The Monster Mile

Dover is over, but the lessons learned are sticking with us.

• Don't mix Korean BBQ, sushi, beer, and racers. You get challenges like our last one. 
• Nine cones in one run, while a lot, is not a record.
• If you even mention something close to the word "illegal" be prepared to deal with the consequences.
• Talking to myself actually helps, and it also makes for funny in-car video for later.
  
  Most importantly, however....
  
• CHECK THE TORQUE ON YOUR WHEELS!
• HAVE A SPARE TIRE!

We started the weekend off with a bang or two. After bleeding the brakes on Baby Panda, the wheels were not torqued down. While driving home from the garage on Thursday (and almost reaching the highway), I heard a severe rubbing noise, and before I knew it, the left rear tire was rolling ahead in front of me. The damage to the car was not terrible. I'm just lucky I have such a stiff setup, and the car was low. I called PJ, he came with the truck, and we swapped on a shaved tire. We searched for about 90 minutes and couldn't find the wheel...Black wheel + black tire + 930pm = no dice.

The next morning, Dave, Todd, Roger, Bryan Mancuso, PJ, and I set off for Dover, at the ripe time of 5:00am. By Exit 27 on 95 (20 exits and it's now 5:30, mind you), we had another issue: The trailer tire had blown out. We sat in the area between the on-ramp and the highway for hours.

At some point, Dave and Roger ventured off into the lovely towns of Bridgeport, Stratford, and Fairfield to find a place--any place--that might be open and selling trailer tires. Of course...no where was open at 6:00 am. Bryan, PJ, and I hung around, playing poker in the truck and betting theoretical tires while traffic was picking up. Yay rush hour! A phone call and an hour later, the Davises showed up with their spare trailer tire, which (of course) didn't fit. So much for "standard" size trailer wheels!

A CT State Good Samaritan and two exits later, we were sitting in a strip mall parking lot. It was 8:00, and PJ and Bryan went to meet Dave and Roger at DeSantie Tire Co in Fairfield; the only place that would have a tire. I sat by myself, and 30 minutes later, we had a new tire, as well as a spare. We were back on the road around 9:00...20 exits in four hours...with no traffic...WINNING!

We arrived in Dover around 3, when practice runs were ending. Ah, well. It was obvious one half of the course would be grippy and awesome, and the second would be far less so. We went to a Mexican place for dinner, Nate drank a margarita, and we called it a night.

Day 1 saw NER with a strong showing of firsts, seconds, and thirds. The course was super fast, and with a bit of better suspension adjustment and braking, I'm pretty sure that Baby Panda would have done a little better. Not to mention less crap on the low grip side of the course. Marbles galore. A slight tire dip into the marbles, and you were f'ed for the run.

Photo by Perry Aidelbaum

I ended up in the marbles on last run...hitting a cone at the very beginning of the course. So I did what any other racer would do. BALLS TO THE WALL! I believe the grand total was 9 cones, though results only show 7 since two of my cones were put on Joe Austin, and then never put back on me (sorry Joe!). I hit a cone so hard, it wedged itself behind the tire, around the shock, and into the springs. A jack, a Roger Whipple, and some elbow grease and it came out, though I nearly needed a 10 minute mechanical.

Day 2 was....less good for Baby Panda. Cones galore, less focus, and a hero run by the competition. We can leave it at that. Todd and I finished 7th and 11th, respectively. Hey, at least we would have won at craps! (Though...I guess in a way, we did, because we drove like crap?)

Panda was leading in SM after Day 1, by over 2 seconds, and finished with over a full second lead over second place. I think it was PJ's Post-Day-1 massage that really helped him to relax and focus on Day 2:

After reviewing video and data, I realized I wasn't trying to go faster for some reason. I don't know what's up with that. Maybe I should change my goal from "not-DFL" to "mid-pack or higher" because I think the "not-DFL" mentality is no good for competitive edge.

Interestingly enough, I didn't do much better at the Devens event on the 12th, but I blame that on the rain. And the additional pressure of the GFab Street Competition. And the fact that we changed things on the car so I had to adapt. And the fact that the event was trying a bunch of new things like number of heats and new people in work assignments. And the fact that I didn't get a break. And I think I'm out of excuses.

Ah well. At least I got my Nationals "Tour requirement" out of the way. Perhaps I should use the time between now and then to learn how to drive properly.