April 29, 2010

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.

April 12, 2010

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!