Dirt racing newbie

[Iowa crawler]

We are racing!!!
The weather has been touch and go and the rain was pretty heavy the last couple of days. But yesterday was hot and dry so they rolled the track this morning and it looks good.

Temps in the 80s 2WD buggy, 4WD buggy and Modified 4wD short corse truck.

 

[cbaker65]

This reminds me of that movie field of dreams!..

 

[Iowa crawler]

It definitely has that old school dirt track feel.
I’m having a fantastic day. Finishing in fourth and fifth place but I’m hanging with the top guys. Not passing them but only finishing a couple seconds down. In reality is a big couple seconds. But it is not two laps and a couple seconds. One guy said he could catch me but could not pass.

 

[Iowa crawler]

I am picking up a tiny little bits of speed with each heat. Still like last place but I feel very comfortable and able to hang with the crowd. You know it was a fast heat when you can’t blink you eyes and everyone is shaking hands after the race.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Best race ever. The BMain I started third spot and quickly moved to second. Eight minutes of tight racing and I held 2nd place. I did not make the A main but I’m thrilled with that performance. Buggy A mains next.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Well I made the a A main in 2wD and 4WD buggy. The cars are set up really well. I don’t have much to do before the next race except practice and play with tires.
In the 2WD class I really struggle. The competition is out of my league. But I am hanging with them a bit and did not finish last and was “only” a couple laps down.

In the 4WD class I’m really feeling good. The EB410.2 is just solid and the new tires are great .

After the last heat I hooked up the battery to the charger. But my big 12 volt booster pack voltage went low. When I heard the beeping I assumed it was fully charged. In fact it was the low voltage warning. So six laps in I drove straight off the track and had no battery left. Lesson learned. Use AC voltage and a big extension cord.

Totally sucks because I was holding on to last place but I was on the same lap as the leaders. And feeling really confident. I probably would have finished last anyhow. But it sucked to go out with a dead battery.

Next race is in two weeks.

 

[Iowa crawler]

This is the half way point in the season. And I’m developing my pit a lot since the start. I got a sun shade hooked up. A/C battery charger. Nice cooler with food water and ice.

The rigs are all ready to run. I’m in fourth place in the points scratching at the podium in both buggy classes and struggling to hold top ten in modified 4WD short corse trucks.

The day is perfect. 86 deg with pertly cloudy conditions and light to moderate wind. The track is damp from over night drizzle. Yesterday at practice it was a dust bowl. So the water helped a lot.

 

[Doom!]

I use an EZ-up at the back of my van when we fly. Shade is essential when flying foamies. Nice set up.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Thanks
Track has more traction than everyone is used to. I finished 4 th place in all my classes n the first round of qualifiers.

 

[ahr43]

Pit setup looking good. A lot like what I ended up with when I was RC drag racing. Brings back fond memories. You running a 'hot pit'? By that I mean a 115vac power drop. I see a drop cord snaking through the e-z up. Except for the world finals (four-day event) I ran a 'cold pit' and relied on the 12vdc battery in my truck for power. That gave me flexibility in choosing a pit site for best view of the track and watching how other guys set-ups worked for them. I usually set up across from the speed trap - furthest away from the site's power tap.

Track's looking good. Good to see grass popping up here and there. Shows me it's not a manicured track-which to my mind makes for the best off road racing. Congrats on where you're sitting in points. They're tough to come by in the competitive racing scene. Podiums will take care of themselves.

Corn is looking good too. Making me homesick, you are. Cheers. 'AC'

 

[Iowa crawler]

I have A/C and D\C and can charge three batteries at once.
The track is awesome. I feel so fortunate to be cutting my teeth on an old school dirt track. They work on it all the time. But without rollers and shovels and water it gets pretty loose.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Another fantastic day at the track. I finished in second place in the B main so I did not advance to the A main in modified 4WD short corse truck. To me this is a good day.
The buggy race was tough the track was super fast and the dust went away. Suddenly I had to much traction and never experienced that before. I was flying but managed to flip off the track at two places I usually slide. Still managed a fifth place finish but I really fell like I am flying with the 4WD buggy.

The 2WD buggy I am clean but not fast. And I’m outclassed by the fast guys. So I can’t keep up with the then and try to get out of there way. And I need to stay clear of the other guys. We always seem to tangle. But I still managed fifth place finish in the 17.5 2WD buggy A main.

I’m going to try to get some practice this week. I need to concentrate on clearing the triple every time. It’s worth half a second per lap.

 

[Doom!]

Sounds like your still really enjoying it.

 

[Iowa crawler]

It’s loads of fun. Good exercise and very challenging. It is a long day. Starts at 7:30 am and runs straight through to 6:00. Sun, dust, wind all ar a factor. So for twenty buck I get my moneys worth.

 

[Iowa crawler]

There were enough people with nitro buggies to make a class. They are fun to watch. I have never actually seen them race in person.

This is why I love to marshal the races. It’s a front row seat to the action.

 

[ahr43]

I like there are bleachers for family and friends. So few tracks have those.

Good having that box car there too. Must be great fun banking off that on the sweeper?

What a great track. Fortunate you are indeed. Cheers. 'AC'

 

[Iowa crawler]

The bleachers are great l, the current track configuration allows you to blast the crowd with dirt going through turn one. Kids love it, mom not so much.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Half way through the season and I am 8 points from the podium in the buggy classes and probably going to hold on to a top ten finish in short corse at this rate. I’m not sure how it all works but I think you can toss out you lowest two races and that way you can afford to miss a race. It’s still early and anybody’s race.

 

[ahr43]

Yeah, hang in there. Settling into the season second half is a grind.

Love your avatar. Think it's your SCT. But from that angle and the color it puts me in mind of the Grandsport Corvettes running Nassau, Bahamas in the '60s. Even carrying the nose high attitude of the GS Vettes. Too cool. 'AC'

 

[Iowa crawler]

Yeah, hang in there. Settling into the season second half is a grind.

Love your avatar. Think it's your SCT. But from that angle and the color it puts me in mind of the Grandsport Corvettes running Nassau, Bahamas in the '60s. Even carrying the nose high attitude of the GS Vettes. Too cool. 'AC'

I had a 1966 Hot Rod magazine in my collection. In the back was an add for a GS corvette for like five thousand dollars without the motor. And they had the original motor if you wanted it. I wish I still had it.