Red Tornado Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 First off everyone pile in with there perspectives and there highlights. These were mine. Trip Drama I left Ed's shop around 7am and it was fairly a non descript trip until the mountains of WVA when suddenly a tire blew on the trailer. After a quick change to the spare I asked the cop (who was nice enough to block for me) where a tire shop was just in case and he said next exit. Got the spare replaced just in case and was on my way. 90 minutes later just in case happened. I got the tire change down to about 10 minutes this time. Got another spare tire at another tire shop and was off again. Finally getting in to Ohio and stopped to clean car in car wash and discovered tranny spitting fluid out dipstick. After a little panic I thought only 70 miles away from track and could baby it there. Arrived and that was the end of trip drama and trip back was uneventful (thank god). Friday Night After checking in and taking the desperately needed shower came back for the great AI/AIX party. Special thanks to all those who set it up. Was great food and the beers were great. At this point the Florida crew trip rumors started and I didn't feel my trip saga was a big issue anymore. They can add about the mental ability needed to tow a 3 car trailer with a 4 cylinder pickup truck commentary (haha). Saturday Rain tires on to get one scrub in heat cycle as it looks like downpours will be all day. Also replaced front brake pads so bedded in. It looked like skies wouldn't open up till after qualifying so changed to brand new shaved tires. Nothing like doing that solo in 30 minutes. Go down to grid and they say start at 42nd for qualifying (note to all, find out if practice matters as I started back with real slow cars). Thankfully they all take off leaving grid and I hang back and get in some good laps with a best of 1:38 flat which some how was good enough for 2nd. Ryan snags pole (congrats) as the rehagen team dominates the top with the new cars and me being the older rehagen car mixed in. I think Dean was 3rd and Rusty 5th and Robin mixed in at 4th or 3rd. Skies open up literally ten minutes after we come in and somehow clear out and track dry before race so everyone back on dry tires. At start I hang to outside and get the line to be in 1st after three turns and before thunder valley. After two or three laps Dean is on me hard and I figure with 40 minute race just let him by under braking and hang close to when it matters so he graps first. 2 or 3 laps later we catch traffic and insanity begins. On front straight a crawling spec racers forces me to check up and Rusty gets by as go three wide down front straight. For probably 8 laps the three of us dice through traffic but order stays same. Robin somehow has disappeared (find out later tranny issues, he has had some bad luck past two race wknds). Dean, Rusty, and I find some clean laps and the three of us are nose to tail having a blast. They are two wide coming down back straight with me tucked in behind. I stay outside to get a run as they both block and hold inside tight. Dean stays out front and I have good run on rusty to pass on inside but he throws out boat anchor (Rusty I looked at video and could see when u shifted in to 1st as whole car got sideways and nearly stopped) and I hit his rear right with my front left. I get ahead but let him pass so no penalty and when he does see rear bumper hanging off. Man didn't think I hit him that hard but find out later we each hit at side angles so no bumper support alignment probably made it much worse. I hang back as fearful I did damage to mine and need car intact for next day. Rusty gets ahead of Dean on last lap for the win and that is how the top 3 finished on Saturday. Rusty get's hardcharger points. Upon checking my car I hit remote filter and it was leaking as came loose so miracle didn't get worse during race. Racers tape and zipties and car is ready for Sunday. Team Rehagen get's Rusty fixed back up also. Go out drinking heavy that night as I apply Bruce strategy and hope it pays off for Sunday. Sunday Take practice more serious and start near front of AI and snag pole with 1:36:71 and edge out Dean by 3 hundreths or so I think. Jay is racing today and up I think in 3rd with Rusty besides him. Robin is struggling with car issues and ends out renting Deans play car for race. Start of race Dean does what I did other day even though I pinch him tight and everyone tries to get in behind him. Before I know it running order is Dean, Rusty, Jay, and I with Dean and Ryan in my mirrors. Traffic again comes in to play as I get by Jay around 3 laps in and Dean hits some poor corvette that got in his way (haha) and goes off track just enough that we all get by. I stay glued to Rusty's bumper and get some good runs but brakes start fading. Jay drops way off and seems slow down straights (find out he had some issues later). Almost slam Rusty several times and brakes need pumping down every straight to get a pedal. Not bleeding brakes all wknd likely not the smartest thing at all. For literally 10 laps Rusty and I battle and I throw all kinds of fakes, etc.. on him but doesn't bite and holds it together really well considering he had brake fade also (yeah I know 20 plus yrs of race experience clearly worthless). Last lap I get great run down thunder valley and he has to block a bit before turn 10 (?) I take to outside and we are side by side I go inside to get the line and can't make it stick and fight it for ever but still spin in to grass. Get it back on track to keep 2nd. If I had held would have likely been side by side at start finish but he probably still would have had it by a few feet but had to try. Great racing and we had a blast. Congrats to Rusty for wins both days. Was a ton of fun running with Rehagen squad and Dean out there. Huge field made for fun everywhere and great show for spectators as tons of them talked to me afterwords and really enjoyed it. Many of the vette guys said they were jealous watching us all run. That is what I had from wknd but everyone feel free to add. Quote
brucebyerly Posted July 20, 2009 Posted July 20, 2009 Nice summary and nice lap times, Chris. I was thinking my training regimen might have caught up to me and but I'm glad you showed it can be done with style. Sat reminded me why we race thanks to being not far off the pace after the crazy trip. Actually it was the side by side, door to door action with Mickey for 3 corners that made it worthwhile. I gotta say I can only be thankful. Thankful when, after the LF wheel literally folded under the front of the car with no warning, I simply slid into the soft grass to watch Sunday's race pass by from under the oak tree instead of the Emergency room. I was just happy to make it through the weekend. We've all had those, I suspect. Watching you and Rusty glued together was impressive. I was expecting one of you to throw it away. I don't think there was a car length between you for the majority of the race. That had to be a good time. I was sorry that Robin was not there dicing it up and Jay seemed resigned to wait for you guys to take each other out. Pat was not far off the podium, but of course he had to test his new front end off road again Robin was doing wheelies in the CMC car. That car and the Craftsman truck got the nod for best wheelies. Random lessons learned: Don't walk away from your tent in the rain lest it collapse onto your few remaining dry possesions. Also, Dodge truck transmissions suck. And don't underestimate the power of craigslist. When all you guys chose drinking over retrieving our sad, broken down asses from Cincinatti, a redneck hauler found on craigslist was there for us. The one thing I really appreciated was finding a couple little Mid Ohio track stickers under my wiper blade after the accident. They hadn't moved Seriously, hats off to Robin for putting it all together. I will see you boys at RA. The big fields are fun, let's keep it up. Quote
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