Good times this weekend, I feel like a truck hit me
07-15-2007, 08:30 PM
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Good times this weekend, I feel like a truck hit me
Well about three weeks ago I got a phone call from a Ice racing friend. They having been running a huge Karting event for the past couple of years. They needed a 5 man team to run and only had 4 people. Sence I have some karting experience they called me in.
It was the most well ran event of this size I have ever seen. At the end of 12 hours of different heats they were running about 10 minutes late
Here is the what the paper had to say about the event. http://www.mankatofreepress.com/spor...196011502.html
Now to the racing part of it.
Friday night we had some practice time. 3-8 minute runs were enough for us to learn the track and the different lines. My first impression of the track was "holy crap it is bumpy and fast" In the middle of the corner you had to work to keep on the gas because the bumps would throw your foot of the pedal.
Our team
Brian about 45 years old, x-motorcrosser and ice racer. He owns a Taco Bell and put up the 500 bucks for us to run
Lynn AKA Jackson. This guy has been SCCA and ice racing for 43 years! He is in pretty good shape for his age.
Bill Nelson, This guy was put on this earth for one thing, racing. Older then dirt, hasn't raced karts in 40 years because he suffered a broken foot karting in his younger years.
Mike, 42 years old and is hard core!!! We run neck and neck in on every track during ice racing and found out we are about .020 either way karting.
Me:o
First heat race was 45 minutes long top 5 advance. Brian started in the back of the pack because of the luck(bad luck) of the draw. He held his own for about 8 minutes of flat out running. Then Jackson slowly got into the kart before living pit lane. I was jumping up and down because this guy can drive! He was rocket fast but I know he would slow down with time. After about 7 minutes he pulled himself off the track and into the pits. Bill who didn't practice the night before got out on the track right before a 5 kart pack. I was bitting my fingers because I didn't know what to expect. Well they all got around him cleanly after about 2 laps. 2 more laps later he was back in the front of the pack. Mike jumped in with about 20 mintue left in the race, we were 3 laps down from the leaders running in 5th place. Mike ran his heart out for about 9 minutes and took a lap back and got the kart to 3rd place and handed the kart to me. I had 11 minutes to make something happen. I drove hard and ran the boys down. Inbetween pit stops and running fast lap times. I drove it to a 1st place!!! It was a good feeling winning in front of 600 people. Well in racing there is always somebody protesting. Well after talking it out we still got the victory and a free 6 inch subway
Well we had a huge wait before our next heat like 5 hours. So we bench raced. Went out for lunch and screawed around Mankato for that time. We also know the competion was going to be great for the final, because it was all the winners of the heat races.
We started 2nd place because I ran the 2nd fastest time during our first race
Brian started out and by the first lap he was running 2nd from the back. He had a horrible start and spun going into turn two. I think he got some help getting turned around. After that he just over drove and was making too many mistakes. Sence I was in charge of driver changes I pulled him way early. Jackson got in and on the first lap got hit hard from behide and was givin a black flag(10 sencond in the pits) Then went back out and did a 6 or 7 minute run. Bill jumps in and runs very well, he didn't gain much but more importantly didn't lose much. Mike asked what I was thinking pulling everyone early. Well Mike and I are the fastest and need to be out there. He rolled his eyes because he known he had some hard times ahead of us. He jumped in with 30 minutes left to run and way behide the lead pack. After about 9 minutes we started to look for weakness, well after he lifted his visor I know it was time to run. I jumped in the kart with 20 minutes left. Got held up for a couple laps during the middle of my run. But with everyone piting. I had nice clean laps and managed to set the track record 3 different laps. My time in the kart I ran 44 laps of our 111 total laps
It was still too little too late. The last lap I caught the pack again and only got around 1 guy. Which put us in 5th or 6th place.
After all was said and done we had a great time and the event raised thousands of dollars for a good cause. Get out there, get a team together and find a event in your area. If you don't have a event, start one. If you plan people will come. We had 52, 5 man teams and this is the events 3rd or 4th year.
That got long winded and my heart rate went up a little
Randy
PS I'm a little sore today
It was the most well ran event of this size I have ever seen. At the end of 12 hours of different heats they were running about 10 minutes late
Here is the what the paper had to say about the event. http://www.mankatofreepress.com/spor...196011502.htmlNow to the racing part of it.
Friday night we had some practice time. 3-8 minute runs were enough for us to learn the track and the different lines. My first impression of the track was "holy crap it is bumpy and fast" In the middle of the corner you had to work to keep on the gas because the bumps would throw your foot of the pedal.
Our team
Brian about 45 years old, x-motorcrosser and ice racer. He owns a Taco Bell and put up the 500 bucks for us to run
Lynn AKA Jackson. This guy has been SCCA and ice racing for 43 years! He is in pretty good shape for his age.
Bill Nelson, This guy was put on this earth for one thing, racing. Older then dirt, hasn't raced karts in 40 years because he suffered a broken foot karting in his younger years.
Mike, 42 years old and is hard core!!! We run neck and neck in on every track during ice racing and found out we are about .020 either way karting.
Me:o
First heat race was 45 minutes long top 5 advance. Brian started in the back of the pack because of the luck(bad luck) of the draw. He held his own for about 8 minutes of flat out running. Then Jackson slowly got into the kart before living pit lane. I was jumping up and down because this guy can drive! He was rocket fast but I know he would slow down with time. After about 7 minutes he pulled himself off the track and into the pits. Bill who didn't practice the night before got out on the track right before a 5 kart pack. I was bitting my fingers because I didn't know what to expect. Well they all got around him cleanly after about 2 laps. 2 more laps later he was back in the front of the pack. Mike jumped in with about 20 mintue left in the race, we were 3 laps down from the leaders running in 5th place. Mike ran his heart out for about 9 minutes and took a lap back and got the kart to 3rd place and handed the kart to me. I had 11 minutes to make something happen. I drove hard and ran the boys down. Inbetween pit stops and running fast lap times. I drove it to a 1st place!!! It was a good feeling winning in front of 600 people. Well in racing there is always somebody protesting. Well after talking it out we still got the victory and a free 6 inch subway
Well we had a huge wait before our next heat like 5 hours. So we bench raced. Went out for lunch and screawed around Mankato for that time. We also know the competion was going to be great for the final, because it was all the winners of the heat races.
We started 2nd place because I ran the 2nd fastest time during our first race
Brian started out and by the first lap he was running 2nd from the back. He had a horrible start and spun going into turn two. I think he got some help getting turned around. After that he just over drove and was making too many mistakes. Sence I was in charge of driver changes I pulled him way early. Jackson got in and on the first lap got hit hard from behide and was givin a black flag(10 sencond in the pits) Then went back out and did a 6 or 7 minute run. Bill jumps in and runs very well, he didn't gain much but more importantly didn't lose much. Mike asked what I was thinking pulling everyone early. Well Mike and I are the fastest and need to be out there. He rolled his eyes because he known he had some hard times ahead of us. He jumped in with 30 minutes left to run and way behide the lead pack. After about 9 minutes we started to look for weakness, well after he lifted his visor I know it was time to run. I jumped in the kart with 20 minutes left. Got held up for a couple laps during the middle of my run. But with everyone piting. I had nice clean laps and managed to set the track record 3 different laps. My time in the kart I ran 44 laps of our 111 total laps
It was still too little too late. The last lap I caught the pack again and only got around 1 guy. Which put us in 5th or 6th place. After all was said and done we had a great time and the event raised thousands of dollars for a good cause. Get out there, get a team together and find a event in your area. If you don't have a event, start one. If you plan people will come. We had 52, 5 man teams and this is the events 3rd or 4th year.
That got long winded and my heart rate went up a little
Randy
PS I'm a little sore today
07-15-2007, 09:55 PM
#2
Drifting
Member Since: Sep 2004
Location: Richmond Va
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Sounds like a good time. They do things like that at VIR here in Virginia. I am looking at possibly participating. Ten of us ran for 30 minutes the night before our HPDE. OMG was I sore. My hands, back, and arms were hurting.
Glad you had fun.
Bob
Glad you had fun.
Bob
