Tracy		Dana

13 - 15 October - RoboPong.com 200 Race Report

For Conlin SpeedSports preparation for the 2006 TaG 200 at New Castle Motorsports Park began on the drive home from the 2005 TaG 200 at New Castle Motorsports Park. There was a lot we could improve on: race day time management, the brakes, clutch, exhaust and engine reliability, mainly. And we then approached the entire 2006 season of racing as a test session for the 200. Racing with Great Lakes SuperKarts! USA Klein Tools Pro Tour with its long races and ample track time, we focused on finding components the would solve our long distance race problem.

FIXING OUR STUFF

The cylinder head fracture that ultimately ended our run in 2005 was a fluky thing and, in fact, was replaced by PRD/Grand Products so that wasn't a real issue. Early in the season we found a way to make the exhaust springs last - went through about a dozen of them in 175 miles. Late in the season Marc Miller at Bad Goat Racing turned us onto a new brake master cylinder that offered hope for the brake fade we fought in the '05 200. But experimentation with the stock PRD clutch and then the Horstman replacement clutch proved expensive and frustrating both in time and budget. As the race neared we had no more confidence in the clutch than we did at the beginning of the year. We figured we'd just have to accommodate a locked-up clutch from the first pit-stop on.

So with a little more than a month to go we felt like we were better prepared than the year before but there were still question marks - although we were pleased with the performance of the new brake system over several race weekends, we never had a chance to test it over a truly long distance run. And the clutch would have to be finessed and managed by the crew and the drivers. But the engine itself was ready, Bill Willis of PowerSports had been working with us on that.

BILAND ENTERS THE PICTURE

Then, at the GLSKUSA event four weeks before the 200 we were introduced to Jack Hooker a Biland Kart Power importer located in Michigan. Partly because he like the way we presented ourselves and partly because he has a soft spot for young ladies taking on steep challenges he generously offered us the use of a Biland SA250 engine for the endurance race. We were familiar with the Biland as Lyn Smith and Bill Wolters had loaned us one (one of Jack's as a matter of fact) when the main bearing failed on Dana's PRD at Michiana Raceway Park back in August. We were also familiar with how well Bill and Dale Bales were running in the GLSKUSA championship with the Biland.

What we weren't familiar with was the care and feeding of the Biland which, as a 2 cylinder, 4-stroke engine with dual carburetors and in-board power take-off (the side the clutch attaches on), was completely new to our team. So when Jack offered, I was very flattered for the offer but I didn't leap at the chance to take it. In fact, with a little over two weeks to go I said to Todd something along the lines of "we'll just run our motors - they may be junk but at least they're our junk." In other words, better the devil you know than the devil you don't.

But with a little less that two weeks to go, I had a change of heart. Just a feeling that all things considered we might as well take the chance. We arranged for Jack to bring an extra engine to the TAGUSA World Finals at New Castle Motorsports Park and Eric and I took the #99 kart there to install the motor right there in the Biland compound, with access to all their parts stores and Lyn's expertise to set it up right. All the major engineering challenges (mounting the radiator, oil tank, seat struts to clear the exhaust, etc.) were accomplished there and as evening encroached on us we had only the details to complete like instrumentation, linkages, wiring and so on. We could finish that part of the installation at our shop and with that we loaded up and headed back to Ohio.

TESTING THE BILAND AT CRP

On the drive home Eric and I decided it seemed like a good idea to get it all buttoned up and out for a few shake-down laps before going into a pressure cooker weekend like the 200. So on Sunday we hauled out to the MSOKC race to finish the installation and get out for a few laps after racing was completed. When working with the devil you don't know the devil is also in the details and it turned out to be full day of details left. But it was time well spent because as we worked around the new configuration we were able to identify several areas that, for an endurance race, could use some insurance - not concerning the Biland itself, it was a very solid, very impressive package - but rather having to do with the surrounding components that could be rerouted, insulated, sured up and have back up systems.

The one thing that working for various sports car endurance teams taught me over the years is that you can not over prepare for long distance race. You have to know your equipment and know what its weak components are - the 219 chain, for example. Then you have to have a very good imagination to think of all the other components that might fail under the stress of unrelenting strain, Items that may not wear in a season of sprint racing can fail totally in 200 miles all at once. Then, once you have the kart bulletproofed, you have to recall every karting accident you've ever had or seen and prepare for the repairs it would require, have the replacement parts on hand and the tools to removed the mangled stuff and install the new ones. Between Todd, Eric & I we came up with some very novel ways to insure our kart failing to finish due to a common failure.

At the end of the raceday, with a sprocket borrowed from Chris Tatman, we put our now Biland powered Biesse out on the track and had Dana, Tracy, Eric and Todd rip off some laps. Not only were they impressed, but everyone who had lingered after the races were too. Everyone agreed that it looked fast, it was soooo smooth and it sounded great. Our drivers agreed but it was the fast part they were most excited about. A problem with the MyCron kept us from recording lap times but each driver felt like they were lapping faster than they ever had before.

SCRAMBLING TO SOLVE ONE LAST WEAK LINK

The one thing the Biland guys were warning us of was reduced sprocket life. To the point where there was some real doubt that a standard aluminum sprocket would lasts 200+ miles. The recommendation was to use a steel sprocket which are fairly hard to find. The one major manufacturer was Horstman but according to their web site the range of sizes the made stopped just short of where we wanted to be. Having not found a source for steel sprockets by Tuesday we began to look for alternatives.

One thought was to have conventional aluminum sprockets cryogenically treated - that is, have them dipped in liquid nitrogen for a period of time a process which rearranges and aligns the material on the molecular level resulting in better strength and durability. I knew Tim Bussen was a devout cryo-phile and gave him a call. He confirmed that we were on the right track but he didn't know of any companies providing that service in the Columbus area. CJ Creations, who has a great rep with Ohio racers was a three hours drive away and couldn't afford the windshield time.

Tim also suggested talking with Randy Kilbarger, an 80cc shifter driver, who also happens to own a metal working company in Lancaster. Randy didn't know of any cryo services in central Ohio but he was eager to help us solve this potential problem. He said if he had more time said he would have made the sprockets we needed but he couldn't be sure he could get the computers programed and get the project slotted in among the stuff he does that really pays the bills. We simply didn't leave him enough time. But he suggested a process we had never heard of before, anodize hardening, a anodizing process which penetrates the metal by .001" as well as coats it by another .001 with hardening material. He said Burton Metal Finishing on the east side could probably do it overnight, especially if we dropped his name. That afternoon, after a few disparaging jabs towards Randy by the folks at Burton, our sprockets were set to be beefed up for 200 miles.

A NEW LOOK

With only days to go and everything slowly coming together and I was glad tohave Todd's and Eric's help to get it all done. There was one more major change for our 200 mile entry and it was going to be the most noticeable one we'd do. On Wednesday we received the spectacular custom graphics kits from Bad Goat Racing's sister company, BGR Graphics. Bad Goat Racing had been on our karts all year long and we were happy to do what promotion we could for them. Rachel graciously offered to do a set of custom graphics based on the Bad Goat designs but in our team colors, we were thrilled. Once on the karts Thursday we were way beyond thrilled. Kits

We made no secret that the RoboPong.com 200 was going to be the centerpiece of our season. I for one - and, yes, I'll say it right now for everyone - am obsessed with this race. Following our retirement last year with 25 laps to go, I was determined to finish this year's race. That was the goal - just getting the checkered flag in the 200 - all year as far as I was concerned. And, consequently, our entire year was testing for the 200.

As early as the OVKA swap meet and KMI Kart Expo in February I was researching braking systems that would permit us to avoid the brake problems that ruined our race in '05 (the crack in the cylinder head didn't do use much good either). The stock Biesse braking system had plenty of brake pad material but the reservoir did not hold enough fluid to keep pushing the pads as they wore past 1/3. We had a couple good ideas of how to fix and would test them through the season.

LOGISTICS HELP FROM CREECH RACING

Final touches and running around was done on Thursday with everything being loaded up in the evening. For this particular expedition we borrowed the Creech kart trailer because it was a bit bigger than ours. Why would we need more room for a weekend with one long race than we would for a typical SKUSA weekend with two full days of multiple races? Because of the extra equipment that an endurance race in October requires (at least the way we do it).

First, October in central Indiana means you could be racing in 70 degree sunshine or in snow - even in the same weekend. So the high volume kerosene heater was in order. Of course it is useless without kerosene so there was the fuel supply for that. To keep that heat around us we brought the side to the 20'x10' canopy. The sides shut out the light so we had to bring lighting with us to illuminate our temporary garage. Not knowing what electrical service we would have Eric donated the Creech generator for the weekend. And then there was the spare one-of-everything and the specialized pit equipment this race required: fast refueling jug, jack, pit board, radios and so on. So we were lucky to have Dave and Eric allow us the use of their trailer. Thanks guys.

CLAIMING A PIECE OF NCMP FOR CSS

We rolled up to the New Castle Motorsports Park gates Friday almost exactly at 10am and were about 7th in line waiting for them to open. Notably head of us was the Bridgestone Tire semi-trailer truck and the big National Kart News trailer with Curt Paluzzi at the wheel of his Excursion. Once in, Todd ascertained the spot that had been assigned for the Mees motorcoach and we began to set up camp. Even though the skies were clear and the sun was bright, a terrifying gale was scouring the NCMP grounds with frigid air. This was especially true in the open, unprotected area we were assigned,

Bundled up, fighting to stand up against the gusts, trying to work we looked like one of those arctic expeditions you see in the documentaries on the Discovery Channel. We were lucky to get the canopy frame and roof on, never mind the sides. By one o'clock we had out pit area set up and were running out of excuses to get the kart fired up and out to the pit lane.

FRIDAY PRACTICE

In 2005 we were one of only three teams that practiced on Friday. This year there were about 30 teams that were testing for the 200. Of our drivers Lynsey hadn't driven the Biland yet and she was eager to get out there with it so she was first out. After a few shake down laps to shake loose anything we didn't tighten enough we did a quick look-over we set her out to see what she could do.

The combination of Lynsey and the 4-cycle power was apparent immediately, passing other karts right and left. She even gave Katherine Legge a bit of a shove on the back straight just to let her know she wasn't the fast lady out there (even though the graphics were brand-new-fresh, I didn't mind the contact - hoped even that it was blemished - because how often can you point to a scrape on the bodywork and associate it with a famous pro driver?). Dana was next out and got into her rhythm quickly and also had a good run. Tracy took her turn and got up to speed quickly. We had made a few chassis changes but with the track sure to change so much before Sunday we were looking only for a baseline and our focus was more on the engine and getting the drivers in the groove. After Dana and Lynsey had gone out again we called it a day.

The Biland was absolutely problem free. Power, clutch, exhaust, everything stayed together (like all TaG engines should but don't). However, late in the sessions Dana and Lynsey both said they felt the slightest vibration from the engine but couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from nor say that it was having any affect on performance. We dismissed it as an idiosyncrasy of this new style motor and didn't think much about it. A hot dinner and a warm hotel room would make everything fine.

(More photos from Friday are available here.)

SATURDAY TESTING

We felt like a Big Time racing team Saturday morning when our team split up to complete two different projects.

By 8am Todd, Dana, Tracy, Lynsey and Julie were off to the now annual Red Dog Racers Charity Auction benefiting SICSA in Beavercreek. This was the third year that Dana and Tracy was on hand to sign autographs and generally add color to the fund raiser at the Quaker Steak & Lube. Each year the event gets larger and draws bigger names. This year American LeMans driver Brian Sellers was the biggest name in attendance. While the ladies were inside chatting with fans, other racers and the local radio morning team Todd set up our "show kart" (the #13 kart with the PRD mounted) in the parking lot mixed in with midgets, sprint cars, drag cars and vintage racers. I have always attended this event but this year Julie was our PR director and the report was that everything went smoothly.

Adding to that Big Time racing feel was that addition of the Mees Motorcoach which had arrived late Friday night and plugged in next to our compound. The wind had mercifully died down and Eric, Mike Mees and I finished the construction of our temporary garage. The wind was gone but it was still plenty cold and we used the shelter to get some heat into the engine before starting it up. We had absolutely no clue as to the number of laps we could do on a tank of fuel with the Biland so the mission of the day was to get a good, solid fuel mileage reading.

Before the official practice was to begin though, Mark Dismore called a driver/crew meeting in the Racer's Grill. Over coffee and delicious breakfast sandwiches we had Mark lay down the format, rules and cautionary tales. After the meeting I approached him with one of my remaining concerns: They still had the weights for the Biland set at the early season TAGUSA weights and not the weights that TAGUSA adjusted the Bilands to in August. There were only a couple Bilands entered as far as I could tell, it wasn't too late to adjust the Bilands to where they are supposed to be I suggested.

"We're not lowering the Biland weights, a Biland was fastest in the sessions we timed yesterday afternoon," Mark replied.

I wondered for a moment what other Biland could have been out there that was faster than us. "Was it a 1:08.4?"

"Yeah, that was it. Fastest time we had."

"Huh, cool, that was ours," I said a little embarrassed to be asking for less weight.

"Then you're not getting another 15 pounds," Mark replied a little incredulously.

I walked away surprised and elated. I'd never been the owner of the fastest kart before. We'd have to make do with the extra 15 pounds.

DISASTER

Back to the task at hand, Eric was our test driver for the mileage run. He would go out on a warm engine with a full tank of fuel and run it until it ran dry, Simple as that. Another advantage of the 4-cycle engine not having to worry it might seize as it leaned out, it would just stop. But we were warned that sucking all of the fuel out of the bowls would drop the floats and that they were prone to stick there making restarting a bit of a challenge. But we'd have all afternoon to unstick the floats if need be and we didn't intend to run the engine out of fuel during the race, that was the whole reason for the exercise.

Eric was suited up and eager to not only drive a long run on NCMP but also get some time on the Biland. His focus would be on consistency, staying on the road and not getting too close to any one else. We were within 24 hours of the start of the race and it was not time to have any major repair work. Except for one minor off, that's pretty much how it went. Right up until lap 19.

On lap 19 Eric slowed then pulled off on the first of the two long straights. There should have been no reason for him to stop there short of a severe engine problem. The wait for the retrieval"Gator" was agonizing and as our driver and kart bounced across the landscape towards the pits, I ran all the recovery scenarios through my head while still hoping for something simple.

Eric reported that it lost power and started knocking. Not a good report. It fired up but it was obvious that it was a very sick puppy, knocking to beat the band - literally and figuratively. While Roger Tilton, Mike and Eric began investigating the source of the problem I was on the phone with Lyn Smith of Stoney Creek Motorsports in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I thought if Lyn could get a motor together for us I, or someone else on the crew could jump in a car and driver up there, pick up the motor and get back with it in time to have it installed by midnight. No sooner had I described what had happened did Lyn say he'd throw another engine in his truck and be at NCMP in 3 hour's time. That was going way beyond the call of duty but it would be a tremendous help because we still had a lot of last minute prep to do.

One of the must-do's was to get to the scales for official weigh in. I gave the guys the good news about a fresh Biland on its way but rather than having them begin pulling the rest of it apart I directed them to put everything back in place. We'd do the official weigh-in with the broken motor and then make the change. The problem was we couldn't do the official weigh-in until our drivers got back from Dayton. I called our PR director (Julie) and gave her the news and requested she shepherd that part of the crew back to Newcastle ASAP. The crew then went about the final final prep: new brake pads, balancing the tires, new lock nuts on almost everything, new safety wire on nearly everything, inspection, inspection, inspection.

With the engine catastrophe under control and the final final prep underway, the subject of fuel mileage still needed to be resolved. But while the test was incomplete, we weren't without some data to work with. We knew exactly how many laps we had completed and we had what was left of the full tank of fuel. Borrowing a measuring cup from fellow MSOKCer Kevin Brown, we carefully measured what was left in the tank, subtracted that from the tank's capacity to get the precise amount consumed, divided the consumed amount by the laps completed, multiplied that by 9 liters and, voila, had a pretty reliable reading on the fuel range we could expect, which was about 52 laps - enough to do the race in 3 pit stops. (We had been a little concerned that the 250cc Biland may have been a good bit thirstier than the 125cc 2-cycle motors forcing us to do an extra stop.)

DISASTER AVERTED

Once the ladies were back, suited up and through the scale house, Roger, Eric and Mike began pulling the motor off the chassis. In an instance of almost perfect timing, they were just about done when Lyn arrived on the scene. Along with the fresh motor, Lyn arrived with an explanation: The prior weekend they had mistakenly given us the wrong motor. Glancing over the notes on the motor they gave us, Lyn realized we had the one that had suffered an oil starvation problem and we should have never had that motor. That made us all feel much better knowing it was not something we had done.

Within an hour of Lyn's arrival, the new Biland was revving large in our tent and sounded better that the one we had. By this time darkness had settled over Central Indiana and it was time for our team meeting and pit stop rehearsal. The non-mechanics were summoned out of the Mees Motorcoach (where, gratefully and to my great relief, our crew could go to get warm, get something to eat & drink and generally take a break from the grind) and our drivers were directed to suit-up - it would be a dress rehearsal.

Because of the limited space in our mobile garage it was more a choreography walk-through than a full-blow rehearsal. Mostly done in deliberate slow-motion to find footing and conflicts of movement, we determined the best egress and ingress for all members and other valuable, time-saving movements. Only a small amount of the total time on the pit stop practice was done at something approaching full speed.

Once we were convinced everyone knew the steps to our Hot Pits Tango, we moved on to strategy and race planning. The expected course of the race was outlined, assignments were divvied up, safety was preached at length and then the what-if scenarios. As a team with over 250 commutative years of racing experience under one tarpaulin roof (well, think about it: Mike & Barbie Mees, Lyn, Roger & Lynsey, Me, Eric, Todd, Dana, Tracy and Julie) there were a lot of good ideas and cautionary tales put forth. We were prepared as we were going to be by the time we shut down the heater and turned out the lights.

More Saturday photos are available here.

PRE-DAWN SUNDAY

For his trouble and heroics I gave my hotel room to Lyn and bunked in with Mike Unger who had taken over our spare room at the New Castle Holiday Inn Express (featuring an indoor pool, free wireless Internet, free breakfast with hot cinnamon rolls, just minutes from the track!). I don't know why Mike was getting to the track so early but I couldn't get there early enough. At 6:45 it is still pitch dark in the Indiana countryside and as I began setting up our pit stall with a flashlight, it struck me just how bizarre this whole endeavor was: Months in planning, it still required pre-dawn maneuvers to be completely ready. And for what? a 4 hour go-kart race. But at the same time I was absolutely convinced I would rather be nowhere else on earth at that moment.

Former Formula One driver and TV racing commentator Derek Daly was getting an early start too. As crew chief for his son Conor and Timmy Megenbier, he too was setting up his pit stall in the small hours, immediately next to ours. Small talk led to a gentleman's agreement to communicate and coordinate our pit stop strategies to avoid getting in each other's way during the fast, furious but cramped pit stops. No one is still reading this report by this time (email me if you are) and certainly Mr. Daly wouldn't be (email me Derek if you are) so I don't mind admitting that I thought this was pretty damn cool that a driver that I had watched on TV race on the world's finest racing circuits in the world's greatest cars was looking to team up for a good result for our respective teams.

QUALIFYING

The engine failure dealt one unrecoverable blow: Because we were waiting on the replacement motor all afternoon we were not able to go out for official Saturday afternoon practice. This official practice was timed and these times were used to group karts of relative speed together for qualifying. Our missing time relegated us to the third of 15 groups meaning our qualifying effort would be done early, without the benefit a warm, rubbered-in track. As such, we went from being fastest on Friday afternoon to qualifying 38th largely due to Lynsey's talents for driving in less than perfect conditions. Had we been able to run Saturday afternoon and qualify late Sunday morning instead of early she would have been in the top 15 at least. But then again, if that engine hadn't blown Saturday it would have done so sometime on Sunday and our whole effort would have been over, not finishing and maybe not even starting the race. All things considered, we were happy for 38th.

At least we qualified. 25 teams couldn't even say that. Of all the teams that didn't, friend and fellow Circleville competitor Chris Tatman had the harshest experience. After fighting all sorts of problems on Saturday and overcoming each one of them he managed to wind up 50th, the last starting position for the RoboPong.com 200, after all 12 groups qualified. But barely did he have time to breathe a sigh of relief that a couple karts showed up on the grid revving their engines to go out. One of them was Champ Car driver Katherine Legge. An announcement was made that a final, emergency qualifying group was going out and the field would be set afterwards.

Our pit was at pit-out making me one of the closest people to Race Director Terry Riggins. I immediately approached him and pointed out that the rules stated that if you were unable to present yourself when your qualifying group was called you went to the consolation race. Terry said that there were extenuating circumstances and that these teams had encountered problems that kept them from qualifying earlier. I pointed out that we had blown an engine and managed to present ourselves as scheduled and perhaps we could have asked for the same extension so that we could have qualified in the better conditions too. This was clearly a case where they were afraid a star driver was going to not make the show and so the rules that were written for the average Joe were bent for the above average Josephine. My parting comment to Terry was that is just wasn't right. Not only were they bending the rules, the were giving the Katherine Legge/Sarah Fisher team a distinct advantage by qualifying last on a warm track with plenty of rubber. Anyone who was docked a position (including us) should have been angry (we were).

So Chris started on the pole for the 20 lap consolation race but with only 6 of the 31 karts in that race making it to the main event it was going to be cutthroat. Chris with his Biland held onto the lead for several laps before several desperadoes came charging up through the field having gotten the set up right or the testosterone levels up. Chris ran for a while in 4th place before he got bumped nearly off the track from behind and lost two positions. In the closing laps one more kart got by demoting Chris to seventh and out of an advancing position. The whole episode, the way it went down, was really uncharacteristically bad for both Mark Dismore and Terry Riggins who later argued between themselves who was responsible. Yes, the entries and interest had exploded in the weeks leading up to the event and the NCMP staff and officials did a great job but this was a blemish on the event. Rules is rules, as they say. Had the rules not been broken Chris Tatman would have started 50th in the main event instead of packing up.

PRE-RACE

With 56 karts starting it had the potential to get really wild on the first lap and Lynsey's plan was to take it easy for a lap or two and then start moving up to where we should have qualified. Our pits were set up, the team was ready. Mike and Barbie would be our pit board operators between turns 3 & 4 with a radio. Julie and Lynn were in the restaurant positioned in one of the big windows overlooking the track with a radio and a wireless Internet connection. The INFONETICS InfoPad mobile Tablet PC was zip tied to the fence in our pits with a broadband wireless connection to the Internet. The InfoPad, a new product from INFONETICS for mobile computing for delivery and sales people, would allow us to have live weather radar in the pits and communicate with Julie via Instant Messenger about scoring and laps counts. The Biland was warmed up on the stand, the tank was filled to the cap and we rolled out to the grid for pageantry and ceremony.

Estimates of 1500 spectators we made, certainly the largest crowd we've ever performed in front of. In addition to the throngs, the event was being covered live by RaceFanRadio.com Internet radio and being recorded by Speed TV for broadcast in the winter months. All this made it feel very Big Time. For me this was as good as it gets. Out on the grid Terry Riggins gathered the drivers and talked them down a bit, reminded them of the race length and the need for a sensible start. The National Anthem was played. The command to start engines was given. 56 karts moved off the grid behind the Dreyer & Reinbold Mini Cooper pace car (pace car - another first for us).

More pre-race and post-race photos are available here.

LYNSEY'S CHARGE

That first lap was something to see and cool heads prevailed at the drop of the flag except for a few karts off the track at turn 5. Right from the start it was obvious Lynsey and that 4-stroke suited each other. By the end of that first lap Lynsey had moved from 38th to 28th - helped in part by the four karts that went off at 5 but otherwise was the result of simply being faster and knowing when to pounce on her prey. By the end of lap 2 she was into 25th spot but mid-way through the second lap, the red flag was put out. A red flag wasn't unexpected - with that many karts starting someone was likely to end up on his or her head - but looking around the track we could see no carnage and no emergency response.

With all the karts motionless on the grid again, one crew member was allowed to go out on the track to talk with their driver but know work would be allowed. I went out and soon learned that the reason for the red flag was that the electronic timing and scoring system - that had been used all season for NCMP's races and worked flawlessly all weekend suddenly suffered a broken connection. It was traced by Mike Adams and his crew to a buried cable just beside the track. That repaired, the karts we lined back up single file by the order of the last completed lap - which was before the three passes on lap 2. Lynsey would have to pass those three karts again.

If 56 karts starting in 28 rows of two was impressive, you can imagine how 56 karts in 56 rows of one looked. Immediately Lynsey was back at it, passing karts right and left. It seemed like her favorite places to pass were coming out of turn 3 on the run down to turn four using the torque of the Biland to dig her out of that corner. She used it again to maximum potential coming out of the I70 hairpin that led onto the long backstraight. Almost every kart she followed into that corner she overtook on the exit before the little kink. And if she wasn't close enough going in, the Biland pulled her out onto the backstraight so solidly she'd close in on the kart ahead of her by mid-straight and then use the draft to get by at the end of the straight.

Being the professional she is, Lynsey was able to make this progress without making wild, daring moves. In fact, on one of those drafting runs down the backstraight the timing wasn't just quite right and although she was inside the other kart, the issue would have to be forced. Had this been a typical 10 lap sprint heat or even a 25 lap final I would have expected her to hold her position but on lap 20 of a 200 lap race it is uncalled for. Lynsey knew that and braked just soon enough to conceded the corner. The other guy, however, was still in sprint race mode and was determined to not give up without a fight. He braked appallingly late and ended up fighting with himself to stay on the track, a fight which he lost.

By lap 20 Lynsey had us up to 11th. By lap 30 we were 10th. By the time she came in the #32 was shown as 7th! Julie was crucial in keeping me advised on the kart's position. For me to see our kart tear up through the field like that was an incredible feeling. It was very difficult to keep my calm, cool Roger Penske demeanor. My emotional outlet was to radio over to Mike and Barbie each lap to show Lynsey her progress on the pit board. By the time she'd come in for the first pit stop she'd have us in 7th place.

CUTTING IT A LITTLE CLOSE, WEREN'T WE?

Each lady's session had to be at least 50 laps to stay on our pit stop strategy and our math from the aborted mileage run Saturday said we could eke out 55 laps on a tank of fuel. Our target then was lap 53 of each session. We were aware that the starting grid had done an extra pace lap making our target lap 52 for Lynsey but I missed the fact that the red flag added 3 more non race laps to the first session - lap 2 which was completed at speed, another lap to come back around to the front straight after receiving the red flag and then the post red-flag pace lap. We began Lynsey's count down on lap 47, having discussed Conor Daly's scheduled stop with my now old friend Derek.

L5, L4, L3, L2, IN and the #32 kart came charging into the pit lane. The stop went exactly as it was rehearsed and Dana was rolling in less than 30 seconds. As soon as as she had her helmet off, Lynsey came up to me with a grin and said, "Cutting it a little close, weren't we?"

"How do you mean?"

"It was cutting out pretty bad on that last lap. I had to use the (secret device #1) - otherwise I wouldn't have made it." Something told me although she was laughing about it now, a few minutes earlier she wasn't seeing the humor.

DANA GOES MIA, ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE

Dana rejoined the racing in 15th position and early in her session she was forced over a curb in one of the corners by another kart. The kart seemed unaffected and Dana was able run well, work through lapped traffic like a pro and get us back up to 12th place. Lap after lap she pounded around the track with consistent lap times. She looked relaxed but at the same time determined.

With Dana out keeping our kart in the top quarter of the field, Lynsey was being interviewed by Charlie Brown of RaceFanRadio.com about her session. We were particularly gratified that Mr. Brown appreciated that the non-pro female team (us) was ahead of the pro female team of Sarah Fisher and Katherine Legge. Of course, if I were on the other side of that observation I would have thought that he was making a little too much of it. But as it was I thought his level of enthusiasm entirely appropriate!

With Mike and Barbie encouraging her by pit board, Dana was soon approaching the end of her session. Constantly checking and rechecking with Julie on our number of laps since the last stop and conferring with Derek on their schedule we began the count down process. I asked Mike to hang the L5 board out to her and then announced "pit in 5 laps to the crew" who sprung into action getting things ready. I let Derek know we'd be in in 5 laps. Looked over the readiness of the team. After those few minutes I went back to my post to watch the laps wind down.

Tracy was there too and as our eyes scanned the track, we were confused to not find the #32 kart anywhere in site. There were still a lot of karts on the track so, calming ourselves we scanned more methodically. No sign. Among increasingly panicked eruptions of "where is she" we began to look for motionless karts. When that revealed nothing we began straining to see to the three or four spots slightly hidden by the terrain. Panic set in.

Preoccupied as we were, you may be able to imagine the surreal experience we had when Dana appeared from behind us, breathless and on foot. Winded, she explained that the kart broke a chain and was back at the head of the pits where the retrieved karts are deposited. I was the first one to bolt towards that end of the pit lane and the first to reach it. Violating some rule I'm sure, I began pushing the kart down pit lane as fast as I could. As fast as I could was still about 40mph slower than the karts shooting down pit lane under their own power and this fact wasn't lost on me. For every one step taking looking forward, three were taking looking up track over my shoulder expecting to be in someone's way at any moment.

At some point my steering, slanted dashing and backwards looking got away from me and the kart changed directions, veering off into some poor teams pit stall taking me with it. It was a big crash. Probably one of the biggest 10mph crashes NCMP has ever seen. It probably did look pretty funny and as I laid on the cement wondering how the hell I had gotten there, I could hear a round of laughter beyond the team whose pit stall I was currently littering. But there was not time to consider any of that and back up I repositioned our kart, apologized for the intrusion and resumed.

By then the rest of the team took over and pushed the kart the rest of the way while I hobbled along untangling myself from my radio cables. Once back in our stall the kart was on the stand and servicing begun. While Eric and Roger refueled we had Lyn, Dave Creech and Todd do a full tire change since installing a new chain would take longer than that.

The Biland, like most 4-cycle kart motors has the Power Take Off on the inboard side of the engine which puts the sprocket between the bearing cassettes and requires pulling the axle out of the bearings to replace/install a chain - a 20 minutes job for the best teams. But we had recognized this and found it unacceptable going into a 200 miles race. A solution was devised in the form of (secret device #2) and had it not been for that foresight and our collective ingenuity (we make a good team guys) We would have lost 20 - 30 laps pulling the axle (or given up altogether) rather than just the eight laps it took to fit the new chain on. It was a thing of beauty and I am absolutely convinced that we set an world record for installing a chain on an inboard sprocket.

KARTLESS IN INDIANA

If there was any good in this episode, it was that the chain broke within the pit window we had set for ourselves and did not require an extra pit stop. Lynsey took the third session and once the kart was out and back up to speed we got the full story of how Dana arrived in our pits without her kart.

Almost immediately after getting the L5 pitboard beginning her count down, the chain broke out near turns 5 & 6. Having acknowledged the board, Mike turned his attention to the next lap. Back in the pits we took our eyes off "the ball" as we began readying for the stop. Meanwhile Dana drove to driver's right (so the Gator retrieval vehicle wouldn't have to cross traffic - heads up on her part) and coasted to a stop within feet of the "Gator". The Gator driver helped her throw the kart onto the back and hightailed it back to the pits. This happened so quickly that the entire crew missed it. One moment she was going 60mph down the track and the next she simply disappeared. Like she hit a worm hole or something and warped to another universe (imagine, if you will, being of that universe and seeing the arrival of a earthling in a suit and helmet riding this weird, colorful smelly contraption). Just before she reappeared in the pits I briefly considered the possibility of her having been beamed up by the mother ship.

In the most basic of terms, we took our eye off the ball. It won't happen again.

LYNSEY BACK IN ACTION

With a new chain, new tires and a full load of fuel Lynsey burst back out in 31st place and 8 laps down but picked up where she left off at the end of her first stint. By the end of her session she had pulled us back up to 18th place. Heroics again. Having lost the 8 laps we had the luxury of bringing her in early, as long as we were within 50 laps of the end. Leading up to our final stop I coordinated with Derek and it looked like we would both enjoy clear ingress and egress. But no sooner had we agreed on the schedule that their kart came in with brake trouble and would be in for a long time.

When Lynsey came in she had to drive carefully around that furiously working crew (the lack of brakes had them overshoot their pit stall and were partially in ours - fortunately we were the last pit on pit our and we could pit deep too a luxury we wouldn't have had if we had neighbors on both sides). For one last time the crew did another perfect stop:

As soon as the kart was motionless, Lyn Smith jacked the rear of the kart off the ground and began checking the Biland's oil level and the general condition of the motor while turning the rear wheels; Todd lubed the chain as the axle turned being very careful of the super-hot exhaust; At the same time, Lynsey evacuated the kart as quickly as she could carrying the fuel cap with her having loosened and then removed it as she came in and stopped; As soon as Lynsey was out of the kart, Eric guided the fuel hose into the tank and snapped open the valve. He and Roger had been ready and in position as soon as the kart was on pit lane. The chain lubed, Todd extricated himself from the rear of the kart and Lyn dropped it off the jack.

As the fuel reached the neck of the fuel tank, Eric snapped the valve shut, Roger carried the jug away and the hose with it. Eric then screwed the cap on as quickly as he could but ready to grab the spare cap Mike held if necessary. The cap touching the tank was Tracy's cue to jump in. As she settled into her driving position I reached down, started the engine, and gave the hold signal until I'd checked up the pit road for on coming traffic. Revving the engine, Tracy was gone the instant I waved her out.

TRACY BRINGS US HOME

That last pit stop was so quick we only lost one track position, Tracy returning in 19th and gained us four positions during her run. But all was not well with the balance of the kart and she was struggling with massive oversteer. In hind sight we should have made a chassis adjustment during the tire change during the second stop but I never thought of it.

When the 21X kart of team BeST with IndyCar driver Tomas Scheckter at the wheel began gaining ground on Tracy we reluctantly put out the "PUSH" sign on the pitboard. She responded the best she could but in doing so had some scary moments. Working the math in my head, as soon as it was clear that there weren't enough laps left for Scheckter to catch her a a slightly reduced rate, we switched sign to "EASY". But before she could get around to see it, the ill-handling kart got away from her and she looped it in the hairpin. Before she could get the kart back up to speed Tomas went by dropping her to 16th.

Other than that one miscue Tracy did a great job of bringing home an uncooperative machine. It would have been nice to finish in the top ten (and had it not been for that broken chain mid-race, we would have been) but as challenging as this race is and given 2005's non-finish, I was thrilled just to see our kart get the checkered flag. I greeted Tracy with a big hug in the scalehouse lane for getting the ill-handling kart to the end of the race.

CELEBRATING

After the kart and drivers when through the scale house we retired to the start finish line to take the now-traditional photos of the drivers and karts and the whole crew. And once again, we assembled a fantastic crew. Everyone would step up whenever necessary to help our gals race to the front. When it was all over our crew had almost everything packed up before I could say "Let's pack up"! And it was constant fun (except for that 20 minutes or so on Saturday when our one and only Biland was making a racket) - from the Mees motorcoach to the Creech trailer to the Stoney Creek prepped Biland... we had everything we needed to stay comfortable and do the job right.

Our team enjoyed dinner at the Racer's Grill while we waited for the awards ceremony. Everyone was smiles in there and it was nice to see some of the pro drivers hang around for the post race affair. Not only winner Ricky Rudd but also Sarah Fisher and Dan Wheldon, both of whom didn't finish the race at all. Dan Wheldon was especially impressive for staying to the very end of the awards ceremony and meeting with the fans that came out tot he event all day. He was very accessible and very personable. A good ambassador for the race and our sport.

Having placed in the top 20, we received our $300 entry fee back. The real money was paid back to 10th but we were pleased with our award. 21st and higher went home with nothing to show at all. For small team like ours without professional kart shop support it would have been hard to be prouder of out effort. To run as high as seventh and to have a legitimate shot at a top ten finish says a lot about the people we recruited for our team and the preparation we did.

In the coming years it will only get harder. This race is becoming so high profile that teams like J3 Competition are putting together as many as six teams for 2007. And I expect to see kart shops, manufacturers and even magazines get directly involved fielding teams of top nationally ranked drivers. Soon small independent teams like up will feel fortunate to finish in the top 20. But as long as this event provides the fun and teamwork challenge that it has been, Conlin SpeedSports will be on the entry list.

More pre-race and post-race photos are available here.

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