Fuzzy Dice

it can be too exciting at times...lol...

Yesterday was our first points event of the 2016 season at Palm Beach...I was up at 4AM and on the road at 4:45...arrived at PBIR at 8AM...this is a back to back race in the Summit Super Series...

Weather was chilly at first but warmed up to 70 by mid afternoon...a bit breezy but very nice...cars were moving real good...this was mineshaft air for south Florida...+1000 DA...

I had decided to run with 2 more lbs. of air in my slicks...it would let me hit the tree harder but still hook, hopefully...so I took my first time shot with 15 lbs. in them...oops, .014 red...went 6.87 forgetting to turn my fans off....sigh...second time shot I went .024 red...yipers!!!!...Houston, we have a problemo....car ran 6.84 with the fans off...

First round is called and, by golly, they pick me for the bye...turns out I have to run someone and it is a good racer in a 69 Chevelle...he dials 6.45 to my 6.84...I take 1 lb. of air out of my slicks...we are off...I am out on him and rip a couple of times FTW...I had a .031 tree and one over...he missed the tree...

Round two I carry over the bye but now the "fun" starts...they tell me I will be running someone so I take the right lane...5 minutes later they tell me I won't be running anyone so I move over to the left lane for the bye run...2 minutes later the tell me someone is coming up at the last second and I have to run them...back I go to the right lane and head to the water box...

As I finish my burnout she flies up...she is in a 70's fastback Mustang dialed 6.22....I have 6.84 on mine...we leave and she catches me way too fast....either she killed the tree or is going way too fast...she is gonna take the stripe either way so I stay in it...she turns on the W...yep, she killed the tree with a .006...sadly, I lost focus in all the hubbub and went .114...sigh...btw, I ran 6.817...

No excuse as these things happen sometimes and it is our job as racers to overcome them...I failed and payed the price...bye bye, bye...

So far not to exciting but wait.....there's more...

It is now 7:30PM and time for the second race...I take my one time shot and I am flyin'...I am .032 on the tree and go 6.810...my short time are at 1.50 and everything is working...yeah, right...

First round and I get a 70's Ford Torino...he dials 6.89...I put 6.80 on my window...y'all want exciting, well, here we go...

The tree drops and we leave together...oops, he is in big trouble now...I quickly put two cars on him pulling away...just as I am ready tp park her and rip some, all heck brakes loose...my rear end all of a sudden wants to swap places with my front end...not good...now I am looking out my passengers window at the end of the track...not good...sideways never is...

Now I am heading for the wall...pebbles start flying...not good...they tell me they could not see light between me and the wall...not good...well, somehow I missed the the wall but now I tap the brakes and she heads for the damn wall again...not good...all I can do is coast...I do so until I can safely ride along the wall...I cannot stop since my brakes just throw me every which way...not good...

I coast off the track since this happened when I was about 70 to 80 mph...not good...lol...I leave a trail of fluid and hate that I did...if y'all recall I went through this at the divisional finals with an oil pan leak...like I said, too much excitement can be... not good...

It turns out my lower tranny cooler hose disconnected emptying all my tranny fluid into my engine compartment...it even blew out the front grill....geez, louise...naturally my front tires and brakes were covered and my slicks were too...no wonder I could not control anything or stop very well...

The icing on this cake is....are you ready?.....I won the round...my opponent dialed 6.89 but they put up 6.99 and he missed it...he ran way under...kinda did not matter as I was .024 to his .199 on the tree...go figure...I got the round points but my chewing gum lost it's flavor to fix it and keep racing...my adrenaline was pumping and I was just a little tight...you couldn't get a one penny nail in my butt with a 5 lb. ballpeen...that kinda tight...woohee!...btw, I had a 1.49 short...she was moving...

We towed her back and pushed her onto the trailer...this week we will put in a new tranny cooler with AN fittings and braided lines...oddly, we had already changed all the other tranny lines to this 6 months ago...sometimes if it ain't broke don't fix it can bite you in the azz....sigh...it was the old metal tube inside a rubber line with a clamp that let go...

Any, that is all the excitement I can stand....I am now off to get engine degreaser to clean up what I can...it is a mess...

Next up is the New Years Nationals at South Georgia Jan. 1, 2 and 3rd...5 grand to win each day in No Box...this event will be live streamed on MMTV for those who want to see what happens next to this "Fuzzy" guy...he he he...

Lastly, congrats to 96 collector...he made it to 3 cars in the second race...

Joe_G

Fuzzy as always a great read. I was up there yesterday and didn't realize you are running in the series. Looking forward to saying hi next time you're at PBIR, I always enjoy your stories.

And wow, great driving or luck, to keep that out of the wall!!

Fuzzy Dice

Thanks, Joe....sorry I missed you...I plan to be there for the next points race in January...come by and say hey...mostly luck my friend....it was definitely Mr. Toad's wild ride....lol...

ralph

Not a great way to start the season, but hopefully it's all up from here. Great job keeping it off the wall and a good story as always. I used to have the tube into the rubber line, but changed to compression fittings and barbed ends into the rubber. I'd like to go all one piece branded with AN fittings someday tho.

BIGMAC

Dan,

Thank goodness you are OK. Maybe there was a cleanup required in your shorts as well as under the hood .

I had a pretty good day at the OSW Night of Fire rainout makeup this past Sunday. I went to the quarterfinal in Pro and the semifinal in Street and took out some good racers on the way. I went out in Pro on a red eye and Street as I did not correctly dial for the short cool down time between rounds and was way off the dial. Running two classes- one 1/8 mile and the other 1/4- may be too taxing for this old man particularly in the late rounds but I had fun.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and I hope to see you at OSW in the new year.

Jim

ps: The 2012 GS has been sitting in my garage since mid September but is still waiting for the track testing session at Bradenton Motorsports Park. There are some NHRA Pro test sessions there in early January and I hope to get in on one. I have resisted the temptation to take the car on my own to OSW. After waiting for a year and a half for the car to be built I want the builder there when I make the first passes down the track. With all of the issues during the build it will be a miracle if everything works.

Fuzzy Dice

Hey Jim...yes, it was touch and go for a minute there...not something I want to do again...anyway, all is well and I will be back out there real soon...I hope you get to run your new whip sooner rather than later ....it sounds very cool...you will make mine look like a turd...lol...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you as well, my friend....

oklahoma

You have become one of my favorite authors. Please keep posting. Good luck this season. Jim Burford

Corveet

that was a good read. thanks for sharing your story with us. more power to you for the upcoming race.