Setbacks, Challenges, and Lots of Learning at Magnolia

COLUMBUS, MS - Over the weekend Maddux and Caden Mullinax competed in the E-Z-GO Challenge at Magnolia Motor Speedway but, sadly, they could not make the feature. The Mullinax Racing crew traveled down to Columbus, Mississippi, for the weekend to compete in a 46-car field for the $10,000.

Thursday was practice day at the track and it did not take long before the first major setback of the weekend was suffered by Caden in his first practice session. After turning three fast laps, Caden blew his motor coming out of turn four forcing him to retire his car for the rest of the day and putting the rest of his weekend at risk.

Maddux struggled to become accumulated to the tricky wide turn track, so he struggled to find a grove he felt comfortable in but ended up settling with the top. By the end of Thursday Maddux was a mid-pack runner in lap times while he buzzed the cushion on the now dry-slick racetrack.

The team back at the shop in Pelham worked hard to get a backup motor ready and sent to the track in order to be swapped into Caden's car Friday morning. Even then Caden was already behind the ball because he will have to try to qualify the next day with only nine total laps made around Magnolia Motor Speedway.

Friday morning saw the great efforts by the team in putting the new engine into Caden's Black Diamond and repairs done to Maddux's nose from minor damage taken on the rough track. When the motor in the car and cranked up, it was time for the races to start.

During hotlaps Caden felt that his car was going to be fast, but Maddux felt just the opposite as he struggled with a tight race car. Both qualifying and heat races were to be done in groups and Caden was in group two while Maddux was in the fourth group.

During qualifying Caden would get one good lap but then mess up his second which would place him 7th in his group of 12. Maddux's qualifying would not go as well as he pushed badly on both laps and would end up a disapointing 11th in his group. Both drivers would have a lot to make up in their heats.

In the second heat, Caden got off to a good start but quickly fell back after a near spin allowed a few cars to go by; he ended up 8th in his heat and would have to run the B-Main on Saturday. Maddux's heat race saw him charge from the back of the pack on the high side and end up 7th. This meant that Saturday would have both Mullinax Brothers in the same last chance B-Main with Maddux starting 6th and Caden 7th.

Saturday morning brought a new challenge to the team, cold weather. The day had a high of 46 degrees and a chilling wind which made heating up the car a premium and got everyone in a bundle. This day also had the last chance B-Main which both brothers had to run in order to make the 24-car field.

When the green flag dropped in the B-Main Caden was quick to make his move, by the end of the first lap he was well within the transfer positions. Maddux's start to the race was not as hot as he chose to go to the outside of the track, the only place he ran all weekend, and but struggled with a tight race car yet again. Maddux continued to struggle all race and finished 9th.

On the third lap Caden went to the outside to make a move on the second and first place runners, but this ended up hurting him rather than helping. Moving out of the grove allowed three cars to get by Caden putting him all the way back to sixth. Late in the race Caden gained back one position back and ended up fifth, thus missing the transfer spots to the big race.

The Mullinax Racing team was disappointed that they missed the race with both cars but still in high spirits because of all that was learned during the weekend. Hard work from the entire crew made the weekend possible and the cars are all in one piece for the next race.

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