11/14/2014 Update

The 2014 Racing season is in the rear view.  Some highlights, and more than a few lowlights.

3 wins and a lot of fun playing spotter for Bobby Santos in the Tinio 44.  Scattered a few guest appearances as spotter for other drivers.

The #73  Modified was Sold.  The car made its way to Canada.

The 73 Sportsman car showed up at the Icebreaker not very well prepared, bad luck followed (they are often related).  Followed by soon after by a bad wreck on May 29^th.  (See www.Sidsview.com) The car then sat bent and idle.

The engine was oiled down and stored this summer.  I recently stripped the body off the car.  I hope to get the chassis down to Spafco soon to get the clip replaced again.

Once the frame is repaired we will await schedules being released, and begin putting a plan to attempt between 5 and 10 race events most likely for the 2015 season.  We always have room for sponsorship and crew help, and could help us be more competitive on the track next year.

I hope that we can add to our teams 67 wins next year.

Cheers

Larry

May 29th Race Report

Heat race win with a fast car, then a wreck on lap 1 of the feature.  Likely my final oval track pure racing event. A bit sad for sure.

Thank you again to Kim, Jonny, and Amy for the help at the track.  Thanx also to the Hutchins’ team for all of the help loading up our car.  It will need the front horns replaced it appears.

Preps for this event were again a challenge.  All crew members were tied up with other things, and tech from may 15^th had our engine torn all apart.  Once I got everything back together, not enough time remained to paint the car, so I worked to finish up some of the  other wished for chassis tweaks.

We showed up on race day to find out we were drawing for our heat race starting position.  How we would start the feature had yet to be determined.  This plain old sucks.  Believe it or not, some of us just may set up a car based on where we will start a race.  Going fast out front, and passing 17 cars requires entirely different plans. I happened to draw #11.  Which would have had me starting 4^th in my heat race.  Turns out that the planned 2^nd place starter, chose to go to the back of the field.  I then moved up to 2^nd for the start.  I then won my heat race fairly easily.

THEN>>>>>>>

The decision was made to invert the field.  A few chose to start  behind the rest of us.  I would start 18^th.  Points leader happened to spin out in his heat, so he finished poorly in his heat, and ta da, he starts the main event near the front.  See anything wrong yet?

The rest is just racing history, as likely is my oval track driving career.  I lasted 1 lap before the mixture of slow cars up front, fast cars out back, and guys with little racing experience mixed poorly through the field resulted in a huge pile up.  While stuck outside, I tried to squeeze by, I got drilled by a car coming straight up the track.  Hit me hard enough I did a 273 deg spin and planted the left front into the outside wall.

My days of spending 100 hours or more to prep for a night of demo derby style racing are done.

I will ponder things for a bit. Decide if I want to research road course racing, antique car racing clubs, move to another division, or even build a hot rod.  Once I know a direction, I will sell the stuff I do not need.  $13K would likely take my sportsman car just as it came off the track.  The engine could not be built from scratch for that.  I have spent 1000’s of hours making the car what it is / was.  There is no other machine just like it.

Until then, I have life to enjoy. I have my spotter duties with the Tinio team, and I can rub elbows with Muffy as an apprentice Spotter whore possibly.

A bit of time away from wreck repairs, will do my brain some good.

It was a fun ride, for a long time.

Cheers,

Larry

Thompson May 15th Report

Frustrations in preps to “Exposing me pistons”.

I wrecked pretty badly at the Icebreaker event.  Bent the front horns, all 4 tie rods, center link, spindle etc.  My biggest challenge was very little time to work on the car due to 75 hour per week work schedule.  Also adding to the challenge was car chief Jonny was not able to help until the night before the race due to his commitments elsewhere.

I finished re-attaching the body at about 11am Thursday, then began setting the car up after having changed most of the front end parts.  I missed all practice sessions too.

Our division did group time trials, and I had to ramp up speed carefully to give new brakes a chance to break in.  Was able to set third fastest time.  A redraw of fastest cars placed me on the pole, my first lucky break in a while.

The race…Corey Hutchings and I were putting on a pretty good show side by side for the first 6 laps, he finally tried a bit too hard and bumped me from the groove, that gave Moose the chance to knock me into the marbles and I fell all the way back to 5^th place on lap 7.  I got my rhythm back in a few laps and began making my way back towards the front.  Finishing 2^nd.

Then the bonus news in tech.  Pull a cylinder head.  Oh goodie.  Jonny, Amy and I pulled our Nats racing engine apart.  All good, but made for a pillow time after midnight.  4am wake up for work felt like I had only used the snooze button.

We hope to be even better prepared for the next race on May29th.  Maybe even some paint on the car.

Things are finally getting closer to normal.  

Cheers,

Larry

IceBreaker Update

The 73 arrived at the track mostly without paint

We made it to the Icebreaker Event, barely.  No time for a proper set up, no time for any paint.

It seemed everything that could go wrong, went wrong  during preps.

During the last week, everybody on the crew did their best to bail me out of my jamb.  Not much sleep for a few of us.

Saturday, we manage to make it to the track, only to find out the tire guys are out of tires.  We could only buy one right side tire(the last one they had).  Yikes.  The track scales are not really available for teams to use, and my lack of time to make adjustments at home, adds to my on track issues.  Car is just way off.

Saturday’s segment race I manage to survive, finish 5^th over-all, while battling some brake issues.  On Sunday am, we find that the right rear axle seal had been leaking.  Not a real help for drum brakes to work!

Sunday Race.

I was trying my best, with my Nat’s racing engine keeping me in the hunt.  My car seemed to have a mind of its own in the corners.  Loose, tight, very tight, good, etc. with each different trip through the corners.  I tried to adjust brakes while driving, to find that sweet balance that had been lost with the brake issues from Saturday.

Near lap 12, I had a run down the back straight and tried to make a pass for second over Scott Sundeen.  I slid into Scott, and either the ball joint broke (or had already broken) or the right front tire went down.  In hind sight, maybe the ball joint had failed a lap or two earlier causing the crazy handling.

Either way….after the bump with Scott, I tried to get back on the gas and the car shot to the right into the 96 car and the front straight wall.  Lots of damage.  Not certain what is worse, being taken out, or being the guy that causes the issue when my car failed on me.  I guess it sucks either way.

Damage to 73 after Sunday feature

We hope to get the car back together for the May 15^th race.  We will be 100%, or we just won’t show up at all.

Thanx again to Jonny, Wayne, David, Jimmy, Sean, Amy, and most of all Kim for helping this crazy adventure happen.

It wasn’t all fun and games this time around.  I certainly struggled.  It will end soon holding the checkered flag, most likely on May 16^th.

Ltd Sportsman Point Standings

Ltd Sportsman Icebreaker Results

Cheers

Larry

Will we make it to the Icebreaker????

Paint is highly over-rated, anyway.  

Boston Marathon fundraiser

Shawn Courchesne of Race Day CT has put out the word that Larry will donate his IceBreaker winnings to support his brother David, who is running in his 20th Boston Marathon this year.  Shawn writes....

"Thompson Speedway Limited Sportsman division competitor Larry Barnett is looking for race fans to help him participate in a special fundraiser for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

Barnett’s brother David will be competing in his 20th Boston Marathon on April 21.

David Barnett is running to raise funds for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in memory of his father and also his brother Jack.

Larry Barnett will donate his race winnings from the 20-lap Limited Sportsman feature at the Icebreaker at Thompson Speedway on April 6. He’s asking race fans to join him.

“I will donate my Icebreaker Sunday race purse to this cause. Will you donate $20 in honor of David’s 20th Boston Marathon. You could also consider donating $73 – such a nice number – or more?” — Larry Barnett"

Here is the link to David Barnett's Dana Farber page.  Please consider making a donation if you can.

David Barnett's Fundraising Page

IceBreaker Bound - Update

Countdown to the Icebreaker (April 5^th and 6^th) shows we are far behind on preps from where we wish we were.  No worries, we will be in top form by race day.

Big News:

BOSTON MARATHON!

I hope to help my brother David Barnett to raise money for Dana Farber cancer research.  David will be running in his 20^th straight Boston Marathon and will be running for Dana Farber in memory of my Dad and brother Jack.  The link to make a donation is here: http://www.runDFMC.org/2014/davidb.

Can we help him help all of us?  Please consider joining me in donating.  I will donate my Icebreaker Sunday race purse to this cause.  Will you donate $20 in honor of David’s 20^th Boston Marathon.  You could also consider donating $73 –such a nice number- or more?

SEGMENT RACE???

Everyone take a peek at the segment race rules for Saturday eve at the Icebreaker:  Segment Race Info.   The Sportsman division will have a special event, divided into three segments. 8 laps,  leave the track, then invert the field and race 9 laps, leave the track again, and come back for a final 10 lap leg, with starting positions based on lap times from the first segment.  Winner is car with lowest total number of the added up finish positions.  Confusing?- yes, will take a lot of time?-yes, but it won’t be without action.  I think the magic number could be 9 for the winner.

Engine:

If we listen closely, we may be able to hear the engine being run on Nat’s engine dyno at some point today. If it is ready, I may be able to pick it up later today.  Nat and crew hope for an even better engine, I asked him to make as many parts out of lead as possible.

SHORT INTERRUPTION FROM KIM TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RACING:

We got a puppy!  She's a lot of work but very cute and someday she'll be a really good girl.  Her name is Ella and hopefully you'll see her with us at the track.  Here is a very short video showing her first day learning how to walk down stairs.

OK BACK TO RACING....

Body:

As seen in the photo, the body isn’t really on the car yet.  I have picked up all the body parts made by Rayline and Duraflex.  I will begin painting panels today.  Lettering will come from Jeff Winsor, and there is plenty of space on our car for some commercial sponsorship.  Want to be the first?

Chassis:

After having the front clip replaced by SPAFCO, we have installed all of the chassis parts, bled the brakes, and are ready to install the engine and body.  Final chassis tweaks will follow that.

Crew:

As always, Jonny has led the charge in the shop.  I have had to use up an entire vacation week to attempt to get back on schedule with the car.  Extra help here in the Moosup, CT shop, and at the track, is always welcome.

See everyone soon,

Larry

Racing in the Smith Family

Racing in the Smith Family
written by Leadfoot's sister-in-law Melissa Smith

Racing In The Smith Family - A Mom's Perspective

Nate’s Story

Camping at Thompson’s World Series has long been a Smith tradition. Nathan enjoys watching the Limited Sportsman cars, and one car in particular is important to him – Nathan’s uncle – #73 – Larry “Leadfoot” Barnett.

The 2010 World Series was fast approaching, and like most, Ron and Nate brought the camper down early to “rope off a spot.” They heard the unmistakable hum of Quarter Midget engines coming from the Little T and walked down to watch cars practicing that day. 3 year old Nate looked up at Ron – wide eyed – “Daddy, can I do that someday, like Uncle Larry?”  It was exactly what Ron wanted to hear his only child say. Ron grew up in racing, in one form or another. Three generations of Smiths have enjoyed following all forms of stock cars. Ron’s father, Bob, and Ron’s uncle, Charlie (AKA “Jake”), started at the Lonsdale Sports arena in the early 60’s racing backyard built “cut downs” and “jalopies”. His dad then moved on to drag racing. Ron, his dad, and brother have all helped out on various pit crews through the years. And Ron, an A Rider (Expert Class) in the NETRA Enduro circuit, had years of racing under his belt and in his blood.  That was all Ron had to hear Nathan say. He was off… Planning… Thinking…  And formulating a plan to get me on board… 

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Photo credit: Kim Smith Barnett

Now, I’m the first one to admit – Racing is not in my blood.  Unlike Ron, I did not grow up with the sport, and being a mom, my first thought was – Are you NUTS?  You’re going to put our only child in a gas powered car, in a fire suit, with a helmet on, in a 5 point harness, and encourage him to race around a track this size, with other kids doing the exact same thing? Yeah…Riiiiiight… But when Santa ever so graciously delivered a Quarter Midget on the Christmas that Nathan was 3 years old, (Unbeknownst to Mom by the way – That Santa is one tricky guy!), I had to get on board. Safety was my biggest concern, so I did my research, looked up some stats, and began to realize that more bad can happen to Nate riding a bike than it can in that car.  I also know that Ron would never do anything that would put Nate in harm’s way. Nathan turned 4 in April of 2011. Ron started taking Nathan to parking lots; they were practicing and having fun. We could see potential, and Nate enjoyed driving, so we were in!

On March 18, 2012, at just shy of 5 years of age, Nathan started his Red Rookie training. It became glaringly apparent to me that the leadership at the Little T was exemplary, stellar and second to none. Any safety concerns – if I had any left – were completely gone.

In his first year, our Red Rookie drove a 2004 Cheetah, small chassis car (which had many updates to be still competitive) and proudly stood on the podium with two 2nd places and two 3rd places. He worked hard and learned a lot. We all did! Ron acquired two sponsors for Nate that year: East Coast Collision, and Precision Saw & Mower. I created a website (www.nathansmithracing.com) and a facebook fan page (Nathan Smith Racing) for Nathan.

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Photo credit: Christina Hovey

When year 2 came, Ron bought Nathan a different car: a 2007 Nervo Grizzly, small chassis, built by NC Chassis, with all the bells and whistles.  We picked up two additional sponsors: The Trailer Outlet, which helped us acquire our race trailer; and Hamlett Signs & Graphics, which created the vehicle body wrap, as well as all the vinyl decals for our trailer. Nate started his second year as a Red Rookie, achieved his first 1st place win, along with finishing 3rd on his Super Feature day. We decided it was time to move to Blue Rookie. He achieved a 1st place in his very first Blue Rookie race, but, truthfully, Nate struggled with the faster pace. He faced challenges (both mechanically and personally) in his next couple of races, but then achieved a 3rd place finish at the Fall Finale, his last race of his second season. He stuck with it, tried his best, trusted in his own abilities, and overcame his fears. And that’s a skill set that all of our great kids – every one of the kids that race – will keep with them forever – A benefit that this mom never considered when the subject of Quarter Midget racing first came up…

In fact, Nathan has reaped a plethora of benefits from Quarter Midget racing:

1. Promotes self reliance
2. Provides an opportunity to overcome fears
3. Teaches the importance of following directions
4. Encourages focus
5. Instills a lifelong respect for driving and cars
6. Teaches how to be gracious – a gentleman – in wins and losses
7. Teaches that you aren’t going to win them all (In this world of “over-trophying”)
8. Brings our whole family unit – our team – closer

Yes, that is what Quarter Midget racing has done for Nathan for the last two (going on three) years. And I’m grateful for it. On a personal note, it’s helped Ron and I grow as parents: Figuring out how to encourage, and not push too hard; not getting caught up in Nathan’s accomplishments or challenges and not thinking of them as our own; focusing attention on small personal victories, instead of on checkered flags and trophies; understanding that Nate is a cautious kid, but once he gains his confidence, he spreads his wings and he flies – Allowing him the freedom and the time to do that is key.

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Photo credit: Kim Smith Barnett

Looking Up To Leadfoot

For all of us, there is a very important person who was a calm, encouraging voice as we navigated being rookie parents. Nathan’s uncle – Larry “Leadfoot” Barnett – has been racing over at Thompson and other local tracks for YEARS. Larry has had 67 career wins in his time as a race car driver, with 4 Limited Sportsman Championships at CT's Thompson Speedway. His resume boasts 57 track wins at Thompson alone. In 2012 and 2013, Larry raced not only in his Limited Sportsman car, but he also challenged himself by trying something new - Racing in the Modified Racing Series.  Larry had helped out on several Modified teams, and he always had it in the back of his mind that he wanted to try it someday. He really wanted to have a chance to do the set up on a Modified race car and then go out and attempt to prove that he could master the race set up. Racing in the Modified Racing Series offered many new challenges to Leadfoot, and he – and his Limited Sportsman pit crew – learned a lot as they navigated a new car, with new competition, at new tracks. In the end, Larry learned that challenging yourself is a great thing, even if it means that things don’t work out quite as you had hoped, and that going back to something that is within your means is OK. Sportsman racing, at the Big T, is where he will race for the rest of his career. He will continue to get his Modified Racing fix as a spotter. We can’t wait to cheer him on at The Icebreaker!

Larry is a consummate professional on the race circuit, and is always there to lend advice and offer support to Nathan. His biggest piece of advice to Nathan is: “Remember to enjoy what you are doing now. ‘Moving up’ isn't the key to success; having fun is.” Larry leads by example, and we try to encourage Nathan to always follow that example. What has Nate learned from his Uncle Larry?  Don’t be afraid to follow your dreams, to try something new, even when the tide is against you. It’s important to always try to do your best, to strive for improvement, but still be humble and a gentleman. Gracious in wins, gracious in losses: Be grateful for the experience. And we are very grateful that he is in our corner.

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Photo credit: Kim Smith Barnett

Happy New Year!

1-1-14

Happy New Year Everyone!

This photo shows us trying to get the heavily damaged car back inside the

shop.  We are all trying to figure out how to keep front of car balanced on

a small cart, in the rain, on muddy ground, and manage to still steer the

car.  We gave the three stooges a run for comedy value. 

Everything modified related is still up for sale.  Have sold some of the

spare parts, the engine plates, the tranny, a few of the rims etc.

I have yet to sell the SK engine, the Modified car itself, the tour type

headers, clutch/ scatter shield kit and many of the parts.  Lots of calls

for info etc.  Make offers please.

My Current Plans for 2014

1. Fix our own Limited Sportsman car by replacing front clip.

2. Have our engine rebuilt top to bottom by Nats Racing Engines. (hope to

make it even better)

3. Run the entire 7 event (10 races) season at Thompson Speedway in the

Limited Sportsman Division.

4. I plan to be Spotter for Bobby Santos driving the Tinio #44 Whelen Mod

for entire schedule.

5. I might also Spot / or help out again for Damon Tinio (Thomson Late

Model), Mike Holdridge (vMRS Mod), and Todd Ceravolo (SK Mod) as time allows.

6. NO intention to drive in any modified car events with my car in 2014.  It

will get sold to the best offer made.

Cheers

Larry