Monadnock Race–8/25/12

Here is LB’s update on last Saturday’s night’s race at Monadnock Speedway:

Crew duties for the day...

The day started out a bit rough as practice did not go well. Car was basically un-driveable. The hope was that RR tire was just shot. That is the downside of not being able to buy tires for practice. The upside is that if I had to buy tires for practice each week, I would never be able to afford to race at all.    

A rare moment when the driver is present, everyone is smiling, and there are no wrenches being thrown.  

In the heat race we got collected in an accident and suffered a flat left rear tire. We were able to change the tire, and still qualify for the event (24 cars made the show out of 31 cars). Getting the flat tire in the heat made adjustments for the feature a total crapshoot for us. We bought yet another tire to replace the flat, and had to guess on wedge adjustments, and what the stagger of rear tires would come to with the new tire. 

Book Beeotch and the driver discuss numbers while everyone else takes a break.  

In the feature, the car was not handling well right away, but I thought it would get better as the race went along. In hindsight, I believe the right rear tire may have had a slow leak. The car got tighter and tighter, I finally pitted for an adjustment. Soon after, I pitted again to swap the right side tires. The stagger had closed to 1”. The left rear tire was bigger than expected, and the right rear tire was smaller than it was at the start (it must have lost some air already).  

Jonny, Alan and Bob bleed the brakes before the feature. 

The car was better for a few laps, but then the red flag was thrown for an accident. After sitting for the red flag, the car again got really tight, and then I rolled the right front tire off the rim. I was towed in off the track, Bob, Jonny, and Alan again flew into action and got us back out just as the green flew.  

Brake Bleeding while Book Beeotch oversees the distribution of fluid. 

The car actually started coming in after a few laps, and was finally race-able. Too bad so many issues held us up for so long. Over the last 10 laps I was able to wheel the car a bit, passing several cars, finally passing Max Zachem (who had an injured car, but I still get a soda out of the deal) to finish 13^th.  

Linda and Bob

Upcoming races:  This could change, but money and help is a bit short, so I currently plan to skip the MRS races at both Stafford and Waterford. I hope I can manage to race the next two races with the Sportsman car at Thompson Speedway August 30^th, and then again on Sept. 8^th and 9^th. This will also allow me to keep my commitment to be spotter for Bobby Santos and Todd Ceravolo.    Selling the SK engine could get the MRS car back on the track sooner, but we most likely will choose to run about 2 more MRS races this season.

Alan in the driver's seat.  

Cheers,
Larry

Finished Second with Sportsman car 8-23-12

With yet another rain out last week for the Modified (seekonk event cancelled), we decided to race another time at Thompson Speedway.

This season there were several rule changes for the Sportsman cars. Minimum weight from 3100lbs to 3000lbs and Left Side weight % from 53% maximum to 55% maximum.

Our car was built and tuned for the old rules very well, it requires much more work to make the car perfect for the new set of rules.  In our first race back at Thompson this year, I only had time to remove 100lbs.  In each race since, we have tweaked things to get the proper balance as well.  Results have improved each race with finishes of 6th, 4th, 3rd, and then last night finishing 2nd.

We still have lots of work that could be done with helping us make the car even better.  Our Nat's engine has made our car wayyyyy faster down Thompson Speedways long straights, and last night we were very good in the corners as well. 

Jesse Gleason started ahead of us, he made it through a mess of spinning cars on lap one, then got out front on lap 4.  We made it through that mess also, but it took until lap 12 to get to second place from our 12th place starting position.  Jesse was a full straightaway ahead by then.  I closed the gap some, but we were so far apart neither of us had any reason to go at 100% speed.  Several cars had mechanical issues, and had leaked fluid etc.  Pushing the car to the limit would have been risky.

Next up for us is to race the modified car at Monadnock Speedway, I will consider racing again next week at Thompson, but not sure if work schedule will allow it.  We are also short of help to prep and race both cars in the same week.  Call it a maybe.  I would really like to get a win this year, and you can't win if you don't race.  Sounds as silly as the Lotto slogan doesn't it.

See everyone at Monadnock!

PS: We still have many tee shirts available.  Tee's $15 dollars, long sleeve $20.
Larry

Sportsman Race - Thompson Spdway 8/16/12

An update from Leadfoot after his 3rd place finish:

Thursday 8-16-12 we shook the cobwebs off the #73 Sportsman car at Thompson. I was amazed how rusty I was at going so slow (compared to a modified). After 3 very short rounds of practice, I was just starting to get reacquainted with driving the slower, higher, heavier, slow-or-no-response- handling of a sportsman car.

By feature time, I was ready to go for it out on the track.  I took the green in 10^th, behind all of the guys that have been running near the front of the races each week. Car was going pretty good, our Nat’s open rules engine seemed to gain on nearly everyone down the straights. Finished 3^rd.

Saturday the 18^th we will be heading to Seekonk with the Modified to hopefully run as quickly or maybe even better than our first trip to Seekonk.

Upcoming schedule…. We will be attempting to make every race on the vMRS, sprinkling in another race or two with the sportsman car, and I will be helping out with the Tinio 44 car on the whelen tour as Spotter.

Cheers,

Larry