Went into Saturday's race in 5th spot, we were only able to race 7 of the 12 races due to track being underwater during the huge flood we had this year, and then add rain out's in the mix, so it sucked. So saturday i had my game plan mapped out with who i had to chase to stop any further progress on their part...just had to be lucky enough to be chipped to race them. Then i had to deal with 2 guys on my azz that given car count coudl've made a run and surpassed me if i screwed up.

Saturday i had a clean 5 rounds into the semi finals, 1&2 place guy's went out 2nd and 3rd round so i made a little ground up there, but lost the 5th round when my car had a slight stumble..missed the shift by 300rpm...and it's that touchey. i had the nitrous at the ready, but it got real close at the stripe due to difference in R/T's, he ended up pulling out the victory by a .0074 MOV.....but i had moved into 3rd spot and now there was only a half round difference between 1st through 3rd spot. Sunday was gonna be a cat fight to the finish.

Sunday rolls around, car had a stumble again, same spot and ran waaay off what the weather said it should run. 2nd time run was the car's fastest pass of the weekend...great, slowest pass of the weekend at 6.91 and fastest 6.83, so what to dial. figured a 6.87 would be safe. I knew i had to stop the 4th place guy since he stood a chance of surpassing me, and has been on fire this year winning races regardless of points count since he suffers the same disease i do..lose first round then go deep into the race LOL!! I chaced him up there, we got chipped together to run...sweet. hope my dial is right LOL!! Welp, the problem i fought this spring in good air, came back and haunted me since i never rectified the situation, R/T's sunday were all over...even throughout the rest of the day...but during 1st round when i needed to win to get busy trying to win the series, i lost went 4 rounds after that and lost due to breaking out...R/T bit me again.

Still happy i got to finish the season, the car's always been top 5 since the beginning, but i'm tired of being the brides maid LOL!! the last few year i raced serious before my "break" i was in first or second place in track points and track summit super series points all season, then lost my first engine with 2 races left, so that was my season and finished 5th. So, if the car does'nt sell this fall/winter i'll get it fixed RIGHT engine and chasis wise and continue to smack around all these purpose built, track only race cars with my street slug I sponsor my nephew in his jr. ddragster, he's been leading points all season, stepping up from a 12.90 to a 8.90 motor last week...WRONG descion, he ended up going out first round both days and lost the championship by half a round. So a 3rd and 2nd place finish for the IHI car's

 

Are you coming out for the Div 5 finals?

 

heeeck no it'd be fun, but to spend what it'd take to get over there for a ET final and how they're races are set up...nope. actually we have zero cars from our track signed upto go

If it goes to K.C. next year, we'll probably go since that's within reason and i'll use that as my "new track for the year" thing to do.

Good luck to ya though

 

Actually, I didn't make the team because my diff broke the last qualifying points race. Maybe I could sign up on your track's team. . .

It'll be back in Topeka next year. The only tracks that get it are nationals-level tracks.

(Ah, come on out - fuel prices are down. . .)

 

My buddy that races in Nebraska...schrimner i think, said not many guys are going from that track either. tow money is up with fuel prices obviously, the gambler races are a joke with the amount of cars typically attending since you have to win it to get any cash, and then the run off's on sunday...who cares, we race for money!!!! Luckily our track is having big money races during that weekend since they had the foresight from last year to know nobody would be going this year LOL!!

I called my buddy that won pro class and asked if he was going to head west to do the race of champions, and figured since his sister lives in colorado it'd be a double visit type thing for them, but our manager told him a track needs at least 5 entries to even be written onto the ballot so to speak for a track entry, and since our track did'nt have anybody he would'nt be able to run the champion race...which he did'nt care since he's not going anyhow.

Years ago when we had the finals at Cordova, the ONLY reason we all went was because it was close to home, and was just a place to go for the weekend for visting with good friends, close the season out, it only took the first year to realize the pay schedule is a joke, and it's more about the fun than anything else, so it's definately not a race we ever plan to attend unless it's close and we have nothing better to do.

 

A couple of my close buddies have won Pro and S/Pro Classes this season. And my sons closest friend has got 2nd in S/Pro. All are going to INDY tomorrow night for Division 3 finals. It does cost a lot to go to one of those, I'm just a fun racer, and wouldn't go even if I had won. Although being track champion does have it's benifits. Wouldn't mind having a gold card for entree fees.

 

Here they make all the class winners run off for the gold card, they flip a coin to pair the class winners. winner takes all so to speak.

Even for use to goto cordova, i've never not spent at least $12-1500 for the weekend...and it's only two hours away, now i'm driving 12 hours one way...LOL!! to race a explotation race designed to make the hosting track an *** load of money..no thanks

 

Boy that would be a heck of a race between those two. They are very good friends also. Rick has a 67 firebird with a 455, runs 6.teens and Tod has a 70 Chevelle runs 5.80/6.00 depending on the weather. Both are very good on the tree, and have won several races this season.

 

I might go to topeka next year, neither my sister or i qualified for finals this year, but there was no way we could afford to trailer one, drive the other, and buy hotel and food lol. Last year Topeka was fun, got to see a couple of my friends that go to K state. I went out to Milan the last year my track was IHRA, the first year it wasn't in Cordova. Got a couple big trophies and my picture in DRM, but man was that a trek, 8 to 9 hours each way lol

 

I'm not sure what the split is, but it's an NHRA-run race. I think the track gets the spectator gate and parking (usually small, like most bracket races), and concessions.

Our track gives a gold card to every series/class champ. About 30 a year.

I realize this is your thread, and the division finals not the topic, but you've done a pretty thorough job of dissin' my perennial season goal.

I'll just go curl up in the corner now. . .

 

i did'nt mean to be all pesimistic about it, just stating the opinons 80% of long time racers share about racing for points and ET finals stuff. You race for the cash each day, or why show up? points is pointless, a person gets caught up worrying about that crap and they forget the purse at the end of the race is what it's really about.

Sporstman class racing is still fun, hardly any investment, low entries, nothing to lose, just show up and have a good time. Pro and S/P class, it is no longer fun, no longer a hobby or somthing to do. Getting a car set up to win or consistantly be at the top requires alot of money, time on the car making sure it's all tip top, and being able to focus on the game...kinda why in these classes you wont see too much running around between trailers, racers visting too much with others, they keep to themselves until they're done racing, and then they will open up and have fun....it is just too much at stake to think it's fun anymore, i was told this by many when i moved up, and 2nd season once the newness wore off, i new exactly what they're were talking about.

If your having fun, screw what anybody else thinks, you do your thing and if your happy at the end of the day that's all that really matters

 

Our biggest car count is for a no-payout, 2-class street-legal "club" series. It's all about fun. Bunch of BBQ's, jawin', etc.

They do award gold cards, though. Even if you don't race that series the next year, you've got free T&T for the year.