Opening night at Mohave valley Raceway!
The luck of the Pill draw had me starting third in the 2nd heat race. However, the pole position car dropped out so I started in the first position.
On the start the outside car was able to get to the first turn and into the lead before me and I settled in to second. The car was working great, I am really happy with the new shocks I put on the front a few weeks ago. I was able to run high or low and after a lap or two I was catching the leader. Just as I was setting up to make an inside run on him his car died and I cruised past into the lead. I heard pressure from behind me, but I was able to hang on for the win.
The redraw for the main found me lined up fourth for the start. At the drop of the green we roared into the first turn, but the leader pushed way high and I had to left off the gas, that allowed the three cars on the inside to slip past and dropped me to 5th. A corner or two later I passed the pole sitter and moved to fourth. The car was working great, I had made a few adjustments after the heat and the car responded well, I could go low, high or in the middle, however the fastest way around seemed to be the high groove, right on the cushion. The top four raced pretty close, but soon the leader slipped over the cushion and I raced by moving to third. The car was still fast and every restart I was able to challenge for the next spot. One car was able to drive into my Left side knocking me out of the way and dropping me back to fourth and another car spun in front of me and I was able to move back to 3rd. I was racing along when suddenly going into the 3rd turn BANG! the engine locked up and I slid into the turn, right in the groove. I was a sitting duck I grabbed the wheel waiting to get drilled by another car, but everyone took evasive action and made it by me without further damage. However I was done, blown up, exploded , after getting the car pushed into the pits we found multiple hole in the oil pan.
After tearing the engine down Monday we found pretty much everything junk or needing repair.
We are now getting our backup engine ready for racing and we will be at the Las vegas Motor Speedway on Friday Night feb 26th .
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Parhump 1/30/2010
Because of my poor finish last race I was started up front in the heat race. On the start the second place car was able to get past but I held on for second. The car was working well, my new Interga dry slick front shocks from BRYKE racing seemed to be working great. I stayed with the leader and a few laps later he spun into the infield and I assumed the lead. However I was starting to get the dreaded brake fade so I was letting off the gas a little early to get into the corner with minimal use of the brakes. This allowed the second place car to work to the outside of me and after a lap of two of racing he took over the lead. I continued my pressure and coming through the first and second turns, the leader bobbled and I was able to drive past him and retake the lead. This time I knew time was short so I drove a little harder and maintained the lead and won the heat.
I started on the pole for the main and was sticking to the low line when suddenly BASH! I got drilled in the left side I was running as low as I thought you could go, but another car thought he could run a half a groove lower and pass through me I guess but alas after getting through the quarter panel the L/R shock stopped his progress but by then the damage was done and I headed to the pits with a flat (almost new)L/R tire.
Tim Helms got to work and with an assist from Dan Fitzgerald's crew guy Blake I was back on the track .
I started on the pole for the main and was sticking to the low line when suddenly BASH! I got drilled in the left side I was running as low as I thought you could go, but another car thought he could run a half a groove lower and pass through me I guess but alas after getting through the quarter panel the L/R shock stopped his progress but by then the damage was done and I headed to the pits with a flat (almost new)L/R tire.
Tim Helms got to work and with an assist from Dan Fitzgerald's crew guy Blake I was back on the track .
The bent shock didn't seem to have a big negative affect because I was able to work my way back through the field. I was working on the fourth place car who seemed to be struggling on the dry slick surface , and I managed to get under him but I guess he didn't see me up along side because he turned down bending up my Right door. I backed off and tried again a lap or two later and make it cleanly under him down the back straight and the 3rd and fourth corners. I raced down the front straight and into the turn when BWAM!! I get drove into. I look to my left and see the offending "drivers" r/f tire and hood trying to make it through my Left door and quarter. I guessed he didn't realize that we couldn't occupy the same space at the same time so I slowed up and was going to let him pass me so I could give him his own lesson in physics. However, he couldn't catch back up so I took off again after the straightaway ahead 3rd place car.
I inched my way closer each lap and finally was able to catch up to him. We raced side by side a lap or two, but I was able to get by him and move to third. We ran out of laps to make anymore advancement so I settled for a hard fought 3rd place.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
1-9-2010 first race of the year
The first race of the year is always exciting. This year we started out at the Pahrump Valley Speedway, where they have gotten their IMCA sanction back for 2010.
We started the day looking at a 1956 Cadillac in pahrump, my daughter Bon has decided she likes the 50's caddy and would like one for her first car.
Then over to Jerry Buesigs JEM machine to drop off a block to get ready to build a new engine. Jerry has a new location in Pahrump just behind Wulfy's casino and RV park
We got to the track and got ready for some wheel packing. The track was still pretty sloppy when they waved off wheel packing and announced they were having "hotlaps" for the modifieds ( I stayed at the trailer and scrapped the mud off the car)
My pill draw had me lined up third in the third heat, and during line up we were told we would get three warm-up laps before the green. I went out and did my three laps and saw the flag man giving me the black flag so I pulled into the pits for a consult with the crew.
We found the limiting chain on the R/R had snapped the bolt ( perhaps from the roughness of the track?) and told the track we wouldn't be ready for the heat and got the car ready for the main.
After careful observation after the heats I decided to really loosen the car up and take as much side bite out by adjusted the cross weight and the panhard bar because the track looked very tacky, but rough and starting in the back I knew I would have to be careful and work my way up through the field.
At the start of the main I knew I had made the right adjustments, the car would drive through the corners without catching the ruts and would give me great drive out of the corners. I avoided a couple wrecks and passed a few cars but every time I passed a car the yellow would come our and I would have to go back behind them. Once after a particular wreck I was up to 7th, but after scoring re-aligned the field I was back to 12th. During one wreck I hit the brakes to avoid the malay, but the brake pedal went to the floor and I rammed another car also taking evasive action. During the yellow, I adjust the brake bias and the brake pedal responded with slowdown power so I decided to stay out on the track. However after a few laps of racing the pedal was again mushy. A lap or two later a car pulled in front of me to slowdown and I rammed him when my car wouldn't slow down so decided I had better take the car to the pits before something major happened.
After inspection back at the house we found that one of the brake lines had started to leak and caused the brake problem so we have that fixed. Also the clutch started acting up in the Bert transmission, so I took that out and rebuilt it and we found some bend steering parts that we have changed and now I only have to build a new front bumper and nose piece.
Check out ( and maybe buy a few) pictures of all the action at the photocross website
Until Next time!
We started the day looking at a 1956 Cadillac in pahrump, my daughter Bon has decided she likes the 50's caddy and would like one for her first car.
Then over to Jerry Buesigs JEM machine to drop off a block to get ready to build a new engine. Jerry has a new location in Pahrump just behind Wulfy's casino and RV park
We got to the track and got ready for some wheel packing. The track was still pretty sloppy when they waved off wheel packing and announced they were having "hotlaps" for the modifieds ( I stayed at the trailer and scrapped the mud off the car)
My pill draw had me lined up third in the third heat, and during line up we were told we would get three warm-up laps before the green. I went out and did my three laps and saw the flag man giving me the black flag so I pulled into the pits for a consult with the crew.
We found the limiting chain on the R/R had snapped the bolt ( perhaps from the roughness of the track?) and told the track we wouldn't be ready for the heat and got the car ready for the main.
After careful observation after the heats I decided to really loosen the car up and take as much side bite out by adjusted the cross weight and the panhard bar because the track looked very tacky, but rough and starting in the back I knew I would have to be careful and work my way up through the field.
At the start of the main I knew I had made the right adjustments, the car would drive through the corners without catching the ruts and would give me great drive out of the corners. I avoided a couple wrecks and passed a few cars but every time I passed a car the yellow would come our and I would have to go back behind them. Once after a particular wreck I was up to 7th, but after scoring re-aligned the field I was back to 12th. During one wreck I hit the brakes to avoid the malay, but the brake pedal went to the floor and I rammed another car also taking evasive action. During the yellow, I adjust the brake bias and the brake pedal responded with slowdown power so I decided to stay out on the track. However after a few laps of racing the pedal was again mushy. A lap or two later a car pulled in front of me to slowdown and I rammed him when my car wouldn't slow down so decided I had better take the car to the pits before something major happened.
After inspection back at the house we found that one of the brake lines had started to leak and caused the brake problem so we have that fixed. Also the clutch started acting up in the Bert transmission, so I took that out and rebuilt it and we found some bend steering parts that we have changed and now I only have to build a new front bumper and nose piece.
Check out ( and maybe buy a few) pictures of all the action at the photocross website
Until Next time!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
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
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