29 June - 300+ Learn About Karting
We spent the weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with our karts on display in the infield talking to racing fans that were surprise by all the advantages kart racing offers: the affordability, the age young racers can start (5yo), the sophistication of the karts themselves, the speeds they can hit and even that there is an active club near Columbus. The track was hosting a round of the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series and made special accommodations for Mid State Ohio Kart Club to promote our club and series.
We distributed over 300 karting brochures to people that expressed an interest and talked with about two-thirds of those. National Kart News supplied us with about 200 magazines 170 of which were gone by Sunday afternoon. Over the three day weekend we had close to 50 potential karters sign up to be on the MSOKC email list. Many thanks to Mike Boyd and Mike Unger for helping out.22 June - Sooo Close For Dana, Too Close For Tracy
At the risk of sounding grossly immodest, for the second event in a row we had the fastest kart and driver in the HPV Feature race. Coming from last (again), Dana passed everyone except the leader to finish second and was closing in on him when the checkered flag. All that was tempered though by knowing if it wasn't for a mechanical oversight, Dana would have won her first race.
Tracy found some new speed, recording her best-ever lap at Circleville Raceway Park. And she was lucky to finish the feature despite two pretty big crashes.
The day started uncertainly as Dana pulled off the track in the first practice complaining of a "wobble" in the corners. I checked all the wheels and sent her back out. In the second practice the wobble was still there but we couldn't locate it. On the grid for the third practice session we finally found the culprit - a bent sprocket hub. We abandoned practice to work on correcting it. Meanwhile, Tracy was reporting after her practice session that her engine was cutting out at turns 7 and 9. The decision was made to swap her engine with our spare which we believe to be just about as strong as our race motor (we learned we were wrong in that belief later).
It was pretty nuts around our pit for an hour or so but with a little help from Randy and Brad Carroll and DW Route we got both karts rolled up to the pre-grid just in time for the first HPV Heat. Dana had drawn the outside front row but even better, class points leader Ryan Johnson and the only other competitor we hadn't beaten so far this year was a no-show for the day. Things were looking up. The only cloud in our sunny optimism was Larry Childers, also in a Biesse Viper. Larry had raced with MSOKC several years ago but had take a couple years off. We'd just have to see if he still had it.
We never got the chance to. On the warm-up lap, our Viper coasted to a halt with its chain dragging. Apparently while thrashing on both karts, I had tightened the motor mounts on Tracy's kart but only snugged the ones on Dana's kart. I take these mechanical gaffs hard and this one espiecially hard because, as we would find out later, we could run faster than Larry and Dana would have had her first win. But it just goes to show that racing is a team sport.
Although Tracy managed to lead her first heat through Turn 2, we quickly realized that the spare motor was not up to the task. Two seconds off the other motor, she plummeted back through the field finishing somewhere around 8th.
Dana's second heat went better, as it usually does when the wheels stay connected to the motor. Starting 4th she had a good tussle with Don Wilbur one her way to finishing 2nd behind Larry. Two wins in a row - not a bad way to make your return to karting. After swapping motors again for Tracy, her second race went better too passing several other karts to finish sixth. Not that it was easy - she had particular trouble with a driver we've not run with before that apparently has watched a little too much NASCAR. Our kart had quite a few new black accents on it before Tracy was able to get by for good going into Five.
Because Dana did not even start the first heat, she received zero points and obviously came to the Feature race with a deficit in spite of the 2nd place finish in Heat Two. But once again Dana poured it on from last starting position and reeled each opponent in. Interestingly, whenever she got within striking distance, the guys fell off the road in front of her, denying her opportunities for daring and humiliating passes.
On the last lap she was still closing in on John Fox, no doubt wondering if he would oblige her by driving off the road too. He didn't and took his first win in HPV. It was a big day for the Fox family all around: John's son Ryan won his first race ever in Rookie Box. Nice job guys.
Tracy started her Feature from sixth position and ran well until she had to give room for Bo Strawser going into Turn Seven. Matt Rice saw this as an opportunity to slip by as well. Unfortunately, he was carrying a bit too much speed and ended up climbing over Tracy's rear tire, driving over our engine, side panel, front wheel and nose. It was a wild ride for Matt and a wild sight for Tracy, what with seeing his rear wheel pass eye-level about 12 inches from her helmet. But, it should be noted, all the safety equipment worked as designed to keep the other kart from getting to Tracy.
But, wait! There's more! Both drivers continued and after a few laps Tracy was catching Matt again. She got a run on him exiting Turn Seven but between Seven and Eight there is a slight kink that makes it almost impossible to get two karts through without unconditional cooperation. Matt and Tracy weren't cooperating and for the second time in one race, they managed to get together with Tracy pointing the wrong way before it was over. She continued on and finished the race in sixth passing Matt as he pulled off a few corners after the incident. Not only did Tracy finish the race but she managed to turn her best lap ever on the way to the checkered.
On the cool down lap Tracy was able to access all the damage to her kart and decided not to drive it back into the pits. To his credit, Matt walked over and apologized for the errors but there were no hard feelings on the track or off. None of it seemed intentional, just the stuff that happens when racing close.
Thanks to Jackie Shaffer and John Ristow, friends from Atonement Lutheran Church who came out to see what this crazy karting thing was all about. And Julie did a great job video taping which provided the images used here.
20 June - Karting Promo At Mid-OhioWith a little help from our friends, we'll be promoting the Mid State Ohio Kart Club and karting in general at the Mid-Ohio Road Racing Classic at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio June 27 - 29. This will be a huge opportunity to let Central Ohio racing fans know that there is a growing and fun karting club based in Columbus while they enjoy The Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series. The weekend will have nine different races with everything from Formula Cars to the Prototypes that run the 24 Hours of Daytona. Weekend passes run $25 so it's a great value and you can come by our booth a bit between races.
18 June - Prayers Needed For A Friend
Towards the end of the June 1st entry below we pay tribute to the funny commentary that friends Jason and Roman unknowingly did for our video of the races. They were just being themselves, goofing on each other and uninhibitedly cheering Dana on. The three met while working at Damon's Mill Run in Hilliard and they quickly became fast friends. Jason & Roman have come out to CRP with us several times to watch Dana race.
Earlier this week Roman was involved in a serious accident which dislocated two vertebrae in his neck. Emergency surgery was required to reduce the chance of paralysis and initially even death. The surgery was effective but Roman is looking at a long hospital stay and even longer recovery to full use of his legs. We at Conlin SpeedSports ask that you remember our friend Roman in your prayers.
1 June - Dana Shines, Tracy Struggles
In front of the annual INFONETICS Day At The Races crowd Dana made use of all the help she's been receiving from friends/coaches Brian O'Hara and Mike Unger to rack up three 2nd place finishes including a spectacular drive from last place to 2nd in the second heat and challenged for the lead in the feature. Tracy, on the other hand, suffered through a number of mechanical and on-track problems to make for a long and troubled day.
Tracy's troubles started early, with the first practice session where we discovered a crack in the fuel tank was causing the fuel delivery problem that cropped up at the last race. We had a replacement installed just in time for the second practice session but that one ripped itself from the carb under corning forces after about 3 laps. Two sessions, two tanks.
Fortunately for us, Guy Phillips had one that he was willing to give us. It was in good shape other than a broken brace. But with Steve Tatman's offer of his mig welder, we were able to get the two pieces fused back together. (I hadn't welded for about 12 years and between you and I, I wasn't sure how spiffy a bead I'd be able to lay down but it was like riding a bicycle.) In the midst of all this, Roberto Zayas jumped in and fabricated a replacement bodywork brace for the one that broke in practice. Didn't have to ask him, he saw it was broken and that Tracy and I were busy with the tank business and he broke out his tools and jumped in.
The third tank change (including my spiffy welding) caused us to miss the third practice session but at least we had a tank that held fuel and didn't suck air for the races. And it was important that the kart be running as well as it could since the production crew taping for MTV would be covering her race.
You see, MTV will be launching a new reality series called Intense Rivalries in the fall and sent a video crew out to cover the intense rivalry that has brewed between two MSOKC regulars, Joe Fagan and Bo Strawser for years. Cameras were all over the place Sunday as every move Joe and Bo made was chronicled. On the track Tracy was in the thick of it and could be in a few of the action shots when the episode airs in September as planned. We'll have to see.
Tracy was attacking the corners better but wasn't reflected in her times like we expected. We have to do some one-on-one chassis setup work and as well as some coaching with Tracy here soon - her effort has been neglected for too long already. It didn't help that she was getting a little roughed up out there either, culminating with a spin after coming together with Debbie Picklesimer on the last lap of the feature. Matt Rice was having motor problems and was limping around to the checkered flag. When Tracy slowed a bit to avoid running though five with Matt, Debbie saw a chance to pull off the pass. Following Matt, Tracy turned in at her regular point only to discover Debbie coming up the inside. The contact resulted in both girls spinning but continuing. That was a tough finish to a tough day for Tracy with results of 8th, 7th and 7th out of ten karts.
Dana, in contrast, had a dazzling day. She is getting pretty good at feeling the kart out and after the first practice session asked for the kart to turn in quicker going into the corners. I'm getting better at tuning the Biesse and knew what to do. She liked it better in the second practice session.
Having drawn the outside front row starting position for the first heat, she fell to third at the start behind John Fox. Dana trailed John for five and a half laps until she carried more speed out of Eight and shot down the inside of John going into Nine. John looked to the inside going into Ten but couldn't pull it off so Dana took her first second place in HPV behind Ryan Johnson.
Since the drawn starting positions for Heat One are inverted for the second heat, Dana was gridded in fifth position, inside the last row. Coming up to the green flag, Don Wilbur and Mark Reifeis got together scattering the field behind them. Johnson and Fox immediately waved their arms voting to go around one more time and form up properly. In the chaos of karts changing directions and parts tumbling across the track and two drivers waving their arms, Dana backed way out thinking the start would be waved off.
But as you might guess, it wasn't. The green flag fell and Dana was far adrift in last place. It looked like we had just lost any chance of a good finish in the race, but Dana had other ideas. Halfway though the first lap she got past Fox. A couple laps later she passed Roberto Zayas for fourth, then Wilbur for third and finally Reifeis for second. It was a heck of a run, the result of a good set up and Dana putting to use some recent coaching from Brian O'Hara.
On the heals of that spectacular drive through the field, I offered Dana a little more incentive while waiting for the feature grid to form up: If she somehow managed to win the feature in front of the INFONETICS crowd, I'd buy her that new suit she'd been longing for.
Dana was on the outside of row one again for the feature, this time outside Ryan Johnson. She won the race to Turn One (those practice starts paid off) but had to give Ryan racing room and he was ahead again going into Turn Two. Johnson stretched out a lead in the first two laps but as is Dana's tendency, she settled into a groove and began reeling him in (no doubt visions of new racing suits dancing in her head). They were closely matched through the turns but we seemed to make up tons of time at the end of the straights.
With two laps to go Dana took a look to the inside at Turn Three but caught the curb and had to run wide. That was all it took to lose touch with Ryan and she had to settle for second. And no new suit. But so impressive was the performance that Mike Yoerger suggested I should at least buy Dana the pants.
In that feature we definitely had the fastest kart and driver on the track. We need to thank Mike Unger who stopped by throughout the day to offer advice, mainly about how the track was changing. The obvious question on everyone's mind is whether we can repeat it. We'll see June 22nd.
At the end of the day we had several guest drivers take the wheel of Tracy's kart to see what it is like out there. Jason and Roman, both friends and coworkers of Dana's had a go. Of the two Jason was definitely faster but he also had a few lurid slides here and there. Daniel Betz, from the INFONETICS party also suited up and turned a few laps after which he said he was hooked and a racing kart would be in his future. It would be great to have Daniel racing with us, I hope it works out.
Jason and Roman are a couple of characters and not realizing how close they were to the video camera, they provided a hilarious unwitting, completely biased color commentary on our tapes of the races. We're currently in negotiations for them to do the Conlin SpeedSports announcing at future races.
Special thanks go to team videographer, Lynn, for getting every exciting moment on tape - not sky like someone suggested - as well as taking care of the catering chores. And to all the INFONETICS folks that did such a great job of cheering our drivers on: Dave, Mary, Brian & Dustin Frea, Jay Tipton and his lovely family, Jason Fairchild & Kathleen, Fred(!) Scheltz, Jim Frea and Daniel, Karon & Trey Betz.
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