BARNES LIKES HIS ODDS FOR KENTUCKY DERBY by Dan Butler
His Horsepower Is A Little Bit Different
This Saturday, millions will tune in to watch the excitment of the 132nd Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Kentucky.
"I guess for me, with the race being so quick (just one lap around the 1.25-mile dirt track), it would be like a green-white-checkered finish in a Late Model feature.
"I'd try to get a good jump without spinning the tires in the mud, get to the inside as quick as possible and not look back."
Would Barnes Jr. be intimidated by the 20 horse starting field on Saturday?
"20 horses? Big deal. I got 600 horses under my hood. They wouldn't stand a chance."
Chuck Barnes would like to be visiting "Victory Lane" in the Kentucky Derby. This might be what it would look like. (Dan Butler Photos)
There are some slight differences in the two forms of racing, and with a little bit of help from Barnes, here are some specs:
But for those who follow auto racing and aren't accustomed to the horse racing lingo, Speed51.com called upon 2004 CRA Super Series Champ and Louisville-native Chuck Barnes Jr. for a little help.
Barnes wanted to make sure that everyone knew up front that he wasn't a horse racing "expert," but since his Super Late Model had lots of "horse"power and he is usually fast right out of the "trailer," he'd fill us in on what he knows.
"I don't know how you qualify for one of these races," said Barnes Jr., "but I think if I could keep my windshield clean of all of the mud, I would be sitting on the pole, or inside rail or whatever."
Barnes said if his #55 SLM can get to the bottom, he's got a good shot at the Derby win.
A look at the starting lineup, and of course, the odds, shows 20 pre-entries.
With the specs of Chuck's car, and his experience and proven track record, Derby officials have no choice but to put Chuck as the odds-on favorite at 2-1.
Not being ones to turn down a sure bet, Speed51 pulled a few strings and got Chuck entered into Saturday's race since he wasn't doing anything anyway. So now, on Saturday, when horse racing fans all over the country set their eyes on the track, auto racing fans will have a reason to watch. Look for Chuck in the entry named "Left Turns Only."
"As long as Mike Rowe doesn't show up at the last minute, I'm pretty sure I can bring home the win," said Barnes.
