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After running what was rained out on Thursday, the regularly scheduled racing followed Friday, with another 40 heat race.

As I already alluded to, I chose to not watch racing because of the horrible conditions the pits were in and I had already made a decision to take a day for my wife and I.

One of the things most of the racers agreed upon was much of what happens at the Super Nationals is based on luck.

The pill that each racer draws can either make or break him, as far as what heat he gets placed in and the starting position he'll be saddled with.

If he draws a heat immediately after the farming (track preparation) period, he's faced with a slimy track.

If he makes it into a heat that's about halfway through the 10-heat race session, he'll most likely have the optimum conditions to race.

Near the end of the 10 heat races, he has to deal with dry slick conditions. I watched the track line change with every heat and after every farming.

Another factor that falls under the luck umbrella was the start of each heat. The flagman wasn't always consistent and as I watched and evaluated the starts, it became painfully obvious that the car on the pole usually had the race won, provided he was able to navigate lapped vehicles.

With the quality of drivers and cars, this didn't happen very often. Passing became non-existent for the most part.

I also believe where you're from and whether you're a name racer has a lot to do with what kind of start your heat will get.

The one thing I hated to see was a starter, who if he wasn't satisfied with the order coming out of turn four, would just drop the flag and hold his hands in the air -- give them the green and then after they pass the flag stand, hit the yellow.

Cars piling up at the flag stand isn't my idea of racing and usually takes a number of cars out of the race with damage.

The track also has extremely strict rules which I would like to see utilized at Pahrump Valley Speedway.

They have the one yellow rule - one yellow and you're headed for the pits.

If there is an altercation in turn two and you stop to avoid the accident or stop in turn four for some reason, you're history.

Forget some piece of safety equipment, like a neck brace or driving gloves, you're disqualified, no ifs, ands or buts.

With the quality, there was very close and competitive racing for the most part. But if a car was able to put a little distance between him and the pack, it was nearly impossible to reel him in.

Four-, five- and six-wide racing action at the drop of the green was the norm and not just in the turns but on both straightaways.

Leland Hibdon from Pahrump began the quest for the Nevada contingent. Drawing the third heat, Leland had an excellent second-place finish, losing to Troy Taylor from Fort Worth, Texas.

Next up was Chad Farstveet, and he duplicated Hibdon's placement in heat number 18. Farstveet was beaten to the checkered flag by Scott Boyea from Abrams, Wis.

Jason Pike blew his motor in the 19th heat, but still managed to place ahead of another competitor, thus ending any chances for a repeat of his 1995 A-Main appearance when he finished 25th out of 33 racers.

James Delaney fell off the pace a little but still was consistent enough to record a fourth in heat number 24.

If patience truly is a virtue, then Levi Kiefer has the patience of Job.

As what seemed the norm, Levi had to wait until the 39th heat but he made it pay off with a second place finish. Only Justin McCoy from Red Oak, Texas stood in his way of getting a berth in the daily A-Mains.

Leland Hibdon probably answered that old question of "Where is Pahrump, Nevada?" when he dominated the first B-Main.

Among the notables that watched his rear bumper disappear into the sunset were Jerry Muenster from Green Bay, Wis., and Adam Parmeley from Cadet, Mo. He certainly made many of those in the pits and in the stands take notice.

West Coast and Southwest drivers have started making in-roads into what was once a locals only event.

It always seemed like the Iowans were getting the paycheck, the large trophy, the kisses from the queen and the notoriety of winning the biggest IMCA race.

Farstveet managed a 15th in B-Main No. 4 and Delaney slipped to 19th in B-Main No. 5.

Levi Kiefer had to sit and wait for the last B-Main, before taking the track. He finished a disappointing sixth in a heat won by Kellen Chadwick, from Oakley, Calif.

While he may have been disappointed, Kiefer did collect some valuable points that would lead to his positioning in the last chance races that were slated for Saturday before the big A-Main.

After a week of racing, some 770 race cars took the green flag. They represented some 25 states and came from as far away as New York, the Carolinas and the West Coast.

They came with one goal. For some it was to say that they competed, formed new friendships and had the experience of a lifetime.

After another round of last chance races only 33 IMCA drivers would make a run for the championship.