Our First Podium

We got to the track early and shortly after setting up (unloading everything, raising our canopy and our American and checkered flags), at Tracy’s urging I set off in search of our magic part while she stayed to do the basic prep. I didn’t have to go far - Bob Strawser had one and was more than happy to loan it to us. With only a few minutes before practice was to start we jumped on the kart and working together from both sides were able to get the new gear on with some time to spare.

Practice was crowded and I was quickly at the tail of a group and while it was good to see that we were easily keeping up and to run in tight quarters with other karts, I was unable to see if the gear was giving us the revs we were hoping for. So with a couple laps (click here for a track map) to go in the session I dropped back to get a flying lap or two. The 14 tooth gear did the trick, we were pulling just about 6500 peak and there was a LOT more grunt out of the corners. I was seeing 400-500 more revs coming out of the corners.

After practice we found that the exhaust gasket was leaking and since these engines use tuned exhaust systems, pressure not going through the pipe was power lost. So in addition to the regular check list of maintenance items, we changed out the offending gasket.

Starting positions are assigned in a computer-generated random order and in the first race I started 3rd. I managed to run side by side with the 4th starter all the way to turn three where, being on the inside of the turn, he had an advantage. I was able to stay with him - right with him - for about 4 laps and had a run on him coming out of turn 9 onto the oval back-straight but he looked over his shoulder just as I made my move to the inside and he pushed me nearly into the grass. What a wildman. I caught back up with him by the last lap and looked like I might be able to get past him at the finish line. I made a run at him coming out of the last turn but couldn't do it, finishing with my front bumper about up to his rear wheels.

Conlin SpeedSports (center) gets into position for Race 2

In the second race, starting coincidentally from the same third position, I was chasing the same guy (#31 - didn't get his name) again and fell off the road on my own at the exit of 7, the first of the two big right-handers. In that corner you want to let the kart run as free as possible, to not turn more than absolutely necessary so as to not lose too much speed. I let it run a little too free and ran out of road. As soon as the outside rear wheel was off the road and on the dirt, it looped around. Dumb mistake, I finished a distant 5th.

During both these races we were starving the motor for fuel in the high-speed left-hand turns. Later in the race, it would get better and then go away. In the past we had learned that too little fuel will starve the engine in right hand turns when the remaining fuel sloshes away from the pick up. But we had plenty of fuel and this problem was happening in left turns. It presented us with a mystery.

I asked around a bit but nobody was too sure what was causing it until, on the advice of the kart club president Rich Burke, I talked to Mike Unger who suggested the tank was too full. That was it – the fuel would slosh to the right, seal off the fuel cap vent holes and consequently the atmospheric pressure that pushes the fuel through the delivery system. That accounted for why the problem alleviated itself late in the race when fuel consumption lowered the level. We started the feature with a little less fuel and had no problem.

For the last race, starting position is determined by the aggregate of the points earned in the earlier two races. I started 5th and was running 4th into turn 3 when my favorite wildman in #31 tried a banzai move to the inside of Unger - on the curb. After bouncing off Unger (who was able to keep going), he spun across the track. For just a second it looked like I would be able to just sneak by into a solid third place but he rolled backwards into me knocking me out into the grass. He was hit too by the guy in 5th place and we all ended up in the grass. But I was furthest out and last to get back on the pavement. I really wasn’t angry - that's racing - but was determined to catch back up to that knucklehead. I was able to pass the #9 for 4th and by driving like a wildman myself I was able to pull #31 in a lot - maybe gain 5 or 6 kart lengths on him each lap. And it really looked like I could be all over him by the last lap again but at about the half way point I got into turn 5 (the sharp left at the end of the back-straight) over my head, got over the curb and spun it around. So much for heroics.

A driver named Humphries in kart #8 won but Unger (#95) declined to go through tech so we moved up to third place. The procedure is to remove the engine from the kart and deliver it to the tech shed but for third place they just put an ohm meter on the coil and said "good job". With that, our first podium finish was official.

After tech, we put the thing back together and sent the girls out lapping. Dana continued to show promise. By the end of her second session she was lapping consistent 54s. Not bad for the second day on the track. She was trying hard as evidenced by spinning twice in those dreaded right-handers of hers.

Tracy went out for one session and got down to 56.00, 2+ seconds better than her previous best but on her last lap a junior driver banged wheels with her on the straight! From the pits it looked completely unnecessary since she knew he was there and held her line to the right edge of the track. She did receive an apology later.

Tracy (L) rounds turn 9 while Dana approaches the apex of Turn One