August 5, 2005; Friday night again and traveling down the ol' highway Jim has run into some wet roads and
I've been watching a storm towards the race track way and the weatherman has given us a 40% chance of rain.
I think Jim has been ignoring seeing the storm as he is feeling very confident about some changes he has made and of course, really wants to race. Good news is as we get to the trrack, no rain, hasn't rained and watching the clouds, looks like it all is moving away.
Jim gets the car off the trailer and goes about checking the ol' MaSCOM Racing, The Stamping Place and Scrapebook Station, Problend, Safe-Quip, #36 Mustang over (I hope he remembers all that when he gets that first win soon). He goes out and mud packs. A little later in hot laps he running around with the top cars (Jackie & Harley Holden) and is feeling very good about how the car feels and gets it ready for the 1st heat. Jim had pulled #18 and that lines him up1st heat,3rd row outside. Not bad as we also have 18 cars tonight. At the Green a car in the 2nd row inside slides into the car in front of Jim causing Jim to check up momentarilly and lose 2 spots. Now the track is a little slick but the car was responding well, so Jim sets sail to recover what ever he can. Since the heat is only 6 laps there's just so much you can do and Jim settles for 8th. Good news is after having to repair the Radiator from 2 weeks ago, the water temp stays where it needs to be.
Feature time gets here and with Jim's heat finish he lines up 18th, talk about looking over the feild. With the Green flying so is Jim making up several positions and making his way to 10th with about 4 laps to go and several cars tangle on the backstretch with Jim threading his way through. Unfortunatlly while under Yellow, Jim loses air in the left front tire. He gets in the pits for a tire change and see the whole P&W Race Team waiting with a tire. The P&W crew are really a neat bunch of people and represent almost half the field of our class. Anyway they get the tire changed in no time, Jim gets back out and gets relined up in 13th(?). The last few laps Jim gets back a couple of positions and finishes 11th but is very happy with the car and he has already made next weeks change in is head and feels this should be the one to go to to the front. So tune in next week, or better yet come on out to the Doc' friday, we'll have the Southern All Stars LM's there and it will be a show you don't want to miss, and me of course!
Have a Scooby Doo week!
August 12, 2005; Well here's another Friday night, Jim's worked on the suspension some more this week trying to get the car to handle better and he said it's looking good. Tonight is also the Southern All Star East race for the Late Models and the pits are packed. After unloading the car and doing the driver's meeting thing, getting the car warmed up and tires pressures set and the suiting up. Jim climbs in the ol' MaSCOM Racing 36 and goes out for some mud packing (mandatory). He gets about 3 circuits and the gas throttle stops responding. So a little help from the wrecker and back in the pits. A quick inspection under the hood shows the ball that connects the cable to the carb has broken. Know that peice should never...on 2nd thought it is on a race car, so never is not even a factor. Anyway Jim goes about a fixin' and a prayin' and feels it is adaquatly repaired and heads out for his heat but that's just not gonna happen, breaks again and IN THE PITS! Well now he starts hunting for a better repair and comes uo with a whole carburator from another competitor, Jason England. Well he swaps out the carbs only to find that the connector on the throttle cable is also messed up. A little thinkin', a little engineering, and a good ole plastic tie tie and we have throttle. Well feature time is upons us and Jim goes and lines up last (we started here last week so it can't get any worse). Green flag time and the throttle is a throttlin and the suspension changes are a workin' and Jim gets by a couple cars. Jim notices the motor is not pulling like it should but remembers the carb he put is bone stock but hey, we was running. Coming out of turn 4 around half way Jim pushes down on the gas pedal but rut row, nothing. So Jim points it into the infield for the night. Ya know sometimes them ole tie ties do work. Next week, see ya at the Doc' in the meantime have a Scooby Doo Week!
August 19: Friday again and to the Doc' we go. Jim has got the car ready, he's ready, I'm ready so let's Git-R-Done. After last weeks throttle deal, Jim has it repaired and even has a back up built. Went throught the rest of the car and made some very minor changes. So we take it out to mud pack so we can hot lap and check thing s out and Jim is HAPPY. For me though, I end up with a face full of mud!. Well heat time and Jim get to start 5th next to one of the track hot dogs, Jackie Holden, and when the green flag flies, Jackie dives to the inside and Jim falls in behind. By the 2nd lap Jim is running 3rd behind Jackie and Trey Williams and finishes there. Jim says the track is AWESOME and that in the feature it's gonna be RIGHT! Course what Jim didn't say was that it took 3 bottles of water to him down after the heat. 1 in him and 1 in rag around his neck and 1 poured over his wrists to cool him down. I mean I was even hot.
Feature time is soon upon us and Jim pulls the ole MaSCOM Racing, The Stamping Place and Scrapebook Station, Satterfield's Machine Shop, Pro-Blend Products, Safe-Quip Race Products, #36 (I's practicine for the winner's circle interview) into his 3rd row outside starting spot. The green flys and Jim settles into 5th, oops yellow's out, they did this 2 more times and 1 time Jim somehow got punted over the abck stretch bern but still keep his spot. When the green finially flew Jim settles into 5th (not bad) but gives that up on lap 2. He stays in 6th to about half way comin outa the 4th turn he gets a little wild, dosn't get in contact with anything but loses2 positions. Next lap around he gets booted off that backstretch bern again going around a car trying to get back a spot. He stays in the throttle and comes back on the track without losing a spot and again tries to get under the same car but the yellow comes out for another altercation on the track. Unfortunatlly about the same time the ole Water Temp gauge says 240deg, not good and Jim dosn't need to lose a motor so it's all over tonight. He does get gredited with 13th(did I tell you it was a Full Moon tonight?) out of 15 cars. So it'll be next week and we'll do it again. While I'm at it for next week there will be a Demolition Derby and a Chain Race next week. For those who are unfamilier with a Chain Race, it's when 2 cars are chained together, the front car has a power but no brakes, the 2nd car has no power but has brakes. Then they put a bunch of the "TEAMS" out there and race. All I can say is "Rut Row". So don't forget to be there, where? the Doc', Modoc that is and I'll see y ou there!
August 26, 2005: Jim's ready, the car is ready, I'm ready so let's go. Jim pulled an 8 and ends up on the outside poll for the 2nd heat and with some really tough racing going comes in a tight 4th. Starting 4th row outside in the feature with the track in real good condition again. At the green flag the race is on. The first 8 cars are really tightly bunched with Jim in 7th. With most of the cars running really close(the leader kinda left everyone). Jim trying to find a way around the 6th place car and tries several times to pass and just can't get the job done. After just 2 cautions and knowing he's got a car right behind with 1 lap to go, Jim goes in turn 3 a little hot, gets a little help from the car behind (just a tap) and comes in 8th. Well at least we're in the top ten and outside of a little cosmetic damage to the front Jim's happy.
Ok well tomorrow night we're gonig to I-20 for a Faster Pastor race and will have the I-20 Chaplin ,Tim Burelson driving. A bunch of non-racing Preachers in race cars with only 2 ever being in a race before, this should be better than a wash tub full of Scooby Snacks. Hope to see ya there. Also next weekend, Labor Day, will be a 2 day race at he the Doc'. Qualifying Friday with a PIg Picken and a Band. Feature races for extra money Saturday. Til the have a Scooby Doo Week!!!