The newest drag racer gears up!

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

So.... Maple Grove replaces the second half of the track with concrete over the past few months, and then proceeds to grind and polish - but doesn't quite get it finished. They decide to race this past weekend anyway, so a bunch of Jr's show up Friday night for TnT (we were playing baseball...). First pair goes down the track, and when they hit the new section the one Jr has a front tire stick into a groove right at the finish line - once it releases it shoots her across the track at 83mph narrowly missing the other Jr. She rolls a few times and slides a 100' on her side, [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/eek.gif[/img] She is ok, the car needs work. This is the second time MGR has done this with track, I guess they didn't remember it from years ago. This is also the 2nd Jr crash in a 2 years from poor decision making by track management (last year they ran a pair when it was sprinkling at the finish line, they slid all over and one went into the wall...). [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/mad.gif[/img]



So, we switched gears Friday night and pulled up to Numidia again, but could not repeat - went red in round 1, and red again in the buy back round. It's a humbling sport....

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Almost equal confusion this weekend! Typical baseball / softball on Saturday, and then we planned to run Jr's on Sunday at South Mountain since they had a $70 Bounty on a girl who won 2 weeks in a row. Well, late Saturday night, they cancelled the Jr race / Bounty thing. Since we were all hooked &amp; loaded up, we decided to scram right after Church and hit Maple Grove ($500 to win!!). We get there after the first time shot to learn they will only have one time run due to weather concerns. 'Ok, we'll take a 'no punch' run just before 1st round...' Nope! There is a new person in the tower and I don't think she was aware of that allowance. So, we end up on the bottom of the ladder and have to race the #1 qualifier. Oh, and you are the first of the 5 numbered pairs. Geez, could anything go our way? It's our first time with the new engine/clutch/chassis setup on this track. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/eek.gif[/img]

So, we dial a 7.900 based on Numidia weather, which means it has an .85 or an .84 in it - but could be 2x that given the density altitude... Just to make it that much more challenging, the other kid decides to pull a 'burn down'! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/rolleyes.gif[/img] Benjamin simply waits patiently, knowing that without a time run, and being the first pair, this only helps us build the necessary heat into the engine. After 20 seconds, the starter gets on the radio...and this BS is not worth getting tossed over. So, I motion to Benjamin to go ahead in, and he cuts an .031 light (green! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img] ) and I can hear him wompin it (5X!) on the top end as the other kid was off his dial. Sad - we run a 7.898 on the 7.900, running out by .002! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/mad.gif[/img]

Ben was really bummed - just a simple 'no punch' run and we'd have added 5 lbs....but, I'm really proud of him! I can't wait till next year when Danny starts racing, I'll be busier than a 1 armed paper hanger!

That's racing!

[Xplantdad]

You guys ARE really busy! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

It was a racing weekend! Spent Saturday and Sunday at Numidia, and Ben is still getting used to the new engine/clutch/chassis combination at the stripe. It will take some adjustments to learn how to close it up at the stripe now that we are running a full second quicker in the 1/8 and 10 mph faster! So, we lost on Saturday with a 7.8999 on a 7.9000 dial to the kid who eventually won it all. And then, did it again on Sunday with a 7.897 on a 7.900 dial - to the same kid! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/mad.gif[/img]

So, we packed it up and went to South Mountain Raceway on Monday for a much hyped 'Bounty Race' where the local track hero had won the last 2 events. She's an 8.90 car, and is a pretty good racer who also races at Beaver Springs Dragway and at Mason Dixon Dragway. After much publicity, the bounty had increased to $200 - which is a good chunk of cash, especially for a Jr Dragster! Ben and Maddie plow through the field on separate sides of the ladder, and eventually meet in the final - which they chose to do a best of 3. Ben was all over the tree (which is pretty tight at SM...) with .012 and .018 lights to bring home the prizes. He received $200 cash, a free 8x11 photo from the track photog, a case of Lucas Oil Jr Dragster racing oil, Lucas Oil hat, t-shirt and flag/banner, 5 gallons of race fuel and a nice trophy! Not bad for a 13 year old, and certainly helped him recover from the close round losses at Numidia!!







Grandparents were even on hand for the event!!

[ORIGLS6]

[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img] [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img] [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img] [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img] [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

[RPOLS3]

Congratulations!

[earntaz]

I think this is how Erica Enders started out ... look at her now!

[Xplantdad]

Go Ben Go!

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: earntaz</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I think this is how Erica Enders started out ... look at her now! </div></div>

Yes, Erica and her sister Courtney started out in Jr Dragsters - and she is doing fantastic! Many of the big car racers are very aware when a Jr Dragster kid 'ages out' and starts driving in their class, they know that a Jr Dragster kid is not to be treated lightly - they have youthful reflexes, and have been whacking the tree for 9-10 years already! And, by the time they age out - they've been driving the stripe for most of their Jr career. Look out Benny, just do the math on this one.... [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/naughty.gif[/img]

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Well, it's that time of year again! Another Jr Dragster - Eastern Conference Finals event is in the books. Not the same degree of success as last year, but a fun week none the less. Benjamin's City/County baseball team had 2nd round playoffs Thursday night till 8'ish, which gave me very little time to finalize the prep for the trip. So, with 2.5 hours sleep, Benjamin, Danny and I pulled out at 4:30AM on Friday - Mom and Amanda were set to arrive the following Tuesday (Amanda couldn't miss Acting Camp!!).

A second round playoff loss allows Ben to focus on the week of racing!




It's early! Danny was the first one up, dressed and shaking me awake at 4AM - and he's not even racing yet!



No trip is issue free! So, this year it was a massive trailer tire explosion about an hour from Bristol, TN. In 10 years of towing, this is the first time I've had a blown tire. The boys were quite excited as it broke the boredom of the 9+ hour pull. Of course the jack I keep in the trailer was rusted up, so after unloading the trailer to get the spare we had to unload the back seat of the truck to get the jack! Danny was mesmerized by the old tire! As we start up to continue, the truck throws a code....some days.





We get there a little later than we wanted to, but easily got our desire pit spot - but with 800+ kids racing for a week, it filled up fast!



Benjamin's final round photo has been used in numerous NHRA publications and on their website throughout the last year, so we had high hopes of repeating the success from 2014 - ignoring the fact that we had changed classes, are running a full second quicker, 10 mph faster, and put a fair amount of work into the chassis... ie; we have zero historical data to work from!