Originally sent: May 16, 2006 3:30 PM
NEWS – Bruce Brothers Racing had another good event a week ago Saturday at the first night race of the season. After some early problems with Conor's engine, he and Henry both recorded personal best lap times. Peter also had a milestone day, in almost more ways than one.
PRACTICE – We made a pretty radical change to the setup on Peter's kart prior to this event. In practice, this didn't seem to have a detrimental effect on his lap times, which was good, since I knew that it would help him with his starts. Conor did well in his first practice session, but in the second session, he came to a stop on the back straightaway on his second lap. Retrieving a kart on one of track-owned golf carts is a rare experience for us, as reliability seems to be one of our strong points. Conor reported that the engine made a weird noise coming out of Turn 4, so he shut it off. When we got back to out pit area, I got to experience the weird noise firsthand when we tried to start it. Our good friend Butch McCall confirmed that we indeed had a major problem. As I was informing Conor that his day of racing was over (we have no spare engine), the parents of Conor's primary competition offered to let us 'break in' one of their brand new spare engines. We quickly accepted, but as all this was happening, Henry was preparing to go out for his second practice session. While I went to look after Henry, Butch offered to work on swapping engines. On his third lap, Henry recorded a 45.08, a personal best by nearly half a second. By the time I got back to our pit area, Butch had the switch just about complete.
PETER – ROOKIE BOX – Peter had five competitors in his class for Race No. 3. Starting from pole position in the first heat, he brought the field around slowly, which worked to his favor. When they got on the throttle as the starter waived the green flag, Peter clearly had an acceleration advantage over his fellow front row starter. He pulled out a bit of a lead over the next lap or so, but he soon had a kart right on his tail. He was able to hold them off to the finish, however, recording his first career heat race win. In the second heat, starting from the fourth position, he made another good start and was up to third by Turn 3. He found a way past the kart in front of him on the third lap and finished second. For the feature, which got started after the sun went down, we added a bit of air pressure to make the tires come up to temperature a bit more quickly. Starting from the pole position, Peter again brought the field around slowly (almost painfully so), and made another great start. He was able to hold off the kart behind him for a lap or so, but then dropped to second. Under the lights, the lead group ran lap times that were about 2 sec slower than they ran during the daylight hours. Peter ran right on the tail of the leader for several laps. On the white flag lap, Peter got a great run through Turn 4 and snuck under the leader going into Turn 5. He held the lead through Turn 9, but left the door open in Turn 10. The kart behind him made a desperate dive to the inside and beat Peter to the checkered flag by 0.009 seconds – a mere 6 inches or so. Peter was very disappointed, but a good lesson was learned. His first feature race win can't be far away.
CONOR – JR. UNRESTRICTED – The use of a brand new, top-of-the-line engine was a dream-come-true for Conor. It was also a good opportunity to see how much this would help us. Conor's class again had five competitors. At the start of the first heat, from the second position, Conor made a good start and slid into second. He was a bit tentative in the first few laps, which let the leader get away. After that, his lap time began to improve. His previous best lap time had been a 49.33. Late in the race, Conor actually began to catch the leader, and with the leader in sight, his final lap was a new personal best of 48.46. We later learned that the leader had a rear axle bearing that was tightening up. If there had been another lap, Conor may have gotten by. Starting from the pole position in the second heat, Conor got passed by the eventual winner going into Turn 1. With an on-par engine, this is an indication that our clutch may need some work. Conor circulated comfortably in second, at about half a second a lap slower than the leader. With an on-par engine, this is an indication that our chassis is not up to par, but isn't too bad considering that it's six years old. The feature was much like the second heat. Conor started from second and ran there to the finish. This will be a reoccurring theme for Conor throughout the season. It was nice to see how much improvement was possible with a brand new, top-of-the-line engine.
HENRY – 80cc SHIFTER – Henry's excellent practice times were a good indication of what the remainder of the day had in store for him. He started the first heat from the outside of the fourth row (of 11 starters). When the flag dropped, his reaction time was good, but he had to check up for a slower kart in from of him. When he did, he fell all the way to the rear. He made up a couple of positions when he went by several karts that had gone into the grass in Turn 2. He inherited one more position and earned two more and finished sixth. Starting fourth in the second heat, he got away cleanly and maintained his position. He lost a position to a faster kart at about mid-distance, but made one up late in the race with a good pass on the inside of Turn 3. He finished where he started. His heat race finishes earned him the fifth starting spot for the feature. He made another good start and tucked in behind the fourth place kart. After several laps, it was apparent that the fourth place kart was holding Henry up, which allowed the two karts behind him to close the gap. On the sixth lap or so (of 10), Henry repeated is inside pass in Turn 3. The two karts behind Henry were also able to get by and were applying pressure again on the next lap. Henry's pace was too much for the kart immediately behind, as he went into the grass a lap later. Henry cruised to a well-earned fourth place – his best feature race finish in this class. Our objective just two short races ago was for him not to get lapped. On Saturday, Henry lapped what must have been four of the other karts in his class.
NEXT RACE – The next race, which is Sunday, May 21, 2006, at Circleville Raceway Park, will be an interesting one. Prior to the beginning of the season, the club decided to add some variety by running one of the events in the opposite direction and one using the short version of the course (using the cut-off between Turns 3 and 7). The next race is the one in the opposite direction, which hasn't been done in quite some time. Henry and Conor think that they will have an advantage as the result of their SCCA autocross experience, which involves acclimating to a new course each time. We hope to get to the track on Friday or Saturday of this week, which will be the only two opportunities to practice on the track in this direction. This will also give us a chance to break in Conor's engine, which is being rebuilt.
Bill
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Wednesday, May 3, 2006
MSOKC Race No. 2 - April 23, 2006
Originally sent: Wednesday, May 03, 2006 3:46 AM
NEWS – Race No. 2 of the 2006 MSOKC season was another good event for Bruce Brothers Racing a week ago this past Sunday. Conor and Henry both recorded personal best lap times and Peter continued to acclimate to his new chassis. We had a few minor problems, but were able to overcome these without too much difficulty.
PRACTICE – Peter and Conor were both a bit tentative in their first practice session, as the track was a bit ‘green’ as the result of an overnight rain shower. Henry was not, however, and spun entering Turn 5 on his first lap out when the group of karts in front of him checked up more that he anticipated. Turn 5 is about as far away as you can get from the grid area and still be on the property. By the time I got there on one of the tracks painfully-slow golf carts and gave him a push start, the session was just about over. This loss of practice time was particularly disappointing as this was only Henry’s third time out in his new kart. We made a small front end adjustment Peter’s kart and changed carburetor jets and gear ratios on Conor’s kart, all of which seemed to help in the subsequent practice sessions. Henry also managed to run well in his second session, knocking his personal best lap time down from a 47.18 to a 46.60.
PETER - ROOKIE BOX – Peter had one additional competitor in his class for Race No. 2, bringing the total to six. In his first heat, starting from the pole position, he maintained his position at the start and led the first lap. He and the second place kart had opened up a bit of a gap on the rest of the field, but on the entry to Turn 5, the trailing kart was able to make a move on the inside. As was the case last year, Peter seemed to pick up the pace when he had someone to follow. He tucked in behind the leader and was easily able to hold the others at bay, but the leader began to creep away and he finished second. In the second heat, starting from the fourth position, he got caught out going into Turn 3 and lost a position. The slower karts in the group in front of him were dicing among themselves at about four seconds a lap slower than Peter had run in the previous heat. Because of this dicing, he was unable pass and finished a frustrating fifth. In the feature, starting from third, he held his position at the start and ran there to the finish without any drama. For the next race, we are going to make a few changes that we hope will make Peter even more competitive.
CONOR - JR. UNRESTRICTED - Conor’s class also had one additional competitor for a total of five. At the start of the first heat, from the second position, Conor had to settle for third in Turn 3 when the two karts on the inside were able hook up nose-to-tail. The leader pulled away, but Conor was all over the back of the second place kart. At about mid-distance, he was able to pull along side on the approach to Turn 5, but couldn’t make it stick. On the next lap, he began setting up a pass in Turn 9. He built his momentum through Turns 10 and 1, and was able to shoot by in Turn 2 – it was a real thing of beauty. He quickly pulled away and finished second. Conor got a better start in the second heat, going from fourth to second by Turn 3. Both he and the leader were passed by the eventual winner on Lap 2. Conor was obviously being held up by the kart in front of him, and just past mid-distance, was able to make the pass. He again pulled away and finished second. From the outside of the front row in the feature, he maintained his position at the start and finished second. He was able to pull away from the next fastest kart by about a second a lap, but also lost about the same amount each lap to the leader and eventual winner. In the process, however, he did record a personal best lap time of 49.33, which is just about a half a second slower than Henry’s best lap time in that class from last year.
HENRY - 80cc SHIFTER – There were once again a good number of participants in Henry’s class – 11. As was the case for race No. 1, we decided that the rear of the grid was the place for Henry to the heat races because of his inexperience with standing starts. This proved to be a good decision, as at the drop of the green flag, he got away relatively slowly. He was able to make one pass on Lap 2 and another on Lap 4, and finished ninth. In his second heat, again starting from the rear, he made a much better start. He worked his way past several karts with a bit more urgency this time. On lap 3, with clear track in front of him, he lowered his personal best lap time to an amazing 45.46 – almost two seconds faster than the previous race. In the closing stages, he had closed in on a group of karts in front of him, but decided not to risk any late race heroics. The kart immediately in front of him was the previous owner of Henry’s kart, and as we are still seeking his advice occasionally, I was glad to see Henry practice that discretion. Since he had done so well in the heat races, we decided that it would be appropriate the let him take his earned starting position – seventh – for the feature. He made a great start and was up to sixthby Turn 3. A kart two in front of Henry – the previous owner – went wide in Turn 7 on the first lap and both Henry and the kart in front were able to get by. Henry was able to stay close to the kart in front of him, who wasn’t too far from the leaders, and finished fifth, recording a 45.50 along the way. This was an excellent result considering our objective during the previous race was to avoid being lapped.I have nothing but hope for further improvement, and some changes that we have planned, including a gear ratio change and repair of a broken seat that we discovered just before the feature, should help.
NEXT RACE – Race No. 2 was rewarding in a number of ways, but seeing the improvements made by Henry was particularly rewarding. The next race is Saturday, May 6, 2006, at Circleville Raceway Park, which is the first of four under-the-lights night races of the season. Gates open at 2:00 and racing gets underway at 5:00.
Bill
NEWS – Race No. 2 of the 2006 MSOKC season was another good event for Bruce Brothers Racing a week ago this past Sunday. Conor and Henry both recorded personal best lap times and Peter continued to acclimate to his new chassis. We had a few minor problems, but were able to overcome these without too much difficulty.
PRACTICE – Peter and Conor were both a bit tentative in their first practice session, as the track was a bit ‘green’ as the result of an overnight rain shower. Henry was not, however, and spun entering Turn 5 on his first lap out when the group of karts in front of him checked up more that he anticipated. Turn 5 is about as far away as you can get from the grid area and still be on the property. By the time I got there on one of the tracks painfully-slow golf carts and gave him a push start, the session was just about over. This loss of practice time was particularly disappointing as this was only Henry’s third time out in his new kart. We made a small front end adjustment Peter’s kart and changed carburetor jets and gear ratios on Conor’s kart, all of which seemed to help in the subsequent practice sessions. Henry also managed to run well in his second session, knocking his personal best lap time down from a 47.18 to a 46.60.
PETER - ROOKIE BOX – Peter had one additional competitor in his class for Race No. 2, bringing the total to six. In his first heat, starting from the pole position, he maintained his position at the start and led the first lap. He and the second place kart had opened up a bit of a gap on the rest of the field, but on the entry to Turn 5, the trailing kart was able to make a move on the inside. As was the case last year, Peter seemed to pick up the pace when he had someone to follow. He tucked in behind the leader and was easily able to hold the others at bay, but the leader began to creep away and he finished second. In the second heat, starting from the fourth position, he got caught out going into Turn 3 and lost a position. The slower karts in the group in front of him were dicing among themselves at about four seconds a lap slower than Peter had run in the previous heat. Because of this dicing, he was unable pass and finished a frustrating fifth. In the feature, starting from third, he held his position at the start and ran there to the finish without any drama. For the next race, we are going to make a few changes that we hope will make Peter even more competitive.
CONOR - JR. UNRESTRICTED - Conor’s class also had one additional competitor for a total of five. At the start of the first heat, from the second position, Conor had to settle for third in Turn 3 when the two karts on the inside were able hook up nose-to-tail. The leader pulled away, but Conor was all over the back of the second place kart. At about mid-distance, he was able to pull along side on the approach to Turn 5, but couldn’t make it stick. On the next lap, he began setting up a pass in Turn 9. He built his momentum through Turns 10 and 1, and was able to shoot by in Turn 2 – it was a real thing of beauty. He quickly pulled away and finished second. Conor got a better start in the second heat, going from fourth to second by Turn 3. Both he and the leader were passed by the eventual winner on Lap 2. Conor was obviously being held up by the kart in front of him, and just past mid-distance, was able to make the pass. He again pulled away and finished second. From the outside of the front row in the feature, he maintained his position at the start and finished second. He was able to pull away from the next fastest kart by about a second a lap, but also lost about the same amount each lap to the leader and eventual winner. In the process, however, he did record a personal best lap time of 49.33, which is just about a half a second slower than Henry’s best lap time in that class from last year.
HENRY - 80cc SHIFTER – There were once again a good number of participants in Henry’s class – 11. As was the case for race No. 1, we decided that the rear of the grid was the place for Henry to the heat races because of his inexperience with standing starts. This proved to be a good decision, as at the drop of the green flag, he got away relatively slowly. He was able to make one pass on Lap 2 and another on Lap 4, and finished ninth. In his second heat, again starting from the rear, he made a much better start. He worked his way past several karts with a bit more urgency this time. On lap 3, with clear track in front of him, he lowered his personal best lap time to an amazing 45.46 – almost two seconds faster than the previous race. In the closing stages, he had closed in on a group of karts in front of him, but decided not to risk any late race heroics. The kart immediately in front of him was the previous owner of Henry’s kart, and as we are still seeking his advice occasionally, I was glad to see Henry practice that discretion. Since he had done so well in the heat races, we decided that it would be appropriate the let him take his earned starting position – seventh – for the feature. He made a great start and was up to sixthby Turn 3. A kart two in front of Henry – the previous owner – went wide in Turn 7 on the first lap and both Henry and the kart in front were able to get by. Henry was able to stay close to the kart in front of him, who wasn’t too far from the leaders, and finished fifth, recording a 45.50 along the way. This was an excellent result considering our objective during the previous race was to avoid being lapped.I have nothing but hope for further improvement, and some changes that we have planned, including a gear ratio change and repair of a broken seat that we discovered just before the feature, should help.
NEXT RACE – Race No. 2 was rewarding in a number of ways, but seeing the improvements made by Henry was particularly rewarding. The next race is Saturday, May 6, 2006, at Circleville Raceway Park, which is the first of four under-the-lights night races of the season. Gates open at 2:00 and racing gets underway at 5:00.
Bill
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
MSOKC Race No. 1 - April 9, 2006
Originally sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2006 3:22 PM
NEWS - The 2006 Mid State of Ohio Kart Club (MSOKC) season got off to a reasonable start for Bruce Brothers Racing the weekend before the Easter holiday, which included blue sky, plenty of sunshine, and unseasonably warm temperatures. As was the case last season, we were only able to find time for one practice session prior to Race No. 1. This did not bother Conor and Peter too much, but Henry began the day having only a limited number of laps in his new shifter kart. On top of that, he developed a fuel pick-up problem in practice that took us most of the day to sort out.
PRACTICE - Practice for the first race of the season is the first real chance to see how many competitors there will be in each of the classes. Conor and Peter both practiced well on Sunday, but the number of karts in both of their classes was disappointing – four for Conor and five for Peter. The size of Peter’s class was particularly disappointing, as we had been led to believe that there would be as many as seven new-comers. We are hoping for more in both classes in the coming races. Kart count in Henry’s class wasn’t an issue, as 12 or so showed up for opening day. Henry seemed to do okay in the first few laps of each of his practice sessions. After this, the engine seemed to be starving for fuel as he would exit the corners. Since this is a new kart for us with new systems, including a vacuum operated circulating fuel pump, we had to scrounge the pits for help.
PETER - ROOKIE BOX - Peter's class had one return competitor and three new faces. Peter started from the third position in Heat 1. The pole-sitter motored off while Peter was delayed by the other kart that had started in front of him. In Turn 4 on lap two, the kart in front of him slowed suddenly and the nose of Peter’s kart rode up over the rear of the hobbled kart. Peter had to get out and help the corner worker get them untangled. Peter fell to fourth but slowly began to work his way back up. By lap four, he was into third and pressuring the kart in second. On the approach to Turn 3, he over-cooked it a bit and had a half spin. He didn’t loose too much time and actually caught and passed the kart in front of him before the checkered flag to finish second. Peter’s second heat was a bit less eventful (thankfully). He started from the pole position, got passed going into Turn 1, and followed the eventual winner without any pressure from behind. In the feature, starting from second, he maintained his position at the start and again followed he eventual winner to the checkered flag. He was even able to apply a bit of pressure toward the end. His best lap was a 0:59.09, which is still a bit off of his best lap from last year (0:57.67) but a good place from which to start the new season.
CONOR - JR. UNRESTRICTED - Conor’s class this year is the one Henry was in last year. Two of the competitors were returnees from last season, one of which competed on the national level last year and will do so again this year. Conor lined up on the pole position for his first heat, got passed in Turn 1, and ran a lonely second until the end. He started the second heat from the third position and ran there until about lap three, when he was able to make a pass on the approach to Turn 5. The leader continued to pull away, so he finished second. One of the changes that was made during the off-season was to change the race day procedure from 6-6-8 lap format to 6-6-10 laps (Peter’s feature race was cut short because of a concern for available daylight). Conor has a lot of stamina, so he was looking forward to this. Although he turned his best lap of the day late in his feature (0:49.63), the number of additional laps did not come into play. Conor started from the second position and ran there until the finish. Like with Henry last year, we have quite a bit of work ahead of us if we’re going to run up front in this class this year.
HENRY - 80cc SHIFTER - Between practice and Henry’s first heat, we borrowed and installed a spare fuel pump from one of the other competitors in his class, hoping this would solve the problem. It did not, but at least Henry got to experience his first standing start, which is standard procedure for this class. The problem reoccurred during the first lap, but he persevered until the end. Between his first and second heat, we borrowed another fuel pump, hoping this would solve the problem. It did not, but at least Henry got to experience another standing start. During the intermission prior to the feature, we recruited a volunteer to give Henry’s new kart a test drive. That resulted in a confirmation that it was a fuel problem, but no pin-pointing of the problem. I had to leave our pit area to get Conor away for his feature. When I returned, another unsolicited volunteer had pin-pointed the problem to a clog in a quick-release mechanism in the fuel return line. We got everything put back together and Henry to the grid area just as the field was being released for the formation lap. He started at the rear, got away well, and ran at the back of the pack without loosing too much time. His lap times improved each lap until he would make a shifting mistake, and then it would take him a lap or so the regain his composure. He passed a kart on lap seven and was not only able to hold him off until the end, he began to catch several others as well. He recorded a 0:47.18 along the way. With his one pass and several DNSs (did not starts) for various reasons, he ended up finishing eighth.
NEXT RACE - Henry’s recovery from a near-disastrous day was at least as rewarding as Peter’s and Conor’s relatively uneventful days. Henry’s fuel system has been re-plumed and we have several things to try for both Peter and Conor. The next race is Sunday, April 23, 2006, at Circleville Raceway Park.
Bill
NEWS - The 2006 Mid State of Ohio Kart Club (MSOKC) season got off to a reasonable start for Bruce Brothers Racing the weekend before the Easter holiday, which included blue sky, plenty of sunshine, and unseasonably warm temperatures. As was the case last season, we were only able to find time for one practice session prior to Race No. 1. This did not bother Conor and Peter too much, but Henry began the day having only a limited number of laps in his new shifter kart. On top of that, he developed a fuel pick-up problem in practice that took us most of the day to sort out.
PRACTICE - Practice for the first race of the season is the first real chance to see how many competitors there will be in each of the classes. Conor and Peter both practiced well on Sunday, but the number of karts in both of their classes was disappointing – four for Conor and five for Peter. The size of Peter’s class was particularly disappointing, as we had been led to believe that there would be as many as seven new-comers. We are hoping for more in both classes in the coming races. Kart count in Henry’s class wasn’t an issue, as 12 or so showed up for opening day. Henry seemed to do okay in the first few laps of each of his practice sessions. After this, the engine seemed to be starving for fuel as he would exit the corners. Since this is a new kart for us with new systems, including a vacuum operated circulating fuel pump, we had to scrounge the pits for help.
PETER - ROOKIE BOX - Peter's class had one return competitor and three new faces. Peter started from the third position in Heat 1. The pole-sitter motored off while Peter was delayed by the other kart that had started in front of him. In Turn 4 on lap two, the kart in front of him slowed suddenly and the nose of Peter’s kart rode up over the rear of the hobbled kart. Peter had to get out and help the corner worker get them untangled. Peter fell to fourth but slowly began to work his way back up. By lap four, he was into third and pressuring the kart in second. On the approach to Turn 3, he over-cooked it a bit and had a half spin. He didn’t loose too much time and actually caught and passed the kart in front of him before the checkered flag to finish second. Peter’s second heat was a bit less eventful (thankfully). He started from the pole position, got passed going into Turn 1, and followed the eventual winner without any pressure from behind. In the feature, starting from second, he maintained his position at the start and again followed he eventual winner to the checkered flag. He was even able to apply a bit of pressure toward the end. His best lap was a 0:59.09, which is still a bit off of his best lap from last year (0:57.67) but a good place from which to start the new season.
CONOR - JR. UNRESTRICTED - Conor’s class this year is the one Henry was in last year. Two of the competitors were returnees from last season, one of which competed on the national level last year and will do so again this year. Conor lined up on the pole position for his first heat, got passed in Turn 1, and ran a lonely second until the end. He started the second heat from the third position and ran there until about lap three, when he was able to make a pass on the approach to Turn 5. The leader continued to pull away, so he finished second. One of the changes that was made during the off-season was to change the race day procedure from 6-6-8 lap format to 6-6-10 laps (Peter’s feature race was cut short because of a concern for available daylight). Conor has a lot of stamina, so he was looking forward to this. Although he turned his best lap of the day late in his feature (0:49.63), the number of additional laps did not come into play. Conor started from the second position and ran there until the finish. Like with Henry last year, we have quite a bit of work ahead of us if we’re going to run up front in this class this year.
HENRY - 80cc SHIFTER - Between practice and Henry’s first heat, we borrowed and installed a spare fuel pump from one of the other competitors in his class, hoping this would solve the problem. It did not, but at least Henry got to experience his first standing start, which is standard procedure for this class. The problem reoccurred during the first lap, but he persevered until the end. Between his first and second heat, we borrowed another fuel pump, hoping this would solve the problem. It did not, but at least Henry got to experience another standing start. During the intermission prior to the feature, we recruited a volunteer to give Henry’s new kart a test drive. That resulted in a confirmation that it was a fuel problem, but no pin-pointing of the problem. I had to leave our pit area to get Conor away for his feature. When I returned, another unsolicited volunteer had pin-pointed the problem to a clog in a quick-release mechanism in the fuel return line. We got everything put back together and Henry to the grid area just as the field was being released for the formation lap. He started at the rear, got away well, and ran at the back of the pack without loosing too much time. His lap times improved each lap until he would make a shifting mistake, and then it would take him a lap or so the regain his composure. He passed a kart on lap seven and was not only able to hold him off until the end, he began to catch several others as well. He recorded a 0:47.18 along the way. With his one pass and several DNSs (did not starts) for various reasons, he ended up finishing eighth.
NEXT RACE - Henry’s recovery from a near-disastrous day was at least as rewarding as Peter’s and Conor’s relatively uneventful days. Henry’s fuel system has been re-plumed and we have several things to try for both Peter and Conor. The next race is Sunday, April 23, 2006, at Circleville Raceway Park.
Bill
Friday, March 31, 2006
2006 MSOKC Season Preview
Originally sent: Friday, March 31, 2006 3:43 PM
First of all, if you'd like to discontinue receiving these updates (or if you never wanted to receive them in the first place), just let me know by return email. No hard feelings - I promise.
Many changes are in store for Bruce Brothers Racing for the 2006 Mid State of Ohio Kart Club (MSOKC) season. Peter remains in the Rookie Box class, so he has the same engine but a new chassis and bodywork for this season (Henry’s old chassis). Because of their ages, Conor and Henry have both had to move up a class. Conor will compete in the Junior Unrestricted class (the class that Henry contested last year), so he has the same chassis but a new engine (Henry’s old engine). We struggled a bit during the off-season with which adult class would be best for Henry. This sorted itself out when, just before Christmas, we found an 80cc shifter kart in excellent condition. Henry had expressed interest in this class, as it is draws the most participants of any MSOKC class. This kart has a six-speed manual gearbox and a water-cooled two-cycle engine with about 30 horsepower. The first race of the season is quickly approaching (Sunday, April 9), but because of the weather and our Spring Break vacation, we have only been able to have one practice session so far. Peter adapted to his new chassis immediately, and Conor quickly came to terms with his new additional horsepower. The lack of practice time is affecting Henry the most, as he is still getting used to shifting gears and a significant horsepower increase. We hope to get out again this weekend - if the weather holds out.
The complete 2006 MSOKC season schedule is shown below. This season also marks the return of the Commercial Point Grand Prix, which will be August 5 and 6 - more on that later.
Bill
Race # 1 - April 9 - Sunday
Race # 2 - April 23 - Sunday
Race # 3 - May 6 - Saturday
Race # 4 - May 21 - Sunday
Race # 5 - June 10 - Saturday
Race # 6 - June 25 - Sunday
Race # 7 - July 15 - Saturday
Race # 8 - July 23 - Sunday
Race # 9 - August 19 - Saturday
Race # 10 - September 10 - Sunday
Race # 11 - September 24 - Sunday
Rain Date # 1 - October 1 - Sunday
Race # 12 - October 8 - Sunday
Rain Date # 2 - October 22 - Sunday
Saturday Schedule
Gates: 1:00 p.m.
Practice: 2:30 p.m.
Driver's Meeting: 4:30 p.m.
Green Flag: 5:00 p.m.
Sunday Schedule
Gates: 8:00 a.m.
Practice: 9:30 a.m.
Driver's Meeting: 11:30 a.m.
Green Flag: Noon
First of all, if you'd like to discontinue receiving these updates (or if you never wanted to receive them in the first place), just let me know by return email. No hard feelings - I promise.
Many changes are in store for Bruce Brothers Racing for the 2006 Mid State of Ohio Kart Club (MSOKC) season. Peter remains in the Rookie Box class, so he has the same engine but a new chassis and bodywork for this season (Henry’s old chassis). Because of their ages, Conor and Henry have both had to move up a class. Conor will compete in the Junior Unrestricted class (the class that Henry contested last year), so he has the same chassis but a new engine (Henry’s old engine). We struggled a bit during the off-season with which adult class would be best for Henry. This sorted itself out when, just before Christmas, we found an 80cc shifter kart in excellent condition. Henry had expressed interest in this class, as it is draws the most participants of any MSOKC class. This kart has a six-speed manual gearbox and a water-cooled two-cycle engine with about 30 horsepower. The first race of the season is quickly approaching (Sunday, April 9), but because of the weather and our Spring Break vacation, we have only been able to have one practice session so far. Peter adapted to his new chassis immediately, and Conor quickly came to terms with his new additional horsepower. The lack of practice time is affecting Henry the most, as he is still getting used to shifting gears and a significant horsepower increase. We hope to get out again this weekend - if the weather holds out.
The complete 2006 MSOKC season schedule is shown below. This season also marks the return of the Commercial Point Grand Prix, which will be August 5 and 6 - more on that later.
Bill
Race # 1 - April 9 - Sunday
Race # 2 - April 23 - Sunday
Race # 3 - May 6 - Saturday
Race # 4 - May 21 - Sunday
Race # 5 - June 10 - Saturday
Race # 6 - June 25 - Sunday
Race # 7 - July 15 - Saturday
Race # 8 - July 23 - Sunday
Race # 9 - August 19 - Saturday
Race # 10 - September 10 - Sunday
Race # 11 - September 24 - Sunday
Rain Date # 1 - October 1 - Sunday
Race # 12 - October 8 - Sunday
Rain Date # 2 - October 22 - Sunday
Saturday Schedule
Gates: 1:00 p.m.
Practice: 2:30 p.m.
Driver's Meeting: 4:30 p.m.
Green Flag: 5:00 p.m.
Sunday Schedule
Gates: 8:00 a.m.
Practice: 9:30 a.m.
Driver's Meeting: 11:30 a.m.
Green Flag: Noon
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
2005 MSOKC Season in Review
Originally sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2005 5:00 PM
Well, the 2005 season has come to a close for Bruce Brothers Racing. We decided to skip the final MSOKC race of the season, which was a make-up for a rain-out earlier in the season. Henry and Conor decided that they wanted to do an SCCA Solo 2 event that day instead. They traded fastest times on their first few runs. Conor continued to improve while Henry pushed too hard in his last few runs. Conor ended up 0.326 sec faster than Henry and both were more than 5 sec faster than the only other competitor in their class that day. The final Solo 2 event is this weekend, but we have all had enough for this season and have decided to skip it, too.
Looking back at the 2005 MSOKC season, it was a quite remarkable. Conor, who went winless last season, began this season with five Junior Sportsman 2 feature race wins in a row. In the 11 events in which he competed, he won the feature in eight of them. The other three were two seconds and a fourth. In his 22 heat race starts, he recorded nine wins and nine second place finishes. He qualified on the front row for the feature 10 times, including five poles. He led the season championship from start to finish in the face of some stiff competition. Late in the season, he was still eight for nine in feature race wins. His fastest lap was a 49.62 sec recorded under ideal conditions during the rescheduled Race No. 2. If we had broken down and bought him some new tires late in the season, he might have done even better. Conor had a truly remarkable season.
Henry also had a good season in the face of even stiffer competition, including Adam Roberts who is poised to win the WKA Gold Cup championship (the final event of the season is November 4-6 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC). Another competitor in Henry’s Junior Unrestricted class also competed on the national level and learned a lot in doing so. Henry had beaten him in the MSOKC championship last year, but third place this year is about the best that Henry could have hoped for. In the 11 events in which he competed, Henry recorded two second place feature race finishes and finished third five times. He also recorded nine second place heat race finishes and finished the season championship in third, one place ahead of last year’s champion. His fastest lap was a 48.44 sec recorded early in the season during Race No. 4 before the rain came.
Peter improved his performance steadily throughout his first full season of competition in the Rookie Box class. A mid-pack runner at best at the beginning of the season, he was nipping at the heels of the leaders by the end. He improved his personal best lap time in each of the first five events, knocking it down from 59.13 sec in Race No. 1 to 57.67 sec in Race No. 7 (two of the first four races were rained out). In the last four events, he recorded four podium finishes (a second and three thirds). He also led a significant number of laps toward the end of the season. He lowered his personal best lap time to 56.63 sec during Race No. 11. Because of his strong finish to the season, and the inconsistent participation of one of his competitors, Peter finished the season championship in fourth place.
My favorite statistic for the 2005 MSOKC season is this – in 99 starts (66 heat races and 33 features), Bruce Brothers Racing recorded not a single DNF (did not finish). I’m proud of this because there were no mechanical DNFs, which is my department, and I’m proud of the boys for always making it to the checkered flag. They did have numerous off-course excursions, which is to be expected when pushing hard, but they always managed to get going again without loosing much time.
All that is left for this season is the Awards Banquet, which is November 18, where the boys will receive their trophies for the season championship. Because of their ages, Conor and Henry will have to move up a class next year – Conor to Junior Unrestricted (or some other class for 13-15 year olds) and Henry to one of the adult classes (16 and older). Peter will remain in the Rookie Box class for another year. The switch for Conor will be easy, but we have yet to decide what to do for Henry.
This season review would not be complete without a heartfelt acknowledgement to the most important member of the Bruce Brothers Racing team – Laura – for all of her support, patients, and understanding. She was not mentioned nearly enough in the post-race reports, but was there at every race helping and keeping the team together. Thanks also to everyone else for all the help and support throughout the season, including my mom for being there more often than not and my dad for providing us with a way to transport three karts to the track, and for all of the kind words of encouragement.
Bill
Well, the 2005 season has come to a close for Bruce Brothers Racing. We decided to skip the final MSOKC race of the season, which was a make-up for a rain-out earlier in the season. Henry and Conor decided that they wanted to do an SCCA Solo 2 event that day instead. They traded fastest times on their first few runs. Conor continued to improve while Henry pushed too hard in his last few runs. Conor ended up 0.326 sec faster than Henry and both were more than 5 sec faster than the only other competitor in their class that day. The final Solo 2 event is this weekend, but we have all had enough for this season and have decided to skip it, too.
Looking back at the 2005 MSOKC season, it was a quite remarkable. Conor, who went winless last season, began this season with five Junior Sportsman 2 feature race wins in a row. In the 11 events in which he competed, he won the feature in eight of them. The other three were two seconds and a fourth. In his 22 heat race starts, he recorded nine wins and nine second place finishes. He qualified on the front row for the feature 10 times, including five poles. He led the season championship from start to finish in the face of some stiff competition. Late in the season, he was still eight for nine in feature race wins. His fastest lap was a 49.62 sec recorded under ideal conditions during the rescheduled Race No. 2. If we had broken down and bought him some new tires late in the season, he might have done even better. Conor had a truly remarkable season.
Henry also had a good season in the face of even stiffer competition, including Adam Roberts who is poised to win the WKA Gold Cup championship (the final event of the season is November 4-6 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC). Another competitor in Henry’s Junior Unrestricted class also competed on the national level and learned a lot in doing so. Henry had beaten him in the MSOKC championship last year, but third place this year is about the best that Henry could have hoped for. In the 11 events in which he competed, Henry recorded two second place feature race finishes and finished third five times. He also recorded nine second place heat race finishes and finished the season championship in third, one place ahead of last year’s champion. His fastest lap was a 48.44 sec recorded early in the season during Race No. 4 before the rain came.
Peter improved his performance steadily throughout his first full season of competition in the Rookie Box class. A mid-pack runner at best at the beginning of the season, he was nipping at the heels of the leaders by the end. He improved his personal best lap time in each of the first five events, knocking it down from 59.13 sec in Race No. 1 to 57.67 sec in Race No. 7 (two of the first four races were rained out). In the last four events, he recorded four podium finishes (a second and three thirds). He also led a significant number of laps toward the end of the season. He lowered his personal best lap time to 56.63 sec during Race No. 11. Because of his strong finish to the season, and the inconsistent participation of one of his competitors, Peter finished the season championship in fourth place.
My favorite statistic for the 2005 MSOKC season is this – in 99 starts (66 heat races and 33 features), Bruce Brothers Racing recorded not a single DNF (did not finish). I’m proud of this because there were no mechanical DNFs, which is my department, and I’m proud of the boys for always making it to the checkered flag. They did have numerous off-course excursions, which is to be expected when pushing hard, but they always managed to get going again without loosing much time.
All that is left for this season is the Awards Banquet, which is November 18, where the boys will receive their trophies for the season championship. Because of their ages, Conor and Henry will have to move up a class next year – Conor to Junior Unrestricted (or some other class for 13-15 year olds) and Henry to one of the adult classes (16 and older). Peter will remain in the Rookie Box class for another year. The switch for Conor will be easy, but we have yet to decide what to do for Henry.
This season review would not be complete without a heartfelt acknowledgement to the most important member of the Bruce Brothers Racing team – Laura – for all of her support, patients, and understanding. She was not mentioned nearly enough in the post-race reports, but was there at every race helping and keeping the team together. Thanks also to everyone else for all the help and support throughout the season, including my mom for being there more often than not and my dad for providing us with a way to transport three karts to the track, and for all of the kind words of encouragement.
Bill
Monday, October 10, 2005
MSOKC Race No. 9 - August 7, 2005 - A Lucky Win
Originally sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2005 5:02 PM
NEWS - All three Bruce Brothers were back in action this weekend for MSOKC Race No. 9 at Circleville Raceway Park. The track proprietor, Steve Tatman, was also back in action after suffering a mild stroke, and was looking well. We did finally get Conor's engine back from UPS on Friday, but without having had the work done that it needs. As a precaution, we borrowed an engine from our good friend Mike Fagan at Full Automotive, which we anticipated might be stronger that Conor's un-rebuilt engine. We made a few setup changed to Henry's and Conor's karts, and Peter was raring to go after a one race break to allow the surgical staples in the back of his head time to heal. We also had a few visitors at the track on Sunday, including family, neighbors, and their visitors from University of Rome in Italy.
PRACTICE - We arrived at the track early on Sunday in order to get Conor's borrowed engine properly set up, which took us a few sessions. Once the regular class practices started, it became apparent that the borrowed engine was not as strong as we had hoped. While trying to help Henry sort out his handling issues, we began switching Conor back to his un-rebuilt engine. Fortunately, Peter's practices were uneventful. The setup that we ended up with on Henry's kart left a bit to be desired, but I was able to finish the work on Conor's kart while the boys were at the drivers meeting.
JUNIOR UNRESTRICTED - Henry started his first heat from the fifth position (of six). He moved up one position at the start and pressured the third place kart throughout the heat, but his handling issues prevented him from finding a way to get by. Starting on the outside of the front row in his second heat, he made a great start which enabled him to take the lead by Turn 3. This was short lived, however, as he lost two places on the next lap and another on the following lap. He regained one of these places when the kart in front of him lost its chain. Henry started the feature in the third position and ran there to the finish, with his handling problems preventing him from running with the leaders. His problem is too much grip, which not only scrubs off speed in the corners, but occasionally causes him to get up on two wheels. We have since borrowed some wider rims for Henry to try, which pull the side walls of the tires out and reduces the contact patch. Hopefully, this will have the desired effect. If he's up on two wheels again, Henry may be sitting out a race or two until we can get this resolved.
JUNIOR SPORTSMAN II - Conor also started from the back in his first heat - sixth (of seven). Even with an engine in serous need of a rebuild, he was able to make his way through the field. By the time he worked his way into second, the leader had gotten away and was still extending her lead. You would think that after starting from the rear and finishing second, he might have had an easier time starting from the second position in his second heat race. Wrong. He was unable to get around the pole sitter at the start, and in fact lost a position between Turns 1 and 2. He spent the next lap or so trying to find a way to get by the third place kart who was being held up by the two karts in front of him. In doing so, he lost a position to the eventual winner (his current main rival) when he left the door open on the approach to Turn 10 on Lap 2. He made up two positions between Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 4, but lost one on the approach to Turn 7 on Lap 5. He eventually finished fourth. Second and fourth was good enough for the second starting position for the feature. He made a great start and held his line through Turn 1. The kart that started on the pole did not concede the corner to Conor and hit him in the right rear. There was a scary moment when her kart climbed up onto the rear of Conor's. She went into the grass, but Conor was able to continue in the lead. By about Lap 2, it became apparent that Conor was having trouble turning into the corners, which allowed the second place kart to close in. These two ran nose to tail for the next four laps or so with Conor being able to pull away a bit between Turns 1 and 5 and his former Rookie Box main rival being able to reel him back in between Turns 5 and 10. As they were coming around to get the white flag, Conor understeered in Turn 10 which allowed the second place kart to pull even on the inside. Conor appeared to be ready to concede the position, but as they crossed the Start/Finish line, there was a distinct, momentary change in tone from one of the engines. When I looked up, I saw that Conor was in the lead again and his former main rival was in pursuit at what appeared to be full pace. They completed the final lap in that order (with Conor's current main rival closing in after having worked her way through the field), giving Conor his sixth feature race win in seven starts. After the race, we asked Conor's former main rival about the last lap change of engine tone. He indicated that he had simply miscounted the laps and let off of the throttle thinking that the race was over! I felt terribly bad for him, as he has steadily improved his performance this year and really deserved the win. But, it ain't over 'til it's over...
ROOKIE BOX - Peter started his first heat from outside the front row. He nailed the start and was in the lead by Turn 2. He held the lead for most of the first lap before being passed. He was passed by several other karts over the next few laps, after which his lap times improved significantly. He seems to be more comfortable following than leading. His fifth lap (of six) was just 0.02 seconds slower than his personal best. I'm sure that his last lap would have been better, but he was slowed while lapping a new-comer in his class. In the second heat, Peter started from the fourth position (of six). He dropped a position at the start when his engine bogged. Peter had asked me to make a carburetor adjustment between heats, and when I saw his lap times in the second heat, I realized I had made the adjustment in the wrong direction. He soldered around to a distant fifth place finish. I made another attempt at his carburetor adjustment for the feature, and while it helped, I probably should have changed his spark plug, too. He started in fifth and ran with the pack, but could not advance his position.
NEXT RACE - It was difficult preparing for this race knowing that we were going to be at a deficit with Conor's engine and Henry's handling problems. We were fortunate that our visitors got to see Conor get a win, albeit a lucky one. For the next race, which is Saturday, August 20 (in the evening) we have much higher hopes. Conor's engine will be fresh (as long as UPS doesn't loose it again!), and we have been assured that the wider rims for Henry will have the desired effect. I will also make sure that Peter's carburetor is in tune and that he has a new spark plug.
Bill
NEWS - All three Bruce Brothers were back in action this weekend for MSOKC Race No. 9 at Circleville Raceway Park. The track proprietor, Steve Tatman, was also back in action after suffering a mild stroke, and was looking well. We did finally get Conor's engine back from UPS on Friday, but without having had the work done that it needs. As a precaution, we borrowed an engine from our good friend Mike Fagan at Full Automotive, which we anticipated might be stronger that Conor's un-rebuilt engine. We made a few setup changed to Henry's and Conor's karts, and Peter was raring to go after a one race break to allow the surgical staples in the back of his head time to heal. We also had a few visitors at the track on Sunday, including family, neighbors, and their visitors from University of Rome in Italy.
PRACTICE - We arrived at the track early on Sunday in order to get Conor's borrowed engine properly set up, which took us a few sessions. Once the regular class practices started, it became apparent that the borrowed engine was not as strong as we had hoped. While trying to help Henry sort out his handling issues, we began switching Conor back to his un-rebuilt engine. Fortunately, Peter's practices were uneventful. The setup that we ended up with on Henry's kart left a bit to be desired, but I was able to finish the work on Conor's kart while the boys were at the drivers meeting.
JUNIOR UNRESTRICTED - Henry started his first heat from the fifth position (of six). He moved up one position at the start and pressured the third place kart throughout the heat, but his handling issues prevented him from finding a way to get by. Starting on the outside of the front row in his second heat, he made a great start which enabled him to take the lead by Turn 3. This was short lived, however, as he lost two places on the next lap and another on the following lap. He regained one of these places when the kart in front of him lost its chain. Henry started the feature in the third position and ran there to the finish, with his handling problems preventing him from running with the leaders. His problem is too much grip, which not only scrubs off speed in the corners, but occasionally causes him to get up on two wheels. We have since borrowed some wider rims for Henry to try, which pull the side walls of the tires out and reduces the contact patch. Hopefully, this will have the desired effect. If he's up on two wheels again, Henry may be sitting out a race or two until we can get this resolved.
JUNIOR SPORTSMAN II - Conor also started from the back in his first heat - sixth (of seven). Even with an engine in serous need of a rebuild, he was able to make his way through the field. By the time he worked his way into second, the leader had gotten away and was still extending her lead. You would think that after starting from the rear and finishing second, he might have had an easier time starting from the second position in his second heat race. Wrong. He was unable to get around the pole sitter at the start, and in fact lost a position between Turns 1 and 2. He spent the next lap or so trying to find a way to get by the third place kart who was being held up by the two karts in front of him. In doing so, he lost a position to the eventual winner (his current main rival) when he left the door open on the approach to Turn 10 on Lap 2. He made up two positions between Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 4, but lost one on the approach to Turn 7 on Lap 5. He eventually finished fourth. Second and fourth was good enough for the second starting position for the feature. He made a great start and held his line through Turn 1. The kart that started on the pole did not concede the corner to Conor and hit him in the right rear. There was a scary moment when her kart climbed up onto the rear of Conor's. She went into the grass, but Conor was able to continue in the lead. By about Lap 2, it became apparent that Conor was having trouble turning into the corners, which allowed the second place kart to close in. These two ran nose to tail for the next four laps or so with Conor being able to pull away a bit between Turns 1 and 5 and his former Rookie Box main rival being able to reel him back in between Turns 5 and 10. As they were coming around to get the white flag, Conor understeered in Turn 10 which allowed the second place kart to pull even on the inside. Conor appeared to be ready to concede the position, but as they crossed the Start/Finish line, there was a distinct, momentary change in tone from one of the engines. When I looked up, I saw that Conor was in the lead again and his former main rival was in pursuit at what appeared to be full pace. They completed the final lap in that order (with Conor's current main rival closing in after having worked her way through the field), giving Conor his sixth feature race win in seven starts. After the race, we asked Conor's former main rival about the last lap change of engine tone. He indicated that he had simply miscounted the laps and let off of the throttle thinking that the race was over! I felt terribly bad for him, as he has steadily improved his performance this year and really deserved the win. But, it ain't over 'til it's over...
ROOKIE BOX - Peter started his first heat from outside the front row. He nailed the start and was in the lead by Turn 2. He held the lead for most of the first lap before being passed. He was passed by several other karts over the next few laps, after which his lap times improved significantly. He seems to be more comfortable following than leading. His fifth lap (of six) was just 0.02 seconds slower than his personal best. I'm sure that his last lap would have been better, but he was slowed while lapping a new-comer in his class. In the second heat, Peter started from the fourth position (of six). He dropped a position at the start when his engine bogged. Peter had asked me to make a carburetor adjustment between heats, and when I saw his lap times in the second heat, I realized I had made the adjustment in the wrong direction. He soldered around to a distant fifth place finish. I made another attempt at his carburetor adjustment for the feature, and while it helped, I probably should have changed his spark plug, too. He started in fifth and ran with the pack, but could not advance his position.
NEXT RACE - It was difficult preparing for this race knowing that we were going to be at a deficit with Conor's engine and Henry's handling problems. We were fortunate that our visitors got to see Conor get a win, albeit a lucky one. For the next race, which is Saturday, August 20 (in the evening) we have much higher hopes. Conor's engine will be fresh (as long as UPS doesn't loose it again!), and we have been assured that the wider rims for Henry will have the desired effect. I will also make sure that Peter's carburetor is in tune and that he has a new spark plug.
Bill
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
MSOKC Race No. 12 - Saturday, September 24, 2005
Originally sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2005 2:28 PM
NEWS – Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later, but we finally had what might be considered a mediocre race day this past Saturday, which was the final MSOKC night race of the season. I suppose that it was mostly my fault, as I’m the one who agreed to bite off what turned out to be a bit more that we could chew. About mid-week last week, Henry received an invitation to fill in for a friend of ours, Jack Reall, in one of the adult classes (16 and up, which Henry qualifies for now). Jack and his son Bryce make up a class of their own – Briggs Animal Medium. This is the class we are considering for Henry next year, so it made sense to let him give it a try. Jack, who is President of the Columbus Firefighters Union and Leader of Ohio Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue Team (part of FEMA), had been called up for Hurricane Rita duty, and this would have left Bryce on his own in that class on Saturday. Henry of course wanted to race in his regular class, too, so we had our hands full.
PRACTICE – We made very few changes to the boy’s karts in preparation for Saturday, and when it came time for practice, we spent some of our available time setting Jack’s kart up for Henry. We also had four karts to practice instead of three, so we had little time for fine tuning. Conor and Peter practiced well, none-the-less, but we are still having trouble getting Henry up to speed in his kart. Henry did enjoy is first experience in a kart powered by the more powerful Briggs Animal engine, however. In practice, Henry and Bryce traded fastest laps several times.
ROOKIE BOX – Peter started his first heat from the rear (fifth of five). He made a good start and was into third by the exit of Turn 4. Although he was passed by a new-comer towards the end, this kart was later disqualified for being under weight (65 lbs under weight!), so Peter was credited with a third place finish. In the second heat, starting from pole position, he again made a good start. He held the lead for four long laps, which is a personal best for Peter. Two of the faster karts got around him at the beginning of Lap 5, so he again finished third. In the feature, starting from third, he held his position at the start and ran in third until about Lap 4 when he was again passed by the under-weight new-comer who would eventually be disqualified. Peters third place finish was his third podium finish in a row.
JUNIOR SPORTSMAN II – Conor started his first heat race from the pole (of five). He held the lead at the start and the first two pulled out a bit of a lead during the first lap. Conor didn’t get through Turn 4 very well on the next lap and was passed going into Turn 5. He held on to the leader but had no opportunity to pass and finished second. Starting from the rear in the second heat, he was patient going through Turn 1. The head of steam that he was able to build up allowed him to make a pass going into Turn 2. He passed two other karts on the long run to Turn 5, bringing him to second. He was on the leader’s tail and got through Turn 4 well on the second lap. He drew up along side and a little past going into Turn 5, but the leader did not back off. The two went through Turn 5 side-by side. There was contact, however, and both went into the grass. Conor took a while to get going and finished where he had started. In the feature, starting from the third position, Conor held his position at the start, but had an uncharacteristic spin in Turn 8 on the first lap. He benefited by one off-course excursion, and caught another kart at the end, but finished fourth – his first non-podium finish of the year. One of the usually-mid-pack competitors in Conor’s class, who was giving the chassis that Henry drove last week a try, went on to take his first win of the year, however, so we were glad to see that.
JUNIOR UNRESTRICTED – There were only three karts in Henry’s regular class on Saturday. In the first heat, starting from the pole he held the lead until Turn 5 on the first lap. He ran second until about mid-way when the kart behind him found a way past. On the last lap, it became apparent that the leader had a problem when he made a mess of the right hand Turn 3. On the next right hander (Turn 7), his right rear wheel went sailing through the infield. As a result, Henry inherited second place, which is where he finished. In the second heat, starting from the rear, he followed the pole-sitter through Turn 1 into second. He was unable to hold on, however, and finished third. We made a few adjustments for the feature during the limited time we had, and while he was able to run a bit closer to the other two, he still finished third.
BRIGGS ANIMAL MEDIUM – Since there are only two karts in the Briggs Animal Medium class, they run together with the Yamaha Super Can class, which consisted of about 15 karts on Saturday. They start separately, however, so the Animal class is initially about a half a lap behind the Yamaha class. At the start, Henry, who started on the outside, got the better of Bryce in Turn 1. During the first lap, it became apparent that Bryce had an engine problem. He ran a couple of laps before retiring with a sputtering engine. Towards the end, Henry caught and passed a couple of the Yamaha karts before having a scary moment on the last lap. Both types of karts run similar lap times, but what the Animal karts lack in straight line speed, they make up for in the corners. When he approached a group of the Yamaha karts at the entrance to Turn 3 on the last lap, Henry had to check way up and got sideways. The kart behind him got sideways also, went up on two wheels, and did a gentle roll on top of him. Henry calmly got out of the kart and rolled him off, and after checking to make sure he was okay, proceeded on his way. The second heat was much like the first except for the scary moment. Even though Bryce had had their engine builder look at his engine, the problem persisted. They gave it another try in the feature, but Bryce again had an engine problem. Henry enjoyed his experience, but would have enjoyed it more had Bryce been able to race with him.
NEXT RACE – Between all of the extra work we made for ourselves and the fact that I have been hoping to make Henry’s and Conor’s rear tires last the remainder of the season, it is no wonder that we had a less-than spectacular day on Saturday. Even with Laura’s ever-present help and the help of some visiting friends, it was a handful. With only the best nine of twelve finishes counting, all three of the boys’ positions in the championship have been decided now (Conor having clinched the championship), so no harm was done. I will think seriously next time about letting anyone run two classes on top of what is already a busy day for us on race days. The next race, which is next Sunday, October 2, would be our fourth on four consecutive weekends. Because of this, our tire situation, and the poor handling on Saturday of some poor sportsmanship issues between some of the other parents in Conor’s class, we are thinking about giving it a miss (Peter also has a soccer game on Sunday and his team is short-handed). Watch this space…
Bill
NEWS – Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later, but we finally had what might be considered a mediocre race day this past Saturday, which was the final MSOKC night race of the season. I suppose that it was mostly my fault, as I’m the one who agreed to bite off what turned out to be a bit more that we could chew. About mid-week last week, Henry received an invitation to fill in for a friend of ours, Jack Reall, in one of the adult classes (16 and up, which Henry qualifies for now). Jack and his son Bryce make up a class of their own – Briggs Animal Medium. This is the class we are considering for Henry next year, so it made sense to let him give it a try. Jack, who is President of the Columbus Firefighters Union and Leader of Ohio Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue Team (part of FEMA), had been called up for Hurricane Rita duty, and this would have left Bryce on his own in that class on Saturday. Henry of course wanted to race in his regular class, too, so we had our hands full.
PRACTICE – We made very few changes to the boy’s karts in preparation for Saturday, and when it came time for practice, we spent some of our available time setting Jack’s kart up for Henry. We also had four karts to practice instead of three, so we had little time for fine tuning. Conor and Peter practiced well, none-the-less, but we are still having trouble getting Henry up to speed in his kart. Henry did enjoy is first experience in a kart powered by the more powerful Briggs Animal engine, however. In practice, Henry and Bryce traded fastest laps several times.
ROOKIE BOX – Peter started his first heat from the rear (fifth of five). He made a good start and was into third by the exit of Turn 4. Although he was passed by a new-comer towards the end, this kart was later disqualified for being under weight (65 lbs under weight!), so Peter was credited with a third place finish. In the second heat, starting from pole position, he again made a good start. He held the lead for four long laps, which is a personal best for Peter. Two of the faster karts got around him at the beginning of Lap 5, so he again finished third. In the feature, starting from third, he held his position at the start and ran in third until about Lap 4 when he was again passed by the under-weight new-comer who would eventually be disqualified. Peters third place finish was his third podium finish in a row.
JUNIOR SPORTSMAN II – Conor started his first heat race from the pole (of five). He held the lead at the start and the first two pulled out a bit of a lead during the first lap. Conor didn’t get through Turn 4 very well on the next lap and was passed going into Turn 5. He held on to the leader but had no opportunity to pass and finished second. Starting from the rear in the second heat, he was patient going through Turn 1. The head of steam that he was able to build up allowed him to make a pass going into Turn 2. He passed two other karts on the long run to Turn 5, bringing him to second. He was on the leader’s tail and got through Turn 4 well on the second lap. He drew up along side and a little past going into Turn 5, but the leader did not back off. The two went through Turn 5 side-by side. There was contact, however, and both went into the grass. Conor took a while to get going and finished where he had started. In the feature, starting from the third position, Conor held his position at the start, but had an uncharacteristic spin in Turn 8 on the first lap. He benefited by one off-course excursion, and caught another kart at the end, but finished fourth – his first non-podium finish of the year. One of the usually-mid-pack competitors in Conor’s class, who was giving the chassis that Henry drove last week a try, went on to take his first win of the year, however, so we were glad to see that.
JUNIOR UNRESTRICTED – There were only three karts in Henry’s regular class on Saturday. In the first heat, starting from the pole he held the lead until Turn 5 on the first lap. He ran second until about mid-way when the kart behind him found a way past. On the last lap, it became apparent that the leader had a problem when he made a mess of the right hand Turn 3. On the next right hander (Turn 7), his right rear wheel went sailing through the infield. As a result, Henry inherited second place, which is where he finished. In the second heat, starting from the rear, he followed the pole-sitter through Turn 1 into second. He was unable to hold on, however, and finished third. We made a few adjustments for the feature during the limited time we had, and while he was able to run a bit closer to the other two, he still finished third.
BRIGGS ANIMAL MEDIUM – Since there are only two karts in the Briggs Animal Medium class, they run together with the Yamaha Super Can class, which consisted of about 15 karts on Saturday. They start separately, however, so the Animal class is initially about a half a lap behind the Yamaha class. At the start, Henry, who started on the outside, got the better of Bryce in Turn 1. During the first lap, it became apparent that Bryce had an engine problem. He ran a couple of laps before retiring with a sputtering engine. Towards the end, Henry caught and passed a couple of the Yamaha karts before having a scary moment on the last lap. Both types of karts run similar lap times, but what the Animal karts lack in straight line speed, they make up for in the corners. When he approached a group of the Yamaha karts at the entrance to Turn 3 on the last lap, Henry had to check way up and got sideways. The kart behind him got sideways also, went up on two wheels, and did a gentle roll on top of him. Henry calmly got out of the kart and rolled him off, and after checking to make sure he was okay, proceeded on his way. The second heat was much like the first except for the scary moment. Even though Bryce had had their engine builder look at his engine, the problem persisted. They gave it another try in the feature, but Bryce again had an engine problem. Henry enjoyed his experience, but would have enjoyed it more had Bryce been able to race with him.
NEXT RACE – Between all of the extra work we made for ourselves and the fact that I have been hoping to make Henry’s and Conor’s rear tires last the remainder of the season, it is no wonder that we had a less-than spectacular day on Saturday. Even with Laura’s ever-present help and the help of some visiting friends, it was a handful. With only the best nine of twelve finishes counting, all three of the boys’ positions in the championship have been decided now (Conor having clinched the championship), so no harm was done. I will think seriously next time about letting anyone run two classes on top of what is already a busy day for us on race days. The next race, which is next Sunday, October 2, would be our fourth on four consecutive weekends. Because of this, our tire situation, and the poor handling on Saturday of some poor sportsmanship issues between some of the other parents in Conor’s class, we are thinking about giving it a miss (Peter also has a soccer game on Sunday and his team is short-handed). Watch this space…
Bill
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