The Scoob's Chronicles
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  Aug 18, 2007;   Scooby decided to stay home again this week, something about not wanting to get a headach or whatever. Well after last weeks beating and banging and week going thru the car and fixing wheels, we get the car to the frame shop on race morning. Good news, frame is ok just a bent wheel(Gotta work on keeping my glasses cleaner). Not bad so now we have a whole day so off we go to Pokey's domicile. After a relaxing day over there we head to the track and after getting there nice and early and getting set up, Pokey notices something going weird in the rear end and he finds we have a broken weld and no lock up. Phooey! Well we look around for welder and another competitor Ben AKA Checkersorwreckers has one at the house close by and gets it to the track so we can get the rear fixed. We miss wheel packing (oh darn..) and Pokey says take it easy in hot laps but I said we need to see if it'll hold. So I do my normal flying through the mud hot laps show(you cannot believe the fun there). The rear gear holds up and the 2nd heat gets here and we line up outside front row. On the green I get a good start but coming outa turn 2 someone is trying to win on the 1st lap and 3 of us get popped into the wall with me being the cushsion between the wall and another car. Opps! When I get it back in the pits (with a flat) there really isn't any real damage outside of some rearranged sheet metal. OK!  So here we are at the feature, I get to start last which is good cause I wanted to make sure all was really well after the wal thing. After 4 or 5 laps and a retart back there the car is really working good and seems ok and we get another yellow. So on the restart I get to line up 8th and on the restart the outside row starts to move up and a few laps later I'm behind the 5th place car and we are passing the 4th place car in turn 4 and the 2 cars get together leaving me nowhere to go but someones rear end. As I back up and notice the hood a little pushed up (not bad) I swing around the 2 cars and 2 things are very noticable, one, the steam coming over the pushed up hood and a flat left rear tire(the tire gods a really miffed with me) so to the trailer and a 10th place finish. Not a great night but if I can shake some of this bad luck, we're gonna get to the front. I know the car can do it, I'm fairly confident I can do, and I'm sure the tire gods are gonna get off my butt soon. The good news is, is I beleave I still maintain enough points to be in the top 5 so I can get into the Chase starting next week. We'll see.  Next week is the first week of the 5 race Chase for the top 5 in all classes and should make some exciting racing coming up. So see ya at the Park' next week and remember too, the Park' will be closed for Labor Day weekend and will resume the following week for the last 4 weeks of the chase. They'll be closed the 1st weekend in Oct and then Oct 11th, 12th, and 13th will be the final weekend of racing with the 60th Anniversary celebration with a $1000 to win 20 lap race in our class and a $4000 in Crate LM, $2000 Super Street, $1000 Stock v8 and $1000, 60 lap Road Warrior/Enduro race. So plan on coming out and check out Gordon Park Speedway's web site at www.gordonparkspeedway.com. See ya.

  
Aug 25; Well Jim remembered to take me tonight. I didn't matter though, I had my eyes closed most of the time. To start it all off Jim did finish the regular point season in 5th and GPS is now starting the post season points season with the Chase format which in our class has the top 6 in final points in the Chase. The points break down starts with 1000 for 1st with 5 points separation going down to 5th and 100 points separation between 5th and 6th. Then they get regular points for their respective finsh positions and the Chase will run for 5 races.
    Now lets get down to racing. When we got to the track Jim gets everything unloaded goes up to draw and pulls a 4, thats good for outside pole 1st heat. Not bad. Well we get through mud packing and get into hot laps. Jim runs 2 laps and decided to pull in. when he gets back ti the trailer, there's steam coming out, rut row, not good. Pokey and Jim dive under the hood and find that the lower radiator hose inlet on the radiator is come loose and is caput!  Ok, between the 2 of 'em they come up with a repair that took cutting down the lower hose, getting a new section of flex hose and a threaded pipe fitting to fix it up. Hey it works! But with all this going on we miss the heat. Oh and did I fail to mention that there are
25 cars here tonight. Woof, woof. When the feature comes around Jim lines up dead last and he said something about needing some binoculars for something. Sometimes I just don't understand human humor.  Ok green flag drops and Jim plays it kool and lays back and on lap 2 in turn 2 a bunch of cars get together. Jim said he stayed high to miss it all but tags the bottom of the wall with the right rear slightly. Yep, 2 caution laps later he's in the pits with a flat (would you expect anything less?). Well Pokey and ?? get him changed and Jim rejoins the pack still in last. Well at the green all goes good, there's a couple more yellows and Jim is making careful headway when he gets behind one of our younger drivers. After using his brakes several times to avoid him, he ducks under the youngster in turn 1 and in turn 2 gets hit when the youngster comes down and does a half spin. No damage and Jim gets it refired and turned back around buts there is no yellow. So off he goes catching up to the back markers in couple of laps and mercifully gets a yellow for someone elses wreack. Actually a whole bunch of someone else's. Well since we do double file restarts now, Jim choses the out side and gets in the 4th row, on the restart he does away with a few cars, gets by a couple more and with 3 laps to go is in third. So for the next 3 times around he is looking for a way around the 2nd place car and coming to the checker gets up to maybe the cars rear end and finishes 3rd. For how the night strarted we will take that with a great big smile cause with the chase format it puts us in a tie for 3rd place.
   Now we get to race again at the 'Park next week Sept 1st, but take the following week, Sept 8th off, then come back and run Sept 15 and 22 with will end the Chase and final regualr season racing. Then they will take off Sept 29 and Oct 6 and come back Oct 11, 12 and 13th for the 60th Anniversary celebration race and the years final race at he 'Park. So plan on coming out and enjoying some more high energy racing with us. See ya at the 'Park.