Originally sent: May 8, 2007 11:49 PM
NEWS – Bruce Brother Racing had another great outing last weekend for MSOKC Race No. 2. It was a bit windy and cool in the morning, but it turned out to be another beautiful day. Peter got a new clutch disk and a new drive gear during the two week break. Henry ran well in Race No. 1, but we decided to make a slight gear change to his kart to make better use of the increased horsepower from his engine rebuild. Conor again had duty in the tower, this time as a full member of the timing and scoring crew.
PRACTICE – Peter started tentatively in his first practice session, but got down to a reasonable lap time. His gear ratio seemed to be a bit low, which I attributed to the strong tail wind down the back straightaway. I made a fairly drastic change for his second practice session, which he didn't get to sufficiently test because we forgot to top up his tank with methanol. He pulled off early complaining about his engine cutting out in the right hand corners. Henry also complained of engine problems in his practice sessions. We tried a few things and eventually traced it to an electrical short with an un-used kill switch connection, which we were able to easily rectify. After having made gear ratio changes to both karts, we had still not determined the effectiveness by the end of practice for either.
JUNIOR SPORTSMAN 2 – There were five karts in Peter's class on Sunday. One was a fellow graduate from the Rookie Box class from last year, whose kart wasn't ready in time for Race No. 1. Peter started fourth in the first heat, and because of several relative new-comers in front of him, took it easy at the start. He dropped a position, but made it up on the first lap. He found himself behind one of the new-comers who was running laps several seconds slower than Peter is capable of, but he could not get by and finished fourth. His new gear ratio seemed a bit high, but I didn't know whether to attribute this to the need for a change or being stuck behind a much slower kart. He started the second heat from the second position and ran there to the finish. It was apparent that he was faster than the leader, but again could not get past. We did make a gear change back to where we started from for the feature. A fourth and a second resulted in a third place starting position. He was able the follow the pole-sitter through into second in the first few corners. He again ran right on the tail of the leader for 10 laps, obviously faster but unable to get past. His gear ratio was again a bit high. Had we remembered to put fuel in his tank for the second practice session, we may have figured this out in time to make the necessary changes for the feature.
80cc SHIFTER – Unlike Peter's problems, Henry's problems seemed to sort themselves out for the races themselves. There were 13 karts in his class on Sunday. He started the first heat towards the front in the third position. Concerned about his mediocre starts, I thought to put it into terms he could relate to. I told him that it was not all about getting a perfect launch from a dead stop, but rather it was a mater of accumulating as much distance as possible in the least amount of time possible. In other words, it was better to get moving as early as possible, albeit slowly, than to stand still while attempting to execute a perfect launch. I even put into math terms by explaining it was a mater of accumulating area under the time-distance curve. This seemed to help as he got off of the line as well as he ever has in Heat 1. He did drop a position in the run to Turn 3, however. After that, he seemed to be having trouble getting through Turn 4, as he lost another position on Lap 1 and another on Lap 2. He benefited from several off-course excursions later in the race and ended up finishing second, recording a near-best lap of 44.51 in the process. Starting towards the rear in the second heat, he got bounced around like a ping pong ball most of the race while being held up by slower karts. He eventually finished seventh. A second and a seventh resulted in a fifth place starting position for the feature. I'm hoping that my words of wisdom are the trick, because Henry got the best start he has ever had in the feature. He moved as soon as the flag dropped and followed the two karts in front of him past the two karts on the outside. The leader began to develop a gap fairly quickly, but Henry was right on the kart in font of him. In fact, it became apparent fairly quickly that the kart in font of him was holding Henry up. The fourth place kart nipped at Henry's heels for a few laps, but then fell off a bit. Henry followed the second place kart to the finish. At the end, they were separated by less than a kart-length. A third place feature race finish is a personal best for Henry in MSOKC 80 cc Shifter class competition.
NEXT RACE – I'm not sure we're going to make it to the next race, which is Saturday, May 26. In fact, we're probably going to miss it. Conor and Laura will leave for Iowa City the day after tomorrow (Thursday, May 10). Conor has a full day of testing and various apparatus fittings on Friday. I'm going to meet them there on Sunday, May 13, as Conor begins his treatment (starting with several days of traction) on Monday, May 14. Henry and Peter will fly to Iowa City to be there for the surgery on Thursday, May 17th. Henry and Peter will return to Columbus on Sunday, May 20 (they have school until June 7). Depending on how thing go, I will most likely return on Sunday, May 20, as well. After that, Henry, Peter, and I are planning to commute to Iowa City on the weekends. Laura and Conor are prepared to be there for about a month. We'll see how thing go for Race No. 4, which is Saturday, June 9. In the mean time, Conor has finished his school work and will have his last day of middle school tomorrow (a month early). He also had his hair buzzed off this afternoon in preparation for next week. When I got home this afternoon, I had a hard time figuring out who that short-haired kid was sitting on the living room floor. Weird...
Bill
p.s., Lap times and results can be found at http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=204505
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
MSOKC Race No. 1 – April 22, 2007
Originally sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 12:41 AM
NEWS – The 2007 Mid-State of Ohio Kart Club season got off to an excellent start for Bruce Brother Racing last weekend despite only a minimal about of preparation. Peter and I were able to get in one short practice session about a month ago following the reconfiguration of his kart for the Junior Sportsman 2 class he will contest this season. Henry and I also had a short practice session two weekends ago to break in his engine following a freshening up and the addition of a few bits and pieces by his engine builder. Both got new tires for the start of the season. The club had been looking for a helper for the timing and scoring staff on race days, and this ended up being an excellent opportunity for Conor.
PRACTICE – It sure was nice to see all of our racing friends on Sunday after a long winter. We also had excellent weather on Sunday, with plenty of sunshine and temperatures in the upper 70s. The first race of the season is the first real chance to see how many competitors will be in each class. The overall turnout was good, and Henry's class was as strong as ever with 11 even though several regulars were absent. Peter's class consisted of only four, but we know of several others who will compete but were not ready in time for the season opener. Peter practiced first and it became immediately apparent that we had done something right with the reconfiguration of his kart, as he was at least a second a lap faster than everyone else. We have a lot of data from when Conor won the championship in this class in 2005, which helped immensely. Peter also adapted quickly to almost twice the amount of horsepower he had last year. Henry was also on the pace immediately and seemed to be extremely pleased with the increased horsepower as the result of his engine work.
JUNIOR SPORTSMAN 2 – Peter's class consisted of him, the Rookie Box class champion from last year, and two relative newcomers, one of whom ran several races last year. The newcomers started from the rear all day and Peter started the first heat from outside the front row. He fell in behind the pole sitter in Turn 1 and was tight on his tail for the first few laps. Knowing he was faster, he bided his time until the leader made a mistake, which came on Lap 3. Peter tucked underneath in Turn 4 and had the lead by Turn 5. He pulled away and, in spite of having to cope with lapped traffic, won by a comfortable margin. Starting from the pole in Heat 2, Peter made an excellent start and just edged his primary competitor going into Turn 1. There was a bit of contact between Peter's right rear wheel and the other kart's left front wheel between Turns 1 and 2, but both continued without delay. Peter was able to disappear into the distance for another heat race win. Peter also started the feature from the pole position. He got a good start, but so did his primary competitor. They went side-by-side through Turns 1 and 2, which put the other kart on the inside for Turn 3. I was confident that if Peter could not hold the lead, he could certainly challenge from second. Unfortunately, the kart behind clobbered Peter from the rear and sent him into the grass. He became high-centered on the curbing and had to get out and push to get going again. By the time he was underway, he was 35 seconds or so behind the leader. Once he had a clear track ahead of him, he lowered his lap times into the low 52 second range. His best was a 51.93, which compares to a best of 56.49 from the Rookie Box class last year. At about mid distance, I realized that he was catching the leader at quite a pace – like 2 or 3 seconds a lap. At the end of the 10 lap event, he was still second but was able to cut the deficit to about 7 seconds. Peter was fortunate to finish at all, as the Turn 3 incident on Lap 1 resulted in a significant methanol leak from his fuel tank. Because of a broken chain mishap in the second heat by his primary competitor, Peter came away from the day leading the championship in his class.
80cc SHIFTER – Henry was not in the best of shape on Sunday. The night before had been his Junior/Senior prom, and he had been out (by special permission) until about 3:30 AM. I got him up at about 6:45 AM on Sunday. He started his first heat from fifth position. He got away from the standing start well, but dropped a position in the process. He ran in sixth position for a few laps with traffic in front and behind. On Lap 4, the kart behind was able to dive underneath going into in Turn 5, but Henry was able to repay the favor on the exit of Turn 5 when the other kart went in a little too deep (he called it a 'Lewis Hamilton move' in reference to a similar bold move by Formula 1's hottest rookie in the season opener). Henry finally had to concede the position on the next lap and finished seventh. He also started the second heat from the fifth position. He timed the dropping of the flag well, but at the last second, bogged the engine allowing several karts to pass. It was fortunate that he did, because there was a melee in Turn 1. Henry used a strategy that I told him about a while back, which I learned from watching too much racing on television. I once heard an ESPN pit reporter say that, when someone spins in front of you, you should aim right for them, because by the time you get there, they'll be gone. That's just what Henry said he did and it worked like a charm. He came through the mess right where he started – in fourth position. He benefited from the misfortune of several others and ended up in second position by about mid distance. He cruised there to the end and recorded his best ever finish in the 80cc Shifter class. Henry's heat race finishes earned him the fourth starting position for the feature. He got away reasonably well, but dropped two positions in the process. On Lap 3, he benefited from a mechanical failure, which promoted him to fifth. The leader had gotten away at that point, but the next four were nose-to-tail. I was happy to see Henry holding onto the tail of this group. On Lap 4, one of the karts in from of Henry seemed to have made a clean pass on the inside going into Turn 5, but the door was closed on him which sent him briefly into the grass. This promoted Henry to fourth. He ran there for three laps before having to re-concede the position. He finished the feature in fifth, but recorded the fourth fastest lap time of 44.76. Another 1/10 off of that would have given him the second fastest lap time. Overall it was an excellent result for a bleary-eyed boy.
NEXT RACE – Peter and Henry both had excellent days on the track, and Conor enjoyed himself in the scoring tower as well. He even got paid for his efforts, which he thought was pretty cool for mostly sitting in the air conditioning all day. Everyone seemed to be glad to see him and many took time out to wish him a speedy recovery from what the next month or so holds in store. The next race is Sunday, May 6, 2007. Peter and Henry will do there best to even better their performances from this past Sunday, and Conor will have even increased responsibilities in the tower. After that, it will be off to Iowa City for Conor's surgery, which is scheduled for May 17.
Bill
p.s., Lap times and results can be found at http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=200326
NEWS – The 2007 Mid-State of Ohio Kart Club season got off to an excellent start for Bruce Brother Racing last weekend despite only a minimal about of preparation. Peter and I were able to get in one short practice session about a month ago following the reconfiguration of his kart for the Junior Sportsman 2 class he will contest this season. Henry and I also had a short practice session two weekends ago to break in his engine following a freshening up and the addition of a few bits and pieces by his engine builder. Both got new tires for the start of the season. The club had been looking for a helper for the timing and scoring staff on race days, and this ended up being an excellent opportunity for Conor.
PRACTICE – It sure was nice to see all of our racing friends on Sunday after a long winter. We also had excellent weather on Sunday, with plenty of sunshine and temperatures in the upper 70s. The first race of the season is the first real chance to see how many competitors will be in each class. The overall turnout was good, and Henry's class was as strong as ever with 11 even though several regulars were absent. Peter's class consisted of only four, but we know of several others who will compete but were not ready in time for the season opener. Peter practiced first and it became immediately apparent that we had done something right with the reconfiguration of his kart, as he was at least a second a lap faster than everyone else. We have a lot of data from when Conor won the championship in this class in 2005, which helped immensely. Peter also adapted quickly to almost twice the amount of horsepower he had last year. Henry was also on the pace immediately and seemed to be extremely pleased with the increased horsepower as the result of his engine work.
JUNIOR SPORTSMAN 2 – Peter's class consisted of him, the Rookie Box class champion from last year, and two relative newcomers, one of whom ran several races last year. The newcomers started from the rear all day and Peter started the first heat from outside the front row. He fell in behind the pole sitter in Turn 1 and was tight on his tail for the first few laps. Knowing he was faster, he bided his time until the leader made a mistake, which came on Lap 3. Peter tucked underneath in Turn 4 and had the lead by Turn 5. He pulled away and, in spite of having to cope with lapped traffic, won by a comfortable margin. Starting from the pole in Heat 2, Peter made an excellent start and just edged his primary competitor going into Turn 1. There was a bit of contact between Peter's right rear wheel and the other kart's left front wheel between Turns 1 and 2, but both continued without delay. Peter was able to disappear into the distance for another heat race win. Peter also started the feature from the pole position. He got a good start, but so did his primary competitor. They went side-by-side through Turns 1 and 2, which put the other kart on the inside for Turn 3. I was confident that if Peter could not hold the lead, he could certainly challenge from second. Unfortunately, the kart behind clobbered Peter from the rear and sent him into the grass. He became high-centered on the curbing and had to get out and push to get going again. By the time he was underway, he was 35 seconds or so behind the leader. Once he had a clear track ahead of him, he lowered his lap times into the low 52 second range. His best was a 51.93, which compares to a best of 56.49 from the Rookie Box class last year. At about mid distance, I realized that he was catching the leader at quite a pace – like 2 or 3 seconds a lap. At the end of the 10 lap event, he was still second but was able to cut the deficit to about 7 seconds. Peter was fortunate to finish at all, as the Turn 3 incident on Lap 1 resulted in a significant methanol leak from his fuel tank. Because of a broken chain mishap in the second heat by his primary competitor, Peter came away from the day leading the championship in his class.
80cc SHIFTER – Henry was not in the best of shape on Sunday. The night before had been his Junior/Senior prom, and he had been out (by special permission) until about 3:30 AM. I got him up at about 6:45 AM on Sunday. He started his first heat from fifth position. He got away from the standing start well, but dropped a position in the process. He ran in sixth position for a few laps with traffic in front and behind. On Lap 4, the kart behind was able to dive underneath going into in Turn 5, but Henry was able to repay the favor on the exit of Turn 5 when the other kart went in a little too deep (he called it a 'Lewis Hamilton move' in reference to a similar bold move by Formula 1's hottest rookie in the season opener). Henry finally had to concede the position on the next lap and finished seventh. He also started the second heat from the fifth position. He timed the dropping of the flag well, but at the last second, bogged the engine allowing several karts to pass. It was fortunate that he did, because there was a melee in Turn 1. Henry used a strategy that I told him about a while back, which I learned from watching too much racing on television. I once heard an ESPN pit reporter say that, when someone spins in front of you, you should aim right for them, because by the time you get there, they'll be gone. That's just what Henry said he did and it worked like a charm. He came through the mess right where he started – in fourth position. He benefited from the misfortune of several others and ended up in second position by about mid distance. He cruised there to the end and recorded his best ever finish in the 80cc Shifter class. Henry's heat race finishes earned him the fourth starting position for the feature. He got away reasonably well, but dropped two positions in the process. On Lap 3, he benefited from a mechanical failure, which promoted him to fifth. The leader had gotten away at that point, but the next four were nose-to-tail. I was happy to see Henry holding onto the tail of this group. On Lap 4, one of the karts in from of Henry seemed to have made a clean pass on the inside going into Turn 5, but the door was closed on him which sent him briefly into the grass. This promoted Henry to fourth. He ran there for three laps before having to re-concede the position. He finished the feature in fifth, but recorded the fourth fastest lap time of 44.76. Another 1/10 off of that would have given him the second fastest lap time. Overall it was an excellent result for a bleary-eyed boy.
NEXT RACE – Peter and Henry both had excellent days on the track, and Conor enjoyed himself in the scoring tower as well. He even got paid for his efforts, which he thought was pretty cool for mostly sitting in the air conditioning all day. Everyone seemed to be glad to see him and many took time out to wish him a speedy recovery from what the next month or so holds in store. The next race is Sunday, May 6, 2007. Peter and Henry will do there best to even better their performances from this past Sunday, and Conor will have even increased responsibilities in the tower. After that, it will be off to Iowa City for Conor's surgery, which is scheduled for May 17.
Bill
p.s., Lap times and results can be found at http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=200326
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
2007 MSOKC Season Preview
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
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
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
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