Thank you 2010

The sun goes down on another summer and with it, our racing season too.  It's hard to imagine that all of the work and countless weekends away from home are just another memory now as we head into our long winter hibernation from the track.

For the past five years we've been saying to ourselves that we are going to head down to Daytona in December for the Winter Classic but I feel pretty confident in my saying that this year isn't going to be the one either.  One week of racing in the middle of winter AND IN FLORIDA!  What's there to think about right?  But all financial reasons aside, I can never get myself to bring our trailer out of storage, load it all back up, drive 23 hours with the beast and end up having to put it all back in mothballs once we get home again.  One of these years I'm going to have to light a really big fire under my rear end to do it.  We're running out of time seeing that we could be retiring from the sport, if not suspending it, once Sam goes to college in a couple of years.  The clock is ticking, and quite loudly I might add, so for now we'll have to set our sights on next winter and look forward to another busy off season re-build in the meantime.

We finished quite well for our first season in the US Rotax Max Challenge.  It would have been nice to see a few more entries in our region but gaining an invite to the US Nationals was exciting for us and brought more competition than we could have imagined.  It just would have been nice if we could have put in a solid effort once we got there.  Regardless, we finished first in our tiny region and we'll take it.  Nine tenths of this whole game is mental.  And having another championship under our belt can go a long way in the confidence area.  With the right attitude and proper preparation for next year, this will definitely provide the perfect spring board to our 2011 season.

TaG also proved to be a viable option for us next year after our few times out on the track this past season showed plenty of promise.  Sam was undeniably the fastest driver at Road America this year as well as one of the quickest at Badger Raceway at the club events.  And we like the fact that we can count on a whole group of individuals who've already made the commitment to be back in this class next year.  The progression is is all but confirmed at this time.  Once we can secure our business partners for 2011 and find ourselves a quick and durable engine package we'll have to leave it at just that.

So once again we must say thank you so much to those who've made this season possible for us.  With our economy being in a total tailspin for months now, it's hard to think anyone has disposable income anymore, especially when it's funneled into the world of motorsports.  We've seen a fair decline in the number of entries at certain events, and the fact that some people are stretching their equipment out a bit longer than they may have in the past has us thanking the powers that be for what we have.  Although this single season cost us more than the past two combined, we looked and performed as good, if not better, than most people we met and it was because of the generosity of people like:

Chris and Carla Heitman of Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies.  Part of the decision to switch from Margay to Merlin this year was due to the fact that they became the newest dealer in the network.  This move proved to be a large part in our success this year and we can't thank you both enough.  We look forward to equalling our successes in 2011 with your help.

Gabriele Pedone and Danilo Oliveira of OMP.  Simply the best safety equipment in the industry and we're proud to have been a partner of yours for the past five years.  And like I've said before, nine tenths of this game is mental, and when you show up on the grid wearing nothing but the finest, people wonder.  Deep pockets translate into speed in most minds and when you show up looking like a million bucks you're already in their heads and ahead of the game.  We've tried just about all the equipment on the market today and can honestly say that nothing compares to OMP.  We can't imagine competing without it so we thank you for all that you've done and hope you'll remain on board for years to come.

Jamie and George Sieracki of Franklin Motorsports/Dream Works Karting Supply.  A real class act led by two of the most helpful and generous people in the business.  This past season in Rotax could have been a train wreck had it not been for their guidance and technical help.  And to be parked under the big tent at the Nationals and have access to the minds of some of the best tuners in the business really upped our game.  For years we've heard all the accolades poured on them from satisfied customers and now that we've joined the "Merlin Nation" we know why.  Regardless of what time of day or what they were doing, neither one of them would hesitate to stop and give a hand to someone who needed it.  And we were that "someone" on several occasions this past season and we thank you for it.

And what would a team be without a ring leader, lost item finder, trailer straightener-upper, cook, and the ever important voice of reason.  It's also nice to have your wife, mother, and number one fan in the stands supporting you.  To Lori, we may be ships passing in the night on race weekends but your son and I appreciate everything that you do for us.  And to Abi who unselfishly gives up nearly her entire summer for our habit, we thank you as well.  Although one particular driver who had your attention this season made things much easier on you, we all know there were other places you would have liked to be.

So at the time of this writing we've already hauled all of our gear into the basement and began tearing things down.  The trailer is put to rest and for the first time in months we've got weekends where we don't know what to do with ourselves.  Free time is a precious commodity in this sport and in no time we'll be back to having none at all.  We'll try and enjoy it while it lasts.

Thanks again to everyone for a very successful 2010.  We look forward to seeing all of you again next season!

Sore

It's hard to say what was tougher on us heading into series race number thirteen at the Badger Kart Club this past weekend in Dousman Wisconsin.  Sam having his wisdom teeth pulled just two days before we got there, or the fact that our race season would come to an end after this event.

As previously mentioned, the Rotax Max series ended for us in late July and with our switch to the Leopard TaG motor we thought we had a combination that would take us to the end of the season.  The problem is we didn't account for a bye week in August and the fact that our leased engine would find a new home in another kart for the month of September.  We'll most likely get it back for the backwards enduro in October but for now this was going to be our last opportunity at competing in this class and we really wanted to make it count.

Entries were up a bit over previous events and perfect weather promised a lot of good racing action for all.  Sam struggled with some comfort issues and even missed one of the morning heat races to catch up on much needed sleep.  If it wasn't enough that his mouth was extremely sore, an infestation of mosquitoes in our trailer kept him up for most of the night.  By day break we were all a bit weary but it was obvious that he suffered the most.

Before we go any further, allow me this moment to make it clear that it was his decision to drive this weekend and his only.  I still remember getting my wisdom teeth pulled about 30 years ago and I believe I was down for the count for days.  I didn't get off the couch much less get behind the wheel of a kart!  I have to admit this kid has brass tacks and more than most people that I know.  I myself would not be able to pull off what he did.  So the ball was always in his court and we even suggested throwing in the towel after our sleepless night but he chose to continue.  It was decided that we would re-evaluate the situation after his few moments of shut eye and take it from there.

I can say with all honesty that we are both glad that his decision in the end was to continue on.  Another stellar performance from him and our trusty Merlin found us at the head of the pack for the second week in a row.  This time the battle was strictly fought in the early stages of the race to afford plenty of time to either stay with or overtake the two drivers who find themselves up front quickest.  Sam stayed within reach of them but in the end third place was going to be as far as we would get.  Or was it?

With any race at any track, the top three finishers are usually detained in tech for either a specified period of time, the inspection of certain equipment, or both.  Our scrutineer was particularly interested in our Reed Valves.  A certain basket of pieces that sits directly between the carburetor and the engine and which regulates the fuel/air mixture going to the combustion chamber.  A quick measurement of ours showed we were legal, but one of the other individuals had a tear in his.  Unfortunately for him this infraction is an automatic equipment DQ and one that awarded us the second place position.  Not our way of wanting to finish in this fashion but nonetheless an every day occurrence in the racing world.  Like they say, to finish first you first have to finish.  And finish legally too I might add.

So here we find ourselves once again at the end of another season.  New challenges for us this year in the form of our Rotax Max bid was bittersweet.  We did well in our division and loved the package, It's just a sin that more people don't realize the benefits of this class, and it's also heartbreaking for us in our lackluster performance at the US Grand Nationals.  In hindsight it was a bit too much too soon, and unfortunately if we don't see a healthy increase in teams for 2011 we are going to reluctantly abandon the class for TaG.  And that's not all that bad of a thing considering how well we took to it once we switched.

Again it's with much appreciation that we thank everyone who contributed to our success on and off the track this season.  Without the thoughtfullness and generosity of all of you, this sport would be something that we just watched on tv on any given Sunday.

Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies.  And not only Chris and Carla Heitman but to all the employees who cover for me when we go off and play nearly every weekend for seven months straight.  To just have a job in this economy is a miracle much less have someone who gladly cuts you loose whenever you want to get out to the track.

To everyone at OMP, not only in Miami but to the people who build the suits, shoes, and gloves in their Italian factory.  Thank you for providing us with by far the best safety equipment money can buy.  The entire package is never complete until you can stroll down pit lane in some of the best looking, safe, and comfortable gear in the industry and having piece of mind that my driver will be safe at all times is priceless.  We look forward to working with you again in 2011.

Jamie and George of Franklin Motorsports, as well as their entire staff has been a godsend this year for us and we thank you so much for it.  Coming into Rotax blind, they've opened our eyes on many occasions and helped us shorten the learning curve and actually begin to compete in the series.  Cale, Scott, Shawn and Wes all helped us at the drop of a hat and made even our darkest weekends all that much more manageable.  I'm now convinced that our move to Merlin was based much more than just on the chassis.  Your customer service is unsurpassed by anyone that we've dealt with in our seven years in this sport and we'd follow you regardless of what you sold.

Aside from the Backwards Enduro in October, we're pretty much going to be packing it up for the season and focusing on rebuilding everything, securing sponsorships, and putting together some sort of schedule for next year.  We're positive we'll be contesting another season in our Merlin, but as far as the engine and class goes we are still undecided.  We promise to bring the news to you as it becomes available and want to thank you again for following us and we look forward to seeing you at the track again soon.

Never been so proud of damage

Happy doesn't even begin to describe how we were after our final this past Sunday. As we sat there eyeing up the side pod on our LM30 and the remnants left behind from contact between a few of the drivers I couldn't have been more proud. We finally finished a race with what looked like a kart that had gone through battle. And it didn't just look that way, it actually did this time.

I've been telling Sam for a while now that if there's one thing that we're missing it's a bit more aggression. We have great equipment, a fair amount of knowledge of this whole sport, skill to go with it, but no fangs! When someone pushes their way through the field we let them. We don't guard our spot with tenacity, nor do we go in and take from others when a few inches of daylight are shown. Up until this past weekend we just sat back and waited for the right opportunities to come to us but now we barge in and create them for ourselves. In this sport you have to. Most of the time there aren't enough laps in the race to sit back and construct a way around others, you have to take what little opportunity you see and run with it. And if incidental contact occurs you have to be ready for it.

For years now we've had the cleanest kart in the series and it's partly because of our apprehension to put ourselves in the thick of things.  Nine times out of ten it meant we finished behind opponents that we were clearly faster than but could not find a way around.  I'm hoping habits like this are all a thing of the past now.  I'll trade the trailer queen look for a beaten and battered winner any day.

Our second TaG event of the season this past weekend at the Badger Kart Club found us gridded in 4th spot for the final. Pre-race strategies were discussed and I told him to feel free to tear the graphics off the thing if he had to. Be safe in doing so, just don't give anyone an inch. The drivers along side and behind him today proved to be a bit physical on the starts and I just wanted him to know what to expect and be prepared for anything.

As planned, at the start several drivers made the entry into turn one very slim but there we were smack dab in the middle of it and holding our own. Unfortunately when the dust settled we found ourselves back in 5th with a guy who let's just say makes his kart very wide when he has to. This went on for several laps while the leaders continued to distance themselves from our pack. Then just as I had begun to think that there was no way out of this spot for us, he stuck his nose in at the entrance to five and muscled his way past. Not a moment later and he had the third place spot sealed up, he was on a mission and he didn't look back. Although we didn't catch the leaders who were by now almost seven seconds ahead of us, we finished three and a half seconds ahead of the fourth place finisher.

Granted the "damage" I speak of is nothing compared to what you could really tear up in most cases of this type of physical play. It was mainly cheap plastic and vinyl graphics, both of which can be affordably replaced. But anyone who knows me knows that having a race vehicle in any state less than show quality is not an option. When I worked for a professional race team years ago we would clean and polish our cars completely before tearing them down and rebuilding them. Not this time though, I might just leave it on for next week.

TaG, we're it!

So our Hiatus from racing lasted two weeks.  Did anyone really think we were going to stay away from it longer?  I mean c'mon, most people need food and oxygen to survive, all I need is rubber and racing fuel.

With our Rotax schedule being sealed up for the season we switched our attention to what could be next for us.  We knew we couldn't continue with our current power plant seeing that most of the competitors have hung it up since the Grand Nationals in July, going back to HPV was not all that enticing, and then it came to us - TaG!  For those unfamiliar with the lingo, TaG stands for Touch and Go.  Really not much difference from our old set up other than the fact that rumor has it our trusted Rotax is a more resilient package than the widely used IAME Leopard engine.

Either way you look at it, they're both centered around a 125cc water cooled engine with an on board battery and starter.  Hence the acronym TaG, you just push a button and away you go.  Most people claim that the only real difference between the Leopard engine and the Rotax is where the power bands come in.  The Rotax likes long tracks to stretch its legs where the Leopard has a little more low end grunt, aiding in its strong preference for shorter tracks.  And with the end of our season comprised mainly of our local track, or others like it, we thought this would be the logical direction for us to go.

Like anything we do, the time frame from moment of idea to concept was a little under three days, leaving no one much time to regroup.  The engine builder still had to build the thing, we had to tear our old one out, and literally the day of practice at the Road America Motorplex this past weekend was when we found ourselves installing it.  Close to eight hours later the last bolt was tightened and we managed to get out on the track for a total of twelve laps before the day ended on us.  Not a whole lot of time to see where we were or to make any crucial adjustments but Sam liked it and he proved to be relatively fast right out of the box.

In Sunday morning's warm up we were indisputably the fastest in our class.  Two tenths of a second over the next quickest driver (who happens to be in second place in class points) had us optimistic that we were on the right track with our set up.  It's beginning to look like all those books on chassis alignment, the new tools in our box, and tutoring from Cody Elliott are all paying off.  We turned that into a pole position for the prefinal and another three tenths of a second over P2.

The club combined us with the shifter karts for our race and it made for quite the spectacle.  Let me tell you that starting two classes simultaneously, one with a standing start and one rolling, proved to be very tricky.  Once the flag man figured it out we jumped out to an early lead over the field and with the exception of one 4-Stroke pilot in our class that gave us anything to worry about, this was the first time I can honestly say that I stood there watching a race knowing that without a doubt we were going to win.  Not much of a fight was given and we eventually cruised to the checkered flag with a four second lead over the runner up.  And the gap would have been much wider had we not been stuck behind a back marker in the shifter kart class for more than a lap.

One thing I can say I enjoy about being fast (and out in front) is the reduced amount of thrashing that goes on between rounds.  We would return to our pit to clean and refuel the kart, make sure everything was still where it belonged, and basically waited until we were called up again.  One thing I've learned in this sport is that you don't have to be busy all the time to be fast.  Stick with what works and don't over analyze the situation, and if it's winning leave it alone!

A win in the prefinal means pole position in the final and that's where we found ourselves once again.  The thought of a sweep was beginning to fill both of us with a high level of anxiety.  After all, this type of situation which we found ourselves in was totally new to both of us.  We were now the team to beat, the guys with the target on their back.  Basic words of encouragement were spoken, one last check of the tire pressures, our secret handshake, and away old number 98 went down pit road.

At the start, Sam brought the field to the green at a bit higher clip of speed than what would have normally been allowed.  But with the shifter class already receiving its green just ahead of them there was no way that the flagman was going to wave them off.  It turned out to be a nice strategy as our Leopard needed to be closer to its power band if we were ever going to fend off the charge of the lone 4-stroke driver.  To our surprise he was also stuck behind two other drivers which made his catching us that more difficult.  Sam was clearly faster than everyone and was separating himself from the pack by more than a kart length per lap.  But then in one shockingly slow motion episode it all came to an end.  A slip through turn seven turned him around and over the curb.  With his hands in the air as he looked over his right shoulder, I realized that the resulting contact popped the chain from its gear and our race was over.  That had to be one of the longest walks back to the pit that he ever took.

One thing I've always said about us is that we may never be the fastest out there but we've always proved to be the most reliable.  Reliable in the fact that our equipment stays together during a race and also in the fact that Sam makes very few mistakes behind the wheel.  Like they say, "To finish first, you first have to finish" and we've been paying our dues for some time now in doing just that.  Sunday could have been the day when everything finally came together for us but sadly it didn't.  Most people would see the big picture and be content on a job well done but to a racer, you're only as good as your last lap.  Brutal you must think, but we ourselves are our worst critics sometimes.

So we can do one of two things here.  We can let this episode consume us or we can dust ourselves off and try again.  Option two is the obvious way to go but man when you get that close and could have literally touched it, it's tough to put it behind you.  But there's another saying that I subscribe to totally and that's "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger".  We had a little taste of what it's like to be up front and we like it.  Next time my friend, next time.

Rotax Max US Grand Nationals

Many different emotions are conjured up when we reflect on our past week in Indiana at the Rotax Max US Grand Nationals.  If I was to sum it up in a single word, Wow! is the most fitting G-rated thing I can say.

Unfortunately for us the lows far outweighed the highs for the better part of our stay but some very positive things that I can say about the whole experience is that Mark Dismore has one first class facility in his New Castle Motorsports Park. And the competitors and families- regardless of nationality, talent level, or depth of pocket, were some of the nicest people we've ever met.  It didn't matter whether they were under the factory tent or a privateer in a modest (ahem) triple axle trailer, everyone was very kind and helpful to us.  And being the greenest of the green in this series we needed all the help we could get.

In hindsight what we really could have used was a couple of extra weeks to prepare for the event.  With the caliber of competition that showed up I believe we still would have finished well back in the pack, but being a bit more prepared could have saved us a lot of anguish and senseless running around that really didn't need to happen.  And it would have eliminated a lot of the new track jitters that a driver can sometimes have.  Understand that we came to this event without ever turning a wheel on this course and that forced us to play catch up in a big way.

Our week started out with a late arrival to the track and a near miss in even getting our equipment checked in for the event.  It slipped my mind that tech inspection was only going to be open until 5pm on Tuesday and if you missed it you were out.  Plain and simple and clearly stated in our literature so I had only myself to blame for this.  But what I couldn't understand is why they closed tech at 4:15 and then it dawned on me, I didn't account for the time zone change and my wristwatch was still an hour behind.  A few kind words in my defense from one of the Franklin Motorsports guys and I was given literally two minutes to present my equipment or pack it up and go home.  This was not the start to the exciting week that I imagined.  We had just driven five and a half hours, lost our original pit spot, and had a hundred bucks extorted from us for our electricity and we faced being turned around and sent home.  A bit of a sour taste in my mouth would be an understatement but we smiled nicely, spoke kindly, obliged their every whim and were cleared for competition in ten minutes.

So here's where our once perceived bad luck became somewhat of a blessing.  Our pit spot that we lost was the first space at the beginning of the paddock.  A beautiful space with an easy in/out right on the corner next to restrooms, the grid, and just about everything else we may have needed.  I was clearly the first person to reserve my spot over two months ago and it was just my luck that they conveniently lost my name and gave the spot away to someone else.  So they had two options for me.  One was to park on the opposing end and the other option was to snake my truck and trailer through a labrynth of passages to an inside spot that was more level and had electricity that would be closer to my trailer.  I opted for choice number two and twenty nail biting minutes later we were settled in.  Almost immediately there after we had a severe storm roll through and dump several inches of rain on us in a very short period of time.  That pit spot from option number one was now three feet under water!  Cars were nearly floating, and most of the buses and trailers were now flooded past their doors!  A sign of better things to come?

Ehhhhh, wrong answer!  What luck we had in dodging the floods didn't follow us out on to the track, I can tell you that.  We fought chassis issues, driver issues, and basic newbie faults which relegated us to the back of the pack for most of our time out on the course.  We were nearly four seconds off the pace and not even a track walk with a national champion nor advice from well respected tuners could put us on the fast track.  Our lack of seat time at this track combined with the fact that we've never driven on a surface as "rubbered up" as this one was showing in our efforts.  Very little progress was being made in any of our practice sessions so by the end of the day all we had was the hope that a new day and a new set of tires would redeem us.


Thursday came and how frustrating it was for us to find that somehow with a new set of rubber we found it in ourselves to go almost four tenths SLOWER than we did with our older tires from the day prior.  At this point I'm just about out of ideas and Sam was losing motivation and enthusiasm quick.  Conversations with tuners and people who had seen him out on the track proved that we were carrying far too little speed into the corners and spending a tad too much time between being off and back on the throttle.  It was made clear that the chassis was set properly and now all we had to do was literally drive the wheels off the thing to get it to react.  Easier said than done and something that eventually led to our demise in the Friday morning warm-up session.

Armed with another set of new tires, a chassis that was assured quick, and the mind set that every corner had to be driven deeper, we set out for our session early Friday morning.  Lap times of the front runners weren't far off the quick times from yesterday so we had our work cut out for us.  Sam was driving as deep as he could into the corners but something just wasn't right since it always resulted in a trip through the dirt.  By about the fifth lap it all would end in a cloud of dust as the kart left the track at turn two and backed into the barriers hard, ending his session and eventually our week.

So here we are at the event we've been looking forward to competing in all year and we're faced with this dilemna.  Could we have finished the event?  Maybe so.  We could have dusted ourselves off, straightened the kart, and returned to the track for another go but it was painfully and reluctantly decided that we were going to throw in the towel.  Our lack of experience at this track (and at this level) posed several concerns in my mind.  What happens if we go for broke and he or anyone else on the track gets hurt?  And what happens if through our shortcomings we take away someone else's chance at making Team USA and going to the World Finals?  Neither one of us could live with that so to step back was the only rational decision that could be made.  I know I'll beat myself up over this one for years to come since quitting at anything has never been in my vernacular and more importantly, something that I don't want to instill in the minds of my children.  This one is just going to have to be chalked up as one of those "live to fight another day" episodes.

But even in light of our situation a very big thank you is owed to Wes and Jason of the Franklin Motorsports team.  Their guidance was a godsend to a couple of rookies like ourselves, and if it wasn't for Wes helping us get through tech I wouldn't even be telling this story to you.  He also taught me plenty about chassis set up and he was always willing to loan any parts to me that I didn't have handy.  And thank you Jim Sharkey for letting me borrow him from time to time.

While we're at it, George and Jamie Sieracki of Dreamworks/Franklin were pivotal in getting us set up in this series to begin with.  Their generosity in getting us the guidance and the right equipment to make a go at this has saved us in many occasions.  We both can't thank you enough.

And to Shawn Sharkey for his tutoring.  Not many drivers in his position divulge a lot of information to people they just met, but he took Sam aside and explained a lot about the course and what the chassis and driver need to do to be fast.  I know we didn't turn it into anything this weekend Shawn, but he will definitely remember everything you taught him.  I'll make certain of it.

So with the Grand Nationals a memory, Rotax for the most part is over for us this year.  But I may be a bit hasty in my words as we still don't know exactly what to do with our free time for now.  We could throw some Bridgestone tires on the kart and race it in TaG, or we could continue on for the two remaining Midwest Sprint Series races in Rotax but I think that regardless of what we might feel like doing, we're going to first downshift a gear or two and take a short break from things.  This series was physically, mentally, and financially exhausting for us and a little hiatus from the track might not be so bad right now.  If I know us it's not going to last long so stay tuned and we'll let you know when and where we decide to have our comeback.

Cheers

We'll take it!

Road America has always held a dear spot in my heart as one of my most favorite places on the planet.  The vast size of the place, the food, the scenery, and the sounds generated in some areas of the course make this a first class facility in many enthusiast's book.

I raced on the road course over two decades ago when I was a young formula ford pilot with F1 aspirations.  Now we find ourselves back there at least once a year for karting and we couldn't be happier.  Well maybe if someone had, say a Formula Mazda that they needed to shake down and I was their guy.... Alright, back to earth we come.

The Briggs and Stratton Kartplex offers a high paced twisting challenge for our smaller counterparts right inside the confines of the big track.  And I'm certain there isn't a person alive who can say that they don't like driving there.  Aside from my personal feelings for the facility, we enjoy it because for the most part we've been quite lucky there.

Rounds five and six of the Midwest Sprint Series rolled into town this past weekend and the promise of a larger Rotax Max field was the buzz.  With the WKA Manufacturers Cup scheduled for the following weekend we believed the caliber and amount of competition would be high.  Although we did have fellow Merlin driver Shinya Michimi on board, there were only two others on the docket with one a no-show and the other cursed with mechanical problems.


Round five on Saturday started with high hopes of breaking our personal fast time of 50.01 set in practice on Friday.  New tires have shown a decrease of times as large as a half second and we had our "stickers" on and ready for qualifying.  On the contrary, we went slower by nearly a half second and had to settle for an outside front row position.  At the start Sam pulled into the lead and held it quite effortlessly until lap six when Shinya pulled his kart down pit road with technical difficulties.  This left Sam as the sole running competitor in our class so in an attempt to save our equipment, I decided to have the official throw a black flag and bring him in.  The look on his face was priceless when he came down pit road wondering why he received this penalty but it immediately turned to smiles when I informed him of his win by attrition.  Sunday would turn out to be a different story though, with Shinya bringing a more sound kart and an appetite for redemption.

Straight off his Komet Throwdown win from the night before, Shinya qualified on Pole (again) on Sunday but this time he virtually ran away from us in the race.  Second place was all that was in the cards for us as the checkered fell.  Obviously any mechanical demons they were fighting just a day ago were a distant memory seeing that the gap between the leader and runner-up was almost five seconds!

All in all a good weekend and one which we learned a lot.  From carburetor tuning to chassis set-up, I came away with a few pointers and both of us came away with new friends.  If every weekend could net us these little perks it all might be worth the effort regardless of how we fall in the standings.  And it might take the sting out of the realization of what we spent in a season when we review it at the end of the year.

Next up: New Castle Indiana and the Rotax Max Nationals.  The best of the best in North America will be there so I don't think we'll have to worry about a field of less than fifty.  Our objective in this freshman year is just to hang with them.  The chances of us being one of the three representing the USA in Italy at the World Finals in October will be slim to impossible.  But if we can learn something from these hot shoes and stay remotely close to them, I for one would consider that a success and I believe Sam would feel the same.

We'll keep you updated.

What happened to our momentum?

Things can certainly change fast in this business.  One day you're hot, the next day you're not.  And boy how prevalent this was yesterday when we visited the Badger Kart club in Dousman Wisconsin.

In an attempt to get some much needed seat time we decided to throw a set of Bridgestone tires on the Pegasus Auto Racing/OMP Merlin and jump in with the Tag Senior boys for a day.  But in hindsight I guess when the skies open up and literally pour on you all day, preventing not one single tire to touch the track for practice, you can't really expect to be at the head of the field come race day.

In a nutshell that's how it panned out for us.  We arrived late at the track on Saturday afternoon and didn't get a moment of practice in before the storms arrived.  Eventually we spent most of Sunday playing catch up but never really felt we were on our mark to begin with.  Sam qualified 5th for the pre-final and that had us somewhat encouraged but throughout the day the kart's performance began to dwindle.  Regardless of our best efforts a 7th place finish was all we could manage.

The silver lining to this is that not much sleep was lost over our showing since the weekend was aimed at testing only.  It just would have been nice to find some extra speed.  No, our concern lies in the fact that we certainly had something wrong with us and despite all of our tweaks and adjustments we could not find nor erradicate the problem.  It was later speculated that a cracked exhaust core could have been the cause of our downward spiral.  Not chancing anything, the entire engine and pipe were pulled instantly from the chassis and are now in the builder's hands.

We now have three weeks until Road America and all of us are keeping our fingers crossed that whatever gremlins we had will be a distant memory by then.  This event will also be our last Rotax Max race before the Grand Nationals in Indy, and the place where everything has to work perfectly for us.  Nothing less than 110% needs to come from driver, crew, and equipment if we're ever going to stand a chance against the others.  After all, these drivers are the ones that people everywhere talk about, and only three from our class are going to Italy for the World Finals.  This could be a long stretch for us but even if we're not one of the chosen few, to really compete alongside these individuals and possibly have our name on their lips for a change would be a success in our book.

Can it get any better than this?

Could things really get any better than this?  Maybe, if we find ourselves lucky enough to be the chosen few from the states who get to compete in Europe this November.  But even if we don't, things are looking good for us lately and for a change we have much to be thankful and happy about.  In a sport where so much can go wrong and end an otherwise good day, it's a nice change to have a weekend that for the most part went error free.

Rounds three and four of the Central Division US Rotax Max Challenge rolled into town this past weekend and we were very serious about turning the tables on our lackluster performance at MRP two weeks ago.  Heading into the weekend we had all three check marks on our to-do list: We had tested, we had all the right components, and we had knowledge of just about every square inch of that track.  And since I couldn't be in the pit on Saturday, we had a well known and respected tuner (Cale Wyse) working with Sam for the day.  This proved to be extremely beneficial to both driver and mechanic since the two of us learned an enormous amount from working with him.


Doesn't everyone wear their company dress blues to the track?

Saturday we were the fastest qualifier but without a transponder on the kart we were relegated to last place on the staring grid.  This didn't last long as Sam moved quickly up to the rear bumper of Scott Kopp who was leading the race.  The lead changed between the two of them a dozen times before the checkered flag would finally fall with Scott finishing first and Sam not even a kart length behind.  Shinya Michimi rounded out the top three.  Some disappointment in his voice showed when I talked to him by phone but from what I heard there was clearly nothing to be ashamed of.  Everyone who was there said the race itself was more exciting than anything they've seen in while, and on a personal note, he bettered his quickest lap time by nearly a half second!  Not too shabby of a days work at all.

Sunday would arrive as a carbon copy of Saturday.  Sunny skies, light winds, and temps in the 60's.  We managed to grab the pole again with a fast qualifying time, but this time we hung on for the win.  And doing so in nothing shy of spectacular fashion.  Scott Kopp once again proved to be a tough man to lead, as he was all over the back end of our kart for several laps.  He eventually took the lead away from us on lap twelve but we quickly took it back.  Then on lap 14 Scott got ahead of us and began creeping slowly away, but in either an act of desperation, out right driving skill, or a little of both, Sam slipped by him with two turns to go on the last lap.  The drag race from the last turn was on and when the checkered flew it was the polar opposite of the previous day's race with Scott arriving at the line a half kart length short.

A lot of hard work has finally paid off.  Days like these are far and few between in this sport but when you take the time to prepare for an event it only broadens your chances of success.  And we're hoping we can ride this wave as long as possible.  With this weekend's win we are now qualified for the Grand Nationals and we're going to need all the help we can get if we're going to shine there.  We realize that being amongst the best drivers from the US is going to be no easy chore so we're now focusing our attention on New Castle Indiana.  Technically we are off for the next 6 weeks but we're going to have to find a way to get down there to test so we can hit the ground running come mid July.

The top finishers at the Grand Nationals go on to represent the United States in the World Finals held in La Conca Italy in November.  One unbelievably steep hill to climb but we have as much of a chance as the next guy.  After all, we never thought we'd be in the place we're at now so the sky is really the limit, along with our checking account!

I'll work the overtime and you stay tuned.

Mother Nature: 1, Us: 0

I might be exaggerating a bit, but seeing that our introduction to the Rotax Max Series was contested in solid rain over the weekend, it goes without saying that the old girl really handed us our tails.

We arrived at MRP in South Bend Indiana on a low note to begin with.  Nearly everyone in the family was suffering from some sort of cold or sinus infection.  And with the weather being cool, damp, and overcast it did nearly nothing to lift our spirits and get ourselves psyched up for the weekend ahead.

Friday's practice session netted only two opportunities for us to test on race rubber.  From that point forward rain tires were to be the flavor of the day.  Neither driver nor tuner had one iota of experience in the wet and frankly it showed.  Multiple spins and generally slow lap times were taking its toll on our confidence.  But much was learned regarding chassis set-up and race lines so by the end of the day we felt that if anything, we could hit the ground running on Saturday should the forecasted storms arrive.

Saturday arrived and with it the entire brunt end of a storm stretching from the gulf coast up through the Midwest.  And it would have been one thing if it continued to downpour all day but that's not what the gods had in mind.  Oh no my friend, it was on again - off again all day, and it made chassis set up and tire selection very difficult.  We gambled right on our race set-up and went out on rains even though the sky showed signs of clearing.  But this is northern Indiana, and no where on earth have I been where the climate can change so dramatically and so quickly.  By lap three there was standing water on the track, high winds, and very little visibility out on the track.  We finished the race in third place and came across the scales over twenty pounds heavy!  I failed to mention that we sent Sam out without his rain suit and he was soaked to the bone.  And the weight of all the water he soaked up into his gear tipped him well over our class minimum.  Chalk one up for a rookie error.

Sunday.  Race day two.  Even though the previous day's third place sounds good on paper it was a far cry from a decent finish in our minds.  A couple of disqualifications helped us earn the spot but we knew where we finished and how hard it was for us just to complete the event.  Sam made it quite clear that he had next to no fun out there and a repeat in those elements were looking to be imminent.  Clouds were forming and showers were starting so it looked like a carbon copy of Saturday was in store.

Not even considering a dry set-up we went immediately to our rain settings.  But as if to taunt us further we seemed to be the only class that would take to the track after the showers would subside, leaving us with a surface not safe for slicks and in some places not wet enough for rains.  We threw caution to the wind and went out on rains regardless.  What the heck? we thought, it was the last event on the last day so if we melted them down to nothing we at least went out trying right?  So with his rain suit on, we made our way to the grid.

As if on cue, our green flag waved just as the rain stopped.  So now the big concern on everybody's minds was if our tires would last.  How long could the track stay damp and allow us some spots to cool the tires?  No one really knew, and with twenty-two laps to complete and eleven karts on the track it could dry out quick.  Unfortunately for us we wouldn't have the chance to find that out.  On lap fourteen we looped it coming through one and parked it in the pea gravel ending our charge.  At the time we were running in fourth place a considerable amount of time behind the number three driver.  We weren't posing a threat to anyone but we were cutting laps consistently faster than the next.  A bit of a disappointment to all but nonetheless a good learning experience.

Next up, the series comes to the Badger Kart Club on the 15th and 16th of May.  Home track advantage and plenty of testing beforehand should prove beneficial to our success and we feel very confident and optimistic for a good showing.  We'll be sure to let you know.

Our deepest apologies

No time for excuses here.  We fell flat on our faces this year in not providing any of you with the updates that were always so common in the past and I want to personally apologize for this.

The series has been chosen, and the Rotax Max Challenge is where we'll focus most of our attention this year.  The chassis will be from Merlin, an LM30 to be exact, and we couldn't be more excited.  Sam tested one last fall and simply fell in love with it.  The chassis, and the powerplant. So just when I began to feel comfortable in the speeds he was approaching last year, we go and throw a monkey wrench in things and give him more.  125cc of water cooled mayhem.  His mother's worries are all going to start again.

The schedule will be as follows:

April 17th and 18th at the Badger Kart Club (testing)
April 24th and 25th in South Bend, IN (MWSS Race 1 and 2)
May 8th and 9th at the Badger Kart Club (tesing)
May 14th and 15th at the Badger Kart Club (MWSS Race 3 and 4)
July 3rd and 4th at Road America Motorplex (MWSS Race 5 and 6)
July 12th thru the 18th at New Castle IN (Rotax Max Grand Nationals)

We'll also participate in a couple of TaG races with the Badger Kart Club.  One on the weekend of August 1st at Road America, and one on the weekend of September 19th at the home track in Dousman.

So we invite all of you to stop on out and see us.  Our pit is always open to friends and family and we just ask that you contact us and let us know so we can bring plenty of food and drink to the track as well as our "A-Game".

Let the green flags fall!

Keep your fingers crossed

Could it be? Are we going to? When will it arrive?

All of these questions and many more should be answered within the next few weeks.  We'll be sure to keep you updated.