Embedded Files
I hate to play favorites but have to admit that "if" I have any, Amanda is one of them! Spend a few minutes talking to her and her significant other Nick, and you'll understand why. She truly "gets it"....she races because she is a racer. It's who she is....not a fad or popular thing to do. With a bare-bones budget and good friends, Amanda and her team go out and give it everything she can every time she drives onto the track. You just can't ask for more than that!
EVENT 1 - MERCHANTS BANK 150
MAY 1, 2011
Amanda is interviewed by Carl Parton of CVTSport.net during the car show
Last minute adjustments and she'll be ready to go!
Leaving the track at the end of Class Day....time to get to work!
Amanda ran great in her Heat...finishing second. She also grabbed a Top 15 finish in the Feature....
good way to start the season! She ran fast and was great until a missed shift on a restart dropped her back.
EVENT 2 - MEKKELSEN RV MEMORIAL DAY CLASSIC
MAY 29, 2011
Amanda's car is readied for battle
Habel and Thomas Placey had a good fight in the Reserve Feature
Amanda's Feature Event didn't go very well....it was all she could do to avoid other people's issues
EVENT 3 - FERGUSON WATERWORKS
JUNE 16, 2011
In the middle of a 3 wide train through turn three
I'm not sure what happened but it was sad seeing Amanda roll into the infield just after the start of the Reserve Feature
EVENT 4 - HERITAGE EQUIPMENT
JUNE 19, 2011
A battle of the ladies as Amanda and Jen Getty compete in their heat race
After getting spun off Joe Fecteau's bumper, Habel got drilled in the door by "Biffer" Gay.
I like Amanda but sure wish she'd stop visiting me in the infield!
EVENT 5 - GOVERNOR'S CUP
JUNE 26, 2011
Can't believe that I hadn't noticed this before! I love it! I want to say a big thank you to Amanda this week...
when she arrived at the track she was sans crew (they would arrive later but had to work until almost race time).
Amanda let me (although she didn't really want to) help her just a little bit in getting the car off the trailer, etc.
Did she need help? No....she's a racer. But she let me feel useful and not like a jerk for just standing there watching.
Habel had a really tough week.....not making it into the Main Event. So.....maybe I was bad luck in the pits?
I'm confident that she'll be better Thursday!
EVENT 6 - FAIRPOINT COMMUNICATIONS
JUNE 30, 2011
Amanda was probably as fast in this one as she has been all year! Thought she was going to pull off the win in her heat
before slipping back
The Reserve Feature gave Habel more opportunity to get the car the way she wanted it
When Amanda came out of Turn Four and saw the aftermath of the Tim Campbell, Joe Blais, Keith Lord
wreck she yanked the wheel hard left to be sure not to add to the problem. Gutsy move....
and one that other drivers could use from time to time!
She survived the chaos and was awarded a 16th place finish - certainly not indicative of how strong she ran!
She will start getting finishes that match her runs soon!
EVENT 7 - PEPSI HOLIDAY EVENT
JULY 4, 2011
Amanda had a good battle for much of her heat race with Bunker Hodgdon before slipping back
Action from the Feature. Even though the results page is still not lining up with how good she looks out there
Amanda is great at seeing the positive things about it. She is generally qualifying straight out of her Heat Races and
avoiding the Reserve Features - and she has been in STRONG contention for a number of wins so far.
Even after this result that fell outside the Top 10 - I am more confident than ever that I will be seeing her
in Victory Lane for a close-up soon!!
EVENT 8 - CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS
JULY 7, 2011
Amanda doesn't normally get very frustrated...but after having such a good ride just three days earlier it was
apparent that the changes made by the Tree Hugger team were not helpful
Even though Habel's car wasn't lacking power in the Feature, it was virtually undriveable. She wound
up with a 24th place finish.
EVENT 9 - TIMES ARGUS MID-SEASON CHAMPIONSHIPS
JULY 14, 2011
Amanda had the bad luck of starting behind Jennifer Getty in the Heat Race. Getty had suffered major damage
in a wreck during practice and was not able to maintain any speed. Habel couldn't push her forward and was stuck
as the entire outside line drove past.
The Reserve Feature was much the same....except this time the ladies started on the outside...
and the field drove by on the inside. Amanda did eventually make a hole and get by but couldn't
make it into the qualified spots.
EVENT 10 - CASELLA WASTE MANAGEMENT
JULY 21, 2011
Habel fought hard in the heat race....here side-by-side with Joe Fecteau at the front of a pack
on her way to the Main Event
While I know that Amanda is not getting the finishes that she wants I hope that she keeps her
head up and keeps fighting! Scroll way back up to my opening sentence on this page....I don't
say that she is one my favorite drivers...she's one of my favorite "racers." What's the difference?
A "driver" is about working with your car to get the best result possible. A "racer" is about
always thinking more is possible......and then figuring out a way to prove it!
EVENT 11 - WDEV & CALKINS PORTABLE TOILETS
JULY 28, 2011
Now, I don't want to say that I shed a tear when Amanda won her heat....but I will say that it was awesome
to take my own photo of her with a Checkered Flag!!
She looked really good for much of the Feature, here battling with Bunker Hodgdon
This ill-advised lane change into Jayme Lee caused Amanda to spin into the infield....and landed her in the
23rd position at race end. But I think she still came away with a smile knowing how strong she ran!
EVENT 12 - SAFELITE AUTO GLASS
AUGUST 4, 2011
Well, this is becoming a habit!! Amanda looked great in her heat race and held off all challengers on her
way to another Victory Lap! The only thing she was lacking (once the set-up got straightened out)
was confidence. Think she's got it now? Oh Hell Yeah!
Habel looked good early in the Feature.....and came away with a respectable 14th place finish.
EVENT 13 - M&M BEVERAGE ENDURO &
STREET STOCK SPECIAL
AUGUST 7, 2011
Amanda had a great heat race fight with her good friend Thomas Placey
She looked awesome running in second place 30 laps into the Feature when Jennifer Getty tried to change lanes
from the infield to pit road and didn't see her. Habel did a great job avoiding a collision that would have destroyed both cars
as you can see in this follow-up shot
Later in the Feature, Amanda spun and was eventually awarded 18th place
EVENT 14 - TRIPLE 50'S SPECIAL EVENT
AUGUST 11, 2011
Amanda had a great battle with rookie Cameron Ouellette in qualifying
Habel spins in the first 25 lap segment
The last lap of the final segment was crazy! Eventual winner Greg Adams (#38), was bunched with
his two closest competitors from the first segment; Bunker Hodgdon (blue car outside Amanda) and
Nick Pillotte (green car beside Adams). All three split Amanda, who did a great job to stay straight and
grab a 10th place finish in the segment (15th overall)
EVENT 15 - VERMONT ACE HARDWARE STORES
AUGUST 18, 2011
Habel had a great battle through the heat race with Paul Giacherio
Amanda was having a decent Feature when this spin in the latter stages left her too little time
to get back through the pack. With few cars suffering issues, she was left with a 24th place finish
EVENT 16 - AUBUCHON HARDWARE - BENJAMIN MOORE PAINT
AUGUST 26, 2011
Amanda did not compete at this event
EVENT 17 - BOND AUTO LABOR DAY CLASSIC
SEPTEMBER 3-4, 2011
The weekend started with the finish to the Riverside Feature carried over from Groveton. At the drop
of the green flag, there were 41 laps remaining.....and Amanda was in the lead! At the end....Amanda had
grabbed a great 9th place finish!! Awesome start to the weekend!
Habel battling Gary Mullen in the 'B' Feature
Amanda was boxed in behind a giant cluster for most of the first segment and could only manage a 20th
place finish
Amanda ran the majority of the second segment in 4th place...holding the field at bay lap after lap.
She faded to around 7th but was likely her best race of the season! The combined score wasn't great due to
segment one's 20th....but this one was really good!
SEASON RECAP
*Amanda finished 22nd in the Street Stock Division*
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