4th fastest. C.E for the 7th fastest
time of 17.54 and Darrell Stewart first day to the track makes a
great run of 17.82. During the main event Darrell would later
suffer an unavoidable wreck that would end his night early.
  The trophy dash would be set as there were two Utah and two
Colorado boys in the 4 car, 4 lap event with a full inversion. #11
Brandon Burton made a charge off of the green flag and tried
desperately to hold on to the lead but the wiley veteran like Terry
Plummer made a great outside to inside slide move that had every one
catching their breath when he took over the lead. Burton made two
hard attempts to retake the lead to no avail as Terry Plummer wins
the trophy dash.
  The speed continued to get faster as the first heat proved to
be all Colorado with Jon Krizman winning the event, with third going
to Chris Eggleston with the fast heat time of 17.325 and forth going
to a hard charging Darrell Stewart. I told D.S that the fastest way
around the track was to use a lot of the middle petal but they
wouldn't listen.
  The 2nd heat Terry "whats this middle petal for” Plummer shot to the
lead by the second lap and never looked back as he wins the 2nd heat
easily leaving the locals scratching there heads and wondering if
this was going to be a race for 5th place for the locals.
The stage was set and the lights turned on for the crowd that
was on the edge of their seats for the big show. The full inversion,
no mirrors, hide the women and children" no offense to the women
racers" format was in full swing. At the drop of the green flag Chris
Eggleston led the charge to the front as the sometimes three wide
group blew by the leaders on the start like they were standing still.
On lap one Darrell Stewart got caught up with a little game of ping-
pong and had to leave the track early along with the #33 of Billy
Osoro. At the restart the top Six cars of Chris Eggleston, local
dealer Brandon Burton, Jon Krizman, Terry Plummer and up and coming rookie Ryan Bird and new track champion Mike holder separated themselves from the rest of the pack and started to lap cars by the 10th lap, only a yellow flag on lap 19 would bring the pack back together.
  The last 6 laps looked like ants on a hill as the Brandon Burton and
Jon Krizman tried all the tricks to get by the 22 of Chris Eggleston
but was denied at each corner. As the checker flag was waved C.E
would hold on to win followed by Brandon Burton, Jon Krizman, and Terry Plummer. Jon Krizman would show everyone that he could go even faster as he set fast time of the night with a 17.235. So with that,
of the top 4, three were from Colorado showing us po'country racers
what racing really was.
  Thanks for the great show and good times you and your
families are class acts and it makes this racer envious. It was good
to see old friends again and to make new ones. Thanks for the shirts
and hero cards, Chris. It was the first thing that Tanner wanted this
morning and I am sure I will have to take it off him at night to wash
it. My shirt I am saving it for when I can say I have a shirt from
the early days of the Nextel champion. "Retirement policy for me”.

Billy “I brought a mule to a horse race" C.

Billy Cox