| Roebling Road |
 |
 |
| Roebling Road |
|
|
|
The Perry motor home was a bit small. It was only about the size of a Nissan pick-up and a bit cramped. I’ve been spoiled by towing with the diesels. Will qualified top of the ITC field on both days. Saturday, there were about 10 ITCs and close to 60 registered for the group. Less than the max 55 started though. Will blew a head gasket while leading on Saturday and retired about mid race. Fortunately, he was in Group One and had all afternoon to locate a new head gasket and replace the damaged one. (Not as difficult as it sounds, except that Will left his head gasket changing tools at home and had to borrow some and improvise some). Sunday, Will ran away from the ITC field without even breaking a sweat, finishing 1st. Ken Walker has moved his CRX to G Production. I forgot
to watch his race on Saturday since we were busy with the head gasket. He
did blow a transmission seal in Sunday's qualifying and was scurrying to
change the transmission. His qualifying time on Sunday was 6 seconds
behind Will's though. (Will was only 2 seconds behind the top GP car) |
2004 Races November |
|
|
All of the groups were pretty full and there were more than the usual number of blown engines on Saturday, as well as a greater than usual share of really bent cars. Everyone seemed to be better behaved on Sunday. I guess most of the crazies were reliable enough on Saturday to stay on the track and break, as opposed to working on the car all day Saturday to cause grief on Sunday. -- Chuck Fullgraf Whew, glad that's over. Got signed off. Saturday, I finished 20 of 28 overall, 3 of 6 starting in A/Sedan. Todd Carter #78 blew an engine going into turn #1 on lap 6. Crank was sitting about 1 inch out of front of block, so I made up one spot in A/Sedan. The blown engine happened in front of two of us. NOTHING but smoke from the chicane to about the turn #1 corner station. Left oil from driver's left on line to driver's right where he ended up. Followed Bob Shouse in a SPO Factory Five Cobra into the cloud. Thought that at least all of that fiberglass would be softer to run into than metal. It was kinda neat to look over and see a COBRA fender out the side window. I had a faster fast lap, but he ended up in front of me the last lap. Haven't figured out how that happened. I took it easy going into #1 as the sheen from the oil was so apparent that I saw tire marks going through it, pretty much like tire tracks in a rain shower. Two laps later I was chasing another A/Sedan Mustang who had pulled away. Going past the start/finish I could see Bill's yellow Mustang on its side, off driver's left, on top of the tires, and lying against the trees facing the wrong way. Bill got out and was OK. Linda told him after the race, as we were surveying the damage (not that much, really!), to start taking Ibuprofen NOW. -(Voice of experience there) Glad both drivers were OK, and cars fixable, but I was up to 3rd!
Still, LOTS of fun. Glad to get signed off. Looking forward to the rest of the season. As always, special thanks to the crew chief, shoulder rubber, etc....(sorry, shouldn't detail the etc...), Linda. Matt and Lindsay couldn't make it. I also got great help from Chris Darus and Jamie Bell who kept chasing electronic gremlins. I now have a NEW coil, a NEW resistor, a NEW master switch and a NEW ignition module. I THINK we have exorcised all the electron demons, as I FINISHED 17 laps without a sputter! Ooops. Probably just jinxed myself. -- Dave Hester
|
||
June 8, 2004
Sunday I finished 19th of 25 overall, 3rd of 4 in
A/Sedan, with two less A/Sedans. Patti Carter was in the Cobra this time.
We had pretty close qualifying times, so I was looking forward to running
with her. We diced the1st two laps and she got by me going into turn #1.
Next lap I got by her into #1, giving her room. All of a sudden my car
slides left into her line. ARRGGGH! A CanAm had lost his coolant at the
apex of turn #1. His car had just pulled off at #2, a big plume of steam
coming from the back. From there on out it was pretty much wait for the
GT-1, SPO ex-NASCARs, and that darn awful fast Dodge SPO to come up and
mess with me. I did manage to dice with a 944 Turbo the rest of the race.
I held him off the 1st 10 laps, but after trying me twice into #1, I LET
him by on the inside to see if I could pass him again. Well that didn't
work out exactly how I planned either. Ended up with Pat, in the 944, the
leader at the checker, and then me just off his left rear corner, all
within 5 car lengths. DOH! 
