last week was full of fun excitement and defeat.
The story began friday evening at 5 PM when Tiff met me at the office for our weekly trek to Lonestar Raceway Park in Sealy, Texas.
Saturday and Sunday's plans were to attend Fun Ford Weekend at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown Texas.
We had a FULL weekend of racing planned and only HELL HIGH WATER OR BLOWN ENGINES was going to hold us back.
.....
xo
xo x( xo x( Did I say that?
We were 5 miles away from the track in Sealy, I was following Tiff at about 1.5 cars back. I saw a small "puff" of smoke come from the rear of her car and then she started slow up rapidly.
With no power steering or brake assist she careened down the off ramp and into a Exxon Parking lot.
I pulled along side, shaken from almost rear ending her when her car quit with a "WTF" look on my face.
I asked her what happened, and her only reply was...
"it just stopped"
I had her pop the hood and looked inside, nothing seemed out of place, but there was a splatter of oil on the passenger side of the K-member. "this isn't good".
I had her turn the key and try to start the car and it made the "TELL TALE" Whirrring noise of "NO compression and or timing".
Many of you will know what a motor sounds like when it tosses the timing chain, because the starter motor seems like it's "REALLY HAPPY" whirring along!
Dissapointed and Dejected we unloaded all of our Fun Ford Supplies from the trunk of her car and CRAMMED STUFF AND CUSSED them into my car.
We had BOTH cars loaded for "BEAR", because we knew we'd get home about 3 AM and have to get up at 5 AM to make the race on Saturday.
Reluctanly we drove away from the Grey Ghost, each of us with a HUGE LUMP in our throat.
Tiffs car was hurt, and she wasn't going to get to race in the Friday night points race, I would have gladly donated my car to run.
EXCEPT.. I myself was trying to hold onto FIRST PLACE, Tiff was in Third.. so.. "she took one on the chin" for the team and I ran in the race, while she hung out in the tower.
I was "off my game" due to the pre-race stress, and we got to the track late.. It didn't take long for me to "fall prey" to one of the other racers. My goal was to protect my lead, and by making it two rounds I made it not possible to lose my lead this week. After the race I learned that I not only held my spot, I increased my lead over second place.
So we had a little bright side to all this hell.. high water and blown engines.
During the race I made a call to a good friend and fellow racer, Paul Goodenough. I asked if we could "BORROW" his Daily Driver '01 cobra so tiffany would have a car for Fun Ford. He paused.. and said "SURE"!
So we had tiff a Horse to ride at FFW!!!
Things were beginning to look up, but we were still very shaken about the sudden loss of the grey ghost.
We get home at 3am and set the alarm clock for 5 am.
xo
what seemed like 3 minutes was actually 2 hours and the alarm began to shake us from our sleep.
We jump in my car and drive 20 or so miles and pick up the Cobra for tiff to drive. After a couple of miles of driving it's readily obvious that she's having problems with the very stiff clutch and the unforgiving nature of a stick shift mustang.
If she was having that much trouble on the street it was a "no brainer" that she wasn't going to be able to "race it".
So.. I took my turn at "taking on on the chin".
I gave her the keys to grandmas car and took the keys to the cobra, fully feeling like I wouldn't win a single round in the Quick Ford Class at Fun Ford.
BUT, in life.. you have to play the hand you are dealt.
My first of three time trial passes in the Cobra was pitiful!
I cut a .118 light, spun hard on the hit.. spun hard in second and missed third gear to run a PALTRY 14.53!!!
My second pass was a little better but NOT MUCH
.143 RT and a 14.3 run still spinning the launch and NOT HITTING THE TREE!
My Third Time trial was a .095 light and a 13.85
Fully knowing I was having a hard time with the car, I was EMBARRASED to write a 14.2 dial on the car. The car owner also expressed his displeasure that I didn't dial it lower.
Round 1
I battle thru the burnout..
I stage the car, which is QUITE a humbling experience. FULLY knowing I was going to LOSE this round and become a spectator!
Since I had the slower dial in.. I got to leave first.
I spin a little but get the car underway and...
BAM my win light comes on as my opponent goes RED!
Lady Luck smiled and gave me a BYE RUN!
I flat footed the car and ran a 13.85, which backed up the 13.85 I'd made on my last pass!
Triumphant I returned to the pits.. A WINNER.
Round 2 we go to the lanes and I have a 13.90 dial on the car.
I didn't think I could run another 13.8, and felt the .90 was safer and "realistic".
I'm racing against a slower 16.00 truck and I know I have my work cut out for me because the lady in the truck "aint no slouch".
I focus on my side of the tree.. trying with all my might to IGNORE the other side of the tree.
AS hard as I tried, I couldn't ignore that my opponent had JUST GONE RED! TWO IN A ROW!
I hammered the car on the green and ran it flat out the back door to a 13.93 on a 13.90 dial in {now I'm getting the hang of it}
Since the car was going faster and faster and I was getting more comfortable IN the car, I felt I needed to lower my dial in.
I put a 13.80 on the car, lower than my best pass by .05!
Round 3, I get paired with a 10.91 T-bird.
I've got my 13.80 dial on the window.
I get 2.9 seconds to get AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE before they let the T-bird give chase!
As I'm staging the car, my nerves are going a million miles an hour.
My clutch foot begins to do the "clutch foot shake".. I take my time and try to get it to stop, as the T-bird is REVVING impatiently for me to "take the top light".. I hated to hang him on the tree! but I was having problems "BUMPING" the car forward with my leg "doing the JIG"!
Finally I get the top light lit and the T-bird bumps in and hits the REV LIMITER BAAABABBAABABABABABABABASB
as I'm trying to get myself "bumped" into the staged beams!
My side of the tree comes down and I'm OFF...
3
2
1,I count and I hear the Tbird begin to give chase!
I'm rowing thru the gear like mad, trying to make sure they are PRECISE shifts because I dont want to make a mistake and lose.
I check the Tbird at the 18th mile and he's back there and giving chase..QUICKLY at the 1000' mark I check again and he's still there but it doesnt appear he's going to catch me!!!
50 feet before the finish line I decide to SLOWLY ease into the brake, knowing that "TOO MUCH" will allow him to slide by.
With such a high closure rate it's VERY difficult to "judge the stripe" so I'm very carefully gonna hit the brake.
I raise my foot just before the line and DROP IT..right smack dab on the CLUTCH!!!!
NOT THE BRAKE, the CLUTCH!!
I quickly bring my other foot over to STAB the brake as I watch the WIN LIGHT BURN BRIGHTLY in the T-birds lane.
My inexperience with this car.. just cost me the race!
I looked at the timeslip..
I cut a .034 light to his .204 light.
I ran a 13.75 on a 13.80!
Had I actually HIT the brakes.. I would have easily beaten him.
To add insult to injury? the next TWO rounds were given away by RED LIGHTS!
I was SO mad at myself, but felt better when folks told me
HEY KID.. YOU DID PRETTY GOOD IN A STICK!
I'll post sundays results after I recover from my carpalBLABBERMOUTHsyndrome.
Tommy
P.S. Tiff went three rounds in Grandmas car which isn't bad considering how much mental pressure she was under.
I'll let her post her side of the story
The story began friday evening at 5 PM when Tiff met me at the office for our weekly trek to Lonestar Raceway Park in Sealy, Texas.
Saturday and Sunday's plans were to attend Fun Ford Weekend at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown Texas.
We had a FULL weekend of racing planned and only HELL HIGH WATER OR BLOWN ENGINES was going to hold us back.
.....
xo
xo x( xo x( Did I say that?We were 5 miles away from the track in Sealy, I was following Tiff at about 1.5 cars back. I saw a small "puff" of smoke come from the rear of her car and then she started slow up rapidly.
With no power steering or brake assist she careened down the off ramp and into a Exxon Parking lot.
I pulled along side, shaken from almost rear ending her when her car quit with a "WTF" look on my face.
I asked her what happened, and her only reply was...
"it just stopped"
I had her pop the hood and looked inside, nothing seemed out of place, but there was a splatter of oil on the passenger side of the K-member. "this isn't good".
I had her turn the key and try to start the car and it made the "TELL TALE" Whirrring noise of "NO compression and or timing".
Many of you will know what a motor sounds like when it tosses the timing chain, because the starter motor seems like it's "REALLY HAPPY" whirring along!
Dissapointed and Dejected we unloaded all of our Fun Ford Supplies from the trunk of her car and CRAMMED STUFF AND CUSSED them into my car.
We had BOTH cars loaded for "BEAR", because we knew we'd get home about 3 AM and have to get up at 5 AM to make the race on Saturday.
Reluctanly we drove away from the Grey Ghost, each of us with a HUGE LUMP in our throat.
Tiffs car was hurt, and she wasn't going to get to race in the Friday night points race, I would have gladly donated my car to run.
EXCEPT.. I myself was trying to hold onto FIRST PLACE, Tiff was in Third.. so.. "she took one on the chin" for the team and I ran in the race, while she hung out in the tower.
I was "off my game" due to the pre-race stress, and we got to the track late.. It didn't take long for me to "fall prey" to one of the other racers. My goal was to protect my lead, and by making it two rounds I made it not possible to lose my lead this week. After the race I learned that I not only held my spot, I increased my lead over second place.
So we had a little bright side to all this hell.. high water and blown engines.
During the race I made a call to a good friend and fellow racer, Paul Goodenough. I asked if we could "BORROW" his Daily Driver '01 cobra so tiffany would have a car for Fun Ford. He paused.. and said "SURE"!
So we had tiff a Horse to ride at FFW!!!
Things were beginning to look up, but we were still very shaken about the sudden loss of the grey ghost.
We get home at 3am and set the alarm clock for 5 am.
xo
what seemed like 3 minutes was actually 2 hours and the alarm began to shake us from our sleep.
We jump in my car and drive 20 or so miles and pick up the Cobra for tiff to drive. After a couple of miles of driving it's readily obvious that she's having problems with the very stiff clutch and the unforgiving nature of a stick shift mustang.
If she was having that much trouble on the street it was a "no brainer" that she wasn't going to be able to "race it".
So.. I took my turn at "taking on on the chin".
I gave her the keys to grandmas car and took the keys to the cobra, fully feeling like I wouldn't win a single round in the Quick Ford Class at Fun Ford.
BUT, in life.. you have to play the hand you are dealt.
My first of three time trial passes in the Cobra was pitiful!
I cut a .118 light, spun hard on the hit.. spun hard in second and missed third gear to run a PALTRY 14.53!!!
My second pass was a little better but NOT MUCH
.143 RT and a 14.3 run still spinning the launch and NOT HITTING THE TREE!
My Third Time trial was a .095 light and a 13.85
Fully knowing I was having a hard time with the car, I was EMBARRASED to write a 14.2 dial on the car. The car owner also expressed his displeasure that I didn't dial it lower.
Round 1
I battle thru the burnout..
I stage the car, which is QUITE a humbling experience. FULLY knowing I was going to LOSE this round and become a spectator!
Since I had the slower dial in.. I got to leave first.
I spin a little but get the car underway and...
BAM my win light comes on as my opponent goes RED!
Lady Luck smiled and gave me a BYE RUN!
I flat footed the car and ran a 13.85, which backed up the 13.85 I'd made on my last pass!
Triumphant I returned to the pits.. A WINNER.
Round 2 we go to the lanes and I have a 13.90 dial on the car.
I didn't think I could run another 13.8, and felt the .90 was safer and "realistic".
I'm racing against a slower 16.00 truck and I know I have my work cut out for me because the lady in the truck "aint no slouch".
I focus on my side of the tree.. trying with all my might to IGNORE the other side of the tree.
AS hard as I tried, I couldn't ignore that my opponent had JUST GONE RED! TWO IN A ROW!
I hammered the car on the green and ran it flat out the back door to a 13.93 on a 13.90 dial in {now I'm getting the hang of it}
Since the car was going faster and faster and I was getting more comfortable IN the car, I felt I needed to lower my dial in.
I put a 13.80 on the car, lower than my best pass by .05!
Round 3, I get paired with a 10.91 T-bird.
I've got my 13.80 dial on the window.
I get 2.9 seconds to get AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE before they let the T-bird give chase!
As I'm staging the car, my nerves are going a million miles an hour.
My clutch foot begins to do the "clutch foot shake".. I take my time and try to get it to stop, as the T-bird is REVVING impatiently for me to "take the top light".. I hated to hang him on the tree! but I was having problems "BUMPING" the car forward with my leg "doing the JIG"!
Finally I get the top light lit and the T-bird bumps in and hits the REV LIMITER BAAABABBAABABABABABABABASB
as I'm trying to get myself "bumped" into the staged beams!
My side of the tree comes down and I'm OFF...
3
2
1,I count and I hear the Tbird begin to give chase!
I'm rowing thru the gear like mad, trying to make sure they are PRECISE shifts because I dont want to make a mistake and lose.
I check the Tbird at the 18th mile and he's back there and giving chase..QUICKLY at the 1000' mark I check again and he's still there but it doesnt appear he's going to catch me!!!
50 feet before the finish line I decide to SLOWLY ease into the brake, knowing that "TOO MUCH" will allow him to slide by.
With such a high closure rate it's VERY difficult to "judge the stripe" so I'm very carefully gonna hit the brake.
I raise my foot just before the line and DROP IT..right smack dab on the CLUTCH!!!!
NOT THE BRAKE, the CLUTCH!!
I quickly bring my other foot over to STAB the brake as I watch the WIN LIGHT BURN BRIGHTLY in the T-birds lane.
My inexperience with this car.. just cost me the race!
I looked at the timeslip..
I cut a .034 light to his .204 light.
I ran a 13.75 on a 13.80!
Had I actually HIT the brakes.. I would have easily beaten him.
To add insult to injury? the next TWO rounds were given away by RED LIGHTS!
I was SO mad at myself, but felt better when folks told me
HEY KID.. YOU DID PRETTY GOOD IN A STICK!
I'll post sundays results after I recover from my carpalBLABBERMOUTHsyndrome.
Tommy
P.S. Tiff went three rounds in Grandmas car which isn't bad considering how much mental pressure she was under.
I'll let her post her side of the story
