Postby Solid Rock » Mon Aug 08, 2011 9:36 am
This year's Marion County event was the best yet!!! Thank you Denny Salzwimmer and Mark and Kelley Primavera!!!!
We got there Friday afternoon and were pitted between Suzie Q and Rat Poison and met Hemi Greg for the first time. We had met Sue and Steve Christopherson last year and it was nice seeing them again. Tim Stevens was there helping them out as well as being a special awards sponsor.
We made a test run on Saturday afternoon and,although it wasn't quite what we were looking for, it wasn't too bad with the weather conditions which were reported elsewhere. It was very hot and very humid all day and evening.
We went up and started the car and did a pretty good burnout, I backed up, went up and did a dry leave with the front wheels dangling in the air. I backed up again and did a dryhop and then staged the car.
It left pretty good, but being a bit down on power, it did do some bouncing and hopping around butit went straight. it was a 7.86 at 171.
For first round we were paired with the Shell Shocked Vega of Rob Bundy. Before we went up I went over and introduced myself to Rob and also informed him of my Senior Citizen discount. We also discussed what we would do on the burnouts.
When our turn came, we started our burnouts together and it sure seemed from my view that we both let out a lot of smoke. I backed up and did another dry leave. Rob got back and we both did some dryhops on the way to stage the cars. Once we staged, Rob, being the nice fella he is, gave me my Senior Citizen discount but he then drove around me. I guess I forgot to tell him that he wasn't supposed to do that but I doubt he would have listened!!! lol
The car left good and straight but was once again bouncing a bit through first and second gear. I ran a 7.95 at 171. Not sure what Rob ran but it was better than that!!
I was scheduled to run Sharkey's Machine the second run but mechanical woes prevented that....there will be a next time, somewhere, as Sharkey has expressed a desire to take a bite out of something Solid!!! I hope he realizes that he my just have some broken teeth after trying that!!
I was lined up with the Red Baron Mustang II for the second round. It is driven by Mr. 000 zip, formerly known as 007, Butch Chovan!! He is known by those numbers as those are some of his RT's.
Once again, both cars did some nice smoky burnouts, I did a dry leave and we both did some dryhops, and then we staged. I was determined to better my two earlier runs but it was not to be, as we both wound up doing a bit of pedalling. I wound up running an 8.42 backpedaling several times.
All in all, it was a great event despite the heat and humidity and the numerous sprinkles through out the day.
Thanks also to all the great photographers who cover this event!!
I also need to send out a big thank you to my crew, Scuba Steve Casey, Jim Follke, who came all the way from Newport News, VA, and Pete Stump who came all the way from Kansas City, KA., and Daryl and Heidi Arnold, plus Makayla Sapienza who came from MI. Thanks one and all!!!