WMR double regional @ Grattan 8/14, 8/15

[thomas toth]

Sorry..typo..."pool". This should be fun....Saugatuck Friday Night???

Tom

[jimwheeler]

I'm visualizing the pool scene in N.L. Vacation, when they arrive at the trailer park, with the above ground pool.

[koscieldrk]

Originally Posted by thomas toth

Sorry..typo..."pool". This should be fun....Saugatuck Friday Night???

Tom

Saugatuck Friday Night are you out of your mind. Were Group 1 you know. Last time we did one of those, I was watching sitting in my car on the Grid and watching Andy Jones dry heaving in his helmet. We did have a Good time but it was at the Grattan Bar with Kip. We started out at that nice Restaurant on the lake drinking Bloody Mary's and ended up doing Kareoke at the Grattan Bar. Andy Jones was the almost the Lucky one when a Mother Daughter team tried to pick him up.

[koscieldrk]

Wow the weather was hot and humid and the racing was interesting! Group 1 consisted of AS, T3, ITC, ITB FP, HP and I believe a GT3.

Tom Toth Pole for Race #1

Tom led for the first 10 laps before Steve Hynes was able to make the move around Tom in turn 1. Hynes takes the checker Tom Toth 2nd, Mark Muddiman 3rd, Mark Allen 4th.
Scott Swietzer didn’t make the race due to breaking his trans during qualifying. Scott spent all day Saturday changing over the trans as it was a 2 hour trip one way to pick up another trans. My hat goes off to Mark Allens son who had never been to a racing event let alone working on a Race Car at the young age of I’m going to guess 14 or 15 years old who jumped in and helped Scott with the change, even as far as cleaning up and picking up tools when they were done. I believe he enjoyed himself as I could tell from his facial exressions.
2nd Race / non Race.

Steve Hynes and Tom Toth went to battle in this 10 lap shoot out. Steve led the first few laps and Tom took the lead going into turn 1 with some fine drafting down the front straight only to lose it going through turn 2. Steve led the rest of the way with Toth putting on some extreme pressure and great drafting down the front straight but never being able to hold the momentum on the final lap coming up through turn 10 onto the front straight tom was hooked to Steves rear Bumper and they crossed the finish line Photo Finish style with Steve taking the by what looked like a bumper bolt. The final results were Steve Hynes, Scott Swietzer, Mark Muddiman, Mark Allen and Tom Toth. Tom got relinquished to 5th do to passing under a yellow at the jump.
3rd Race.
Never seen a start like this in all my years without it being waved off. Steve Hynes was the Poll Sitter, bringing the field up for the start. The outside row led by Scott Swietzer just took off and at least four cars were in front of Steve before the green fell, no wave off. Steve did manage to catch the field going into turn 1 and came out on top with Toth starting at the rear and coming up through the field like the Tasmania Devil. By the time the got to the jump and turn 5 Toth was in second place. Steve held the lead for several laps before Tom was able to make the pass and never give up the lead again running away. Steve was able to keep in range and possibly have a chance but he seemed to catch the lap cars in the wrong places. Tom Takes the top spot with Hynes, Muddiman, Swietzer, Markk Allen did not make the race due to a shock problem.
The best reward of the day was Tom Toth rewarding Mark Allens son with the checker flag lap. This kid was grinning from ear to ear and after getting out of the car pumping his fists, it was great thing to see and something I know this lad will not forget.
By the way the pool was fantastic, especially with the heat and humidity, think we spent about 6 or seven hours in it.

[Scott Schweitzer]

Man Hot and Humid is an understatment. I have been forcing water since Saturday morning and still feel thirsty. Sweatfest 2010.

Garret (my apologies if I mis-spelled that) said all he has ever had to do on Mark's car is bleed brakes and that gets boring. He was really excited to help swap the trans out. He was a big help and I warned Mark not to leave the car and his tools in the garage and go out of town for work, cause Garret said he wants to pull an engine next.

Either way he is a very hard working young man with a great attitude and an excellent addition to any crew. A testament to his charecter was when the pool crew stopped by Saturday evening looking all cool and refreshed as we were wrapping up the install, not once did he make any disparaging comments or rub his dirty hands on them.

I had no idea Tom had been penalized so when we show up to the false grid Sunday afternoon they had him in 5th. The start for the last race was all screwed up. When the pace car pulled off Steve stayed just a bit to the right and I stayed too far to the left and lost Steve out of my peripheral vision. With my HNR I can't turn to see where he was and had to rely on my mirrors. Steve had checked up a bit and I was maintaining the same pace from when we lined up (2nd gear 4100 rpm). I started to breathe the throttle, but didn't want to hit the brakes and cause a chain reaction behind me. By the time I found him in my mirrors I was way the he!! out in front of him, and then the green flew. It really should not have been thrown with how we were aligned but never the less that was one ugly start. Everyone shuffled around and I purposely stayed way to the outside going into one and slotted back in behind Mark M. Then off to the races and I just couldn't make up any real estate on the front 3.

It was a bummer because I was really hoping to stick with Steve/Tom for as long as I could and get some insight as to why I am stuck at my current plateau as far as lap times at Grattan.

Did anyone happen to grab a results sheet? Just wondering what we ran on Sunday.

Always a good time flogging an AS around Grattan.

For everyone not going to the Runoffs, there is a double regional on Labor Day weekend that could be a bunch of fun. There was some talk this weekend about rallying the troops to get a bunch of AS cars down there.

[thomas toth]

It was a great weekend, one of the best that I have had in a long time. Talk about sportsmanship....Scott ended up with Jason VonKlug's transmission, Mark Allen had my rims and tires, Mark M had Scotts tires, I used Steve's impact wrench and drank his beer

As far as the last race...funny how you can't remember what happened. I know I was gridded 5th (last in class) but started 4th because Mark Allen dropped out. I was behind Scott on the left and Steve was in mid 2nd gear along side of me pushing Mark M back from the second row to the 3rd row. Steve hit the gas and was back up along side of Scott when the green fell (from what I remember). I cleared Mark M and tried to split Scott and Steve....for the life of me I can't remember the pass on Scott. I thought Scott moved right and I couldn't split them so I went to the outside??? All I know is that I was on Steve's bumper in 2nd place going into 1. I remember my pass on Steve. He would check his brakes every lap before hitting them hard before the crest of the jump. Once I saw the tap I went to the right over the jump and hit the brakes very close to the crest, then took him on the inside of the right hander. Dwayne says it was several laps in....I thought it was on lap 1??? Funny that when the red mist hits you can't remember crap!

The pool was great....remember to pack cans rather than bottles. Plan ahead for next year....this was as inexpensive as weekends get for the amount of track time and a ton of fun. By next year the other 1/2 of the track should be paved so the bumps will be gone.

Oh yea...Scott you ran very well, I think the new pavement has slowed down the track. My best was a low 1:27 in 2007 with the 305 iron head motor...the new motor is 60+ HP better with the aluminum heads and I haven't been back in the 27's yet. Ed Hosni and Steve Hynes were also better than a second slower than their best, again with the Aluminum heads.

Tom
#38 Camaro

[MarkMuddiman]

Sunday's race:

Toth 1:28.6
Hynes 1:29.1
Muddiman 1:29.3
Schweitzer 1:29.6
Allen DNS

[koscieldrk]

Sorry Tom, yes you did have the lead after the first lap. When you get old you can't remember one race from another. There were great battles going on all weekend between all of the AS cars. Kinda makes you wonder where all of the regional guys were. This was like a National with the 5 National Drivers running. Scott made a comment about the Pool Crew, the members Toth, Hynes, Big Mike and Myself.

[Andy Jones]

Originally Posted by koscieldrk

When you get old you can't remember one race from another.

Dwaine, you seem to be able to remember plenty of stuff from 6 or 7 years ago!

[koscieldrk]

Ahh! It''s the short term stuff I can't remember, ask me about this 6 years from now. Hey where have you been you need to get that car out of Mothballs. We will be running Waterford at the end of the month. I can give you information about getting your license re-instated e-mail me.