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Tracy |
24 May - Memorial Day Weekend Diversifies Our Team
The holiday weekend was a busy one. For the first time since forming our team in late 1999, Conlin SpeedSports personnel found itself at two different racing events on the same day.
While the core team were managing the karting team effort at Circleville Raceway Park for MSOKC's Race 3, Julie was at Indianapolis Motor Speedway working with Michael Crawford Motorsports who were competing in the Firestone Indy Lights 100 mile race. The opportunity to work with Mike Crawford's crew isn't planned to go beyond the IMS round of the schedule but it still provided Julie with some real-world experience and a further look into the world she hopes to become a part of. Mainly an extra set of eyes, feet and hands for the team but Julie did get to practice a little PR work in the four days she was at the speedway with the team, mainly with Wisconsin driver Jake Slotten. Julie had been introduced to Mr. Crawford, who races a shifter kart during the off weekends, by Terry Riggins at one of last year's Great Lakes SKUSA races. Julie is extremely grateful for the chance to work with MCM at one of the most important Firestone Indy Lights races of the season at the most famous track in the world. Not bad for someone just 2 weeks out of college but now the work comes in making the most of the experience and finding the next opportunity.
Meanwhile back in Circleville, Dana made her long awaited return to the drivers seat by leading 5 of the 6 laps of the first TaG Senior heat. Unfortunately, the one lap she didn't lead was the one that counted. Pledging to herself she'd take it easy and work herself back up to speed she found herself in the lead of the first heat racing hard to keep Mike Unger behind her. But Turn Five got exciting on the last lap when both Mike and Dana locked up their brakes in a fight for the lead with half a lap to go. Both were lucky to get through the corner but Mike recovered better and moved into the lead. The sliding around make Dana vulnerable to James Pham lurking in 3rd place and he got though the opportunity that was presented.
In the second heat Mike was super hooked-up and checked out - his fastest lap nearly 1.5 seconds faster than Dana's and James' who fought over second place for the whole race. Dana managed to hold him off despite the pressure. James is new to the TaG ranks, having bought a new Kosmic kart from Kart Works and Eric Creech's old engine, but having raced in MSOKC's 80cc shifter class, he's not a newbie to what it takes to be fast around Circleville Raceway Park. A fast and clean driver, it looks like the TaG Senior class has picked up another racer to make the season exciting and entertaining.
The Feature had Dana gridded outside row one and a little team monetary incentive was offered to Dana to make it even more fun to take advantage of that position and get ahead of Mike by the exit of Turn One. But you'd think it was Mike's money I was offering as the incentive as he nailed the start and fought off Dana's attempt to get ahead in the first 200 feet or so. With Mike out front, Dana then had her hands full with James inches from her rear bumper for several laps. Three or four laps in he was able to get inside Dana at Turn Four and although there was light contact on the exit, it was a clean pass otherwise and he moved ahead on the back straight. Dana soldiered on to finish 3rd, one second behind James.
In Masters guest driver Bob McConnell made quite an impression on us and everyone else that watched him make the jump from Yamaha Super Can to TaG. Having registered after registration had closed because he was working safety tech for the club Bob had to start each heat from last place (I sense a new proposal to the Board coming on: "Workers who register late do to their duties will not be penalized"). The schedule couldn't have been worse though, he Super Can class was running right before TaG Masters. He literally had to run from the scalehouse to the grid and jump in our kart.
In the first heat he got a great start and simply drove around the field and was third going into Turn 3 on the first lap. Up there he was flirting with second when on lap four he ran wide at Turn 8 and fell to fifth. Back on the track he worked back up to 4th and set the race's fastest lap doing it. In his second race he did the same thing, going around the outside of the other Masters drivers and arriving at Turn 3 in third place. By the end of the first lap he was in second. No mistakes this time and second was where he finished, all grins at the scalehouse.
In the feature Bob couldn't get the now-expected bonsai run around the outside at Turns One and Two. In fact he found himself stuck in fifth for the first three of the ten laps. But on lap four he managed to get by Pat Boice and Mike Brannon and set his sites on Matt Miless and Layman Cobb. He eventually got around Layman but couldn't get past Matt before the checkered flag flew, finishing about 1.5 behind Matt.
We knew Bob was a heck of a driver based on decades of karting, which is why we were happy to have him slip behind the wheel of our Biesse. And he certainly knows CRP. And the fact that he was back in a familiar Biesse Kart helped. But Bob's first experience in a TaG kart was still very surprising and hugely impressive. It looked like Bob thoroughly enjoyed the power and speed of the TaG category and even though he was reporting new aches and pains in places he forgot he had, I would not bet against Bob becoming a regular in the TaG ranks next year.
10 May - Julie Has Her Day
We certainly didn't have anything to do with it but should thank the MSOKC BoD for not scheduling a race on May 10 because we would have had to miss it.
That's because there is nothing that would have kept us from being in Ashland, Ohio, to attend the 2008 Ashland University Spring Commencement in which daughter Julie was being honored along with about 650 other graduates and undergraduates. Over four long years Julie has worked tirelessly to earn a Bachelor Of Science In Business Administration degree with a major in Marketing and a minor in Religion, graduating Cum Laude and having been on the Dean's List numerous times during her academic career. Julie intends to use her marketing degree to work for a professional race team, organization or track. Julie was responsible for distributing our media packs at the RoboPong 200 mile endurance races, getting our drivers on the live RaceFanRadio.com broadcasts and can take credit for our brief appearance at the beginning of the 2007 RoboPong coverage on SpeedTV.
Having been an open-wheel and road racing fan all of her life, she would naturally like to find a position on an Indy Racing League team, Firestone Indy Lights team, ALMS team or Grand Am team. But she understands there may be opportunities and challenges in Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series and Craftsman Truck Series and may become a Southern Belle at some point.
In addition to the work she did for us in the RoboPong, Julie has acquired experience as an assistant to the Events Operations Manager at Miami-Homestead Speedway at this year's IndyCar season opener, the Public Relations Assistant for Great Lakes Superkarts! USA in 2007 and was the key marketing and hospitality contact for Conlin SpeedSports visitor for years. Many, many people have been providing leads and contacts throughout the motorsports community as she looks to gain more experience and knowledge in motorsports marketing, public relations and hospitality. As of this writing she has an offer from Michael Crawford Motorsports to assist his Firestone Indy Lights team at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway towards the end of the month. She's hoping other offers to fill in time on either side of that assignment will be coming shortly.
Needless to say, we're all very proud of "the sister that doesn't race," as she's been called, and everything she has accomplished so far. For all our dedication to racing, either as karting participants or auto racing fanatics, it may be Julie whose dedication takes her into a career in motor racing. Go get 'em Jooge.
04 May - Another Raceday, Another Win
Eric & Tracy continued to have spirited races - but Hell hath no fury like a woman passed (badlly). - photo by Julie
Before we get on with the race report I need to apologize to the Dolbys and the Veeches one more time for taking their reserved pit spots at Mid State Ohio Kart Club Race #2. Sorry folks, there was a lot on my mind rolling into Circleville Raceway Park Sunday morning and just wasn't thinking. Thanks for being so gracious and not booting us out. Even with no signs I shoulda figured someone would have had claimed that spot.
Okay, now that my conscience is clearer, I'm happy to report here that Tracy racked up another win for Conlin SpeedSports by somehow keeping Eric Creech, Paul Millman and Brian O'Hara behind her when her kart was not a happy kart at all. Mid-corner and exit oversteer was holding her up and she, in turn, was holding those guys up. Eric tried the tricky but sometimes heroic pass on entry to Turn 4 on lap 3 but this time it wasn't heroic, it was just tricky and the compromised exit speed for both of them nearly gave Paul clear passage into first place. Tracy recovered well enough to win the Millman-Conlin drag race to Turn 5 but Eric had to slot in behind Paul. The pressure wasn't relieved, only the order had changed. Tracy was well aware of the snarling traffic behind her and knew one mistake would let Paul and maybe more by. And, it should be noted that she never resorted to a defensive line until Turn 7 on the last lap.
After the race poor Eric had to endure what must have seemed like hours of lecture from the race winner (and girlfriend, don't forget) on the hazards of the dreaded Turn Four Entry Pass. In the classic example of hero or zero, had he pulled it off and stayed in the lead he'd be the hero and she'd have nothing to say about it. I give the guy huge points for the attempt - whether it worked or not - and especially since, in this particular case there was more at stake than just a position on the track. Nice work Eric and I feel for ya. More...
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