Cheap Date Results

[16v]

Doc Bro and A Ruddy had an excellent battle in A until Doc got a *wee* bit slideways out of the south chicane onto Nascar 2 and lost about 20 car lengths. Ruddy took the checkered

word last night was the tunnels were flooded and folks were stranded in the infield :cool:

[Greg Amy]

...word last night was the tunnels were flooded and folks were stranded in the infield :cool:

Just talked to Kessler. Apparently the tunnels are completely flooded, and they're bringing people across the track in the regular RV parking area (top of hill by the tree house). Of course, that only happens during scheduled down times (Kessler called while begin stuck OUTSIDE the track trying to buy street fuel...)

Second-hand info on Bro is that he was significantly distracted by some welding slag that fell onto the track in front of him and he tried to avoid it (don't know the details; apparently the track was doing some wall repairs during the race??) I'm sure we'll get the details from the horse's mouth later tonight/tomorrow...

[Ed Funk]

They should't let slags weld, they rarely do a good job!

[16v]

wierd.. I didn't notice any "work" being done down there unless they started after group 3 finished (I was shooting from the corner station at the chicane/oval transition.

[Doc Bro]

First, I would like to congratulate 2 very deserving drivers. Anthony and Jeff for their wins. Anthony you are a class act all the way, sorry it took so long for you to add another win. Thanks for making me a better driver this year. Jeff, passing on the sticker tires so that we all had a better race was a huge show of sportsmanship, that's what it's all about. We do this for the fun....and that decision made it much more fun.

OK, now for the absurdity.....


Qualify in the wet to dry (on wets...ooops) for Sat pm race. Anthony, Victor, Milty, Doc Bro...

Green comes out and I get a good start, passing Milty on the start and Victor into 3 The next few laps are me and Anthony in some kind of nose to tail chess match. After about three laps looking for a weakness (there weren't many), I go for it going into the chicane turn 1. We drive through the chicane side by side with about the width of a playing card between us. We play a little more nose to tail but I gradually open to about a 5 car length lead. I am totally in a zone, being certain to focus on my marks and not looking in the mirror. Unbeknownst to me, between S/F and the braking zone there is a workcrew in a bucket truck welding the part of the fence that overhangs the track in preparation for this weekends NASCOW race......

As I approach a huge amount of sparks, embers and slag falls directly in front of me, in the line. I immediately turn hard to the left to avoid and back to the right. I still don't really know what just happened but I knew if I ran over it I'd probably have a molten bit of slag go through a tire. I was late on my brake point and turn in point after the high speed evasive maneuver and Anthony closed in on me in a flash. He passed me a turn or 2 later. I stayed with him but I was definitely out of my zone. I was frustrated to have lost the lead and the cushion, but I was shocked that the safety of the drivers was held in such low regard. I overdrove the chicane out of frustration, resulting in a spin...finished P4.


I was absolutely heart-broken to have lost what should have been an easy win. That win would have been a great way to end my season and my relationship with the Z3. I officially put it up for sale this weekend, as our pregnancy and family is taking center stage.

Thanks all for a great season and intense competition.

R

[Z3_GoCar]

Rob,

You're hanging up your helmet

I know the time will come for each of us to give this up. Hang on to your memories of the good times. And good luck with your family.

James

[gran racing]

No temptation into just moving into a less expensive car?

[Doc Bro]

Rob,

You're hanging up your helmet

I know the time will come for each of us to give this up. Hang on to your memories of the good times. And good luck with your family.

James

James my friend,

I never said I was hanging up my helmet, it's just that our family is growing and changing and the Z3 is part of that.

R

[7racing]

Unbeknownst to me, between S/F and the braking zone there is a workcrew in a bucket truck welding the part of the fence that overhangs the track in preparation for this weekends NASCOW race......

As I approach a huge amount of sparks, embers and slag falls directly in front of me, in the line. I immediately turn hard to the left to avoid and back to the right. I still don't really know what just happened but I knew if I ran over it I'd probably have a molten bit of slag go through a tire. I was late on my brake point and turn in point after the high speed evasive maneuver and Anthony closed in on me in a flash. .... I was frustrated to have lost the lead and the cushion, but I was shocked that the safety of the drivers was held in such low regard.

They were welding above the track and dropping debris ONTO the track? WTF? Who was the safety steward? Where they aware of this? Sounds like a possible nasty outcome if something punctured a tire/windshield/radiator/etc.

Good luck with the family! You'll be back.

Jeremy

[almracing]

Secrets?? Ceramic turbo bearings! And my cousin Vito the welder.

Honestly... it has been one of the first years in a while that I was not rebuilding damage or chasing gremlins. Instead I got to use my time dialing in the handling.

As for the welding... it caught me by surprise too, but I was not under the area when the sparks were dropping. The track had someone welding on the arch of the fence right over the race line down the wall. I had noticed it earlier than Rob probably because he was behind me. Once in front of me he had a better look ahead. But I know if he had not swerved, the sparks were going to bounce off of his windshield. It's all about timing. :eek: