hey mangs!

i will keep this short; i am still recovering from the near heat exhaustion i suffered over the weekend.

as usual, all of the Honda Challengers were great; the comaraderie is unmatched amongst us... I run with EMRA, and the regular NASA series, and I have to say that the "bond" between us at an ECHC race is definitely stronger...

my car ran OK and finished the weekend (a big plus!). i think i ran good races both days, and had a hellacious bunch of laps with Magic Dude (Matt D.) and Robert W. on Sat. no rest at all during that race! the race seemed to go on for ever; the last 5 or 6 laps i kept looking for the damn white flag; where is the damn white flag?!?!?! finally the checker flew and we came in. i was really relieved to see it!!!!

downside was i could barely get out of the car without help. i was dizzy and felt sick to my stomach; my crew guys got me to the pickup and helped me take off my clothes. i spent 45 minutes in there with the A/C on and wet rags on my body. it is for certain the WORST i have ever ever felt after a race. i thought i was gonna puke for about an hour afterwards.

sundays race was much better heat wise. it was still super damn hot, but was shorter and while the race was good it was not a 20 lap gunfight the whole way.

I was prepared for a huge battle with Bookler, but he went out early in turn one due to either brake failure or suspension failure. Mondo big cloud of dust behind me coming into turn one!!! Payton took me to school big time in a H1 car that apparently had no power in sweeping right turns. he put some masterful passing action on me that was pure poetry. as i was being passed i remember thinking "i will try to follow as long as i can and learn something". when he got me in turn 3 on the outside i was flabbergasted. that guy can drive a car! I felt really bad exploiting his turn 1-2 lack of power, but hey, its racing! i passed him there and started eeking away. never saw him again. finally caught up to King Rat, Corey, and ****. didn't have the car or tires to get King Rat. man; another extremely good driver. zero mistakes. i followed him around til the checker. good race!

overall excellent weekend. i have no complaints whatsoever. NASA did a good job in difficult conditions, to say the least. thanx guys!


todd

PS oh yeah; the Drift Competition was pretty neato! I ran my street car, a maroon Cobra Mustang. first time i ever tried anything like this. i wish i could have practiced before hand. literally the first time i have ever intentionally gotten a car waaaaaay out of shape in a corner. to tell the truth, it looks easier than it is. some of those guys are really good. i think i did OK on my first run for a rookie driver, but i was no where near as impressive as most of the others... my second run i took it real easy, as the car in front of me was a BMW 325 and he smashed into the tire wall HARD. kinda like a message from god telling me to take it easy, as this is the only vehicle i have left that runs; (gotta get to work somehow if I want to make it to VIR) i plan on trying the drift thing again; it was coolio

 

It was a great weekend.

Thoughts.

JE is the man. He NEVER made one mistake with me hot on his tail. The boy has some serious skill. I had him goin into turn 1 and 5 braking zones as-well-as the back section..... but he motored out of 9 and 10 like nobodys business.

I do wish the R&D red rocket was together for the whole weekend.... I think we would have had a major battle. to the R&D team for their effort.

I think I'm finally using Yacks car a little more. This is one well built piece of equipment... Very stable and forgiving.

Hot. It was damn hot. It had to be 120-130 in the car.

Great heads-up driving by the H4-H5 guys. Those guys did a fine job.... Jerry and Keith both went two off trying to not slow-up the H1 race. Thanks.

Carbotech XP1109's

All-in-all GREAT weekend. Thanks Chris C. and NASA.

 

Bookler went off because his battery died.

 

I think Keith Defintaly desvers some big props, having not seen him race yet this year, I noticed the he was online and faster, on saturday, he was about 7 secs off the pace, on Sunday he was like 2 secs and improved his time qual 6 secs from Sunday. And during the race he was defintaly pushing the car... unfortunaly the car must have been up ot it as it broke in turn 5 and he limped it to the pits.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Solracer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I think Keith Defintaly desvers some big props, </TD></TR></TABLE>

absolutely. he very carefully is watching in his mirrors and makes TONS of room as the big motored cars come up on him. and yes, he was moving faster throughout the weekend.

i am always very confident on Edwards as i approach from behind at high speed that he will not make an unusual move. sharing the same racetrack with Edwards.

todd

PS forgot to mention to Marhefka (spelling?) in H4 (car number 74 CRX). unbelievable fast for H4 car. unbelievable fast!!!!! he was waaaay up there in H1-H2 land during Suns race!!!!!

 

Dude! As I always say... You are one hell of a driver! Very Clean! Battling with you on Saturday was some of the most fun I've had in a while.
Great Job in the Drift Comp as well.. your first run kicked A$$! If you had let it all hang out on the second run I think you woulda been crowned the drift king.

PS... I went down to the carousel to watch the 944/Miata race Sunday, after we got done, and there was a hellacious crash! A miata stepped out coming down the chute, and was heading for the first set of bleachers on the right, but then he over-corrected, and the passenger rear of the car stepped out over the right side of the track into that pile of fine gravel... which immediately flipped the car up in the air and rolled it! The car rolled so fast that it hit the roof just above the passenger side bar and launched it high in the air... the whole car was at least 6-8 feet in the air. He probably flew a good 15 yards in the air before landing right side up in the grass and sliding all the way down to where the the rollover competition was held last year... he hit the Grassy Burm in front of the fence where we were standing and caught air again, getting launched up beside the fence. My girlfriend was so mad at me for making her run instead of letting her take the pictures she was trying to get. Anyway, The driver was upset, of course, but completely Ok. Messed the car up pretty bad though.

 

From what I understand that's the 2nd time that guy has rolled.

Just as bad, there was a lady and her son spectating down at 1 (I worked 1 for the races) and when the red flag came out they asked what had happened. Being the dumbass that I am, I told them a car rolled. She then asked what number... After listening on the radio I told her 71. She said "oh ****" and went biking away with her son.

Apparently out of the several hundred spectators, she was the wife of the guy that had rolled. She took her bike and her son on his little 12" ride on the track at turn 3, posing serious danger to themselves.

to me for spilling info and to her for being so dumb even after we told her that everyone was out and giving thumbs-up.

Darwin awards anyone? (for the entire family)

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Todd Reid &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Payton took me to school big time in a H1 car that apparently had no power in sweeping right turns. he put some masterful passing action on me that was pure poetry. as i was being passed i remember thinking "i will try to follow as long as i can and learn something". when he got me in turn 3 on the outside i was flabbergasted. that guy can drive a car! I felt really bad exploiting his turn 1-2 lack of power, but hey, its racing! i passed him there and started eeking away. never saw him again</TD></TR></TABLE>

Todd - When we fired the car up on Sunday the fuel guage reading was at 3/4 full. However, that was incorrect and Payton ran out of fuel in my car. Payton and I had a great time at our first HC event. See yall at VIR.

 

Actually It was his thrid... he rolled in practice last year comming out of Turn 10, went up the litte "hill" and rolled on his roof, 2 years ago he rolled in practice, knocked the window out and went out and raced... The car looked perect from the drivers side from my view in the annoocers tower, I guess most of the damage must have been on the drivers side. aslo turn three worked seemed to think that there was anoter car invloved in this incdent.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JMU1337 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Bookler went off because his battery died.</TD></TR></TABLE>

No, I went off because something in the suspension broke. I didn't come back on because the battery was dead and I couldn't restart. I felt dumb for stalling it, but when you are pitched off the track violently at 130 mph, not hitting the trees takes priority over keeping the car running.

Matt

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JMU1337 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Apparently out of the several hundred spectators, she was the wife of the guy that had rolled. She took her bike and her son on his little 12" ride on the track at turn 3, posing serious danger to themselves.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
Yep, it was his second time of the weekend, and he ended up on the exact same burm that his first accident landed him on..
As far as the lady and her 4-yr-old kid go.. they both came riding, on their bikes, down "The Chute" and into turn 5. where they were directed off the course to the inside of the track, by the rescue/support vehicle... This was after the track had been cleared and the course was ready to receive cars... People never cease to amaze me with their ignorance... stupid stupid Lady.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Solracer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> aslo turn three worked seemed to think that there was anoter car invloved in this incdent.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Nope.. saw it happen before my eyes... he stepped out through the chute, and then over-corrected and dropped his rear off in the gravel. When asked what happened, byt the emergency crew.. he said he didn't remember. I informed him.

 

Control was woundering where Those bikes came from....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Solracer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Actually It was his thrid....</TD></TR></TABLE>

No, I'm pretty sure the one last year was his third. I believe this was his fourth roll over. So at what point do you say enough is enough?!?


Matt

 

It was good to be back in the HC series. Nice to see some old faces and some new guys.

thanks to everyone!

King RAT

 

sounds like some good racing action, see everyone at VIR

 

It was great having you back too! I wish I could have raced with you on Sunday like we did Saturday, but what can you do? Thanks again for the King Rat Motorsports Wholeshot Award too!!!!


Matt

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JMU1337 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Darwin awards anyone? (for the entire family) </TD></TR></TABLE>


Awww, c'mon... Maybe he has done more than his fair share of rolling but he gets a big ol from me, just for still being out there despite his mistakes.

As for the woman and child... put yourself in her shoes, that was her husband (and most likely the father of that child... not to mention a person with a history of rolling his racecar) so I'm sure she wasn't thinking clearly at the time.

IMHO of course,

Jon

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kingrat &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It was good to be back in the HC series. Nice to see some old faces and some new guys.

thanks to everyone!

King RAT
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Pls try to keep the spare parts ON the car next time

I very nearly krapped myself...

short clip coming s00n.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by getfast &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">As for the woman and child... put yourself in her shoes, that was her husband (and most likely the father of that child... not to mention a person with a history of rolling his racecar) so I'm sure she wasn't thinking clearly at the time.

IMHO of course,

Jon
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Totally agree, I could see my mom running out if she new I crashed.. on the people that make judgement calls and not being in that person's shoes..

 

So El Pollo... whoare you by the way??? Matt Dudek? I saw that peice fly off the Alex's car... he must have though Corey was behind him .... BTW H-C had 32 cars at this event... 31 for saturdays race... Frank Dephew decided he needed syncro's to race.... go figure... about 25 for sunday a few wnet home due to heat and the 4 cars that had varius issues in sat's race.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by getfast &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I'm sure she wasn't thinking clearly at the time.
Jon
</TD></TR></TABLE>
That was obvious to everyone. Whether her husband was hurt or not, or whether or not she valued her own life or not, She had to completely have lost her mind to lead that little child out onto an open race-track. No parent I know of would be that stupid... he looked to be 3 or 4 years old. and he was riding along behind her about 15 feet back... he wouldn't have had a chance if the workers hadn't seen them and released the cars.
Oh, and they weren't just crossing the track, they were riding down the chute.. like a Sunday afternoon ride in the park!! Can I do this anymore..

 

I agree Robert, I didn't say it wasn't stupid and incredibly dangerous, because it was... just that I could understand her mentality/motivation... it's a long slow haul down to there via the crappy infield back roads in a car, not to mention on a bike with a youngster in tow...

Jon

 

I was in the bleachers when that wreck happened. I didn't realize it was so close to us until we all got sprayed with major gravel. He dug in about 15 feet before the bleachers. This was the first time I'd ever witnessed such a crash in a race, let alone so up close and personal. Quite an experience, I was starting to worry for the video guy where the Miata ended up. Sounded like he did NOT catch it on tape as his back was turned.

Crazy stuff.

 

I too totally understand her mentality, I spent the following hour or so trying to stand up for her actions. Taking the kid with her was pretty idiotic IMO.

The thing that bothers me is that I did tell her that everyone involved was standing outside of his/her vehicle with a thumbs-up.

The Darwin thing was just a joke guys, take it easy, I'm an understanding person.

I have to disagree with giving the guy "props" for sticking with it. He obviously is lacking in some sort of ability to properly control his car. I would not feel safe being out on track with him.