I'm going to start off this thread with my runs from Car Club Bash held Feb 7th at http://www.lonestarraceway.com.
We arrived at the track at 2PM and tiff and I met up with the other 5 racers for a grand total of VII cars.
We had
2 Mark VIII's Tiff and I
2 Fox body mustangs Paul
2 Fbody Camaro's
1 Grand Marquis/LTD
We assembled at our normal spot down by the finish line and awaited our first call for time trials.
At 3:01 I made my first time trial pass and ran
.551 RT
2.18 60'
6.21 330'
9.5019 1/8 et
74.94MPH
At 3:32 I made my second time trial pass and ran
.561 RT
2.16 60'
6.15 330'
9.4330 1/8th
75.26 MPH
At 4:09PM I made my third and final time trial, with .07 between my first and second runs I was kinda worried about "setting my dial in".
WHAT TO DIAL? If I dial a 9.43 and the car runs a 9.50 I'm going to LOSE BIG TIME. If I dial 9.50 and run 9.43.. again I'm going to lose BIG TIME. usually I only have .04 betwen my first two time trials, so needless to say.. I'm WORRIED.
... ON to the third and final time trial.
.524 RT
2.16 60'
6.15 330'
9.4310 1/8th
75.34 MPH
Well, needless to say.. I FOUND MY DIAL IN on my third pass!
I'm feeling very confident due to "backing up" my second pass within .002!!!
SO I decide to dial in 9.42 for round 1
I left myself .01 margin for error.
I write the 9.42 on the window and patiently await the call for round 1 to begin.
At 5:25 PM I find myself staged next to a 1993 Cobra Mustang with a paxton or a vortech, but I couldn't tell from the whining noise which one it was.
my dial in is
9.42
Cobra's dial in is
8.97???/
Now, I'm no mustang expert.. but I'm pretty sure my 4000LB Naturally Aspirated LIncoln needs more than a .4 second head start from a BLOWN COBRA.. right?
Well... here's the rest of the run.
My 5.85 rt was a little better than his .590 rt
As soon as I hit the gas, my car SPUN, which is strange because I NEVER HAVE A TRACTION PROBLEM.
My 60ft time will tell the tale, it was a paltry 2.220 compared to his equally paltry 2.25
SO, I've TREE'd the Cobra and I've also SIXTIED the cobra, but on both cases.. NOT BY MUCH!
"This" is a DRAG RACE.
SInce I spun, I knew there'd be NO CHANCE of a breakout, so I just MASHED THE GAS TO THE FLOOR and watched as the Cobra began to PASS ME UP AT THE 330 mark!!!! WTF?? I'm going to LOSE?
NO WAY I keep telling myself.
As we get nearer to the finish line I see that I'm NOT CATCHING the cobra he finished FIRST.. by .13 {almost two cars}
BUT.. when he crosses the finish line I see NO WIN LIGHT IN HIS LANE!
HAHAHA
he ran 8.8864 on a 8.97 dial in.
I ran 9.47 on a 9.42 dial in {spun .05 off in the 60'}
THE WIN LIGHT BURNS BRIGHTLY IN THE LINCOLNS LANE!!!
Cobra breaks out.. and LOSES!
KAPOOOOF!
So I drive back to the pits and happily await my call for ROUND 2!
At 6:06PM I find myself staged against a 87-93 Fox body mustang.
I am confident that my previous dial in was GOOD, so I just "let it ride".. and went to the line with a 9.42 on the window.
The Mustang was dialed in at 9.04
Once again the mustangs are only willing to give grandma's car .4 on the tree? Man, they have no honor at ALL!
I stage against the mustang and await the tree to activate.
My side comes down and once again I hit a PALTRY .586 reaction time.
His side comes down and he cuts a HOLY SMOKES .911 rt!!!!!
I guess he's trying to "make amends" for the .4 dial in difference by giving me an additional .4 on the tree!!
WHAT A GUY!!!RIGHT?
At the finish line I'm so far ahead that I mashed the brakes to ensure that I didn't break out.
I ran a 9.70 on an 9.42 dial in.
The margin of victory was .1056
I hit the brakes and still finished a WHOLE CAR LENGTH ahead of the DEFEATED FOX BODY!
He ran a 9.10 on an 9.04 dial in, HAD he "cut a light" he MIGHT have been able to "make a race out of it".
BUT.. Lady Luck smiled on me and the WIN LIGHT BURNED Brightly in the LINCOLN LANE!
So, I'm 2 for 2, I've beaten TWO fox body mustangs in back to back passes.
I take my WIN SLIP back to my pits, enter my times into the log book and patiently await ROUND 3
At 6:30PM they call us for round 3
I find myself paired up with ANOTHER MUSTANG?
Man... where does it STOP? I say to myself.
MUSTANG MANIA!!!!
But, this isn't one of the FOX body cars.
it's a 74-78 Mustang II with roll bar, slicks, all the "race car parts"..including OPEN HEADERS!
worse than that.. IT actually has a "DRIVER" installed.
the venerable Ron Vesterby from the Mustang Club of Houston.
He's a great bracket racer and I'm feeling my lucky stars beginning to "fall from the heavens".
I move my dial in down .01 to a 9.41...just to be on the safe side.
So, we line up... stage and the tree "comes down".
I get to leave first because my 9.41 is much slower than rons 7.86 dial in.
I get 2.4 seconds head start.
Just after I clear the 60'clocks I HEAR and FEEL the mustang LEAVE!
He's COMING.. and coming LOUDLY!
He passes me about 3 cars from the finish line and the win light burns brighly in HIS LANE.
I've been BEAT!
Mustangs get their revenge!
I get my timeslip and see that I ran a 9.501!!! {??????}
I guess as near as I can tell.. I didn't get the gas pedal pushed all the way down. MY MISTAKE.. and I have to wear the loser badge in ROUND 3!
Ron ran a 7.89 on a 7.86 dial in
His RT .533 CREAMED my .573
I deserved to lose, and THAT I DID!
After congratulating Ron I went to my pits and watched the rest of the races while I awaited the beginning of..
The presidents race.
presidents race is another race, with ONE representitive from each car club, battling it out for a 50.00 prize!
Presidents race is ran at the same time as "powderpuff" race.
{I'll let tiff fill you in on the details of powderpuff}
So, they call us for presidents race.
I go to the lanes with my 9.41 still on my window.
I get paired up with..
NO NOT A MUSTANG, but a Lincoln Mark 7 that runs for the South Texas Racing organization.
My dial in is 9.41 and his dial in is 9.80
SO, I GET TO SPOT SOMEONE .4!!! Gotta luv it!
Since I'm the quicker of the two cars, I get to WATCH him leave, then try to REEL HIM IN BEFORE the finish line.
His tree begins to count down.. his green light comes on..
BUT.. He's still sitting there when my last amber light comes on and BAM! I LEAVE.. and I leave him spinning at the tree!
He never got close and he "needed" the .4 headstart in order to "make a race out of it".. he didn't.. and when I got down to the finish line I was WAY WAY OUT IN FRONT.
I dipped into the brakes to "protect my dial in" and watched as the win light burned brightly in my lane!
VICTORIOUS I pick up my timeslip and look at the data!
HE TREE'd ME???!!!!
My .769 rt to his .763
BUt..
My 2.18 60' CREAMED his 3.01 60ft time
My {on the brakes} 9.53 put the smack down on his 11.21 on a 9.80 dial in.
I have WON round 1 of the presidents race, as I realize my RT's had better improve or I wont make "another round".
presidents race is usually "the best of the best" the cream of the crop.. yet I'm driving like a can of "creamed corn".
I go back to the pits, log my times into the log book and try to formulate a plan for the subsequent rounds.
I NEED TO CUT A D*MNED LIGHT!!!
But it seems I couldn't HIT the tree with a baseball bat!
I'm getting worried and concerned that I may no longer be
The cream of the crop!!!
Round #2 of presidents race is called.
We're down to 7 cars.
As luck would have it.. I draw the BYE RUN!!
I get a FREE PASS to the next round, and at this time.. I REALLY NEED IT.
SO, I concentrate. CONCENTRATE.. and BAM!
.479 redlight! {whew, good thing it's a BYE RUN}
LADY LUCK SMILES AGAIN on ME!
I ran a 9.39 on a 9.41 dial in
NINE THIRTY NINE!!!!!
HOLY SMOKES.. LOW ET for the day!
Where did THAT come from I ask myself.
NO matter... before I left the tree, my win light was already ON.
{whew}
I make my way back to the staging lanes because they are ROUND ROBIN racing us at this point.
I had just ran a 9.39 but with NO COOL DOWN I guesstimate that my 9.41 dial in is SAFE.
When i get back to the staging lanes I find that I'm 1 of 3 cars remaining.. someone gets a bye run, but IT AINT GONNA BE ME
{they only allow 1 bye run per event per driver}
SO I'm going to have to WORK for this pass!
I am paired up with a VERY VERY HOTSHOE from Westside Mustangs.
that's right I get to race..YET ANOTHER FOX BODY MUSTANG and this one as well HAS A GOOD DRIVER INSTALLED!!!
The Mighty Chuck Hoekstra, we've met before and I've lost more times than I have won. Usually in order for ME to win against chuck, he has to REDLIGHT.
My dial in is 9.41 to his 7.67
I get a 2.2 seconds head start. {meaning, I'll get JUST TO the 60 ft clocks and the mustang get "turned LOOSE"}
I cut a much better .568 rt to his .567 {OH DEAR this is close}
As we approach the finish line I can see that he's catching me, but it's going to go ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE WIRE!
At the finish line we're DEAD EVEN, NO ROOM for me to hit the brake!
So, I hold my breath, HOLD MY FOOT DOWN, say a small prayer and watch in amazement as the WIN LIGHT BURNS BRIGHTLY in MY LANE!
LINCOLN WINS the semi final round of presidents race!!!
I happily return to the staging lanes where my next opponent awaits.
He has just come off a bye run himself and has his lightning pickup dialed in and ready.
The track crew sends us to the starting line.
His dial in is 7.92 to my 9.41
My RT is .554 to his .4996 RED light!
He ran a 7.95 to my taking the win light with 9.43!
Victorious I pick up my 50.00 and inform tiffany that "we can afford to eat breakfast!"
All in all it was a great event!
we had some good racers join up with us for the '04 season and we all did pretty darned well if you ask me.
Tiff lasted one round more than me in the original race.
Our other racers went deep with one of them scoring 1/4 final round points, coupled with the bonus points we get for "running ON our dial"
plus the 1/4 final finish, with my presidents race WIN... we finished the FIRST event of the '04 season in
THIRD PLACE!
AHEAD of the team that WON the championship last year.
We did well!
We had a BALL!
and...
WE MISSED SEEING "YOU" there!
Our next race is the first weekend in March
MARK your calendars for the next event!
We're gonna go back and REPEAT!
Tiffany should be along shorty with "her version" of the days events and such.
With that said...
it's ON TO OUR AFFILIATE
MISS TIFFANY SPAIN!
Take it away TIFF!
We arrived at the track at 2PM and tiff and I met up with the other 5 racers for a grand total of VII cars.
We had
2 Mark VIII's Tiff and I
2 Fox body mustangs Paul
2 Fbody Camaro's
1 Grand Marquis/LTD
We assembled at our normal spot down by the finish line and awaited our first call for time trials.
At 3:01 I made my first time trial pass and ran
.551 RT
2.18 60'
6.21 330'
9.5019 1/8 et
74.94MPH
At 3:32 I made my second time trial pass and ran
.561 RT
2.16 60'
6.15 330'
9.4330 1/8th
75.26 MPH
At 4:09PM I made my third and final time trial, with .07 between my first and second runs I was kinda worried about "setting my dial in".
WHAT TO DIAL? If I dial a 9.43 and the car runs a 9.50 I'm going to LOSE BIG TIME. If I dial 9.50 and run 9.43.. again I'm going to lose BIG TIME. usually I only have .04 betwen my first two time trials, so needless to say.. I'm WORRIED.
... ON to the third and final time trial.
.524 RT
2.16 60'
6.15 330'
9.4310 1/8th
75.34 MPH
Well, needless to say.. I FOUND MY DIAL IN on my third pass!
I'm feeling very confident due to "backing up" my second pass within .002!!!
SO I decide to dial in 9.42 for round 1
I left myself .01 margin for error.
I write the 9.42 on the window and patiently await the call for round 1 to begin.
At 5:25 PM I find myself staged next to a 1993 Cobra Mustang with a paxton or a vortech, but I couldn't tell from the whining noise which one it was.
my dial in is
9.42
Cobra's dial in is
8.97???/
Now, I'm no mustang expert.. but I'm pretty sure my 4000LB Naturally Aspirated LIncoln needs more than a .4 second head start from a BLOWN COBRA.. right?
Well... here's the rest of the run.
My 5.85 rt was a little better than his .590 rt
As soon as I hit the gas, my car SPUN, which is strange because I NEVER HAVE A TRACTION PROBLEM.
My 60ft time will tell the tale, it was a paltry 2.220 compared to his equally paltry 2.25
SO, I've TREE'd the Cobra and I've also SIXTIED the cobra, but on both cases.. NOT BY MUCH!
"This" is a DRAG RACE.
SInce I spun, I knew there'd be NO CHANCE of a breakout, so I just MASHED THE GAS TO THE FLOOR and watched as the Cobra began to PASS ME UP AT THE 330 mark!!!! WTF?? I'm going to LOSE?
NO WAY I keep telling myself.
As we get nearer to the finish line I see that I'm NOT CATCHING the cobra he finished FIRST.. by .13 {almost two cars}
BUT.. when he crosses the finish line I see NO WIN LIGHT IN HIS LANE!
HAHAHA
he ran 8.8864 on a 8.97 dial in.
I ran 9.47 on a 9.42 dial in {spun .05 off in the 60'}
THE WIN LIGHT BURNS BRIGHTLY IN THE LINCOLNS LANE!!!
Cobra breaks out.. and LOSES!
KAPOOOOF!
So I drive back to the pits and happily await my call for ROUND 2!
At 6:06PM I find myself staged against a 87-93 Fox body mustang.
I am confident that my previous dial in was GOOD, so I just "let it ride".. and went to the line with a 9.42 on the window.
The Mustang was dialed in at 9.04
Once again the mustangs are only willing to give grandma's car .4 on the tree? Man, they have no honor at ALL!
I stage against the mustang and await the tree to activate.
My side comes down and once again I hit a PALTRY .586 reaction time.
His side comes down and he cuts a HOLY SMOKES .911 rt!!!!!
I guess he's trying to "make amends" for the .4 dial in difference by giving me an additional .4 on the tree!!
WHAT A GUY!!!RIGHT?
At the finish line I'm so far ahead that I mashed the brakes to ensure that I didn't break out.
I ran a 9.70 on an 9.42 dial in.
The margin of victory was .1056
I hit the brakes and still finished a WHOLE CAR LENGTH ahead of the DEFEATED FOX BODY!
He ran a 9.10 on an 9.04 dial in, HAD he "cut a light" he MIGHT have been able to "make a race out of it".
BUT.. Lady Luck smiled on me and the WIN LIGHT BURNED Brightly in the LINCOLN LANE!
So, I'm 2 for 2, I've beaten TWO fox body mustangs in back to back passes.
I take my WIN SLIP back to my pits, enter my times into the log book and patiently await ROUND 3
At 6:30PM they call us for round 3
I find myself paired up with ANOTHER MUSTANG?
Man... where does it STOP? I say to myself.
MUSTANG MANIA!!!!
But, this isn't one of the FOX body cars.
it's a 74-78 Mustang II with roll bar, slicks, all the "race car parts"..including OPEN HEADERS!
worse than that.. IT actually has a "DRIVER" installed.
the venerable Ron Vesterby from the Mustang Club of Houston.
He's a great bracket racer and I'm feeling my lucky stars beginning to "fall from the heavens".
I move my dial in down .01 to a 9.41...just to be on the safe side.
So, we line up... stage and the tree "comes down".
I get to leave first because my 9.41 is much slower than rons 7.86 dial in.
I get 2.4 seconds head start.
Just after I clear the 60'clocks I HEAR and FEEL the mustang LEAVE!
He's COMING.. and coming LOUDLY!
He passes me about 3 cars from the finish line and the win light burns brighly in HIS LANE.
I've been BEAT!
Mustangs get their revenge!
I get my timeslip and see that I ran a 9.501!!! {??????}
I guess as near as I can tell.. I didn't get the gas pedal pushed all the way down. MY MISTAKE.. and I have to wear the loser badge in ROUND 3!
Ron ran a 7.89 on a 7.86 dial in
His RT .533 CREAMED my .573
I deserved to lose, and THAT I DID!
After congratulating Ron I went to my pits and watched the rest of the races while I awaited the beginning of..
The presidents race.
presidents race is another race, with ONE representitive from each car club, battling it out for a 50.00 prize!
Presidents race is ran at the same time as "powderpuff" race.
{I'll let tiff fill you in on the details of powderpuff}
So, they call us for presidents race.
I go to the lanes with my 9.41 still on my window.
I get paired up with..
NO NOT A MUSTANG, but a Lincoln Mark 7 that runs for the South Texas Racing organization.
My dial in is 9.41 and his dial in is 9.80
SO, I GET TO SPOT SOMEONE .4!!! Gotta luv it!
Since I'm the quicker of the two cars, I get to WATCH him leave, then try to REEL HIM IN BEFORE the finish line.
His tree begins to count down.. his green light comes on..
BUT.. He's still sitting there when my last amber light comes on and BAM! I LEAVE.. and I leave him spinning at the tree!
He never got close and he "needed" the .4 headstart in order to "make a race out of it".. he didn't.. and when I got down to the finish line I was WAY WAY OUT IN FRONT.
I dipped into the brakes to "protect my dial in" and watched as the win light burned brightly in my lane!
VICTORIOUS I pick up my timeslip and look at the data!
HE TREE'd ME???!!!!
My .769 rt to his .763
BUt..
My 2.18 60' CREAMED his 3.01 60ft time
My {on the brakes} 9.53 put the smack down on his 11.21 on a 9.80 dial in.
I have WON round 1 of the presidents race, as I realize my RT's had better improve or I wont make "another round".
presidents race is usually "the best of the best" the cream of the crop.. yet I'm driving like a can of "creamed corn".
I go back to the pits, log my times into the log book and try to formulate a plan for the subsequent rounds.
I NEED TO CUT A D*MNED LIGHT!!!
But it seems I couldn't HIT the tree with a baseball bat!
I'm getting worried and concerned that I may no longer be
The cream of the crop!!!
Round #2 of presidents race is called.
We're down to 7 cars.
As luck would have it.. I draw the BYE RUN!!
I get a FREE PASS to the next round, and at this time.. I REALLY NEED IT.
SO, I concentrate. CONCENTRATE.. and BAM!
.479 redlight! {whew, good thing it's a BYE RUN}
LADY LUCK SMILES AGAIN on ME!
I ran a 9.39 on a 9.41 dial in
NINE THIRTY NINE!!!!!
HOLY SMOKES.. LOW ET for the day!
Where did THAT come from I ask myself.
NO matter... before I left the tree, my win light was already ON.
{whew}
I make my way back to the staging lanes because they are ROUND ROBIN racing us at this point.
I had just ran a 9.39 but with NO COOL DOWN I guesstimate that my 9.41 dial in is SAFE.
When i get back to the staging lanes I find that I'm 1 of 3 cars remaining.. someone gets a bye run, but IT AINT GONNA BE ME
{they only allow 1 bye run per event per driver}
SO I'm going to have to WORK for this pass!
I am paired up with a VERY VERY HOTSHOE from Westside Mustangs.
that's right I get to race..YET ANOTHER FOX BODY MUSTANG and this one as well HAS A GOOD DRIVER INSTALLED!!!
The Mighty Chuck Hoekstra, we've met before and I've lost more times than I have won. Usually in order for ME to win against chuck, he has to REDLIGHT.
My dial in is 9.41 to his 7.67
I get a 2.2 seconds head start. {meaning, I'll get JUST TO the 60 ft clocks and the mustang get "turned LOOSE"}
I cut a much better .568 rt to his .567 {OH DEAR this is close}
As we approach the finish line I can see that he's catching me, but it's going to go ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE WIRE!
At the finish line we're DEAD EVEN, NO ROOM for me to hit the brake!
So, I hold my breath, HOLD MY FOOT DOWN, say a small prayer and watch in amazement as the WIN LIGHT BURNS BRIGHTLY in MY LANE!
LINCOLN WINS the semi final round of presidents race!!!
I happily return to the staging lanes where my next opponent awaits.
He has just come off a bye run himself and has his lightning pickup dialed in and ready.
The track crew sends us to the starting line.
His dial in is 7.92 to my 9.41
My RT is .554 to his .4996 RED light!
He ran a 7.95 to my taking the win light with 9.43!
Victorious I pick up my 50.00 and inform tiffany that "we can afford to eat breakfast!"
All in all it was a great event!
we had some good racers join up with us for the '04 season and we all did pretty darned well if you ask me.
Tiff lasted one round more than me in the original race.
Our other racers went deep with one of them scoring 1/4 final round points, coupled with the bonus points we get for "running ON our dial"
plus the 1/4 final finish, with my presidents race WIN... we finished the FIRST event of the '04 season in
THIRD PLACE!
AHEAD of the team that WON the championship last year.
We did well!
We had a BALL!
and...
WE MISSED SEEING "YOU" there!
Our next race is the first weekend in March
MARK your calendars for the next event!
We're gonna go back and REPEAT!
Tiffany should be along shorty with "her version" of the days events and such.
With that said...
it's ON TO OUR AFFILIATE
MISS TIFFANY SPAIN!
Take it away TIFF!