|
|
Post by Dave Schultz on Aug 3, 2010 7:32:52 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by torquer on Aug 3, 2010 16:39:35 GMT -5
Staying home. Had to make a quick run to Texas Thursday through Sunday and now back to work.
Jim N.
|
|
|
|
Post by fastdiesel on Aug 3, 2010 21:14:41 GMT -5
You guys have fun.
Talked to Skip Baskin yesterday, he called the Zmax track "treacherous". He said there's no rubber (no weekly race cars on the track), and the track personnel (for the most part) are jerks. Hope this year's different.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Schultz on Aug 4, 2010 8:06:15 GMT -5
Jim where in Texas were you?
Zmax was horrible last year - I tried everything to try to make the car hook. I went to the end of the pit to do burnouts with different air pressures - but it was like launching on Crisco. My car normally has a 1.32 60' and I had 1.65s. Every shift was another nightmare.
The track personnel are Nazis for sure. They can't prep a track, won't let the crew near the car, and one idiot watered down the slicks of a car after his burnout. I missed one Qualifying because they had us starting and stopping the cars after changing the mind for every class -- that I ran out of a battery charge and had to get towed back to the pits. If the track is Nazi Brown Shirts -- their security is the Gestapo. You can not stand up in the stands and God help you if you bring s beer into the bathroom.
That said -- Dallas won NMC last year so it wasn't a total loss. This year I'm bringing a slower automatic -- so I should be alright. Dallas on the other hand has a 9-second 33" slick car that he's unfamiliar with -- so I am a little concerned.
I don't like this track at all -- but like Bradenton -- it is part of the series. Can't win if you don't run it. If the turn out is as weak this year as last -- it might be the last year for Zmax. They combine NMCA and NMRA -- and it was lighter attendance last year than you see for just NMCA.
We're in a Walmart north of Montgomery. I'm waiting for my sons to finish their showers -- and then were' on the road again. I suspect we'll be there around 6ish.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Schultz on Aug 4, 2010 10:31:02 GMT -5
Hosed the front bumper on the motorhome last night when I rubbed it against a concrete light pole protector (that was I foot bigger than I'd thought) backing into a parking spot.
Been having generator and inverter problems. I just found one of the 6 new house batteries melted. Stopping at a Walmart to replace it. Standard race travel crap.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Schultz on Aug 4, 2010 13:21:37 GMT -5
Thunder storms tonight tomorrow and Friday. Clear Saturday and Sunday
|
|
|
|
Post by torquer on Aug 5, 2010 21:27:03 GMT -5
Dave:
Sorry to learn you are having troubles. It is always a pain to be in trouble on the road.
I had to run down to Temple. Had a 19 year old grandaughter have serious cancer surgery on Wed. I couldn't get any kind of connection on a flight, so I just flew my Regal down and back. non-stop, 13 hours by myself.
Hope it is a better weekend this year. I thought it was hot in Tennessee, but Texas was 5-10 degrees hotter.
Later,
Jim
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Schultz on Aug 6, 2010 16:02:18 GMT -5
Dave: Sorry to learn you are having troubles. It is always a pain to be in trouble on the road. I had to run down to Temple. Had a 19 year old grandaughter have serious cancer surgery on Wed. I couldn't get any kind of connection on a flight, so I just flew my Regal down and back. non-stop, 13 hours by myself. Hope it is a better weekend this year. I thought it was hot in Tennessee, but Texas was 5-10 degrees hotter. Later, Jim Jim -- I hope your granddaughter is going to make a quick and full recovery. A little motorhome trouble is 100% insignificant compared to that. |
|
|
|
Post by Dave Schultz on Aug 6, 2010 16:19:55 GMT -5
Some updates: We got here at 5PM Wednesday and they parked us at Lowe's Motor Speedway parking for the night. After a night of moderate drinking (with just my two sons as no one else spent the night) they let us on the track at noon or so Thursday. We teched the cars and got them in the trailer before the sky opened up. Scott Sparrow who is the editor of the NMCA/NMRA magazines is a pretty good friend. My youngest son Justin is into photography -- and spent $7500 for a camera. That's about 3 times what his car is worth lol Anyway, Justin (20 years old) isn't into racing, but since he is going into the Air Force soon -- I wanted him to come with Dallas and I for this race. He was game when I told him it would be a photo opportunity. I asked Scott if he'd acquire Justin a Media apron and give him a 20 minute "how to photo drag race cars" lecture -- and let him photo on the line. At first Scott thought I might be looking to have him baby sit -- was a little leery -- but I convinced him that Justin would be OK and not jump onto the track nakid -- and so he was game. Then it looked like they might be short photographers -- so Scott was more motivated. I haven't seen Justin in 8 hours -- except to photo cars when I come to the line. It looks like he'll have a lot of experience when this is over. Back to cars -- Dallas' car can't do the 9.75 in the 93 degree heat and bad air so we put a A/NSS on the car. He's the top qualifyer after the first round -- with a 10.01. Doug Duell is right there with him. Actually -- not sure which of them is 1 and which is 2. My car did at 11.029 this morning and then I bumped the timing up and it did a 11.026 in hotter weather. In the first qualifying it did a 11.065 -- so I unbolted 50 pounds and added 2.5 gallons of gas. It should be about 5 degrees cooler for the next qualifying -- so I might be OK. There are 17 NSS cars here -- but the other classes are real light. I'll update later.    |
|
|
|
Post by Dave Schultz on Aug 6, 2010 16:51:31 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Schultz on Aug 6, 2010 20:38:23 GMT -5
 Dallas (7602) so far is #1 Qualifier -- I'm (7601) currently #6 out of 17 |
|
|
|
Post by Dave Schultz on Aug 6, 2010 20:51:53 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Schultz on Aug 7, 2010 10:18:48 GMT -5
 Here's the ladder Dallas gets a bye for being the #1 Qualifier I run Skippy Technically Dallas and I can meet in the third Round One Round of Eliminations today -- finish tomorrow. I figure we run at about 2PM Eastern |
|
|
|
Post by Dave Schultz on Aug 7, 2010 20:54:58 GMT -5
I broke out. Dallas runs Kurt Neighbor Doug Duell Runs Barry Camp Wilson runs Skippy I can't remember who the other pair is  Barry will get a big surprise in the morning. Dallas fixed Barry's car while I kept him busy and for hours people came by laughing their ass off -- but saying nothing to Barry. Then Shemwell took Barry's cooler of beer and returned it empty (after taking it to 50mph on this plastic wheels) with graffiti on it. I told Barry he better lock up his trailer before they push his car into the ladies room - and he hurried up and did so without seeing the back window. In the morning he'll be trying to figure out how Shemwell got in his trailer. Feel free to call Barry's number to tell him you saw his advertisement for a good time. |
|
|
|
Post by Dave Schultz on Aug 8, 2010 14:15:37 GMT -5
Dallas took out Kurt Neighbor and has Steve Wilson in the semis. Doug Duell took out Barry Camp and has Old School in semis.
|
|
