So I spent this past weekend at Winterport Dragway, one of our 1/8th mile tracks here in Maine. Saturday was the annual Bracket Bash and Quick 16 race. Sunday was regular classes plus a big race for the junior dragsters. Saturday I was running Super Pro, car was running good, 5.84 to 5.86 time runs. First round of eliminations the Pro class runs first. We have a local racer, engine builder and all around great chassis guy who had a beautiful blown and injected Chevy Corvair. That's right, a Corvair. He would run mostly in test and tune, trying to get the car sorted out. It would never launch clean and he would always have to pedal the car and then get back in it to finish the run. He decided to run Pro class for the Bracket Bash and it ended in disaster. First run of eliminations the car washes out on the top end, he goes off the right side into the grass past the barriers, tries to correct and the right front wheel dug in and the car ended up barrel rolling across the track into the barrier on the opposite side. Car is destroyed and he came out of it with minor injuries. Kind of put a damper on the day. So I had a competition bye in first round of Super Pro as my competition broke. Ran a 5.86 at 116 and some change. Second round against a big block chevy powered dragster I went .495 red. Bummer! I could have bought back in but with the accident and the almost two hour delay resulting from it I decided to call it a day. Retired to the motor home and enjoyed a cold adult beverage and spectated the rest of the day from my golf cart.
Sunday was regular classes plus the Quick 16 race. I decided to try to qualify for the Quick 16 but I figured it would be a tough nut to crack as there are a lot of cars there much faster than mine, but I made the field. I was also running Super Pro again and Sunday was definitely different! I don't know if it was because I finally figured out when to let go of the button or what, but the car was on rails and I was killing the tree. My three time runs were 5.82, 5.85, 5.85 with RT of .502, .501 and .503. I thought heck, I might have something for these guys and gals today. Having little margin for error on the tree I bumped the delay box up a bit. Won first round with another 5.85 and a .510 light on a 5.85 dial. Got the bye run for second round, ran another 5.85 with a .517 light. Ran my opponent from first round again in the third round as he bought back in, he went red and I ran another 5.85 with a .515 light! Had to run a dragster fourth round so I dialed 5.85 against her 4.44 dial and took the win with another 5.85 with a .512 light. Never saw her until past the finish line when she came flying by me. After this round we had the drivers meeting and chip draw for the first round of the Quick 16. Unfortunately some heavy mist moved in and the track went into a 30 minute delay for it to clear out. With that, and the fact that it was getting late in the day the Quick 16 race was rescheduled for this coming Sunday. So now I'm in the final 3 of Super Pro, me and the other two drives do a coin toss to determine the bye run into the final. Me and a friend of mine are running each other to make it into the final round. Again I dial a 5.85 to his 5.40. Burnout and staging all routine. I launch and after hitting second gear I'm looking for him in my mirror. I see him gaining on me and just before the first MPH stripe the engine starts stumbling and I lose power. My friend goes flying by me at the line. So I pull off the track and park on the side of the return road, being fairly certain that I had broken a rocker arm. I get towed up the return road by track staff and find out that my friend had broken out! So I'm in the final, with a broke car! long story shortened, #2 exhaust rocker had broken and luck was on my side as everything else looked fine, push rod not bent, valve spring and valve all good. I had spare rocker with me but at this point it was late in the day and I didn't feel like rushing to replace it so I conceded the round and took runner up. By far the best day of racing this season for me. I'll get the rocker replaced and head back to Winterport next Sunday and see what I can do in the Quick 16!
Sunday was regular classes plus the Quick 16 race. I decided to try to qualify for the Quick 16 but I figured it would be a tough nut to crack as there are a lot of cars there much faster than mine, but I made the field. I was also running Super Pro again and Sunday was definitely different! I don't know if it was because I finally figured out when to let go of the button or what, but the car was on rails and I was killing the tree. My three time runs were 5.82, 5.85, 5.85 with RT of .502, .501 and .503. I thought heck, I might have something for these guys and gals today. Having little margin for error on the tree I bumped the delay box up a bit. Won first round with another 5.85 and a .510 light on a 5.85 dial. Got the bye run for second round, ran another 5.85 with a .517 light. Ran my opponent from first round again in the third round as he bought back in, he went red and I ran another 5.85 with a .515 light! Had to run a dragster fourth round so I dialed 5.85 against her 4.44 dial and took the win with another 5.85 with a .512 light. Never saw her until past the finish line when she came flying by me. After this round we had the drivers meeting and chip draw for the first round of the Quick 16. Unfortunately some heavy mist moved in and the track went into a 30 minute delay for it to clear out. With that, and the fact that it was getting late in the day the Quick 16 race was rescheduled for this coming Sunday. So now I'm in the final 3 of Super Pro, me and the other two drives do a coin toss to determine the bye run into the final. Me and a friend of mine are running each other to make it into the final round. Again I dial a 5.85 to his 5.40. Burnout and staging all routine. I launch and after hitting second gear I'm looking for him in my mirror. I see him gaining on me and just before the first MPH stripe the engine starts stumbling and I lose power. My friend goes flying by me at the line. So I pull off the track and park on the side of the return road, being fairly certain that I had broken a rocker arm. I get towed up the return road by track staff and find out that my friend had broken out! So I'm in the final, with a broke car! long story shortened, #2 exhaust rocker had broken and luck was on my side as everything else looked fine, push rod not bent, valve spring and valve all good. I had spare rocker with me but at this point it was late in the day and I didn't feel like rushing to replace it so I conceded the round and took runner up. By far the best day of racing this season for me. I'll get the rocker replaced and head back to Winterport next Sunday and see what I can do in the Quick 16!
