Originally sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 1:36 AM
Well, unfortunately, Conor will not be able to use the new kart we acquired for him this season. We went to see the neurosurgeon we had been referred to at University of Iowa's Children's Hospital in Iowa City over Spring Break. He was able to give us a more complete description of Conor's condition. Surgery is scheduled for May 17. Conor is expected to be in the hospital for two to three weeks and in a neck brace for an additional six months. He is in reasonably good spirits but is obviously very disappointed about being out for the season. At this point, missing the season seems insignificant compared to having him in good health again.
We're going to try to do as many races as we can with Henry and Peter in 2007. Henry's engine is off being freshened up by his engine builder and Peter's kart has been totally reconfigured for the Junior Sportsman II class he will contest this season. The track has been open for practice for several weeks now, but we haven't been able to get there yet. We hope to do be able to do this at least a couple of times prior to the start of the season. The 2007 MSOKC race schedule is as follows:
Race No. 1 - Sunday, April 22
Race No. 2 - Sunday, May 6
Race No. 3 - Saturday, May 26
Race No. 4 - Saturday, June 9
Race No. 5 - Sunday, June 24
Race No. 6 - Sunday, July 8
Race No. 7 - Sunday, July 22
Race No. 8 - Saturday, August 11
Race No. 9 - Sunday, August 26
Race No. 10 - Sunday, September 9
Race No. 11 - Sunday, September 23
Race No. 12 - Sunday, October 7
Rain Date - Sunday, October 14
Bill
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Bruce Brothers Racing - Mid-Winter Update
Originally sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2007 11:42 PM
If you were paying attention last year, you know that the Commercial Point Grand Prix was the highlight of the season for Henry and Conor (Peter's class wasn't offered). The December issue of National Kart News, the premier karting publication in North America, included a nice article on the CPGP, which featured plenty of pictures of both Henry and Conor. An Adobe Acrobat version of the article is attached. Henry is the yellow No. 27 with a blue suit (big picture on the opening page) and Conor is the black and red No. 7 with a red suit (several pictures beginning with the bottom left on the second page). Both are mentioned in the text.
In addition to the new kart that we acquired for Conor just before Christmas, we now have a place to store it and all the rest of our equipment. Construction was completed recently on our new four-car garage! It's two cars wide and two cars deep with lots of storage space in the 'loft'. The loft even has a hatch and an electric winch for moving things up and down.
Conor has a new kart, but at this time, we are unsure as to how much he is going to be able to use it. His season, if he gets to have one, will most likely be interrupted by a hospital stay this summer. He began to have headaches and reduced mobility in his neck late last year. He has since been diagnosed with a rare congenital spinal cord disorder that will require surgery. The orthopedic specialist that he had been seeing, who just happens to be the team doctor for Team Rahal, referred us to a neurosurgeon at Children's Hospital in Columbus after he discovered a cyst in Conor's spinal cavity. Conor recently completed a series of diagnostic tests (MRIs, x-rays, etc.) of his head and neck area and the neurosurgeon has referred us to a specialist in the Neurosurgery Department at University of Iowa's Children's Hospital of Iowa in Iowa City. Conor's test results have been forwarded to the specialist and we are currently waiting to hear what comes next. The good news is that his condition does not appear to be getting worse and he continues to be a happy, mostly healthy 14 year old. I'm not very good at this, but if you are so inclined, please keep Conor in your thoughts and prayers. We will let you know when we know more.
Bill
If you were paying attention last year, you know that the Commercial Point Grand Prix was the highlight of the season for Henry and Conor (Peter's class wasn't offered). The December issue of National Kart News, the premier karting publication in North America, included a nice article on the CPGP, which featured plenty of pictures of both Henry and Conor. An Adobe Acrobat version of the article is attached. Henry is the yellow No. 27 with a blue suit (big picture on the opening page) and Conor is the black and red No. 7 with a red suit (several pictures beginning with the bottom left on the second page). Both are mentioned in the text.
In addition to the new kart that we acquired for Conor just before Christmas, we now have a place to store it and all the rest of our equipment. Construction was completed recently on our new four-car garage! It's two cars wide and two cars deep with lots of storage space in the 'loft'. The loft even has a hatch and an electric winch for moving things up and down.
Conor has a new kart, but at this time, we are unsure as to how much he is going to be able to use it. His season, if he gets to have one, will most likely be interrupted by a hospital stay this summer. He began to have headaches and reduced mobility in his neck late last year. He has since been diagnosed with a rare congenital spinal cord disorder that will require surgery. The orthopedic specialist that he had been seeing, who just happens to be the team doctor for Team Rahal, referred us to a neurosurgeon at Children's Hospital in Columbus after he discovered a cyst in Conor's spinal cavity. Conor recently completed a series of diagnostic tests (MRIs, x-rays, etc.) of his head and neck area and the neurosurgeon has referred us to a specialist in the Neurosurgery Department at University of Iowa's Children's Hospital of Iowa in Iowa City. Conor's test results have been forwarded to the specialist and we are currently waiting to hear what comes next. The good news is that his condition does not appear to be getting worse and he continues to be a happy, mostly healthy 14 year old. I'm not very good at this, but if you are so inclined, please keep Conor in your thoughts and prayers. We will let you know when we know more.
Bill
Sunday, November 12, 2006
MSOKC Race Nos. 5 (make-up) and 12 - October 1 and 8, 2006
Originally sent: Sunday, November 12, 2006 10:16 PM
NEWS – The past month or so has been a blur (and the rest of the year doesn't look any better), so I find it necessary to report on the final two races of the Mid State of Ohio Kart Club season in one report. Race No. 5, which was a make-up race for a rain-out earlier in the season was October 1 and the final race of the season (Race No. 12) was October 8. With the make-up, the final three races were on consecutive weekends. We focused our attention primarily on Henry and Peter, since Conor's place in the championship had already been decided. Going into the last two races, Peter still had a chance to move up in the championship and Henry stood a chance of dropping several positions without strong finishes.
PRACTICE – Except for the usual gear change and tire pressure adjustments to suit track conditions, about the only significant change we made with our practice routine was to have Henry practice fewer laps. While the other boys, particularly Peter, work their way up to speed, Henry is always close to the fastest lap he'll run all day within the first few laps of the first practice session. We decided that all he was doing was using up his tires by going out for both sessions. So, he skipped the first practice session for Race No. 5 (the track was damp anyway) and went out for only a handful of laps in both sessions for Race No. 12. Conor also ran fewer practice laps than usual because of concern for the longevity of his Raptor engine, which still had a significant oil leak that we have determined to be beyond repair. Peter was his usual consistent self during practice.
ROOKIE BOX – The championship race in Peter's class became a three-horse affair early in the season. Peter could run laps that were as fast as the other two, but it wasn't until later in the season that he began to consistently win races. He was helped out to some extent by the other two taking each other out on occasion. His third position in the championship became a close third after three feature race wins late in the season, including two in a row at one point. He came into the last two races with a shot at moving up, particularly if the other two had trouble. He had a strong showing in the make-up race, finishing both heat races in second, which earned him the pole position for the feature. Each of the other two had had trouble in one of the heat races. In the feature, he dropped a position at the start and another on Lap 2. He applied pressure the whole way but finished third. In Race No. 12, Peter had trouble in the first heat race. He started third and followed one of the slower karts for the first few laps without being able to find a way to pass. Several other karts were bottled up behind Peter, and on Lap 3, one of them spun him around and T-boned him when he was sideways. Having fallen well behind, he pulled off the track on the next lap complaining of sore ribs. I think his ego was hurt more than anything, because he came back to finish second in the next heat. He started the feature from mid-pack and was applying plenty of pressure to the second place kart while the leader was getting away. I could tell that Peter was quite a bit faster and I could see the driver of the second place kart looking back at Peter at several places on the track. This driver has been known to block on occasion, and on Lap 6, was given a black flag for blocking. This promoted Peter to second which is where he finished. The black flag incident also promoted Peter to second in the championship. His final tally was 1402 points, just 8 points short of winning the championship.
JR. UNRESTRICTED – There was not a lot of drama for Conor in the last two races. It was pretty much like the rest of the season – few karts in his class, and no chance of winning with his equipment when a certain someone showed up, which was the case for the last two races. So, in the make-up race, Conor finished second, second, second, and in Race no. 12, he finished second, second, second. He really didn't even need to show up for these two races since his position in the championship had been decided. The fast guy in Conor's class did have to show up, however, as he had missed three races during the season because of schedule conflicts with regional and national races. The championship consists of the best nine finishes of the 12 race season. If he had recorded a DNS (did not start), which yields a goose egg for points, for any of the heats or features, this would have given the championship to Conor. Such was not the case and Conor finished second in the championship.
80cc SHIFTER – Drama? Yes, there was drama for Henry in the last two races. Quite a few karts in his class showed up, but all Henry had to do to maintain his fourth place position in the championship was finish in the vicinity of the karts behind him. He did just that in the heat races of the make-up race, finishing fifth and sixth. In the feature however, after getting one of his better starts of the season, he was pushed off the track on the first lap between Turns 1 and 2. He was able to get going again, but lost the nose off of his kart in the process. The loss of a major component is grounds for disqualification, so to add insult to injury, Henry was black flagged. I wasn't sure of the implications of this on the championship at first. I later learned that a disqualification for a technical infraction such as this results in points for the position you were running at the time (as opposed to a goose egg that cannot be dropped), so this wasn't an entire disaster. Race No. 12 wasn't a whole lot better for Henry. He drew the second starting position for the first heat, got away well, but was involved in a carbon-copy incident between Turns 1 and 2. He didn't loose his nose this time, but this did put him behind the eight ball for the rest of the day. He finished his heat races in eights and ninth, which resulted in a lowly starting position for the feature. During the intermission, I was busy crunching the numbers to figure out what Henry had to do to maintain his position in the championship. Because of some less than spectacular finishes by some of the others of concern, I figured that Henry only needed to finish one place ahead of one other kart, which was starting several places ahead of him. The start went well and Henry was directly behind the other kart by Lap 2. He made a clean pass going into Turn 2 and life was good. He pulled away over the next few laps but then caught up to another kart. Henry was clearly faster, but when Henry tried to pass in Turn 3, these two got together and Henry went into the grass. And the other kart got back by. Henry caught back up, but time was running out. In Turn 9 of the last lap, Henry made an aggressive move on the inside. There was a bit of contact, but Henry made it stick and finished where he needed to finish. The championship in Henry's class was a three horse affair between some serious competitors. It was nice to see Henry pull off the honors for 'best of the rest' in his first season in a shifter kart.
NEXT RACE – Well, that's it for the 2006 season. After the make-up race, Conor got to have a drive in a kart from one of the other junior classes – Yamaha Super Can. He was able to record competitive lap time within a handful of laps and enjoyed it immensely. After Race No. 12, Conor got to have a drive in Henry's kart. He had never driven anything that shifts gears before, so I was expecting him to putter around in the wrong gear most of the time. Within a handful of laps, he was running lap times that were only a second or two from Henry's race pace. For me, it was hard to believe. Henry's not willing to give up his ride for next year, and Conor is a bit young for a shifter kart class. So, with the help of a generous benefactor, we have purchased a very competitive Yamaha Super Can kart for Conor. After struggling with less than competitive equipment this year, Conor certainly deserves this. He will be fun to watch next year. Peter also proved that he is ready for a promotion from the Rookie Box class. We will upgrade his current chassis for the Junior Sportsman II class using Conor's championship winning engine from last year, which has been sitting patiently in the basement. The MSOKC banquet is Friday, November 17 – the day before the OSU vs. Michigan game. I'm going with the Buckeyes…
Bill
NEWS – The past month or so has been a blur (and the rest of the year doesn't look any better), so I find it necessary to report on the final two races of the Mid State of Ohio Kart Club season in one report. Race No. 5, which was a make-up race for a rain-out earlier in the season was October 1 and the final race of the season (Race No. 12) was October 8. With the make-up, the final three races were on consecutive weekends. We focused our attention primarily on Henry and Peter, since Conor's place in the championship had already been decided. Going into the last two races, Peter still had a chance to move up in the championship and Henry stood a chance of dropping several positions without strong finishes.
PRACTICE – Except for the usual gear change and tire pressure adjustments to suit track conditions, about the only significant change we made with our practice routine was to have Henry practice fewer laps. While the other boys, particularly Peter, work their way up to speed, Henry is always close to the fastest lap he'll run all day within the first few laps of the first practice session. We decided that all he was doing was using up his tires by going out for both sessions. So, he skipped the first practice session for Race No. 5 (the track was damp anyway) and went out for only a handful of laps in both sessions for Race No. 12. Conor also ran fewer practice laps than usual because of concern for the longevity of his Raptor engine, which still had a significant oil leak that we have determined to be beyond repair. Peter was his usual consistent self during practice.
ROOKIE BOX – The championship race in Peter's class became a three-horse affair early in the season. Peter could run laps that were as fast as the other two, but it wasn't until later in the season that he began to consistently win races. He was helped out to some extent by the other two taking each other out on occasion. His third position in the championship became a close third after three feature race wins late in the season, including two in a row at one point. He came into the last two races with a shot at moving up, particularly if the other two had trouble. He had a strong showing in the make-up race, finishing both heat races in second, which earned him the pole position for the feature. Each of the other two had had trouble in one of the heat races. In the feature, he dropped a position at the start and another on Lap 2. He applied pressure the whole way but finished third. In Race No. 12, Peter had trouble in the first heat race. He started third and followed one of the slower karts for the first few laps without being able to find a way to pass. Several other karts were bottled up behind Peter, and on Lap 3, one of them spun him around and T-boned him when he was sideways. Having fallen well behind, he pulled off the track on the next lap complaining of sore ribs. I think his ego was hurt more than anything, because he came back to finish second in the next heat. He started the feature from mid-pack and was applying plenty of pressure to the second place kart while the leader was getting away. I could tell that Peter was quite a bit faster and I could see the driver of the second place kart looking back at Peter at several places on the track. This driver has been known to block on occasion, and on Lap 6, was given a black flag for blocking. This promoted Peter to second which is where he finished. The black flag incident also promoted Peter to second in the championship. His final tally was 1402 points, just 8 points short of winning the championship.
JR. UNRESTRICTED – There was not a lot of drama for Conor in the last two races. It was pretty much like the rest of the season – few karts in his class, and no chance of winning with his equipment when a certain someone showed up, which was the case for the last two races. So, in the make-up race, Conor finished second, second, second, and in Race no. 12, he finished second, second, second. He really didn't even need to show up for these two races since his position in the championship had been decided. The fast guy in Conor's class did have to show up, however, as he had missed three races during the season because of schedule conflicts with regional and national races. The championship consists of the best nine finishes of the 12 race season. If he had recorded a DNS (did not start), which yields a goose egg for points, for any of the heats or features, this would have given the championship to Conor. Such was not the case and Conor finished second in the championship.
80cc SHIFTER – Drama? Yes, there was drama for Henry in the last two races. Quite a few karts in his class showed up, but all Henry had to do to maintain his fourth place position in the championship was finish in the vicinity of the karts behind him. He did just that in the heat races of the make-up race, finishing fifth and sixth. In the feature however, after getting one of his better starts of the season, he was pushed off the track on the first lap between Turns 1 and 2. He was able to get going again, but lost the nose off of his kart in the process. The loss of a major component is grounds for disqualification, so to add insult to injury, Henry was black flagged. I wasn't sure of the implications of this on the championship at first. I later learned that a disqualification for a technical infraction such as this results in points for the position you were running at the time (as opposed to a goose egg that cannot be dropped), so this wasn't an entire disaster. Race No. 12 wasn't a whole lot better for Henry. He drew the second starting position for the first heat, got away well, but was involved in a carbon-copy incident between Turns 1 and 2. He didn't loose his nose this time, but this did put him behind the eight ball for the rest of the day. He finished his heat races in eights and ninth, which resulted in a lowly starting position for the feature. During the intermission, I was busy crunching the numbers to figure out what Henry had to do to maintain his position in the championship. Because of some less than spectacular finishes by some of the others of concern, I figured that Henry only needed to finish one place ahead of one other kart, which was starting several places ahead of him. The start went well and Henry was directly behind the other kart by Lap 2. He made a clean pass going into Turn 2 and life was good. He pulled away over the next few laps but then caught up to another kart. Henry was clearly faster, but when Henry tried to pass in Turn 3, these two got together and Henry went into the grass. And the other kart got back by. Henry caught back up, but time was running out. In Turn 9 of the last lap, Henry made an aggressive move on the inside. There was a bit of contact, but Henry made it stick and finished where he needed to finish. The championship in Henry's class was a three horse affair between some serious competitors. It was nice to see Henry pull off the honors for 'best of the rest' in his first season in a shifter kart.
NEXT RACE – Well, that's it for the 2006 season. After the make-up race, Conor got to have a drive in a kart from one of the other junior classes – Yamaha Super Can. He was able to record competitive lap time within a handful of laps and enjoyed it immensely. After Race No. 12, Conor got to have a drive in Henry's kart. He had never driven anything that shifts gears before, so I was expecting him to putter around in the wrong gear most of the time. Within a handful of laps, he was running lap times that were only a second or two from Henry's race pace. For me, it was hard to believe. Henry's not willing to give up his ride for next year, and Conor is a bit young for a shifter kart class. So, with the help of a generous benefactor, we have purchased a very competitive Yamaha Super Can kart for Conor. After struggling with less than competitive equipment this year, Conor certainly deserves this. He will be fun to watch next year. Peter also proved that he is ready for a promotion from the Rookie Box class. We will upgrade his current chassis for the Junior Sportsman II class using Conor's championship winning engine from last year, which has been sitting patiently in the basement. The MSOKC banquet is Friday, November 17 – the day before the OSU vs. Michigan game. I'm going with the Buckeyes…
Bill
Tuesday, October 3, 2006
MSOKC Race No. 11 - September 24, 2006 - Two in a Row
Originally sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2006 11:13 PM
NEWS – Race No. 11 of the 2006 MSOKC season was a week ago Sunday. We've had another race since then – the second of three on consecutive weekends – so I'll make this short. Henry had new tires and we decided to go back to the Briggs Raptor engine for Conor.
PRACTICE – In spite of some dampness on the track from showers the night before, Henry ran 45-flats in the first practice session and mid 44s in his second, so the new tires were definitely doing the trick. Conor was back in the sub-50 range, but all day we had to deal with the significant oil leak that his Raptor has developed. Peter was a bit more tentative with the dampness, but managed to work into mid 58s in his second practice session.
ROOKIE BOX – Peter started last (of six) in his first heat. He made his way to fourth at the start and made another pass on Lap 2 to bring him up to third. He spent the next four laps trying to find his way around a relative new-comer who is quickly coming up to speed. He finally got around on Lap 5 and finished second. In his second heat, starting from the pole position, he made a great start and led from start to finish. He benefited from traffic that kept the only other kart that may have presented a challenge at bay. In the feature, again starting from the pole, he made another great start and led handily for the first few laps. He them began to receive pressure from behind. He responded with a string of laps in the sub-57 second range with a best of 57.24. On the last lap, on the last turn, the kart behind made a lunge down the inside, but came up about a foot short (0.038 sec). This gave Peter his second feature race win in a row and his third of the season.
JR. UNRESTRICTED – The fast guy in Conor's class was away at a Great Lakes Sprint Series race a week ago Sunday (where he won one of the classes he competes in and finished second in the other three), so Conor's class consisted of only two karts. The race director decided to combine Conor's class with the class he competed in last year, since some of them were away at the GLSS race, too. Conor started both heats and the feature on the front row and led every lap. The only question was whether or not he would lap any of the karts in the other class. He came close in the feature. His lap times with his Raptor, the best of which was a 48.81, were about a second to a second-and-a-half better than the previous race with his restricted Briggs Animal.
80cc SHIFTER – Henry class consisted of eight karts. He started the first heat from the sixth position. He dropped a position at the start but made passes on each of the first three laps to bring him up to fourth. He lost a spot on the next lap while trying to find a way around the kart in front of him and finished fifth. Starting third in the second heat, Henry got away well and ran in third for the first five laps. With only faster karts in front of him, he recorded a string of laps in the mid 44 second range (best of 44.39). He was passed on the last lap and finished fourth. Starting fourth in the feature, he again made a good start to hold his position. He made a pass into third on Lap 2 only to loose it to another kart on Lap 3. He ran in fourth for most of the feature, but his lap times started to fall off towards the end. I later figured out that we have been running too much air pressure in Henry's front tires. While this makes them come up to temperature more quickly, they loose their performance towards the end of a long run. Henry lost a position on Lap 9 and finished in fifth.
NEXT RACE – All three boys solidified their positions in the championship. With Peter's second win in a row, he even increased his chances of moving up. The next race – a make-up race for a rain-out earlier in the season – was last Sunday. The final race of the season is next Sunday, October 8, 2006, where 20 bonus points towards the championship are on the line.
Bill
Lap times and results can be found at http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=169441
NEWS – Race No. 11 of the 2006 MSOKC season was a week ago Sunday. We've had another race since then – the second of three on consecutive weekends – so I'll make this short. Henry had new tires and we decided to go back to the Briggs Raptor engine for Conor.
PRACTICE – In spite of some dampness on the track from showers the night before, Henry ran 45-flats in the first practice session and mid 44s in his second, so the new tires were definitely doing the trick. Conor was back in the sub-50 range, but all day we had to deal with the significant oil leak that his Raptor has developed. Peter was a bit more tentative with the dampness, but managed to work into mid 58s in his second practice session.
ROOKIE BOX – Peter started last (of six) in his first heat. He made his way to fourth at the start and made another pass on Lap 2 to bring him up to third. He spent the next four laps trying to find his way around a relative new-comer who is quickly coming up to speed. He finally got around on Lap 5 and finished second. In his second heat, starting from the pole position, he made a great start and led from start to finish. He benefited from traffic that kept the only other kart that may have presented a challenge at bay. In the feature, again starting from the pole, he made another great start and led handily for the first few laps. He them began to receive pressure from behind. He responded with a string of laps in the sub-57 second range with a best of 57.24. On the last lap, on the last turn, the kart behind made a lunge down the inside, but came up about a foot short (0.038 sec). This gave Peter his second feature race win in a row and his third of the season.
JR. UNRESTRICTED – The fast guy in Conor's class was away at a Great Lakes Sprint Series race a week ago Sunday (where he won one of the classes he competes in and finished second in the other three), so Conor's class consisted of only two karts. The race director decided to combine Conor's class with the class he competed in last year, since some of them were away at the GLSS race, too. Conor started both heats and the feature on the front row and led every lap. The only question was whether or not he would lap any of the karts in the other class. He came close in the feature. His lap times with his Raptor, the best of which was a 48.81, were about a second to a second-and-a-half better than the previous race with his restricted Briggs Animal.
80cc SHIFTER – Henry class consisted of eight karts. He started the first heat from the sixth position. He dropped a position at the start but made passes on each of the first three laps to bring him up to fourth. He lost a spot on the next lap while trying to find a way around the kart in front of him and finished fifth. Starting third in the second heat, Henry got away well and ran in third for the first five laps. With only faster karts in front of him, he recorded a string of laps in the mid 44 second range (best of 44.39). He was passed on the last lap and finished fourth. Starting fourth in the feature, he again made a good start to hold his position. He made a pass into third on Lap 2 only to loose it to another kart on Lap 3. He ran in fourth for most of the feature, but his lap times started to fall off towards the end. I later figured out that we have been running too much air pressure in Henry's front tires. While this makes them come up to temperature more quickly, they loose their performance towards the end of a long run. Henry lost a position on Lap 9 and finished in fifth.
NEXT RACE – All three boys solidified their positions in the championship. With Peter's second win in a row, he even increased his chances of moving up. The next race – a make-up race for a rain-out earlier in the season – was last Sunday. The final race of the season is next Sunday, October 8, 2006, where 20 bonus points towards the championship are on the line.
Bill
Lap times and results can be found at http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=169441
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
MSOKC Race No. 10 – September 10, 2006
Originally sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2006 12:21 AM
NEWS – Bruce Brothers Racing had an up and down weekend just over a week ago during MSOKC Race No. 10 – our first race on the regular course configuration at CRP since July 23. Peter had a new seat to try, everyone in Conor's class had agreed to use a Briggs Animal engine with a stock (0.505 in. diameter) restrictor plate, and Henry had new aluminum wheels to try (albeit with used tires) and another shiny-new yellow nose.
PRACTICE – During practice, it became obvious that, while Peter's new seat (Conor's from last year) fit him well, the position was uncomfortable. We propped it up by re-drilling the upper connection points, which seemed to do the trick. We knew that Conor's lap times would be slower using the smaller diameter restrictor plate, but with everyone using it, at least the playing field would be even. Unfortunately, the fast kid in Conor's class has a killer Briggs Animal engine. So, from the beginning of practice, it became apparent that Conor's chances for a competitive showing were not good. Henry's practice times were reasonable, but he complained of a lack of grip.
ROOKIE BOX – Peter started his first heat from the sixth position (of six). He followed the field through Turn 1 and settled in. He made a pass on Lap 2, another on Lap 3, and another on Lap 5. He was quite a way behind the two leaders as he crossed the finish line in third. Starting from the pole position in his second heat, he timed the start perfectly and motored around the first lap in the lead. The three karts immediately behind him were contesting second place by the end of Lap 1. Two of the faster karts in Peter's class weren't patient enough with one of the slower karts and all three went off in Turn 10. This left Peter with a huge lead that he did not relinquish. One of the faster karts did recover to finish second, however. Peter's first and third place finishes earned him the pole position for the feature. He again timed the start perfectly and led through the first few corners. This time, the two faster karts didn't wait until Turn 10 to tangle – they tangled at the exit of Turn 4. This again left Peter with a huge lead that he did not relinquish. The other two recovered to finish second and third. Peter's fastest lap wasn't quite as fast as the other two, but by keeping his nose clean, it didn't have to be. After his first feature race win during Race No. 8, Peter now has two to his credit.
JR. UNRESTRICTED – There were only three karts in Conor's class for Race No. 10. After what we saw in practice, we had a pretty good idea what to expect. In both heats and the feature, Conor was consistently a second-and-a-half slower than the fast kid and two-and-a-half seconds faster than the other, who is a relative new-comer. Needless to say, Conor finished second in both heats and the feature. The fast kid proved what we had been trying to figure out during the past few races – that a Briggs Animal with a stock restrictor plate will run lap times that are the same as an unrestricted Briggs Raptor. He also proved that their Briggs Animal is a lot stronger than ours. For the next race, we're going to give our Briggs Raptor another try. If we can get it to hold together, Conor should be more competitive with it than he was last Sunday.
80cc SHIFTER – Unfortunately, Henry used up what was left of his used tires during the practice sessions. He started the first heat from the third position and got away quickly. This is usually a recipe for success for Henry, but he immediately began to loose positions to karts he regularly finishes in front of. He eventually finished seventh (of 10). A club rule states that you must finish the event on the tires on which you start unless there is a safety concern. As we were lamenting this, we noticed that the seams on both of his front tires were beginning to show. I brought the worst of these to the Race Director and he gave us permission to replace them with new ones. This would help in the second heat, but now he would be starting from the rear. Starting seventh, made one pass at the start and settled into sixth. While he wasn't loosing ground, he wasn't able to work his way up any further either. During the break, we made a few adjustments to help his balance. In the feature, starting from seventh again, he made another pass at the start and then another on Lap 2. He was able to break away from the group behind him, but was unable to catch the group in front and finished fifth. Earlier in the season, I had promised myself that I wouldn't be so stingy with allocating new tires – so much for that. Henry will have new rears to go with his new fronts for the next race. The good news is that we left the track with Henry's new nose in one piece and still shiny-new.
NEXT RACE – As the season begins to wind down, the championship picture begins to come into focus. Peter is currently in third with a possibility of moving up. Conor’s destiny is pretty well set in second. Henry is holding on to a close fourth, which is an admirable position for his first year in a shifter kart. After a break this past weekend, the last three races are the next three weekends in a row. This includes a make-up race for a rain-out earlier in the season.
Bill
Lap times and results can be found at http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=165583
NEWS – Bruce Brothers Racing had an up and down weekend just over a week ago during MSOKC Race No. 10 – our first race on the regular course configuration at CRP since July 23. Peter had a new seat to try, everyone in Conor's class had agreed to use a Briggs Animal engine with a stock (0.505 in. diameter) restrictor plate, and Henry had new aluminum wheels to try (albeit with used tires) and another shiny-new yellow nose.
PRACTICE – During practice, it became obvious that, while Peter's new seat (Conor's from last year) fit him well, the position was uncomfortable. We propped it up by re-drilling the upper connection points, which seemed to do the trick. We knew that Conor's lap times would be slower using the smaller diameter restrictor plate, but with everyone using it, at least the playing field would be even. Unfortunately, the fast kid in Conor's class has a killer Briggs Animal engine. So, from the beginning of practice, it became apparent that Conor's chances for a competitive showing were not good. Henry's practice times were reasonable, but he complained of a lack of grip.
ROOKIE BOX – Peter started his first heat from the sixth position (of six). He followed the field through Turn 1 and settled in. He made a pass on Lap 2, another on Lap 3, and another on Lap 5. He was quite a way behind the two leaders as he crossed the finish line in third. Starting from the pole position in his second heat, he timed the start perfectly and motored around the first lap in the lead. The three karts immediately behind him were contesting second place by the end of Lap 1. Two of the faster karts in Peter's class weren't patient enough with one of the slower karts and all three went off in Turn 10. This left Peter with a huge lead that he did not relinquish. One of the faster karts did recover to finish second, however. Peter's first and third place finishes earned him the pole position for the feature. He again timed the start perfectly and led through the first few corners. This time, the two faster karts didn't wait until Turn 10 to tangle – they tangled at the exit of Turn 4. This again left Peter with a huge lead that he did not relinquish. The other two recovered to finish second and third. Peter's fastest lap wasn't quite as fast as the other two, but by keeping his nose clean, it didn't have to be. After his first feature race win during Race No. 8, Peter now has two to his credit.
JR. UNRESTRICTED – There were only three karts in Conor's class for Race No. 10. After what we saw in practice, we had a pretty good idea what to expect. In both heats and the feature, Conor was consistently a second-and-a-half slower than the fast kid and two-and-a-half seconds faster than the other, who is a relative new-comer. Needless to say, Conor finished second in both heats and the feature. The fast kid proved what we had been trying to figure out during the past few races – that a Briggs Animal with a stock restrictor plate will run lap times that are the same as an unrestricted Briggs Raptor. He also proved that their Briggs Animal is a lot stronger than ours. For the next race, we're going to give our Briggs Raptor another try. If we can get it to hold together, Conor should be more competitive with it than he was last Sunday.
80cc SHIFTER – Unfortunately, Henry used up what was left of his used tires during the practice sessions. He started the first heat from the third position and got away quickly. This is usually a recipe for success for Henry, but he immediately began to loose positions to karts he regularly finishes in front of. He eventually finished seventh (of 10). A club rule states that you must finish the event on the tires on which you start unless there is a safety concern. As we were lamenting this, we noticed that the seams on both of his front tires were beginning to show. I brought the worst of these to the Race Director and he gave us permission to replace them with new ones. This would help in the second heat, but now he would be starting from the rear. Starting seventh, made one pass at the start and settled into sixth. While he wasn't loosing ground, he wasn't able to work his way up any further either. During the break, we made a few adjustments to help his balance. In the feature, starting from seventh again, he made another pass at the start and then another on Lap 2. He was able to break away from the group behind him, but was unable to catch the group in front and finished fifth. Earlier in the season, I had promised myself that I wouldn't be so stingy with allocating new tires – so much for that. Henry will have new rears to go with his new fronts for the next race. The good news is that we left the track with Henry's new nose in one piece and still shiny-new.
NEXT RACE – As the season begins to wind down, the championship picture begins to come into focus. Peter is currently in third with a possibility of moving up. Conor’s destiny is pretty well set in second. Henry is holding on to a close fourth, which is an admirable position for his first year in a shifter kart. After a break this past weekend, the last three races are the next three weekends in a row. This includes a make-up race for a rain-out earlier in the season.
Bill
Lap times and results can be found at http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=165583
Monday, August 28, 2006
MSOKC Race No. 9 - August 19, 2006
Originally sent: Monday, August 28, 2006 11:39 PM
NEWS – A week ago Saturday was our first Mid State of Ohio Kart Club race at Circleville Raceway Park in nearly a month and it was another one with a bit of a twist. There is a cut-off between Turns 3 and 7 that is normally used only for cool-down laps. It by-passes several turns and the long back straight. For Race No. 9 a week ago Saturday, which was also a night race, the 'short course' was used for the entire evening of racing. The short course is a lot like an extended oval, with five left handers and one right. All three boys acclimated easily to the change and Peter actually liked it.
PRACTICE – None of the boys had experienced the quick left hander that is composed of the combination of the usual Turns 3 and 7, so Conor and Peter both went out for some practice laps during the open session. Both need a gear change to accommodate for the extended full-throttle run that is usually interrupted by Turn 3. Henry stayed in the pits to work on finishing up his summer reading assignments prior to the first day of school, which was last week. We also made a chassis adjustment to Peter's kart, which resulted in a measurable improvement. Peter had not been in his kart in nearly a month and complained that his seat was too tight – time for bigger one…
ROOKIE BOX – Peter started from the pole position for his first heat race, which because of the shorter course was extended from the usual six laps to 10. His class consisted of five karts on Saturday. The kart that started on the outside of the front row tends to be aggressive at the start and indeed got the better of Peter at the start. Peter was glued to his bumper for the entire 10 laps. Some may have thought the short course was fun, but there are very few opportunities to pass. Peter was able to pull along side between Turns 8 and 9 several times, but could not make it stick and finished second. He started last in the second heat. I have never seen a kart in Peter's class stall at the drop of the green flag, but this time, two did. Peter went from last to first while the two got restarted, each loosing about a half a lap in the process. Peter cruised in the lead, turning laps in the mid-32 second range, until Lap 8 when he came up to lap a slower kart who obviously had no clue what those waiving blue flags meant. Even though Peter was over a second faster per lap, he could not get by. He was patient, however, and did not take any chances. He was far enough ahead of the next kart that he could trudge around for the last two laps for another heat race win. The feature, which was 15 laps instead of the usual eight, started much like the first heat for Peter. He started from the pole and ran side-by-side through Turns 1 and 2 before getting squeezed and loosing the position in Turn 3/7. After this, he was glued to the back bumper of the other kart again until Lap 13 when the pair came upon a slower kart approaching Turn 8. The kart in front of Peter braked suddenly causing Peter to brake even harder to avoid contact. Peter did a lazy half spin and high-sided his kart on the edge of the track. He needed to get out and push to get going again. He lost a lap in the process and finished fifth. Peter was very upset with the events that had transpired, but Laura was able to calm him down. In spite of having no open track in which to work, Peter set the fastest lap time in the feature (32.01).
JR. UNRESTRICTED – Conor's lap times from practice were reasonable, but the restricted Briggs Animal engine that we have been using lacks the top-end speed of the unrestricted Briggs Raptor engine that the other karts in his class use. This was particularly evident in the long full-throttle run leading up to Turn 8. Conor was fast from Turn 8 through Turn 1, but would loose four or five kart-lengths on the run back to Turn 8. We have been given permission by the club to find a restrictor plate diameter that makes these two engines perform equally. We started too small in Race No. 7 before finding one that worked reasonably well in Race No. 8. After practice on Saturday, because of the top end discrepancy, we decided to try a bigger one for Race No. 9. Conor started last of four in his first heat. He was patient at the start and fell into line. He made two passes in Lap 2 and set out after the leader, who has not had much competition this season. Conor was able to pull away from the other two, but could not quite cut into the lead, dropping about 1 to 2 tenths per lap. He finished a comfortable second. When we put his kart down on the grid in the pole position spot for the second heat, one of the other parents asked me how much air pressure we were running in Conor's rear tires. It did not take me long to figure out why she asked – Conor's right rear tire was nearly flat with a piece of metal that he had picked up in the first heat sticking through the carcass. I quickly ran back to the trailer and grabbed another set of older rears that I just happen to have mounted on some spare rims, which are quire a bit narrower that the ones we usually run. I guessed at how much air pressure he might need for these and ran back to the grid with my trusty battery-powered impact wrench in hand. The other parents already had the rear of Conor's kart in the air, and I was able to get the rears changed just as the gate opened for the formation lap. I had no idea what to expect when the green flag flew. Conor lost a position at the start and was a bit tail happy through the first few corners, but after that he began to settle in. He again pulled away from the other two, but could not do much about the leader. His best lap was his last, which was actually better than his best lap from the first heat. Starting second in the feature, he again ran in second to the finish. We had decided to leave well enough alone with his rear tires. He again improved on his fastest lap of the day, which was a 26.36. This time, he was actually able to cut into the lead on several laps, which seemed to catch the leader by surprise. He was able to respond however, but the margin of victory was only a second or two as opposed to a quarter of a lap or so as it has been regularly this season.
80cc SHIFTER – Henry had a bit more work to do acclimating to the short track since he also needed to figure out a new set of shift points. He started his first heat from the sixth position (of 10). He got away from the standing start well, but so did the majority of the field. One of the faster karts muscled past on Lap 1. Henry was bottled up behind a group of karts that was being held up by a slower kart. With no clear track in front of him, Henry could not seem to get a rhythm going and dropped several more positions over the next few laps. He eventually finished eighth. The slower kart that caused the bottle up in the first heat started behind Henry in the second heat. He got caught on the inside with nowhere to go in Turn 3/7 on Lap 1 and lost several positions, but not to the kart that caused his problem in the first heat. With the karts in front of him spaced out a bit, he was able to begin picking them off one by one. He was up to seventh by Lap 3, sixth by Lap 4, fifth by lap 5, and fourth by Lap 8, which is where he finished. The feature was much like the second heat for Henry. Starting sixth, he dropped one position at the start and then began working his way through the field – sixth by Lap 3 and fifth by Lap 7 (of 15). Meanwhile, there was quite a bit of action going on at the front. The pole sitter, who had won the first heat by managing to keep everyone behind him, was trying to do the same in the feature. Several of the faster karts were not happy with this and were letting him know with 'gentle taps' on the rear bumper. One of these taps (on Lap 10) by the kart that ended up crossing the finish line first was a bit more than gentle, which sent the lead kart into the grass. This promoted Henry to fourth, which is where he finished. He was later promoted to third when the winner was disqualified for one too many taps. Third is another personal best for Henry in MSOKC 80cc shifter class competition. Henry's fastest lap in the feature (24.24) was actually faster than the best lap for the eventual winner.
NEXT RACE – I had been out of town the entire week before this race and arrived home late Friday evening. Friday night was spent at our church's annual Festival, where Laura and the boys were volunteering (okay, Laura was volunteering and the boys were messing around). Saturday morning was spent frantically making sandwiches, Gatorade bottles, and loading everything up for the mid-day start of practice. With extra tuning to do for a different track configuration and the various problems we had throughout the day, we were all exhausted on Sunday. The next race, September 10, 2006, is back to the regular course configuration at CRP and back to the regular Sunday schedule.
Bill
p.s., Lap times and results can be found at http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=157898
NEWS – A week ago Saturday was our first Mid State of Ohio Kart Club race at Circleville Raceway Park in nearly a month and it was another one with a bit of a twist. There is a cut-off between Turns 3 and 7 that is normally used only for cool-down laps. It by-passes several turns and the long back straight. For Race No. 9 a week ago Saturday, which was also a night race, the 'short course' was used for the entire evening of racing. The short course is a lot like an extended oval, with five left handers and one right. All three boys acclimated easily to the change and Peter actually liked it.
PRACTICE – None of the boys had experienced the quick left hander that is composed of the combination of the usual Turns 3 and 7, so Conor and Peter both went out for some practice laps during the open session. Both need a gear change to accommodate for the extended full-throttle run that is usually interrupted by Turn 3. Henry stayed in the pits to work on finishing up his summer reading assignments prior to the first day of school, which was last week. We also made a chassis adjustment to Peter's kart, which resulted in a measurable improvement. Peter had not been in his kart in nearly a month and complained that his seat was too tight – time for bigger one…
ROOKIE BOX – Peter started from the pole position for his first heat race, which because of the shorter course was extended from the usual six laps to 10. His class consisted of five karts on Saturday. The kart that started on the outside of the front row tends to be aggressive at the start and indeed got the better of Peter at the start. Peter was glued to his bumper for the entire 10 laps. Some may have thought the short course was fun, but there are very few opportunities to pass. Peter was able to pull along side between Turns 8 and 9 several times, but could not make it stick and finished second. He started last in the second heat. I have never seen a kart in Peter's class stall at the drop of the green flag, but this time, two did. Peter went from last to first while the two got restarted, each loosing about a half a lap in the process. Peter cruised in the lead, turning laps in the mid-32 second range, until Lap 8 when he came up to lap a slower kart who obviously had no clue what those waiving blue flags meant. Even though Peter was over a second faster per lap, he could not get by. He was patient, however, and did not take any chances. He was far enough ahead of the next kart that he could trudge around for the last two laps for another heat race win. The feature, which was 15 laps instead of the usual eight, started much like the first heat for Peter. He started from the pole and ran side-by-side through Turns 1 and 2 before getting squeezed and loosing the position in Turn 3/7. After this, he was glued to the back bumper of the other kart again until Lap 13 when the pair came upon a slower kart approaching Turn 8. The kart in front of Peter braked suddenly causing Peter to brake even harder to avoid contact. Peter did a lazy half spin and high-sided his kart on the edge of the track. He needed to get out and push to get going again. He lost a lap in the process and finished fifth. Peter was very upset with the events that had transpired, but Laura was able to calm him down. In spite of having no open track in which to work, Peter set the fastest lap time in the feature (32.01).
JR. UNRESTRICTED – Conor's lap times from practice were reasonable, but the restricted Briggs Animal engine that we have been using lacks the top-end speed of the unrestricted Briggs Raptor engine that the other karts in his class use. This was particularly evident in the long full-throttle run leading up to Turn 8. Conor was fast from Turn 8 through Turn 1, but would loose four or five kart-lengths on the run back to Turn 8. We have been given permission by the club to find a restrictor plate diameter that makes these two engines perform equally. We started too small in Race No. 7 before finding one that worked reasonably well in Race No. 8. After practice on Saturday, because of the top end discrepancy, we decided to try a bigger one for Race No. 9. Conor started last of four in his first heat. He was patient at the start and fell into line. He made two passes in Lap 2 and set out after the leader, who has not had much competition this season. Conor was able to pull away from the other two, but could not quite cut into the lead, dropping about 1 to 2 tenths per lap. He finished a comfortable second. When we put his kart down on the grid in the pole position spot for the second heat, one of the other parents asked me how much air pressure we were running in Conor's rear tires. It did not take me long to figure out why she asked – Conor's right rear tire was nearly flat with a piece of metal that he had picked up in the first heat sticking through the carcass. I quickly ran back to the trailer and grabbed another set of older rears that I just happen to have mounted on some spare rims, which are quire a bit narrower that the ones we usually run. I guessed at how much air pressure he might need for these and ran back to the grid with my trusty battery-powered impact wrench in hand. The other parents already had the rear of Conor's kart in the air, and I was able to get the rears changed just as the gate opened for the formation lap. I had no idea what to expect when the green flag flew. Conor lost a position at the start and was a bit tail happy through the first few corners, but after that he began to settle in. He again pulled away from the other two, but could not do much about the leader. His best lap was his last, which was actually better than his best lap from the first heat. Starting second in the feature, he again ran in second to the finish. We had decided to leave well enough alone with his rear tires. He again improved on his fastest lap of the day, which was a 26.36. This time, he was actually able to cut into the lead on several laps, which seemed to catch the leader by surprise. He was able to respond however, but the margin of victory was only a second or two as opposed to a quarter of a lap or so as it has been regularly this season.
80cc SHIFTER – Henry had a bit more work to do acclimating to the short track since he also needed to figure out a new set of shift points. He started his first heat from the sixth position (of 10). He got away from the standing start well, but so did the majority of the field. One of the faster karts muscled past on Lap 1. Henry was bottled up behind a group of karts that was being held up by a slower kart. With no clear track in front of him, Henry could not seem to get a rhythm going and dropped several more positions over the next few laps. He eventually finished eighth. The slower kart that caused the bottle up in the first heat started behind Henry in the second heat. He got caught on the inside with nowhere to go in Turn 3/7 on Lap 1 and lost several positions, but not to the kart that caused his problem in the first heat. With the karts in front of him spaced out a bit, he was able to begin picking them off one by one. He was up to seventh by Lap 3, sixth by Lap 4, fifth by lap 5, and fourth by Lap 8, which is where he finished. The feature was much like the second heat for Henry. Starting sixth, he dropped one position at the start and then began working his way through the field – sixth by Lap 3 and fifth by Lap 7 (of 15). Meanwhile, there was quite a bit of action going on at the front. The pole sitter, who had won the first heat by managing to keep everyone behind him, was trying to do the same in the feature. Several of the faster karts were not happy with this and were letting him know with 'gentle taps' on the rear bumper. One of these taps (on Lap 10) by the kart that ended up crossing the finish line first was a bit more than gentle, which sent the lead kart into the grass. This promoted Henry to fourth, which is where he finished. He was later promoted to third when the winner was disqualified for one too many taps. Third is another personal best for Henry in MSOKC 80cc shifter class competition. Henry's fastest lap in the feature (24.24) was actually faster than the best lap for the eventual winner.
NEXT RACE – I had been out of town the entire week before this race and arrived home late Friday evening. Friday night was spent at our church's annual Festival, where Laura and the boys were volunteering (okay, Laura was volunteering and the boys were messing around). Saturday morning was spent frantically making sandwiches, Gatorade bottles, and loading everything up for the mid-day start of practice. With extra tuning to do for a different track configuration and the various problems we had throughout the day, we were all exhausted on Sunday. The next race, September 10, 2006, is back to the regular course configuration at CRP and back to the regular Sunday schedule.
Bill
p.s., Lap times and results can be found at http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=157898
Monday, August 14, 2006
Commercial Point Grand Prix - August 5-6, 2006
Originally sent: Monday, August 14, 2006 4:58 PM
NEWS – Bruce Brothers Racing had an awesome time last weekend on the streets of Commercial Point Ohio at our first non-club race – the Commercial Point Grand Prix. I remember this race from when I was a kid. It has been held on and off for years, but hadn't been held since 1999. The format for this event involved two practice sessions and a 10 lap 'merchandise race' on Saturday, which set the field for the 'trophy race' on Sunday, was held after another brief practice session. There were a total of 10 classes, including classes for Conor and Henry, but none for Peter. There was also an opportunity for four of these classes, including Henry's, to participate in a 15 lap 'pro race' with cash prizes. I had pre-registered Conor and Henry for the merchandise and trophy races. Henry didn't make up his mind about the pro race until Sunday morning.
PRACTICE – Conor's class was the first to take to the track on Saturday for practice. The course was composed of 10 turns and included some elevation change. The front straight was a bit longer than the back straight at Circleville Raceway Park, so we had dropped a couple of teeth from Conor's rear sprocket. The course was lined with hay bales, which I had been led to believe were unforgiving in the event of an incident. The course was also relatively bumpy, which was to be expected for a street race. We were disappointed by how few karts showed up for Conor's class (Jr. Restricted). I was expecting at least a half dozen or so, but only three had registered and one didn't show up. During both of his practice sessions, Conor ran in lock step with his classmate, who has extensive experience at the national level in this class. Henry's class consisted of 14 karts, including most of the Mid State of Ohio Kart Club regulars and a few others. Henry went out for his first practice towards the end of the pack and took his time working up to speed. We decided to send him out towards the front in his second practice session. With no slower karts to contend with and the additional rubber that had been laid down, he dropped from the 53 second range down to the mid 49s.
JR. RESTRICTED – Conor ran with the other junior driver on Saturday in a class by themselves. The start was ' Le Mans' style, with the karts lined up along the edge of the track at a 45 degree angle. Conor drew the pole and got away first at the drop of the green flag. Unlike CRP, it was impossible to see the whole track at Commercial Point. Laura and Peter were stationed on the other side of town and were equipped with a walkie-talkie so that we could communicate. The other kart came around Turn 10 first, and it was a good 20 seconds or so before Conor made it around. I later learned that, while leading, Conor clipped a hay bale on the exit of Turn 5 after hitting the big bump at the apex. These two circulated the course at about a half a lap apart for the entire 10 laps. I'm not sure that Conor could have held the other driver off for 10 laps, but I was disappointed that he didn't get a chance to try. The age of the other driver (just turned 16) was such that he could have competed in either the junior class or one of the adult classes. For the Trophy race on Sunday, they decided to try an adult class, which consisted of 10 karts, even though they would have to start from the rear. Instead of having Conor run by himself on Sunday, the organizer had him run on the tail of the adult Animal Medium class, which consisted of three other karts. After the start, the pole sitter disappeared into the distance. On Lap 2, Conor came around in third with the kart that had been in front of him nowhere to be seen (into the hay bales hard). On Lap 4, Conor came around in second after the kart that had been running second was delayed by a hay bale. He quickly caught up and passed Conor. Conor finished third overall but first in his class. The junior class turn-out was disappointing, but a first place trophy is a first place trophy.
80cc SHIFTER – The Commercial Point Grand Prix was Henry's best outing to date in a shifter kart. It helped that he drew the pole position for the qualifying race on Saturday. The shifter karts had a conventional standing start – staggered rows of two lined up in the middle of the track. At the driver's meeting, the flagman had explained the starting procedure, which was a little different than everyone was used to. While Henry was waiting for the signal that all of the karts were in position, which never came, the green flag was dropped. It was like 'go' instead of 'on your mark – get set – go'. This caught several drivers off-guard, but Henry managed to get into gear and get away with only a minor delay. He went through the first corner side by-side with the kart that had started behind him. They disappeared to the back side of the track and when they reappeared onto the front straightaway, Henry was third. He ran there until about Lap 5 (of 10) when another kart managed to get around him going into Turn 1. He ran in a comfortable fourth position to the finish, but was promoted to third when the kart in front of him was disqualified for being under weight. On Sunday, starting from the third position, he was able to back-up his third place finish from the day before. He got an excellent start, maintained his position, and began to reel off a series of laps in the 47 second range, including his best of the weekend – a 47.44 on Lap 5. One of the faster karts who had qualified poorly because of a mechanical failure on Saturday caught and passed Henry. A lap later, one of the karts in front clipped a hay bale coming out of Turn 10, promoting Henry back to third, which is where he finished. Henry left the decision about the pro race until the final minute of registration. There was another random draw for starting position, and this time he drew the last position (11th of 11). When it came time to line up, only eight karts made it to the grid. We decided that his best strategy for the 15 lap pro race was to be patient. He followed the field through Turn 1 and began waiting for opportunities to pass. The first one came early – on Lap 1. He made another pass and inherited another position, and was up to fifth by Lap 4. At this point, he quickly caught up to the next kart in line but had difficulty finding a way to pass. He followed this kart for the next nine laps until the leader appeared behind them. Henry let the leader pass in Turn 1. The kart in front of Henry caused the leader to have to take evasive action on his first attempt to pass. This let Henry un-lap himself. When the kart in front of Henry finally did move over, it was Henry who was immediately behind him. After getting past the slower kart, Henry let the leader through again. He quickly pulled away from the slower kart and finished fourth while catching the third place kart.
NEXT RACE – There were two awards ceremonies at Commercial Point – one on Saturday for the merchandise races and one on Sunday for the trophy and pro races. Both boys collected some nice merchandise on Saturday. The driver who won the merchandise race in Conor's class didn't show up for the ceremony, so Conor was given his merchandise, too, including a new set of front tires. On Sunday, Conor and Henry collected their first and third place trophies. Henry also collected a $50 check for his fourth place finish in the pro race (we paid the entry fee, he kept the winnings!). We have a bit of repair work to do to prepare for our next race, which is another night race at Circleville Raceway Park on Saturday August 19, 2006. In addition to Conor's hay-bale incident, Henry had one of his own in Turn 5 during practice on Sunday. The ironic thing is, the way each of them described their incident, they must have hit the same hay bale!
Bill
NEWS – Bruce Brothers Racing had an awesome time last weekend on the streets of Commercial Point Ohio at our first non-club race – the Commercial Point Grand Prix. I remember this race from when I was a kid. It has been held on and off for years, but hadn't been held since 1999. The format for this event involved two practice sessions and a 10 lap 'merchandise race' on Saturday, which set the field for the 'trophy race' on Sunday, was held after another brief practice session. There were a total of 10 classes, including classes for Conor and Henry, but none for Peter. There was also an opportunity for four of these classes, including Henry's, to participate in a 15 lap 'pro race' with cash prizes. I had pre-registered Conor and Henry for the merchandise and trophy races. Henry didn't make up his mind about the pro race until Sunday morning.
PRACTICE – Conor's class was the first to take to the track on Saturday for practice. The course was composed of 10 turns and included some elevation change. The front straight was a bit longer than the back straight at Circleville Raceway Park, so we had dropped a couple of teeth from Conor's rear sprocket. The course was lined with hay bales, which I had been led to believe were unforgiving in the event of an incident. The course was also relatively bumpy, which was to be expected for a street race. We were disappointed by how few karts showed up for Conor's class (Jr. Restricted). I was expecting at least a half dozen or so, but only three had registered and one didn't show up. During both of his practice sessions, Conor ran in lock step with his classmate, who has extensive experience at the national level in this class. Henry's class consisted of 14 karts, including most of the Mid State of Ohio Kart Club regulars and a few others. Henry went out for his first practice towards the end of the pack and took his time working up to speed. We decided to send him out towards the front in his second practice session. With no slower karts to contend with and the additional rubber that had been laid down, he dropped from the 53 second range down to the mid 49s.
JR. RESTRICTED – Conor ran with the other junior driver on Saturday in a class by themselves. The start was ' Le Mans' style, with the karts lined up along the edge of the track at a 45 degree angle. Conor drew the pole and got away first at the drop of the green flag. Unlike CRP, it was impossible to see the whole track at Commercial Point. Laura and Peter were stationed on the other side of town and were equipped with a walkie-talkie so that we could communicate. The other kart came around Turn 10 first, and it was a good 20 seconds or so before Conor made it around. I later learned that, while leading, Conor clipped a hay bale on the exit of Turn 5 after hitting the big bump at the apex. These two circulated the course at about a half a lap apart for the entire 10 laps. I'm not sure that Conor could have held the other driver off for 10 laps, but I was disappointed that he didn't get a chance to try. The age of the other driver (just turned 16) was such that he could have competed in either the junior class or one of the adult classes. For the Trophy race on Sunday, they decided to try an adult class, which consisted of 10 karts, even though they would have to start from the rear. Instead of having Conor run by himself on Sunday, the organizer had him run on the tail of the adult Animal Medium class, which consisted of three other karts. After the start, the pole sitter disappeared into the distance. On Lap 2, Conor came around in third with the kart that had been in front of him nowhere to be seen (into the hay bales hard). On Lap 4, Conor came around in second after the kart that had been running second was delayed by a hay bale. He quickly caught up and passed Conor. Conor finished third overall but first in his class. The junior class turn-out was disappointing, but a first place trophy is a first place trophy.
80cc SHIFTER – The Commercial Point Grand Prix was Henry's best outing to date in a shifter kart. It helped that he drew the pole position for the qualifying race on Saturday. The shifter karts had a conventional standing start – staggered rows of two lined up in the middle of the track. At the driver's meeting, the flagman had explained the starting procedure, which was a little different than everyone was used to. While Henry was waiting for the signal that all of the karts were in position, which never came, the green flag was dropped. It was like 'go' instead of 'on your mark – get set – go'. This caught several drivers off-guard, but Henry managed to get into gear and get away with only a minor delay. He went through the first corner side by-side with the kart that had started behind him. They disappeared to the back side of the track and when they reappeared onto the front straightaway, Henry was third. He ran there until about Lap 5 (of 10) when another kart managed to get around him going into Turn 1. He ran in a comfortable fourth position to the finish, but was promoted to third when the kart in front of him was disqualified for being under weight. On Sunday, starting from the third position, he was able to back-up his third place finish from the day before. He got an excellent start, maintained his position, and began to reel off a series of laps in the 47 second range, including his best of the weekend – a 47.44 on Lap 5. One of the faster karts who had qualified poorly because of a mechanical failure on Saturday caught and passed Henry. A lap later, one of the karts in front clipped a hay bale coming out of Turn 10, promoting Henry back to third, which is where he finished. Henry left the decision about the pro race until the final minute of registration. There was another random draw for starting position, and this time he drew the last position (11th of 11). When it came time to line up, only eight karts made it to the grid. We decided that his best strategy for the 15 lap pro race was to be patient. He followed the field through Turn 1 and began waiting for opportunities to pass. The first one came early – on Lap 1. He made another pass and inherited another position, and was up to fifth by Lap 4. At this point, he quickly caught up to the next kart in line but had difficulty finding a way to pass. He followed this kart for the next nine laps until the leader appeared behind them. Henry let the leader pass in Turn 1. The kart in front of Henry caused the leader to have to take evasive action on his first attempt to pass. This let Henry un-lap himself. When the kart in front of Henry finally did move over, it was Henry who was immediately behind him. After getting past the slower kart, Henry let the leader through again. He quickly pulled away from the slower kart and finished fourth while catching the third place kart.
NEXT RACE – There were two awards ceremonies at Commercial Point – one on Saturday for the merchandise races and one on Sunday for the trophy and pro races. Both boys collected some nice merchandise on Saturday. The driver who won the merchandise race in Conor's class didn't show up for the ceremony, so Conor was given his merchandise, too, including a new set of front tires. On Sunday, Conor and Henry collected their first and third place trophies. Henry also collected a $50 check for his fourth place finish in the pro race (we paid the entry fee, he kept the winnings!). We have a bit of repair work to do to prepare for our next race, which is another night race at Circleville Raceway Park on Saturday August 19, 2006. In addition to Conor's hay-bale incident, Henry had one of his own in Turn 5 during practice on Sunday. The ironic thing is, the way each of them described their incident, they must have hit the same hay bale!
Bill
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