Yeah,
this is a bit late but I didn't really think I had anything to report from our team’s
race weekend. Then the more I thought about it and read about everyone else's
weekend, I remembered it isn't always about the race winning, but hanging out
with good friends and getting to play with our hot rods.
I
got to go to dinner with the Speed Merchants Top Fuel team on Thursday night,
and again on Sunday. When I went back to the motel, I met some really cool guys
from
Canada.
We all ended up staying up late just talking. They brought a twin turbo street
rod down to race along with a neat little
Chevy II street car.
We
put a new combination in the car and had high hopes on how it would run. The
plan was to run it on Friday, and if it didn't do as expected we would have all
night to change it back before the runs on Saturday. How does that saying go...
the best-laid plans----? Anyway, it rained all day Friday and no runs were made
in any of the classes. The wildest deal was the track crew was out there all
day staying ahead of the water. They were sweeping and drying the track all day
long. Since we weren't racing, it gave a bunch of time to visit with the other
racers and fans. Friday night dinner was with Kenny from John Dunn's “Dunn and
gone” funny car team. I had to go out to eat where I could order something I
knew what it was. Danny and the other guys on the team are hunters. They
brought along some “Deer meatloaf” for dinner. It probably isn't a big shock I
wasn't going to be eating any of that. We were pitted with Justin and the gang
right beside us and all the other funny cars right in the same area. It made it
easy to check in on everybody. Well, everybody but Kyle of course. His group is
always the last to arrive, but never misses a qualifying session, I don't get
it. They unload the car and it hauls, pretty neat deal for him, not so much for
the rest of us. Congrats to the whole team, yeah even you Mr. Minick, that pass
was a very cool run.
OK,
so now, it is Saturday and we will get a chance at this track, which by all
accounts is one of the finest anywhere. Judging by the way Sean Bowen's car
runs, this is going to be fun. Unfortunately, he had some trouble and his race
car got wounded at the finish line. The important thing is nobody got hurt and
the car can be repaired. We fired up, rolled through the water, and hit it. Man
it feels right, motor one solid note and the smoke rolling. It seems that Danny
thinks I do too long a burnout sometimes as he has started taking a chair to
the line to have a seat while waiting for me to backup. I guess that is a hint.
As I lift off the throttle and roll to a stop, it appears we have a new option.
One of the crew guys has installed a Nitro fountain for the fans to appreciate
during our stay on the main stage. I watch it as I put it in reverse while
thinking I need to hurry and get this thing back to the line to see if the guys
can fix it before we have a “Roasted Rapid.” If it lights off it could get a
bit warm here in my office. When Seth my crew guy sees it, he gives me the shut
it off signal, and I can see in his eyes he is plotting the “what is the
quickest way to escape if it starts on fire” route. I pull the fuel shut off,
let the car coast as far back, and off to the side as I can before it quits
moving. Then wait as Mini-Me makes his run in the other lane. I then said a few
things to myself Mom wouldn't like hearing, knowing now we have to go into first
round with an unproven race setup.
Back
in the pits, the good news is it was just a fuel fitting on the barrel valve
that broke. We put a new one on, change oil, fill it up with Nitro, and now are
ready for first round. The bad news is I have Steve Nichols in the Mill Road
Boys again. Ray Zeller has that car really hauling, and of course, Steve and I
seem to race each other quite often when we are at the same race. It must be a
yellow car thing. Let's just get it out of the way: Steve and crew whipped us
soundly. To say the least, the new combination didn't work as planned. Hey, we
had to try it and now we know.
I
have to tell you, my buddy Mini-Me made a great run. He was driving that thing
like a fuel altered and ended up winning the round. Nice job Joe, you earned
that round.
In
the pits, we leaked the engine and found #8 was unhappy. We discussed it, and
then got permission from Troy Coker to make a hit on Sunday. Some of the crew
put a new piston in, while the rest went to work on the rear end gear change. I
directed all the activity from the hammock of course. When the center section
was removed, we discovered some internal issues. Lucky Hair from Justin's team,
and in fact most of Justin's team came over to help get the axle out that was
hung up. It turns out the axle was galled up and not safe to run. Although I
was glad to be there with the team, not making a fast pass on a track that nice
really sucked for all of us. We put everything back together and put the car in
the box for the ride home.
The
Geezer Gasser group was there and invited us down for dinner. So we all went
down there and spent the rest of the evening just hanging out and having some
great food and Pepsi.
Sunday
being at the races without a car to race and your team on the road headed home
kind of leaves a guy at loose ends. I didn't want to over stay my welcome in
any one pit, so I kept moving around. Pretty soon, I ran out of funny car pits,
and moved over to the Pipe Rack area. The first thing I noticed is they make
all their drivers and car owner's work on the cars. I knew right away this
wasn't for me and tried to escape the area before someone handed me a wrench. I
escaped Art's pit {the backyard guys} only to find myself in Brad Green's
{Speed Merchants} pit and wouldn't you know it, David Pace suggested I lend a
hand. Too bad for me we know each too well for me to convince him on the
hammock “I do nothing” deal. I put on my dark glasses to keep from being
recognized while I was working, and settled in to help Brad and the guys who
made it all the way to the finals. When helping a different team, it is pretty
tough to be an asset and not just in the way. I tried to lend a hand where
needed and I hope it worked out. Too bad a gremlin set in that prevented them
from winning the whole event, but it wasn't for a lack of effort on their part.
David Pace is of course on of the best drivers in the sport, and with John the
crew chief, Brad the owner along with the rest of the guys, this car is going
to win a heck of a lot of races.
In
spite of all the bad weather there seemed like a good crowd came out to watch
and see the street rods. There was a ton of very nice race cars there and too
many runs to mention. Sean Dewitt drives the Black Rein altered. Kerry Grahams
his crewchief and engine builder make a killer combination. Just before it ran,
Kerry told me he was looking for a 6.98 or so and it ran a 6.99. Very cool.
Doug Dunphy “the boogie man” was there driving for another team. He brought his
daughter and son with him as well. We met for breakfast on Sunday.
I
know I am leaving a ton of stuff out, but I hope you enjoyed reading my “What I
did last weekend story.”
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