Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Sid's Raceway Summer Challenge Series #1

Well not too much going on. Had a club race on the weekend. First race of The Summer Challenge Series (best 3 of 5 races). I like to use these races to test out new set ups and parts and to relax and have a little more fun as I take the other bigger races way too seriously...haha.

2wd
The RB5 was actually hooked up pretty good (Would have qualified 2nd in 4wd!) so I just left it as it was from the last race. In the main I rutt rolled in the first corner and this put me down to dead last. I managed to pass 3 guys by gapping the monster jump and with it being a 10 minute main I wasn't too worried. I got NAILED though at the end of the straight and we had the Novice class marshalling and well it took a while (flipped me back onto my roof too). Back down to dead last and then some. I figured I was down about 20 odd seconds to the leader at this point. Had nothing to lose at this point so I started hammering down the laps and just ran out of time. The RB5 was on fire out there. I managed to get into 2nd place and within 5 seconds of the leader and was closing in about 1 second per lap. I think I needed a 15 minute main LOL. It was a super fun race actually trying to battle back like that.

Steve eying up the inside on Mike


Trying to make up ground!


Nothing good can come from this...lol

4wd
I played with a bunch of stuff on the Lazer SP though. Different shock positions (upper and lower) and even moved the rear shocks to the forward mounting location (in the front of the shock tower and arms). I really like it. The car does not seem as whippy in the corners this way. This time I traction rolled going onto the straight but managed to stay in 2nd place. I was putting some decent pressure on Steve though and trying to get him to bobble. I was right on his ass! Steve caught a rut and it spun him around and I drove right into him and snapped a front arm (it was really cold out). Pure racing incident though...them's the breaks (litterally!). I managed to do 3 laps with 3 wheels (actually was clearing most of the jumps too) then I didn't want to get in the way of the leaders closing in on me so I finally pulled her off.


Before :)

After :(


Steve cruising to Victory!


I think there is the next Summer Challenge Series Race this weekend so I better get my cars fixed up again. Hopefully the weather is a little better!

Random thoughts:

- I was wearing everything I would to go snowboarding (including goggles and thin gloves) as it was crazy windy and pretty cold out there.
- Steve has been nailing it in 4wd lately. Good to see him chock up an A Main win!
- Same with Chet. He drove a clean and consistent race in 2wd to take the A Main win.
- Good to get all the broken cars and crashes out of my system in the club race and not the trophy race I suppose!
- I still love the new layout. Really fun to drive.
- Lap times are dropping fast. We were about 3 seconds faster per lap than at the trophy race.
- Bowties were still the tire of choice in my opinion



Mike'isms
- Still jumping the big jump
- Still having Club Soda at Swiss Chalet
- Still using IFMAR pins


Mike XXX-CR landing off the Monster

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