LVMS Friday

Friday I had to pull from the High number box and got to start 13th in the 6th heat. The track still had some tacky spots and was still fast I worked my way up to around 8th, but fell back trying to make a few more spots and finished 10th. That had me lining up 20th in the 3rd B main. By now the track had slicked off and started taking rubber But I managed to pass some cars and wound up 12th. Someone told me racers need to learn when they have gotten as high as they are going to get and drive more defensively. I need to learn that and I would have finished a few spots higher each night so far

LVMS Duel in the Desert Thursday

The last race of the year for us was the 3 day Duel in the desert at the Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
This year was a lot of fun, My Mom and Dad made it out Thursday and Friday to help and watch But Tim and I were on our own Saturday night.
For some reason the last three or four years has seen me changing engines on Thursday night. Last year a bad distributor had us changing engines trying to find a crazy mis fire in the engine, this year my engine started rapping during hot laps.
I ran one of the later hot lap sessions this year, and after two laps the engine started making (a bad) noise so a quickly pulled in. Right away I got my Dad started on pulling the engine out, and I headed home to get our old faithful engine and Cherry Picker. By the time I got back my Dad was just about ready to yank the engine and we got the other ready to bolt in. Unfortunately, I was in the 9th heat ( supposed to start 3rd) but we didn't get done until about the 11th heat hit the track.
I lined up 22nd in the B main and was able to pass a few cars and wound up 16th.

Friday

We drove them onto the trailers saturday night, and that could have been the high point of our weekend.
After a busy week of work, we headed to the Mohave Valley Raceway Friday for the wildwest modified tour first stop there this season.
The pill draw had me lined up 5th in the forth heat race. The car was running OK, but picked up a HUGE push going into the first turn and I slid off the track and ended up running at the rear of the field.
We made some changes for the B main but couldn't find the reason for the intermittent push, so I lined up for the B main. The car was running great the first bunch of laps, and after some good luck I was up to second. Then the car started sputtering coming out of the turns, each lap it seemed to get worse and worse, the car running slower and slower. I was just holding on and hoping the laps were winding down faster then they seemed. Sure enough, I got passed for second, then third and I decided I better run the lowest groove possible to protect my transfer position.
With a lap or two to go I got tangled up with the 5th place car , bringing out the yellow and ending my night.
Back in the pits we found the L/R wheel had a giant bend in it from the contact, if not for the tube in it , it would have certainly been a flat.

www.duricaracing.com

Saturday March 7, 2009

The first race of the 2009 Mohave valley points season was Saturday night.




My Dad worked all week on the racecar, changing the engine, and fixing the body





I started on the pole in the heat race and jumped into the lead at the drop of the green. I thought the yellow light was on when I got to the 3rd turn and I slowed , but I saw the green light still on in the 4th turn so I stood back on the gas and stayed out front for our first heat race win of the season. However, the car was smoking from an oil leak so we had to get to work figuring out that problem. We found the valve cover was leaking so we replaced the gasket and hoped that would fix it.


For the pill draw I pulled 8th starting spot, on the start I was running with the leaders, but still smoking and had worked my way up to 6th when two cars ahead of me tangled and brought out the yellow. When I slowed down the oil pressure light came on so I pulled in the pits and got a quick oil filter change. The oil filter change brought the pressure back up and I rejoined the race in the back. The car was still smoking and not running as well as I hoped because the track was tacky and fast. I did however manage to work my way past some cars and another couple dropped out so I managed to get back to eight place.


After spending Sunday washing of the thick layer of goo off the car I found the valve cover gasket had pinched again causing my oil leaking problems


We will have it all fixed and ready for the races March 21st at the Mohave valley raceway





Also, we are trying this new wax next race from the chemical guys. click the picture link above for more information on their products

durica racing

http://www.duricaracing.com/

we will be racing saturday and sunday at the Mohave valleyRaceway

Rain

The rain held off long enough at the Mohave Valley raceway long enough for us to get unloaded. Then a steady drizzle started and forced the postponement of the races until next weekend.

Wow, what a night of fighting with racecars, put the oil pan on, problem with the starter bolts had to take the pan off, helicoil the bolts and put the pan back on,

Mohave valley raceway 1/31/09

We had high hopes with the new engine in place Saturday afternoon, in hot laps the car ran great and I didn’t make any changes for the heat. However, after a few laps in the heat I lost fuel pressure so I pulled into the pits and we got to work replacing the fuel pump.
I started near the back in the main, and the car was running pretty good, the middle lane was starting to come in when BAM! Coming out of the fourth corner the engine broke and I coasted around the track.
Sunday, when we got the engine out of the car (and looked through the new convenient inspection hole that is now in the oil pan), we saw a broken piston. So I guess I ran the engine a little leaner then I thought and broke a piston.
But now we are through with January and I hope finished with the rash of problems that have plagued us this month.
So far this month we have managed to rack up an impressive array or broken stuff: one transmission, Two tires, One blown engine, Two broken rocker arm studs, One bent tie –rod, and two bent bumpers. Also the body on the car is beginning to look like we had a fight with a can opener and lost. However, we have one more race to run in the Winter days of thunder series at Mohave valley raceway so we will put in old faithful engine for one more run and get to rebuilding it after next weekend.

Once again we have to thank our sponsors

Cole Industries, Inc

Silver Dollar Recycling

Desert Industrial Gases

O’Hanley’s 9” rear-ends

Jacks Machine Shop




AND don’t forget

We are also looking for additional sponsors for 2009

Until then offers of encouragement, money or product sponsors can reach me at Rick@duricaracing.com

Our plans are to run about 25 IMCA points’ races between the Mohave Valley raceway and Death Valley raceway if the crew and checkbook can keep up.

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