Thompson Sportsman Race - 8/31/12

Thursday night we returned one more time to Thompson Speedway with a few more tweaks having been made to the #73 Sportsman Car. After running about 5 laps in practice, I was confident that it was going to be a good night.

We started 9^th in the feature, took the lead on a restart on Lap 10. The Nat’s Racing engine sure is a stout piece. We were able to survive many restarts during the second half of the race, pulling ahead by turn one each and every time. Win #63 is in the books. Still offering the sportsman car for sale. $8000. For car minus engine. $8000 for engine only. $13,000 for the whole entire car.

This coming weekend I plan to race the sportsman car at Thompson and play spotter for Todd Ceravolo and Bobby Santos. I am also checking for the possibility of lining up help, money etc. to somehow pull a double double. Qualify the sportsman at Thompson, then beeline to Waterford to race the modified on Saturday, then return to Thompson to race on Sunday. Only a slight chance of this happening. (currently a logistical nightmare, short on money, short on crew members).

Cheers,

Larry

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

Thompson Speedway Recap 7/29/12

Bob and Jonny listen to the engine, with Big John standing security.

LB's Recap of the Day:

Sunday July 29^th the MRS series raced at Thompson Speedway. 34 cars attended, heat races were cancelled due to a short rain shower delay.

We attempted to run practice session with our used tires from the monadnock race a few weeks ago. They had about 60 laps on them, but I had lots of rubber build up on them, and possibly flat spotted them on the lap 48 accident that race. The car had such a bad shake in the front end, I thought the tires were bad. We changed to a different set of used tires, shake remained. I hoped those tires were also bad in some way.

Jonny and Bob talk carburetors

We mounted the new set of tires, and were ready to run the heat race, when the shower passed through. Heat races cancelled. I started the race in 16^th position, and finally narrowed it down to two possible problems.  The shake was either caused by a sticking front left brake caliper and warped rotor, or an issue with the power steering servo. The condition made front brakes slow to react on corner entry, and then steering wheel shaked violently through the corner until the pads were pushed away far enough from the rotor. A single problem on the car, caused me to lift off the throttle early, and then fight a shaking steering wheel all the way through the corner.  Luckily the car balance was very close, we were able to pit for an adjustment that helped me in dealing with the brake issue some (a stagger change and some wedge).

 

Amy and dad John converse under threat of darkening skies.

The crew did a great job ( Jon, Amy, Bob, Big John, Marty, Kim, Jen, Victoria, Linda) helping me get the 16^th place finish in spite of the car issue. We also were without our Troyer expert Rob Clorite, and crew members Alan and Jimmy.

We will not be attending open wheel event at Seekonk(with our car), but should have car ready for each of the August vMRS races. We are always looking a for a bit more help on the crew, as current crew members cannot all attend each race.

I will also be helping as spotter at several events coming up, including Whelen Mod events with Bobby Santos at Stafford and Thompson.

The Barnett crew with their homemade carts, etc, amidst other more financially flush teams.  Gotta love this picture.

Link to the vMRS Points pages:
vMRS Owner's Points
vMRS Driver's Points

Howie Hodge's Chrome Horn Photos:
Amy, Jen, and Victoria
LB, Barrett, and Jordan
LB and Hinckley
LB and Pasteryak
LB, the 56 and Barrett
LB and the 55
GREAT shot of LB getting into the rear of another during the turn 4/frontstretch incident
Starting to make his way through the incident
Squeezing through...
Uh, this is starting to look bad....
Looks like if LB had been a little bit slower this could have been a whole lot worse...
And there he goes...

Busy Race Week

LB ran well at Monadnock.  He started 7th in the feature and all was quiet until lap 48 when he was involved in a minor accident that broke a tie rod - putting him out of the race.  Check out the in car camera from the feature here. Monadnock Feature Race

He is currently scrambling to prepare for the race at Canaan Fair Speedway this Saturday night.  This was a last minute addition to LB's schedule.  He has committed to spotting for Bobby Santos at Loudon earlier in the day.  Currently, LB doesn't plan to race at Seekonk on the 18th.  More updates on Monadnock to follow later......

I've never seen so many numbers on tires as I did at Monadnock on Saturday...

LB, Ron and Bob make final adjustments before the feature. 

Vote for Leadfoot's kitty cat in the Fantastic Feline Photo Contest

Vote for ME-EOW
Caster Barnett is a month short of her 16th year as Leadfoot's right hand bee-yotch - she deserves some kind of reward for that! Few women in LB's life have put up with him for that long.  After a drawn out custody battle, LB was forced to keep Caster in a divorce settlement. 
He's been trying to get rid of her ever since. 

After 16 years with her, he's almost able to tolerate her.  She says the feeling is mutual - and only at dinner time.  Vote for Miss Cassie B!