Originally sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2004 4:28 PM
Perfect weather greeted central Ohio karters Saturday evening for MSOKC Race No. 8. Practice was reduced from three sessions to two, there were no problems with the lighting system, and the program was run much more efficiently than two weeks ago, so we actually got home before midnight! There wasn't a whole lot to cheer about, however, as mechanical gremlins haunted both Conor and Henry.
Conor started Heat 1 from the fifth position (of six). He worked his way up to fourth and was working on third with a brave outside pass in Turn 4 on the first lap. The kart on the inside went wide and pushed Conor out onto the grass. He did a quick '360' and rejoined at the back of the pack. He was able to make up one position, but his lap times were off by about a second. He started Heat 2 from outside the front row and tucked in behind the pole sitter at the green flag. The pole sitter, who Conor can usually keep up with, quickly began pulling away. Conor was able to maintain second position, but just barely as his lap times were again just a tick off. While lubricating Conor's chain during the intermission, I discovered his right rear wheel bearing was not turning with the axle. The axle was turning inside the bearing instead. Time was short, but I decided that I had just enough time to replace it with a slightly used one. When I got it back together, I discovered that the slightly used one was even worse that the original! With the help of a friend, I was able to replace it with a different slightly used one just in time for the feature. Finishing positions of fifth and second put him in the fourth starting position for the feature. The pole sitter again checked out, and even the second and third place karts began to pull away from Conor. Conor reeled the second and third place karts in by mid distance (Lap 4 of 8), but could not get by. He recorded his first non-podium finish in a feature race in over a year of competition. After the race, Conor informed me that the reason he fell back at the beginning was that he had no brakes. In my haste to get things back together, I had neglected to clean the dirt and oil off of his disk brake rotor, and it took a couple of laps for it to burn off. After we got home, I also discovered that the second slightly used axle bearing was the worst of the three!
One of the eight starters in Henry's class was a national-level guy who would eventually be disqualified for using non-spec tires. He was there to test the not-yet-released 2005 Bandit chassis. Henry started his first heat race from the seventh starting position. The inside row got a good run at the green flag and Henry found himself in fourth by Turn 4. While chasing down the third place kart, Henry recorded his fastest lap ever (48.88 seconds), but eventually settled for fourth. He started from pole position in Heat 2 with the national-level guy to his outside. I told Henry on the grid, that if the national-level guy got a jump at the start, to let him go since he was not running for championship points. The start was fairly even at the front and Henry raced the national-level guy through the first few turns. He finally conceded the position in Turn 4 and just about let the third place kart through with him. He stuck right with the national-level guy for the next few laps and even appeared to be held up at one point. The pace of the first two drew them away from the rest of the field and Henry appeared to be headed for maximum points. It was not to be, however. As he was exiting Turn 8 on the fourth lap (of six), his chain inexplicably derailed leaving him stranded and dropping him from maximum points to minimum points. The wayward chain had wrapped itself around the axle at one point, so we decided to replace it during the intermission as a precautionary measure. Henry started the feature from the fifth position. He gained two spots when one of his competitors spun in front of him. One of the spots had belonged to the national-level guy, however, who reclaimed it by mid distance. He was again able to pressure for third, but could not get by. When the national-level guy was disqualified, this elevated Henry's feature race finish to third. When I asked him how he managed to avoid the spinning kart in front of him, he indicated that he had employed a technique that I had mentioned to him at one time. When someone spins in front of you, you head straight for them because, by the time you get there, they'll be gone!
Overall it was not the best of outings, but we did learn a few things. I have since replaced the rear axle bearing hangers on Conor's kart, which seemed to be the source of his problem. I have also ordered new bearings for Conor and chain guides for both karts, which are supposed to prevent the type of problem Henry experienced. We'll see how all this works at our next race, which is another Saturday evening affair on August 7, 2004.
Bill
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
MSOKC Race No. 7 - July 10, 2004
Originally sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 7:35 AM
The Bruce Brothers were back in action this past weekend after almost a month off. MSOKC Race No. 7 was a Saturday evening affair, with practice starting at 3:30 PM and racing scheduled to get underway at 6:00 PM. There was a downpour just after the gates opened at 2:00 PM, which pushed the schedule back a bit while the track dried. I have told the boys many times that races are not won during the practice sessions. This must have slipped Conor's mind, as he was involved in an incident while dicing with another kart that spun in front of him on the second lap of the first practice session. The result was significant damage to the nose of his kart. With the help of a couple of nuts and bolts, a few wire ties, and about 3 yards of duct tape, he was back in business prior to the second session. We were a bit rusty and quite a few changes were required to get both boys up to speed (correct carburetor jets, spark plugs, and tire pressures for the weather conditions, gear ratios etc.). We were a bit behind because of Conor's incident, but we managed to get to where we needed to be by the time the heat races started at about 6:45 PM.
Conor started from the third position in his first heat race. About five of the seven karts in his class ran nose to tail, with Conor third, for the first four laps (of six). The second place kart ran wide on the exit to Turn 6, which elevated him to second. On the last lap, the lead kart sputtered and Conor was able to pass. He then held on for the win. Starting from fourth in his second heat race, he made a few well-timed passes, which put him into second. The leader had built up a healthy lead by that point, so Conor had to settle for second. A first and a second earned him his first feature race pole position of the year, however. He timed his start perfectly and led the first few laps easily. Conor's main rival this year was right on his tail by mid-distance (Lap 3 of only six instead of eight because of the late start). On Lap 4, Conor's rival was able get inside on the entrance to Turn 10 and got by. Conor held on to finish second.
Henry started from outside the front row in his first heat race. He went through Turn 1 side-by-side with the pole-sitter and got by in Turn 2. His main rival was on his bumper by Lap 2, however. He made no mistakes and on the penultimate lap, his rival put two wheels on the grass, which allowed Henry to take the win uncontested. Starting sixth (of eight) in his second heat race, he made a couple of passes in the first few turns. He then got stuck behind a kart that he usually has no trouble getting around and stayed there to the finish. He had complained about a rough idle on the grid, and when we checked the spark plug, we found that the gap was almost completely closed. It is a wonder that he finished at all. The cams in these engines have such a high lift that if you don't orient the electrode in the proper direction (using different thickness washers), the valves will actually hit the spark plug and close the gap. I had changed the spark plug during the practice sessions and this was obviously the case. His heat race finishes were good enough for a front row starting position for the feature, however. Equipped with a correctly-oriented new spark plug, he tucked in behind the pole sitter (his main rival) and ran an uneventful second to the finish.
It was well after dark by the time the feature races were supposed to start. Just after the driver's meeting, all of the lights on the track and in the pits went out, the result of an overheated circuit panel. By the time this was corrected and some additional temporary lighting was erected in one of the darker spots, it was quite late. The green flag for Conor's feature race, which was after Henry's, flew at about 11:35 PM! It was a good day in the end, albeit a long one, with two heat race wins, two feature race front row starting positions, and two second place feature race finishes. In the points race for the championship, Conor gained a bit of ground on second place and Henry further solidified his second place position. Amazingly, this is the first race of the season that Conor and Henry didn’t score the exact same number of championship points! The next race, which is also a Saturday evening affair, is July 24. We are hoping that the teething problems with the lighting system are worked out by then. I also have some bodywork repairs to make...
Bill
The Bruce Brothers were back in action this past weekend after almost a month off. MSOKC Race No. 7 was a Saturday evening affair, with practice starting at 3:30 PM and racing scheduled to get underway at 6:00 PM. There was a downpour just after the gates opened at 2:00 PM, which pushed the schedule back a bit while the track dried. I have told the boys many times that races are not won during the practice sessions. This must have slipped Conor's mind, as he was involved in an incident while dicing with another kart that spun in front of him on the second lap of the first practice session. The result was significant damage to the nose of his kart. With the help of a couple of nuts and bolts, a few wire ties, and about 3 yards of duct tape, he was back in business prior to the second session. We were a bit rusty and quite a few changes were required to get both boys up to speed (correct carburetor jets, spark plugs, and tire pressures for the weather conditions, gear ratios etc.). We were a bit behind because of Conor's incident, but we managed to get to where we needed to be by the time the heat races started at about 6:45 PM.
Conor started from the third position in his first heat race. About five of the seven karts in his class ran nose to tail, with Conor third, for the first four laps (of six). The second place kart ran wide on the exit to Turn 6, which elevated him to second. On the last lap, the lead kart sputtered and Conor was able to pass. He then held on for the win. Starting from fourth in his second heat race, he made a few well-timed passes, which put him into second. The leader had built up a healthy lead by that point, so Conor had to settle for second. A first and a second earned him his first feature race pole position of the year, however. He timed his start perfectly and led the first few laps easily. Conor's main rival this year was right on his tail by mid-distance (Lap 3 of only six instead of eight because of the late start). On Lap 4, Conor's rival was able get inside on the entrance to Turn 10 and got by. Conor held on to finish second.
Henry started from outside the front row in his first heat race. He went through Turn 1 side-by-side with the pole-sitter and got by in Turn 2. His main rival was on his bumper by Lap 2, however. He made no mistakes and on the penultimate lap, his rival put two wheels on the grass, which allowed Henry to take the win uncontested. Starting sixth (of eight) in his second heat race, he made a couple of passes in the first few turns. He then got stuck behind a kart that he usually has no trouble getting around and stayed there to the finish. He had complained about a rough idle on the grid, and when we checked the spark plug, we found that the gap was almost completely closed. It is a wonder that he finished at all. The cams in these engines have such a high lift that if you don't orient the electrode in the proper direction (using different thickness washers), the valves will actually hit the spark plug and close the gap. I had changed the spark plug during the practice sessions and this was obviously the case. His heat race finishes were good enough for a front row starting position for the feature, however. Equipped with a correctly-oriented new spark plug, he tucked in behind the pole sitter (his main rival) and ran an uneventful second to the finish.
It was well after dark by the time the feature races were supposed to start. Just after the driver's meeting, all of the lights on the track and in the pits went out, the result of an overheated circuit panel. By the time this was corrected and some additional temporary lighting was erected in one of the darker spots, it was quite late. The green flag for Conor's feature race, which was after Henry's, flew at about 11:35 PM! It was a good day in the end, albeit a long one, with two heat race wins, two feature race front row starting positions, and two second place feature race finishes. In the points race for the championship, Conor gained a bit of ground on second place and Henry further solidified his second place position. Amazingly, this is the first race of the season that Conor and Henry didn’t score the exact same number of championship points! The next race, which is also a Saturday evening affair, is July 24. We are hoping that the teething problems with the lighting system are worked out by then. I also have some bodywork repairs to make...
Bill
Tuesday, June 15, 2004
MSOKC Race No. 5 - June 13, 2004
Originally sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2004 7:53 AM
Bruce Brother's Racing was back in action this past weekend. A good time was had by all and all of the equipment was brought home in one piece.
Conor's class had a fairly light turnout (four karts) as the result of several former participants having moved up a class for various reasons. Conor started on the outside of the front row for his first heat race. The winners of the two previous races started on the inside of the first two rows and timed the start perfectly. They stayed nose-to-tail through Turn 1, which left Conor nowhere to go on the outside. After some wheel banging, he settled into third place. He made a good run through Turn 4 on the second lap and was able to pass the second place kart on the entry to Turn 5 (after the long back straight). He then set his sights on the leader. He was able to apply plenty of pressure, but could not get past. On two consecutive laps, he tried a different line through Turn 7 which brought him along side the leader, (can you hear my heart beating?) but this cost them both some time. This allowed the third place kart to close the gap. Approaching the last corner of the last lap, Conor left the door open on the inside and lost a position just before the finish line. Starting again on the outside of the front row for his second heat race, it was Conor's turn to time the start perfectly. He went side-by-side through Turns 1 and 2 with the pole-sitter, which put him on the inside for Turn 3. He led the next few laps with the two previous winners close behind. He once again left the door open on the inside of turn 10, however, and the second-place kart took advantage. Conor tried to maintain his line, but was pushed up into the marbles and spun a rather spectacular "360" in front of the main grandstand. He rejoined in third place, caught back up to the first two, but could not pass. Starting from the third starting position for the feature, he ran the first few laps a close third, after which the second place kart succumbed to the pressure. He then set his sights on the leader. He was able to pull along side on several occasions, recording what had to be a class-best lap for the day of 51.17 sec, but had to settle for a well-deserved second.
The defections from Conor’s class meant a bumper crop (seven karts) for Henry’s class. He started from pole position in the first heat race. He maintained his position and led the first few laps uncontested. The winner of all but one heat race in this class this season (Henry won the other one in Race No. 2) began to apply pressure by lap 4 (of 6). Entering Turn 10, Henry left the door open and lost the position. He was able to keep in touch and finished second. Starting fifth in the second heat race, Henry made a good start (the changes we made to his clutch seem to be working), made a few well timed passes, and again finished second, abet a distant one. His best lap (49.20 seconds) seemed to be on par with the winner, however. A pair of second place finishes in the heat races earned him the second starting position for the feature. He lost a position going into Turn 1 and ran third for the next few laps. He ran wide exiting Turn 4 on Lap 3 and temporarily lost another position. He was able to make this back up, and re-connect with the second place kart, but was not able to pass. With both the humidity and the temperature increasing in the afternoon, we probably should have leaned-out the engine (by installing a smaller carburetor jet) and reduced the tire pressure, but, you know what they say about hind-sight…
Both boys maintained their position in the championship (third for Conor, second for Henry), but this was the first race weekend in a long time without at least one win in either a heat race or a feature. You know, though, the competition was so close and fair, and everyone had so much fun, that it didn’t seem to matter.
The next race is Sunday, June 20, 2004, but we will not be there. Henry and I are off to Honduras on a mission trip with a group from our church. We will be doing construction work at a facility that houses children with AIDS or that have been infected with HIV. Laura, Conor, and Peter are flying to Kansas City to spend some time with family. So, the next race for us is MSOKC Race No. 7, which will be held under the lights on Saturday, July 10, 2004. In the mean time, both boys will be thinking about how not to leave the door open in Turn 10…
Bill
Bruce Brother's Racing was back in action this past weekend. A good time was had by all and all of the equipment was brought home in one piece.
Conor's class had a fairly light turnout (four karts) as the result of several former participants having moved up a class for various reasons. Conor started on the outside of the front row for his first heat race. The winners of the two previous races started on the inside of the first two rows and timed the start perfectly. They stayed nose-to-tail through Turn 1, which left Conor nowhere to go on the outside. After some wheel banging, he settled into third place. He made a good run through Turn 4 on the second lap and was able to pass the second place kart on the entry to Turn 5 (after the long back straight). He then set his sights on the leader. He was able to apply plenty of pressure, but could not get past. On two consecutive laps, he tried a different line through Turn 7 which brought him along side the leader, (can you hear my heart beating?) but this cost them both some time. This allowed the third place kart to close the gap. Approaching the last corner of the last lap, Conor left the door open on the inside and lost a position just before the finish line. Starting again on the outside of the front row for his second heat race, it was Conor's turn to time the start perfectly. He went side-by-side through Turns 1 and 2 with the pole-sitter, which put him on the inside for Turn 3. He led the next few laps with the two previous winners close behind. He once again left the door open on the inside of turn 10, however, and the second-place kart took advantage. Conor tried to maintain his line, but was pushed up into the marbles and spun a rather spectacular "360" in front of the main grandstand. He rejoined in third place, caught back up to the first two, but could not pass. Starting from the third starting position for the feature, he ran the first few laps a close third, after which the second place kart succumbed to the pressure. He then set his sights on the leader. He was able to pull along side on several occasions, recording what had to be a class-best lap for the day of 51.17 sec, but had to settle for a well-deserved second.
The defections from Conor’s class meant a bumper crop (seven karts) for Henry’s class. He started from pole position in the first heat race. He maintained his position and led the first few laps uncontested. The winner of all but one heat race in this class this season (Henry won the other one in Race No. 2) began to apply pressure by lap 4 (of 6). Entering Turn 10, Henry left the door open and lost the position. He was able to keep in touch and finished second. Starting fifth in the second heat race, Henry made a good start (the changes we made to his clutch seem to be working), made a few well timed passes, and again finished second, abet a distant one. His best lap (49.20 seconds) seemed to be on par with the winner, however. A pair of second place finishes in the heat races earned him the second starting position for the feature. He lost a position going into Turn 1 and ran third for the next few laps. He ran wide exiting Turn 4 on Lap 3 and temporarily lost another position. He was able to make this back up, and re-connect with the second place kart, but was not able to pass. With both the humidity and the temperature increasing in the afternoon, we probably should have leaned-out the engine (by installing a smaller carburetor jet) and reduced the tire pressure, but, you know what they say about hind-sight…
Both boys maintained their position in the championship (third for Conor, second for Henry), but this was the first race weekend in a long time without at least one win in either a heat race or a feature. You know, though, the competition was so close and fair, and everyone had so much fun, that it didn’t seem to matter.
The next race is Sunday, June 20, 2004, but we will not be there. Henry and I are off to Honduras on a mission trip with a group from our church. We will be doing construction work at a facility that houses children with AIDS or that have been infected with HIV. Laura, Conor, and Peter are flying to Kansas City to spend some time with family. So, the next race for us is MSOKC Race No. 7, which will be held under the lights on Saturday, July 10, 2004. In the mean time, both boys will be thinking about how not to leave the door open in Turn 10…
Bill
Monday, June 7, 2004
MSOKC Race No. 4 – Sunday, May 30, 2004
Originally sent: Monday, June 07, 2004 2:35 PM
Bruce Brothers Racing had this past weekend off, but were in action the weekend before. In spite of threatening weather and the Memorial Day holiday, there was a good turn-out for both Junior Sportsman 2 (Conor) and Junior Unrestricted (Henry). With Great Lakes Sprint Series visiting Circleville Raceway Park the following weekend, there were a variety of national-level drivers in attendance (one in Conor's class and three in Henry's). Conor had a minor engine problem in practice that we were able to sort out prior to his first heat race and Henry seemed to acclimate well to his new Vega tires. Both boys had the benefit of a fresh chassis alignment, which Henry and I learned to do at the Chassis Set-Up seminar we had attended the weekend before.
Conor started from pole position for his first heat race and was able to maintain his position into Turn 1. With the events of the previous race in mind, he set a comfortable pace for himself and led every lap. Starting 6th in the second heat race (out of 8 starters - two relative new-comers volunteered to start from the back), he worked his way up to 3rd and was even able to put pressure on the first two in the closing laps. His heat race finishes earned him the 2nd starting position for the feature. He dropped a position at the start but was able to quickly make it back up. He then set out after the leader (the winner of the second heat race). These two circulated nose-to-tail for the next few laps with the leader clearly holding Conor up a bit. He was able to pull along side on the back stretch at on point, but this put him on a less-than-ideal line for Turn 5. He decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and backed off. He tried the inside line coming out of Turn 10 on the final lap, but came up about half a kart length short. His finishes for the day brought him closer in season points to the points leader in his class (who had an uncharacteristically lack-luster day), but he actually lost 2nd place in the championship battle to the feature race winner. The three of them are separated by a mere 16 points (460, 446, and 444).
Henry started from the 3rd position in his first heat race. He dropped two positions at the start and drove a clean race to finish 5th (out of 7 starters). Three of the four in front of him were the national-level guys who were on non-spec tires, however. Starting from 5th in the second heat race, he dropped a position at the start but was able to quickly make it back up. He was not able to match the pace of the national-level guys or of the season points leader in his class, but running by himself, he did record four nearly-identical laps that were close to his personal best. Starting from 5th in the feature, he again dropped positions at the start. There was a mid-pack melee in Turn 3 on the first lap however, and by being in the rear, Henry was able to come through without loosing too much time. He again ran most of the race by himself and finished 5th. At post race tech inspection, the national-level guys were excluded from the results, which improved Henry's results to a trio of 2nd place finishes. This moved him up to 2nd (from 3rd) in the championship battle.
During the week off, we discovered a problem with Henry's clutch. We are in the process of rectifying this, which should help him with his starts. We also have a few things to try in the engine department, which we hope will give both boys a bit more horsepower. The next race is Sunday, June 13, 2004.
Bill
Bruce Brothers Racing had this past weekend off, but were in action the weekend before. In spite of threatening weather and the Memorial Day holiday, there was a good turn-out for both Junior Sportsman 2 (Conor) and Junior Unrestricted (Henry). With Great Lakes Sprint Series visiting Circleville Raceway Park the following weekend, there were a variety of national-level drivers in attendance (one in Conor's class and three in Henry's). Conor had a minor engine problem in practice that we were able to sort out prior to his first heat race and Henry seemed to acclimate well to his new Vega tires. Both boys had the benefit of a fresh chassis alignment, which Henry and I learned to do at the Chassis Set-Up seminar we had attended the weekend before.
Conor started from pole position for his first heat race and was able to maintain his position into Turn 1. With the events of the previous race in mind, he set a comfortable pace for himself and led every lap. Starting 6th in the second heat race (out of 8 starters - two relative new-comers volunteered to start from the back), he worked his way up to 3rd and was even able to put pressure on the first two in the closing laps. His heat race finishes earned him the 2nd starting position for the feature. He dropped a position at the start but was able to quickly make it back up. He then set out after the leader (the winner of the second heat race). These two circulated nose-to-tail for the next few laps with the leader clearly holding Conor up a bit. He was able to pull along side on the back stretch at on point, but this put him on a less-than-ideal line for Turn 5. He decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and backed off. He tried the inside line coming out of Turn 10 on the final lap, but came up about half a kart length short. His finishes for the day brought him closer in season points to the points leader in his class (who had an uncharacteristically lack-luster day), but he actually lost 2nd place in the championship battle to the feature race winner. The three of them are separated by a mere 16 points (460, 446, and 444).
Henry started from the 3rd position in his first heat race. He dropped two positions at the start and drove a clean race to finish 5th (out of 7 starters). Three of the four in front of him were the national-level guys who were on non-spec tires, however. Starting from 5th in the second heat race, he dropped a position at the start but was able to quickly make it back up. He was not able to match the pace of the national-level guys or of the season points leader in his class, but running by himself, he did record four nearly-identical laps that were close to his personal best. Starting from 5th in the feature, he again dropped positions at the start. There was a mid-pack melee in Turn 3 on the first lap however, and by being in the rear, Henry was able to come through without loosing too much time. He again ran most of the race by himself and finished 5th. At post race tech inspection, the national-level guys were excluded from the results, which improved Henry's results to a trio of 2nd place finishes. This moved him up to 2nd (from 3rd) in the championship battle.
During the week off, we discovered a problem with Henry's clutch. We are in the process of rectifying this, which should help him with his starts. We also have a few things to try in the engine department, which we hope will give both boys a bit more horsepower. The next race is Sunday, June 13, 2004.
Bill
Thursday, May 20, 2004
MSOKC Race No. 3 – Sunday, May 16, 2004
Originally sent: Thursday, May 20, 2004 9:40 AM
Bruce Brothers Racing had a bit of a rough day at Circleville Raceway park on Sunday, although there were some highlights. Conor and Henry both practiced well and there was a good turn-out for both of their classes.
Conor started on pole for his first heat race with most of his main competition starting from the rear. He timed his start well, went through the first two corners side-by-side with his fellow front-row-starter, and claimed the lead in Turn 3. He then began to pull away at quite a rate while the remainder of his competitors were bottled up behind his fellow front-row-starter, who is strong on the straights but less so in the corners. By lap 3, Conor had amassed a huge lead – so much so that Henry and I tried to give him the ‘ease up’ signal from the observation tower. Our signals went unheeded, however, and in Turn 8 on the fourth lap (out of six), he got two wheels up on the curb and spun into the grass. His lead was such that he had plenty of time to get back on track and headed in the right direction without loosing the lead, but his engine sputtered and died. He sat there for quite some time with his head in his steering wheel, obviously feeling dejected. It was heartbreaking… Starting on pole in his first heat race meant that he would start from the rear in Heat 2 with most of his main competition starting up front. He managed to work his way through the pack, but by the time he had done so, his two main competitors had amassed a healthy lead and he had to settle for third. His heat race finishes earned him the fourth starting position (out of seven) for the feature. He quickly dispensed with the third place starter and latched on to the tail end of his two main competitors. The trio circulated nose-to-tail for lap after lap. Conor lost several kart lengths at one point trying a different line through Turn 4, but recorded a new personal best lap time (50.75 seconds) catching back up. He got along side the second place kart in Turn 9 on the final lap and tried his now-familiar dive-to-the-inside move out of Turn 10, but missed second place by about two feet. After an inauspicious start to the day, Conor maintained his record of never having finished outside of the top three in a feature.
Henry’s class was quite a bit bigger than it had been the week before – eight karts as opposed to four. Two of his competitors on Sunday were ‘big guns’ (if you can say that about 12 to 15 year-olds) who travel the country on the World Karting Association ‘National’ circuit. We had a peek in one of their trailers between heats – this kid had two kart chassis and eight engines to choose from! Henry started on the outside of the front row in the first heat and was able to maintain his position for the first lap or so. One of the big guns worked his way up to the back of Henry and gave him a bump as he approached his turn-in point for Turn 2. This caused him to miss his apex and the big gun got by along with Henry’s main competition from the week before. He then began to try a bit too hard, had a small spin in Turn 6, and eventually finished sixth. Starting from the seventh position in Heat 2, Henry worked his way to fourth at the finish while recording several laps in the mid 49 second range. His heat race finishes earned him the fifth starting position for the feature. We had made a tire pressure change for the feature, and this combined with another dose of trying too hard resulted in two small spins. He did manage to record several low 49 second laps (including a personal best of 49.19), but ended up finishing sixth. The two big guns were both running on non-club-spec tires, so they were both excluded from the results, which moved Henry up two positions in each of his races. Henry has been running on an old set of last season’s club-spec tire (Dunlop SL4). This race was the last for which that tire will be allowed, so we have a brand new set of the new club-spec tire (Vega SL5) that we will be installing this week. When we changed Conor over to Vega tires before the beginning of this season, he immediately improved his lap times by about a second.
Conor learned an important lesson about when to push hard and when not to, and Henry learned a bit about how the big guns play. We are hoping that Conor will soon have another opportunity to put his lesson into practice. We are also hoping that the Vega tires will have the same effect on Henry's kart as they did on Conor's. The next race is Sunday, May 30, 2004.
Bill
Bruce Brothers Racing had a bit of a rough day at Circleville Raceway park on Sunday, although there were some highlights. Conor and Henry both practiced well and there was a good turn-out for both of their classes.
Conor started on pole for his first heat race with most of his main competition starting from the rear. He timed his start well, went through the first two corners side-by-side with his fellow front-row-starter, and claimed the lead in Turn 3. He then began to pull away at quite a rate while the remainder of his competitors were bottled up behind his fellow front-row-starter, who is strong on the straights but less so in the corners. By lap 3, Conor had amassed a huge lead – so much so that Henry and I tried to give him the ‘ease up’ signal from the observation tower. Our signals went unheeded, however, and in Turn 8 on the fourth lap (out of six), he got two wheels up on the curb and spun into the grass. His lead was such that he had plenty of time to get back on track and headed in the right direction without loosing the lead, but his engine sputtered and died. He sat there for quite some time with his head in his steering wheel, obviously feeling dejected. It was heartbreaking… Starting on pole in his first heat race meant that he would start from the rear in Heat 2 with most of his main competition starting up front. He managed to work his way through the pack, but by the time he had done so, his two main competitors had amassed a healthy lead and he had to settle for third. His heat race finishes earned him the fourth starting position (out of seven) for the feature. He quickly dispensed with the third place starter and latched on to the tail end of his two main competitors. The trio circulated nose-to-tail for lap after lap. Conor lost several kart lengths at one point trying a different line through Turn 4, but recorded a new personal best lap time (50.75 seconds) catching back up. He got along side the second place kart in Turn 9 on the final lap and tried his now-familiar dive-to-the-inside move out of Turn 10, but missed second place by about two feet. After an inauspicious start to the day, Conor maintained his record of never having finished outside of the top three in a feature.
Henry’s class was quite a bit bigger than it had been the week before – eight karts as opposed to four. Two of his competitors on Sunday were ‘big guns’ (if you can say that about 12 to 15 year-olds) who travel the country on the World Karting Association ‘National’ circuit. We had a peek in one of their trailers between heats – this kid had two kart chassis and eight engines to choose from! Henry started on the outside of the front row in the first heat and was able to maintain his position for the first lap or so. One of the big guns worked his way up to the back of Henry and gave him a bump as he approached his turn-in point for Turn 2. This caused him to miss his apex and the big gun got by along with Henry’s main competition from the week before. He then began to try a bit too hard, had a small spin in Turn 6, and eventually finished sixth. Starting from the seventh position in Heat 2, Henry worked his way to fourth at the finish while recording several laps in the mid 49 second range. His heat race finishes earned him the fifth starting position for the feature. We had made a tire pressure change for the feature, and this combined with another dose of trying too hard resulted in two small spins. He did manage to record several low 49 second laps (including a personal best of 49.19), but ended up finishing sixth. The two big guns were both running on non-club-spec tires, so they were both excluded from the results, which moved Henry up two positions in each of his races. Henry has been running on an old set of last season’s club-spec tire (Dunlop SL4). This race was the last for which that tire will be allowed, so we have a brand new set of the new club-spec tire (Vega SL5) that we will be installing this week. When we changed Conor over to Vega tires before the beginning of this season, he immediately improved his lap times by about a second.
Conor learned an important lesson about when to push hard and when not to, and Henry learned a bit about how the big guns play. We are hoping that Conor will soon have another opportunity to put his lesson into practice. We are also hoping that the Vega tires will have the same effect on Henry's kart as they did on Conor's. The next race is Sunday, May 30, 2004.
Bill
Sunday, May 9, 2004
MSOKC Race No. 2 - Saturday, May 8, 2004
Originally sent: Sunday, May 09, 2004 4:00 PM
In contrast to two weeks ago, the weather for MSOKC Race No. 2 was perfect – crystal clear and 65F in the morning and 80F or so by the afternoon. We couldn’t have asked for much more in terms of results either, which were nearly identical for both boys. In the practice sessions, both Henry and Conor recorded personal-best lap times (49.27 and 51.04 seconds, respectively) and both seemed to be as fast (if not faster) than their respective competition. The random draw for starting positions in the heat races had them both starting last (fourth of four for Henry and eighth of eight for Conor) in the first heat race. Both finished a close second after working their way through the field. In the second heat race, starting from pole position, both won handily while distancing themselves from the field. Both started on the front row for the feature, got passed in the first corner, and finished second (Conor by about 12 inches, Henry by a bit more after having ‘pulled out the stops’ in the penultimate corner trying to gain an advantage). Henry ended up tied in Championship points with what appears to be his main rival (who finished last in the second heat race after having spin twice trying to catch Henry) and Conor is a mere four points behind what appears to be his main rival (who won the championship in this class last year). Both boys appear to have the necessary speed to win, but we’re going to have to work on those rolling starts. The next race is Sunday, May 16, 2004.
Bill
In contrast to two weeks ago, the weather for MSOKC Race No. 2 was perfect – crystal clear and 65F in the morning and 80F or so by the afternoon. We couldn’t have asked for much more in terms of results either, which were nearly identical for both boys. In the practice sessions, both Henry and Conor recorded personal-best lap times (49.27 and 51.04 seconds, respectively) and both seemed to be as fast (if not faster) than their respective competition. The random draw for starting positions in the heat races had them both starting last (fourth of four for Henry and eighth of eight for Conor) in the first heat race. Both finished a close second after working their way through the field. In the second heat race, starting from pole position, both won handily while distancing themselves from the field. Both started on the front row for the feature, got passed in the first corner, and finished second (Conor by about 12 inches, Henry by a bit more after having ‘pulled out the stops’ in the penultimate corner trying to gain an advantage). Henry ended up tied in Championship points with what appears to be his main rival (who finished last in the second heat race after having spin twice trying to catch Henry) and Conor is a mere four points behind what appears to be his main rival (who won the championship in this class last year). Both boys appear to have the necessary speed to win, but we’re going to have to work on those rolling starts. The next race is Sunday, May 16, 2004.
Bill
Tuesday, May 4, 2004
MSOKC Race No. 1 - Sunday, April 25, 2004
Originally sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2004 2:37 PM
The 2004 Mid State of Ohio Kart Club season got off to a soggy start two Sundays ago. After a long off-season of preparation, Race No. 1 was postponed because of rain, which started during the first practice session of the day. The make-up date is Sunday, September 19.
During the off-season, we have had to come to grips with a new class for Conor (Junior Sportsman II - 9 to 12 year olds, modified engine with a turquoise restrictor plate running on alcohol, 265 lb minimum-required total weight) and had to get Henry prepared for his first season of competition (Junior Unrestricted - 12 to 15 year olds, modified engine with no restrictor plate running on alcohol, 305 lb minimum-required total weight). We had the engine that came on Henry's kart rebuilt for Conor and we purchased a 'new' rebuilt engine for Henry. In the half dozen or so practice sessions we've attended at Circleville Raceway Park this spring, both boys have worked their way down to what we hope will be competitive lap times (and Conor is nipping at Henry's heels!). Only time will tell, however. The next race is this Saturday, May 8. Racing gets underway at about noon. The full season schedule is as follows:
Race 1 April 25 - Sunday (postponed)
Race 2 May 8 - Saturday
Race 3 May 16 - Sunday
Race 4 May 30 - Sunday
Race 5 June 13 - Sunday
Race 6 June 20 - Sunday
Race 7 July 10 - Saturday
Race 8 July 24 - Saturday
Race 9 August 7 - Saturday
Race 10 August 15 - Sunday
Race 11 August 28 - Saturday
Race 12 September 11 - Saturday
RAIN DATE September 19 - Sunday
Race 13 September 26 - Sunday
RAIN DATE October 3 - Sunday
We hope to see you at the race track sometime this season. Circleville Raceway Park is on U.S. Route 23 just North of Circleville (across from and a bit south of 84 Lumber).
Bill
Bill
The 2004 Mid State of Ohio Kart Club season got off to a soggy start two Sundays ago. After a long off-season of preparation, Race No. 1 was postponed because of rain, which started during the first practice session of the day. The make-up date is Sunday, September 19.
During the off-season, we have had to come to grips with a new class for Conor (Junior Sportsman II - 9 to 12 year olds, modified engine with a turquoise restrictor plate running on alcohol, 265 lb minimum-required total weight) and had to get Henry prepared for his first season of competition (Junior Unrestricted - 12 to 15 year olds, modified engine with no restrictor plate running on alcohol, 305 lb minimum-required total weight). We had the engine that came on Henry's kart rebuilt for Conor and we purchased a 'new' rebuilt engine for Henry. In the half dozen or so practice sessions we've attended at Circleville Raceway Park this spring, both boys have worked their way down to what we hope will be competitive lap times (and Conor is nipping at Henry's heels!). Only time will tell, however. The next race is this Saturday, May 8. Racing gets underway at about noon. The full season schedule is as follows:
Race 1 April 25 - Sunday (postponed)
Race 2 May 8 - Saturday
Race 3 May 16 - Sunday
Race 4 May 30 - Sunday
Race 5 June 13 - Sunday
Race 6 June 20 - Sunday
Race 7 July 10 - Saturday
Race 8 July 24 - Saturday
Race 9 August 7 - Saturday
Race 10 August 15 - Sunday
Race 11 August 28 - Saturday
Race 12 September 11 - Saturday
RAIN DATE September 19 - Sunday
Race 13 September 26 - Sunday
RAIN DATE October 3 - Sunday
We hope to see you at the race track sometime this season. Circleville Raceway Park is on U.S. Route 23 just North of Circleville (across from and a bit south of 84 Lumber).
Bill
Bill
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
