LINKS

Greg Nikitenko
Kevin and Dusty Lawson
NOSA
ASCS
World of Outlaws
Ostrich Racing Engines
Schnee Chassis
Hoosier
Hoseheads
Orness Creations

TRACKS

Knoxville Raceway
---Dingus Lounge
Husets
RCS
RRVS
Estevan Speedway
Basin Speedway
Dacotah Speedway
Jamestown Speedway
Devils Lake Speedway
Princeton Speedway

...Continued

there was so much oil covering everything we had some trouble pinpointing where it was coming from. Since the crash in Knoxville we switched to a different oil tank and thought we possibly overfilled the oil. So we crossed our fingers, added oil, and went out for time trials. After the qualifying laps were made we went back to looking the motor over and discovered where the mess was coming from…a loose line that had not leaked until high vibration and RPM. Everybody went back to scrubbing down the car and cleaning up our Exxon Valdez oiler. A quick oil change was executed and we went back to getting the car set for the heat.

Mandan is terribly slick, our practice this year made me familiar with what to expect. However, my qualifying was poor and the track was really tough to get a hold of. I tried entering the top on my second lap and slid up and past the portion of the track I was aiming for which set us really far back in the heat. Opening lap of the heat a car spun and we luckily scraped through it with just a damaged front wing post. On the restart, I drove into corner 1 smooth and low, however the car that had caused the first yellow still apparently didn’t realize how slick this track was. He bumped my left rear and gave me just enough push to spin me. So, we were onto restart #2, "Thanks buddy, and you do this for a living?!” I thought. Oh well no harm was done and when we finally got underway I catfished the bottom, eventually moving up and catching a groove of rubber. Yes rubber…heat one, lap four! The laps wound down and we finished without incident.

The B transferred the top six into the A. I’m not much of a mathematician but I’m pretty good at counting fast when there are positions I need! When the green dropped, we probably had the most successful start this season. I quickly jumped into 5th place before we hit turn three. “That’s it,” I thought, “that’s all it took?” After searching the next lap I found spots that our car was working really well. I hit my marks and was gaining on 3rd and 4th. I tried making mild moves and didn’t leave the bottom open for a contender on exit. "We’re in a happy place and let’s just let this one wind down to the checkers," I was thinking. The track was fun in the B and a lot less abusive on tires. We were really getting bite and the car felt great. When I got back to the pit the guys and I were full of emotion. You know, sometimes it’s ok to bask in small glory when your luck is down. We all needed to smile, pats on the back were exchanged, and we started prepping for the A!

I’ve been battling with this set of belts (well, Tom has) for some time now. We spent some extra time in the shop looking over the problem and we thought we found a solution. I’m a smaller framed guy and I have a seat which lets the belts run through it. Sometimes of the configuration of the belts don’t allow the things to tighten up if not performed perfectly (kind of like getting your first date). Anyway the belts did not get tightened as much as I would normally prefer…I synched down the shoulders and was pushed off. Believe me, I wasn’t going anywhere inside that car, I just wear my belts extremely tight, uncomfortably tight if you think about it. Before we went green I think I pull my belts tight maybe four or five times, almost like a nervous disorder (but probably a good disorder to have).

We took the green and I battled with Kevin Lawson for a few laps in the back. We were both probably just out there to play a little, but after seeing the green #11 of Kinser pass me in a not so nice way I quickly drew to the conclusion, “I’m outta here! These guys are going for blood! I’m here to play! The fans want a show! I’ve wrecked two cars going through something just like this!” My wisdom and sportsmanship took me to the top of the backstretch and an exit stage right. I had a blast; I met a lot of new fans that had a chance to watch some premier teams in their own back yard! The whole night was pretty cool and I hope to be back next year, Mandan!

July 15, 2008

In hot laps, our car was over geared, too loose, and a shock mount was busted on the left front. All changes and repairs were made prior to our qualifying attempt. I told Tom I was going to take it easy the first lap to get a grip on the changes we made to the car and get a feel for the unfamiliar track. We drew a 67 which put us deep into qualifying order. On the first lap I tiptoed around the bottom and found the corner entry was much better with the new stagger. Corner two was a little tricky; the sunlight made exiting a challenge to find a line quickly without skipping trough the center where it was slick. I moved up a lane on lap two of qualifying and tried to grab the throttle heavy, but the track just wasn’t there yet and I carried too much speed on entry that trashed the corners and the lap time dwindled even more.

The heat found us starting in the back, I think in the 10th spot. Our lap times were way off, and that was ok with me…I was just trying to get familiar with this place. On the start a car jumped and we went into a restart. On green, I thought, “These fellas have got balls! Big, big balls!” I mean, I was just left in the dust, couldn’t even power up with them. They’re fast, comfortable, and very familiar with Knox as they know exactly what to expect of their setup and equipment. I was whippin’ around there pretty good for a beginner, finally starting to get a feel of the speed and reaction of the chassis/wing/bars/shocks. I knew I was going to get caught by the leaders soon and after Lasoski showed me his wheel I moved to the middle and held my line. On the front stretch I saw the white flag and was relieved that the ass whipping was soon to be over. I kept a comfortable pace without trying anything funny and exiting turn four I saw the checkers waving and gassed up the motor for a smooth finish and thought, "OK, we’re going to the B. That’s OK."

Out of nowhere the right rear tire lurched and pulled down…I knew someone had gotten into me. The car stepped up onto the front end and started to point at the fence. I counter steered patiently, not making an erratic move with the wheel because I was up to speed. I thought I had it saved but the left front of the car hooked the track and sent me into orbit. I didn’t hear anything, most notably no crumpling top wing. The lights spun through my path of vision twice and I knew this was big. I’ve been here before so I braced up for landing and it was absolutely the most horrific impact I have ever felt in my life!

I sat in the seat panting, groaning, and trying to wiggle my toes and fingers. It is tough to breath with the belts digging into your lungs. I remember a sensation in my neck, someone scratching me? I couldn’t speak loudly, but, I think I am ok. Someone said, "He's not responding." So I yelled, "I’m here OK! OK?"

They right sided the car and I said my ABCs and 123s in the ambulance. I took a walk around the pits to get my bearings straight and noticed my eye was getting worse. To make a long story short, I checked on the car and found it busted all to hell, definitely not fixable tonight. I underwent all precautionary doctor visits and went through several lab tests, two CT scans (one of my eye and one of my abdomen), several x-rays of my ribs. Everything looks ok, just major bruising that time will heal.

I’m looking forward to this coming weekend to just take it easy and soak in the state fair parade on Saturday. The remains of the car will be disassembled and we'll decide what can be salvaged. I have a couple options for a new/used chassis but haven’t made a decision as of yet. Hopefully the motor is ok, and we will decide more when I get time to take a look at everything little closer.

I learned a lot from Knoxville. It is just too bad we had to destroy a car there. When you belt in, there’s a reason they get synched down as tight as they do. I know the risks, and losing a car is one of them. I am just thankful it was not any worse and I’m thankful I can heal. However, I am ready to turn the page, hit the switch, and go racing again!

July 6, 2008

We elected to scratch the Jamestown weekend due to fuel costs and family get-togethers over the holiday weekend. Besides, the team was ready for a "brake" (yeah, no pun intended, wink wink) from the wrenching on a system that has been tough to get operating correctly…sometimes the simple stuff is what kills.

My focus has been on Knoxville as I made a pledge to race there someday and I’m all “throttles forward” to achieve this. I would rather race there with a 360, but the 410’s pay more and have a slightly smaller car count. We get a chance to qualify on the track completely by ourselves, and our ASCS 360 is feeling pretty departed if you know what I mean. With the number of Outlaw shows and NOSA events we were going to run, the idea of putting the cash back into a 360 wasn’t feasible. Believe me, I could use more time in a 360 but unfortunately to be competitive locally, a 360 is just not enough motor when compared to some healthy 410s. If the track is heavy chances are you’ll get crushed if you are in an ASCS 360. The room for error is broadened with the 410. If a guy sticks to his marks after making a mistake he can still reel in positions worthy of passing.

It’s been a big change from the 360 to a 410, much larger than expected. On a heavy track, the car responds so much quicker; with the diet and steroids it’s been on, the power is just there at your disposal. The 360 I got use to running really hard, whereas the 410 takes a little more throttle control. We’re not completely out of the ball park, our setups will have to change, and I will have to learn to adapt better.

This week the fellas and I will head off to Knoxville, Iowa. I’m pretty calm, but I’ve probably been too busy to think about it a whole lot. Hopefully, with any luck, our tow rig will hold up its end of the routine. The brakes have been tuned in with the help of Greg Nikitenko over the past week, the routine maintenance will be completed, and we hope to make our trip with no hidden surprises.

Listen live to Hoseheads Radio, Saturday, July 12th, at 7P.M. Central. If everything runs well we look to stop at Husets in Brandon, South Dakota, on Sunday the 13th. We will be off for the North Dakota State Fair and afterwards hope to get more seat time a little closer to home prior to our Outlaws events in August. Fargo has been rescheduled to August the 12th (a Tuesday). We wish to compete there but, the availability of the crew will tell the tale. Wish us luck!

June 30, 2008

The River Cities Speedway World of Outlaws show turned out to be a wrenching nightmare. I was hoping we had the brake trouble ironed out. A new rear caliper and rotor were installed over the past week, and provided a better pedal. In between switching front axles and other components over the past week, we found a troubled front rotor was adding to our lack of brakes. A few items were switched out at the track and made our efforts for tuning the car’s setup practically impossible.

In hot laps I discovered the fading brake pedal again. The car was extremely tight and easily reared up, bucked, and biked! Too damn soft! I drove the top once more to keep out of trouble, but corner speed was impossible to control without the brakes. I found myself exiting the track backwards off the top, luckily gathering up the car and saving ourselves from disaster.

We wrenched our behinds off just to make a qualifying attempt, however our gear selection was off and with the combination of "terribles" and "no goods" we set a low lap time. We were way off the pace and I started in the back of the third heat. I knew my work was cut out for me and with the amount of thrashing we were doing. In between qualifying and the heat it was hard to keep my mind on the track. It’s sad to say, but without a respectable qualifying time when you race with the Outlaws, you are doomed! These guys are good…really good!

Forks has been a place I love to hate because of our past experiences there. It is small, tight, and there’s practically no straightaway. It’s been a tough place for me and even if I was riding a tricycle I would miss my marks. I know more time will be needed to get a handle on this track. Forks always seems fast on the top late in the night and only the good drivers can perform well up there. It is fun for spectators but a handful for a beginner.

In the heat race I found myself having trouble getting out of my own way…I was all over the place and had the front end off the ground numerous times. I was on and off the gas, buzzing the tires one second and the next second was on two tires. It was tough, the car was ill, and I was concerned with my stopping power, or lack thereof.

When I returned to the pit after the heat we began tearing into the brake system again just eager to try anything else that might get us an improvement. We switched out the front brake rotor with the spare axle on the Tracker and I quickly dropped into the seat and buckled up as the fellas scrambled to put the caliper and wheel back on. I arrived in the staging area late and was reverted to start the C in the tail. During pace laps I grabbed the brake for all it was worth and found a response! “Finally! Glad you can join us,” I thought.

As we went green I noticed the car in front of me "gun to go" and not wishing to be left in the dust, I dropped the hammer. I was right in the middle of this thing with nothing to lose. For a moment I thought I could capitalize on a couple positions quickly and maybe threaten the leader. But then the yellow came out and was charged to the early bird on the green. On the restart I didn’t get as good of a start; I was forced to start one lane lower. We battled for third ‘til I saw checkers but only the top two transferred. I quickly turned my attention to getting something to eat from the attack shack and watched the B and the A from a good perch. Oh well, back to the drawing board!

June 23, 2008

We started out our weekend at Dacotah Speedway in Mandan for a few hot laps to shake the car down and get a feel for the new 410. The new mill runs flawlessly but is a handful to control when the car is upset. Getting the car to react smoothly to my style will be a challenge and we hope to get a grip on it soon. A few of the setups we would typically use on the 360 definitely will not work so well on a 410. We went out on some old scuff tires and did not get a good feel of how things would be on fresh rubber.

Saturday was spent in the garage tightening up loose ends on the car and solving some minor problems that could get to be a headache if not looked at closer. We bled the brake system again and thought we had a decent brake pedal to race with on Sunday. Upon loading the car I found myself pumping the brakes again with little to no response. I knew we were in trouble. I had exhausted every option to the problem and was a little undecided on what to do for the night. I quickly rounded up some fresh shoes for the hotrod and hoped we could break out in free air (where our brakes would be in Jesus’ hands and not in the devil’s).

In hot laps I tried driving the top a little and found the biggest patch of mud on the track. Driver error set our hot laps short, but I know my weaknesses and driving the top is an area I would like to improve. Besides, with the brakes like they were, I thought I was in a bad position to try any low lines.

Our draw for the night was extremely good and we were set on the outside front row for the heat. It’s just too bad that the track was good on the bottom!  I settled into third position after a half-lap tire buzzing competition and remained there for the checkers. We started the feature on the inside second row. I cannot complain about our starting position; however I would like to write a complaint to the rear brake caliper department for not allowing me to scrub off speed and shut the car down to position it in the most abrasive portion of the track.

The first lap of the feature I got a great start on the bottom. Unfortunately I found Nodak’s new lap board has RED lights on it! I though I had seen something red but when I exited onto the back stretch (with shifter in hand) we were still on green, so my concentration was lost, the brakes were gone, and I was being We started out our weekend at Dakota speedway in Mandan for a few hot laps to shake the car down and get a feel for the new 410. The new mill runs flawlessly but is a handful to control when the car is upset. Getting the car to react smoothly to my style will be a challenge and we hope to get a grip on it soon. A few of the setups we would typically use on the 360 definitely will not work so well on a 410. We went out on some old scuff tires and did not get a good feel of how things would be on fresh rubber. swarmed by cars with more speed. The race went on and the closer I could drop to the inside rail the faster I was, but getting down there without brakes was a difficult task and the results show it. Next time we are in Minot, GIVE ME A BRAKE!