saturday night April 2nd 2011

ur race on April 2nd 2011 started out great, we won the heat race, the car was working good, and we started on the pole for the main. I was able to get a great start and jumped into the lead. The car was running great ,the track had slicked up and was dusty, but there were two grooves; high or low I was running the higher line. I held on to first place for a few laps when one car was able to get under me for the lead. After a few laps we had caught up to a lapped car that wasn’t running much slower then I was making it hard to get past. I tried to dart under him in the first and second turns but hit a wet spot and pushed up, just as the car behind me tried to “shoot the gap” but managed to shoot into my right front tire. The impact sent him sailing and broke my upper ball joint. I headed pit side so Doug could try and get the car repaired and back out. Doug and Bailey worked quickly to replace the ball joint, but the race ended just as they finished repairs. After the races we found the shock was bent, the R/F rim is also ruined the front bumper bent and the brand new nose piece bent. We will get it all repaired and ready for the next race April 16th, 2011 at Mohave Valley Raceway.

Saturday March 19th 2011

Saturday, March 19th 2011
We raced at the Mohave Valley Raceway Saturday night. There was a lot of wind in Vegas, so we left early to try and not have to rush getting to the track.
The track looked to be in great shape, and by the time I got changed into my racing gear and strapped into the car they had stopped wheel packing and called for the races to start lining up. Just as the mini stocks took a few laps in their first heat trouble hit. The lights went out on the corners and back straightaway. The track officials worked on them, getting them to turn on, then flicker off. This went on for about an hour until an electrician showed up and shortly had the lights working.
I started on the pole in the heat race, but lost the race to the first turn. The car was running good, but I still had a big push going into the turns, the third turn seemed worse then the first turn but I adjusted my driving and was running pretty well. With one lap to go I got passed for second, and finished the heat in third.
We made some adjustments to the car for the main event and I started on the pole again. I got a great start and took the lead. The car still pushed getting into the turns, but was working great thru the turns and down the straight-aways. After a couple of yellows the brakes started fading and I had to slow down a little earlier for the turn. This allowed the cars behind to catch up and try a bonsai move under me getting into the third turn. The resulting contact pushed us both off the track and the almost the whole field went by while we got back on the track. From then on it was wasn’t pretty, with little brakes I drove as best I could avoiding problems, but still got into the back of one car when the pack in front of me decided to wreck each other.

Sunday we found the brake line had gotten pinched in the rear suspension and smashed. So this week we will make another front bumper and fix the brakes and get back after it.

Remember, words of encouragement, sponsorship offers, or general communication can reach me at rick@duricaracing.com

www.duricaracing.com

The off season

I have finally got back to work on the racecar after not doing much during the Christmas season.
The first project is the Rear suspension; I built a new Birdcage for the right rear, based on the birdcage I built for the left rear. So I now have two new birdcages on the rear suspension.
This year I am also trying out a new mounting location for the R/R shock and spring. I have always run the combination clamped to the rear-end, but most of the four bar cars seem to run it mounted in front on the birdcage, So I am going to try that the first race of the season and see how the car ( and driver)reacts.