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Jordan:
You’ll want to run VP Racing Fuel. You can purchase it at any of the local tracks, along with the oil for mixing. Your Leopard Documents will tell you the recommended ratio and fuel. If you don’t have the Docs, you can find them online rather easily.
Curt:
How about Gayle gives us a few store suggestions and we can all go and purchase gift cards for her which travel well in the mail for those of us who live a ways away? This way, she can go and shop for Rich and get him what he needs???
Terry – Yes, I agree. I didn’t mean to disparage insurance adjusters and sincerely hope it didn’t come across that way! 🙂 As I explained to Rick, I don’t know a whole lot about fixing cars and having him ‘on my side’ to catch all the little things was a big relief to me!
I will add this – the other party’s insurance company was/is Progressive and they have taken VERY GOOD care of me as well. Gave me a rental SUV while my SUV was in the shop and called me several times to make sure I was happy. They, too, have been great.
Janse’ – It wasn’t literature that was left in the car… 😯
I’d say that would be appropriate except for two things…general perception is that it is HOT in Hell, it was not in Norman. Also, in all depictions of Hell, I do not recall a swamp, which we had in Norman.
“Nine Days of ‘Are you kidding me?'” But, yes, I agree with the :bang !
At least we kept our sense of humor and laughed a lot!
Garrick:
No problem! It was actually nice to sit down at the end of each day and recall the day’s events.
Driving suit – yes. NOTHING dries there like it does here. Nothing like pulling on a wet helmet every day…
Thanks for following.
Troy
Just returned home after a relatively uneventful 10 hour drive. Sorry I didn’t post on Saturday after the race…I went to dinner with my family and was in no condition to post when we got back to the hotel. I was exhausted. I slept almost the entire time when Jen was driving today and part of the time when I was driving! 😯 Thanks for the kudos Curt…like Scott, I drove as hard as I could and I believe I would have seen the Black Flag in another two laps…but I didn’t!
Back to Saturday. Woke up an hour early due an error in setting the alarm on Friday night. Then, proceeded to call Stacey’s room at o-dark-thirty as he didn’t show up to breakfast at the agreed upon time and earlier in the week they did not give him a scheduled wake-up call. As usual, he was a good sport about it and we laughed when he did come down. On the bright side, it gave me about an hour to sit and study my track maps for a solid 45 minutes. As MyLaps will show, I continued to improve my times in both the PreFinal and Main and I’m happy about that.
PreFinal. Going down the straight into Turn 1 I noticed something I did not like; I had karts on all four sides of me! Just as this reality hit, so did a huge pileup in the corner. Somehow, someway, I did not get touched and dodged a major bullet! I was, however, sitting while I waited for another kart to move. Once moved, I struggled to find a rhythm for the race but finished with no damage to my kart. Right after the last of the PreFinals, it rained again and everyone sat waiting on setups.
Final. The sun finally came out about 20 minutes before the Finals were to start and it was very muggy! The drivers parade was a very cool experience. As I stood listening to the English announcer talk about how ‘he’s English but always gets goose bumps listening to our National Anthem’, I looked up to see Roger Bonham standing about 10 feet away and one thought went through my mind – thanks for your service, Roger. Because of people like Roger, I get to go karting in the best country on the planet! As race time approached, I went up to PF and prepped as usual. On the grid Stacey was with me as Sabre had just finished. He was cracking jokes and helped me to relax before ‘the big event’, which was nice. HUGE error on my part. I went out 1/2 lb. lower in tire pressure all the way around and should have gone out 3 – 4 lbs lower. Early in the race I was at the tail end of a pack including Scott and hoped to stay with them battling for position. Lap 6 (I think) was my best lap of the weekend but in Lap 12 I started to get a push into all of the corners. With 17 laps to go I knew I’d gone out way too high in tire pressure. I continued to push and drove my hardest. At the end of the day, I am pleased with what I accomplished and can’t wait for next year! I was working towards a top 10, but this trip it simply wasn’t meant to be.
In general, I learned a TON, had a great time in spite of the weather, and can’t wait to do it all over again.
Thanks for reading, thanks for all of the well-wishes, and a hearty congratulations to Scott and Mark K…both drove very well and deserve the positions they earned.
One last note…when I arrived I immediately saw the 51RV on Andy’s number plate. It caught my eye because the rules primer was very clear – no initials in the numbering. I did not realize that Andy had contacted Gayle Vito before the event. When I asked Andy about it, he humbly told me that he did contact Galyle to let her know that he intended to run Rich’s initials in tribute. Andy Seasman is a class act, period.
:type:
Thanks to John and Rodney – I can use all the support, as can all of the Colorado drivers!
No rain today, bonus. Tough day at the track for me personally today. I’m finally getting used to the Parc Ferme routine, however, I’d much prefer to have a tuner. I would rather have the ability to think only about the race rather than putting on tires, fuel, warm motor, grid position, etc…note to self; next year – a TUNER!
Morning started off well. Took another .3 off my best time in practice on old tires. Time for Heat 1. While sitting in the hot grid watching Sabre’s race, I saw her get absolutely run over in Turn 1. Radiator, driver fairing…out of the race. We went out and things were looking good. I was in P18 just like I’d qualified. About 3/4 of the way down the straight into Turn 1, Lap 1 I realized that I had karts on all four sides of me and a major pileup had just occurred. Not ideal. LOTS of carnage…and somehow, someway, I did not get touched. I had to stop mid-corner so as not to t-bone another kart, but I got away clean. I then struggled to get into a race rhythm and finished up in 17…only to be called to the tech tent. This is never good unless you’re one, two or three! I was penalized for passing under yellow in Turn 1, Lap 3. I argued that I was alongside the other kart 3/4 of the way down the straight when the other kart spun. I lost the discussion and started Heat 2 back in P18.
Heat 2, I was determined to move into the top 15. Things started better (meaning no Turn 1 pileup), until my motor bogged coming out of Turn 1 and I waved as a train drove by (lost three positions). I was fighting my way back and cooked it into Turn 8, the slow left hander and shot it off going into Turn 9. For some reason, there is a small pile of sand about 12 inches in diameter right next to the track between Turns 8 & 9. The sand magnet on my kart must have been in the ‘on’ position and I hit it going about, oh, 40. The spray of sand was pretty impressive, I must say. Finished the race somewhere around 21 and the extra pound of sand I was carrying helped me in the scale line.
Back in our pit, I spent an inordinate amount of time, even for me, cleaning the sand out of every area of my kart that contains a lubricant or liquid. Right about this time, Sabre came running into the pit telling Stacey that she had to run the Jnr. LCQ. They made it to the grid with about 1 minute to spare! Sabre ran a great race and finished 3rd only to be penalized 10 seconds for being ahead of the pole position (she started in P2) at the acceleration cones. She still transferred to the Final! Blake had a good day today and transferred to his final without needing to participate in the LCQ.
I’m still learning a ton and enjoying every minute of this craziness! Tomorrow we race and fight for positions again. And Rodney…I did ‘spread a little love’ today! :lol
The new site for the broadcast is http://www.rotaxmaxchallenge.com. Opening Ceremonies at 12:15 PM CST, 11:15 PM MST.
:type:
Woke up at 4:37 AM to a loud tapping sound. Went to the window…more rain. Breakfast at 6:30 AM and at the track by 7:00 AM for a 7:30 drivers meeting and sign-in. Mark & Ben Schermerhorn and Anthony hopped in with us for the short ride over to the track.
After staying late last night to set up the kart for dry (predicted, depending on which report you watched) , it started raining again this morning as we pulled into the track. I opted not to use a set of rains for a practice when the rest of the day was predicted to be dry or ‘slight’ showers. Here, ‘slight’ showers is what we would describe as ‘cats and dogs’. It stopped raining two sessions before mine and the DD2’s were the first ones out with a mix of dry and rains. That was some interesting viewing. Thankfully, no more rain throughout the day.
The Drivers Meeting: it was the typical drivers meeting, starting procedures were explained, safety, and much discussion about penalties and what one might do to earn one. Something of note…NO BUMPING ALLOWED before the :green, PERIOD. If you bump, you are penalized 10 seconds onto your time at a minimum. No discussion, it happens. Jumped start? 15 seconds. Due to weather, the day was called a ‘driver’s choice’ for tires with one note…should it start to rain mid-heat they do not stop the race, it is up to the driver to keep it on the island.
Time for Qualifying. Parc Ferme is an interesting ordeal – first time through was a little daunting but you get used to it pretty quick. Stacey helped me get through for qualifying and out on the grid. I ran a few laps and came in through the hot pit where Stacey adjusted my tire pressure and sent me out again. I continued to work on my lines and my times, but as you will see in MyLaps, I’m about a mile off the pole. I continue to improve each session and that’s what we came for…to improve. While I would very much like to doing better, I’m not disappointed and having a blast in spite of the weather! I qualified 17th; welcome to a national race. BIG SHOUT OUT FOR CURT KISTLER WHO HELPED ME PUT MY KART ON THE STAND AFTER QUALIFYING. CURT SAID HE’ WANTED A SPOT IN THE BLOG’ – NOTED AND DONE. THANKS CURT!
Heat 1. I had a little more comfort in Parc Ferme but still don’t feel like I have enough time to get everything ready. I do, but it doesn’t feel that way with all that is going on around you. The staff here are great and RMax is running a very good event. Back to Heat 1…how to put this…what one would consider a punt worthy of an argument in the scale lines at home is merely a love tap here; welcome to a national race II. I had a good start in the heat and picked up a few positions by corner two. I haven’t checked MyLaps so I have no idea how many I picked up and if you keep reading, you’ll see it’s irrelevant. Lap 2, Turn 1 I was not defensive in my line, experienced a ‘love tap’ and watched a train pass me. Fought back a position and finished 20th I think. Still improved on my time, but took a beating in placement. After debriefing with Stacey, Greg and Dominic, the consensus is…BE MORE AGGRESSIVE. Tomorrow, I think I need to show a little ‘love’ of my own. Looking for a much better place tomorrow.
Colorado Update: Both Sabre and Greg Welch were punted in their heats but finished. Not sure how Ben finished…top 10 I believe. Mark K and Scott Falcone did well today. Scott finished about P15 and Mark was top 10 I think. Mark was bumped in turn 2, lap 1 but came back on track and kept fighting. Blake moved up 5 spots in his MiniMax heat race and I don’t know about the rest of the Shockwave Team or the other Colorado drivers.
Thanks for reading…
:type: Another day with no rain! Still dealing with swamp pit to a degree, but by and large, not too bad!
Today was ‘the easy day’. Little Tech, little check-in at registration, back to the hotel early, etc. Not so much.
The day started with us meeting a little late for breakfast so everyone could get a little much needed rest before insanity hits in full swing. We arrived at the track at about 9 AM and got to work. I started by pulling my motor so Dominic could take off the top end, check everything and reset the compression. Next up was a complete tear-down of the kart with the exception of the seat and front fairings. Clean, clean, clean…a clean kart is a fast kart, right?! Stacey was working feverishly next to me getting Sabre’s new chassis all set as well as prepping her race motor ready (it was stuck in customs…apparently one of the materials used in the motor bearings can also be used to make explosives so the agents are particularly thorough with any items containing ‘bearings’). Stacey and I would have little ‘tuner races’ throughout the day depending on what parts we were working on at the time. We both went through Tech at 4:55 PM…no sense going early when you can wait till the end and avoid the line. (Stacey seemed to get a sick sort of enjoyment about my stress level throughout the day as it got closer and closer to 5 PM.) You get a grumpy tech agent when you wait until the end, but no line to bother standing in for an hour. Tech was not as daunting as I had expected. Very thorough, but not daunting. After tech it was back to the pit to do a complete setup change on the kart for tomorrow’s “Official Timed Practice Day”. Data analysis last night with Stacey revealed a kart that is too twitchy up front for my driving style (keep in mind, this is my first race on a CRG). With the help of Greg Gorden, Stacey, and Jesus Rios Sr., we put a new setup on my kart. Stacey and I finally finished it at 8 PM under lights in the tent after running out of generator fuel once.
I’ll get some pics up tomorrow night for you all.
Tomorrow starts early with four practice sessions and parc ferme check in by 4 PM. Time to get some sleep.
:type: NO RAIN! :dance:
Today looked ominous in the morning, but turned out to be an overcast, relatively normal day. Same routine…left the hotel after 7 AM breakfast and on track by 9 AM. The group definitely got a little larger overnight and people continued to roll in throughout the day. Everyone is very focused and while people are nice, the atmosphere is definitely a little more competitive! We left the track early tonight as tomorrow is scrutineering with no on-track activities so we’ll have plenty of time to work on the karts throughout the day. Dominic (owner of PSL) has been terrific and in our pit helping several times throughout the day each day. Tomorrow he is going to open my motor as we’re having some power issues. As my motor was built for high-altitude, Dominic wants to check the compression and open it for a general once-over before timed practice starts on Wednesday. This is a great atmosphere; I have and continue to learn a ton. No matter how I place, the experience has been amazing. Great people all around and the competition is tough! Timed practice starts on Wednesday but you wouldn’t know it…bump drafting right out of the gate today. It seems that every session someone will test to you to see how you respond and if you fight back. Nothing is personal, it’s just racing. Sessions can be tough and when the checkered flag flies, no one so much as exchanges a glance…it’s just racing.
I wish I could comment more on the other Colorado drivers but the truth of the matter is that everyone is so busy it’s all you can do to make your changes and get up to the grid for your next session. Sabre is driving great and her times are very competitive. Tonight she was up with the leaders and I believe she was quickest in her last session. I don’t know how Greg Welch is doing but he looks great out on track, very smooth as usual (he’s up just ahead of me so I can watch his practices while I’m waiting to go out). Blake Gorden is working his tail off and having a great time. He made great progress throughout the day and was closing in on the leaders until some minor motor gremlins crept into the picture. I believe Doug is going to look at his motor tomorrow too.
The day runs by classes which are scheduled by age starting with Micro to Mini,followed by Jnr., Snr., Masters and then DD2. Typical behavior in our pit looks something like this. Stacey is working on Sabre’s kart, and I’m working on mine. Stacey takes Sabre to the grid for practice while I finish kart prep. Dominic swings in to fine tune my carb and warm the motor while I get dressed. I start the long :walk to the grid where I meet Stacey coming back with Sabre, usually at the half-way mark if I’m on time. Stacey takes my kart, does a 180 and sets off back to the grid with me. There, he warms my engine, I get last-minute instruction and off I go. Stacey times me and as soon as my session is over he’s waiting to grab my kart and return to our pit to work on Sabre’s kart where the cycle starts over. By the end of the day, everyone is a little tired but still having a great time and enjoying the event.
Scruitineering tomorrow… :look
