tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-146326872024-02-20T10:47:31.077-06:00Sam's Race PageJust another day in the life of a kid going really, really fast! Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-26231298058382183922012-06-12T15:49:00.000-05:002012-06-12T15:49:28.295-05:00The long tracks are where it's at
Last minute preparations
A couple of weekends ago we found ourselves at Blackhawk Farms Raceway for what could be the last time of our career. And boy did we miss it.
It was over eight years since our last go round of this place, and after the first practice session we couldn't help but wonder why it took so long to get back. Two miles of flat out (and wide) track that most kartsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-26019868199166979932012-04-23T13:53:00.000-05:002012-04-23T13:54:56.033-05:00Around for the summerLooks like the European vagabond is going to be staying in the states this summer so our racing season is on. I don't think he totally realizes it yet but unless he comes up with a part time job that pays him twenty bucks an hour I can't honestly say that I'll have the money for him to go.
We just received our notice from the university about just how much we can expect to receive in aid Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-43850789281722918102011-12-29T14:00:00.015-06:002012-05-07T11:27:28.231-05:002012. It looks like we'll... Ok possibly we're going to... Oh I don't know yet!What I do know is that the kart is in a hundred pieces all over the shop floor and it is getting a complete rebuild regardless of what we decide.
This being our send off year, we have established the fact that if we do anything we're doing it all for fun. No pressure and nothing to prove here. We just want to spend our possible last summer at the track with the friends we've made Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-12965188664573029942011-10-10T12:30:00.008-05:002011-10-11T13:14:50.657-05:00Goodbye, So Long, Farewell.From an owner, mechanic, and father's point of view.It's usually around this time of the year when I pen our tearful goodbyes to the racing world for another season. As relieved as we are to say that we can now have our weekends back for other productive chores or fun-filled adventures, to realize that it's over again leaves us a bit heavy hearted.To anyone who has followed us to the track Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-26172539465187398442011-10-04T12:28:00.013-05:002011-10-06T12:44:48.660-05:00A fitting end to a funny seasonJust a day in the life of a kid going sixty miles an hour around a track on a Sunday afternoon. I submit to you, one fantastic round at Badger Raceway this past weekend. Gridded 12th (of twelve) we faced an uphill battle in our final round of the 2011 Bridgestone Race Series. Disappointed would be an understatement if you asked us how we felt about this, seeing that we were gridded Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-60671016695366136382011-08-11T15:14:00.008-05:002011-08-18T14:22:26.015-05:00The year so far
We've reached the midway point of our 2011 season and we're finding ourselves with many thoughts and ideas that keep crossing our minds. Was TaG the right direction to move in? Should we have stayed with the Rotax series? Could we have experienced more success had we traveled the Road Race tour instead?
All good questions, but when you get down to the heart of the matter I Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-50213913704604848442011-07-11T16:05:00.006-05:002011-07-11T16:39:59.141-05:00The Big BangThe size nine stiletto of one miss Lady Luck kicked us square in the chops this weekend as we lost our first engine of the season.Sixteen thousand RPM's one second, and absolutely nothing the next. And as it usually goes, the catastrophic failure always occurs on a high speed stretch of the track so to anyone who has experienced this before you know it can be quite the horrific moment.AfterUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-32981312217274257902011-07-08T15:24:00.004-05:002011-07-11T16:01:06.775-05:00The year so farUghhhh!One word can sum up the season so far and that's pretty much it. Actually we could very well insert another single word into this mix but doing so would seriously compromise our PG rating on this website.Some of you might be saying it can't be all that bad can it? And my response to you would be that you're right, it could be far worse. So what could all the trouble be? Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-42259814000751724412011-06-06T16:50:00.010-05:002011-06-14T14:07:52.790-05:00No rush for this oneWe're sorry everyone but we haven't been very excited to bring you the latest news after the Pegasus Auto Racing Grand Prix of Dousman two weeks ago. Being the host sponsor of the first round of the Midwest Sprint Series had us proud and excited to show the out-of-towners how it's done. But old lady luck had other plans for us that weekend.It's tough on everyone when you find yourselfUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-40510092959120754232011-05-18T12:31:00.002-05:002011-05-18T12:43:29.044-05:00Is there a reverse on a kart?If that's not the case, we could sure use a do-over on the season so far.A third, fourth, and a sixth all in our last three weekends. And in that order I might add! I don't know how we can be slipping this far behind so soon but the frustration level is at an all time high and we'd better hope we can shake it before the Midwest Sprint Series rolls into town this weekend.Several Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-41785288058385664032011-04-08T16:47:00.004-05:002011-04-11T14:16:08.361-05:00GAME ON!The 2011 season is upon us with a non points race this weekend at Badger Raceway. Although we're not planning (or ready) to be out there this weekend, we will most likely be hitting the track for some much needed practice in the next week.Our LM30 Merlin chassis has risen from its long winter's nap and got just about every fastener replaced on it. It will again be skinned in its Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-51985571853400233922011-01-17T10:44:00.010-06:002011-01-18T14:08:26.885-06:00Recognizing a job well doneWith the 2010 racing season behind us, we took a break from our busy winter rebuild schedule this past weekend to meet with friends and fellow competitors from the Midwest Sprint Series at their annual awards banquet in Rockford Illinois. Tim Koyen and his son T.J. have put together one heck of a race series, and the festivities on this particular night proved just as entertaining for the large Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-47337552072472267162011-01-06T15:12:00.005-06:002011-01-07T16:56:23.187-06:00Ever wanted to be part of a race team?A much needed rest from racing just came to an end last night as we began tearing into the #98 Merlin chassis for its annual ground up rebuild. Remarkably enough the chassis looks straight and with the exception of your usual suspects who are slated for replacement: bearings, throttle cable, and the assorted fastener, all looks pretty reusable.This is a good thing for us since we spent an Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-16224716032055168212010-11-04T14:48:00.008-05:002010-11-04T17:30:50.339-05:00Thank you 2010The 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 Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-15623554300534614412010-09-01T09:35:00.003-05:002010-09-02T13:28:45.332-05:00SoreIt'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 Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-23412324966312196822010-08-16T15:38:00.011-05:002010-08-18T10:02:09.968-05:00Never been so proud of damageHappy 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 Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-52307346168415062122010-08-02T13:31:00.014-05:002010-08-03T10:42:45.007-05:00TaG, 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 Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-38511952385582635472010-07-20T14:04:00.012-05:002010-07-26T10:08:55.131-05:00Rotax Max US Grand NationalsMany 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 hasUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-30491024155843437332010-07-07T08:49:00.004-05:002010-07-26T10:12:10.324-05:00We'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 Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-65800989823357440082010-06-07T15:07:00.009-05:002010-06-07T16:54:59.277-05:00What 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 Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-59959454875941292442010-05-17T11:52:00.011-05:002010-07-26T14:24:35.692-05:00Can 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 Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-59827219298597382172010-04-29T13:01:00.005-05:002010-04-29T14:41:26.780-05:00Mother Nature: 1, Us: 0I 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 Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-49949590610824743232010-04-12T13:39:00.003-05:002010-04-12T14:34:49.487-05:00Our deepest apologiesNo 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.&Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-18910268524349545172010-01-18T10:43:00.002-06:002010-01-18T10:46:08.060-06:00Keep your fingers crossedCould 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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14632687.post-86729751710871202702009-12-02T13:40:00.009-06:002009-12-02T15:19:26.430-06:00What to doIt's funny not having anything to work on during the off season. Not funny ha-ha but funny as in a fish out of water. At every season end for the past six years we would engage in the same ritual. Clear the trailer of everything, move it to our basement, and begin the tear down and build up process. Not this year though.Those test days behind the wheel of that Rotax Unknownnoreply@blogger.com