Great race! (Page 1 of 2)

We actually have a pretty simple formula: the more often we see your car in the Penalty Box, the worse it's going to get for you. By the second day, if we're seeing you for the first time we'll probably just send you right back out. If we're seeing you for the fifth time, however... well, our job at that point is to keep the total menaces off the track for a good long time, while providing entertainment for the spectators who hang around the box to watch the show. That means recidivist miscreants might end up very publicly kissing the boot of Mistress World Talent Force:

As for the guys who screamed at us about the other teams getting away with murder while they got popped for stuff that wasn't their fault: sure, the corner workers make mistakes and we have no way of knowing exactly what happened out there (all we get is a voice on a staticky walkie-talkie giving us a terse statement like "Car 84, four wheels off"), but it all tends to even out in the end. The best approach is one that doesn't involve screaming.

Truly awesome event and venue!!! Even though we (team iwannaroc, lucky #13) only raced half the event, I personally had tons of fun and will be sore for the next week (oil pan and trans. mount repair/replace...).

Does anybody have a link to results??!

http://iwannaroc.blogspot.com
http://fasterfarms.blogspot.com

@murilee:
Oh don't get me wrong, having been both a racer and a cornerworker in a couple of disciplines now I can appreciate the spotty data you guys are getting at HQ. And clearly multiple visits equals nonlinear pain for the guilty.

As for the 'arbitrary and uneven' crack, it is that, simply for the reasons you gave above: some of these guys you've known for a while as LeMon racers, and you know that they're 95% innocent (as much as that's possible with any racers) so they might get less of a penalty the first time at least.

It's not a dig at your (in)competence, that's a given by now.

It takes an enormous amount of energy on you the judges' part to make the penalties original and amusing. I can say from personal experience that the penalties and their style/execution have gotten at least three of my acquaintances INTO joining the Lemons insanity.

Thanks M.M.! the parts we had forced this ugly setup...believe me we tried to find a better way! The rad was the ONLY rad in the yard (they sell them for the aluminum) and I have no idea what it's from...threw 30 bucks across the counter and ran out....I then went to the Fernley NAPA and asked for the longest, most convoluted hoses they had, forget the application....this took some explaining....then it was off to the True Value for PVC  irrigation fittings and hose clamps.....But I have to confess, the rad cap has a slightly less than honorable origin....if the guys at Speedway Wrecking read this, please accept my apology and I hope your pickup made it home O.K...... We started this thrash after the green dropped and joined the fray about 60 laps adrift....with serious overcooling, keeping the ECU in open loop, i.e. rich....A quick thermostat change (no tools required in these 2.8's) and it ran like a watch....you could feel the drag down the front straight! To be honest, I knew the bailing wire/tie wrap setup would work, but we added the bungees for window dressing to avoid the meatball....thanks for your indulgence! And if anybody reads this, consider taping bungee hooks like we did...many clubs require it and it keeps the tire killers from flying off on track.

Jim "Endo" Anderton

Team Pontihack @ Goin for Broken 09

The thought occurred to us, but the wrecker was very close ("Speedway Wreckers") and we had hopes of finding something that would fit under the hood..when we called ahead he said "come on down...ya I think we got one"  etc...and we knew we were the only Fiero out there. If I had had a little less tunnel vision at the time I could have realized that ANY rad will do and put out a plaintive wail....pathetic as that would be compared to the heroes around us changing long blocks and transmissions! I don't think the 80's themed  5.0 Mustang ever made it out, but a dozen guys wrenched it non-stop right to the checkers and kept their sense of humor....it all adds to the feel-good atmosphere.

Jim "Endo" Anderton

Team Pontihack @ Reno-Fernley 09

Thanks to Jay and all of the officials, also the Reno-Fernley staff and of course all of the racers and crews...This weekend was a blast!!! The redneck racing team will definitly be back.  We would have been glad to hook ya up with our spare caddy radiator, come see us next time!! Thanks againto EVERYONE!!! cya next year for sure.

Thanks to all, especially those who helped us after our mechanical malfortune.

Team Unsafe had a tough weekend, first getting meatballed for leaking gas after we overfilled our tank.  At T-Hill the gas gauge read exactly half the actual value in the tank, this time around it was closer to 1/3rd.  Then we threw the fan belt, overheated, and threw a rod.  Frantic attempts to locate spare engines all turned up empty.  Our plan to remove the thrown rod and the corresponding rod on the other side also failed, a brief attempt at push-starting the engine had locked the crank solidly in the block.  Wouldn't move even with an impact gun.

We now have some leads on engines, so we hope to be back soon and better than ever.

Our team had a great time as well!  Thanks goes out to the track officials, course workers, judges, staff and to Jay.

See you at Buttonwillow!

I would like to repeat a speech (one of many) that I gave to a team that was just about to start bitching about the unfairness of us judges

"Look, the flaggers do this for a living -- this is how they pay rent. And you've been on a race track -- what? -- once? Twice? I'm going to side with the flaggers every time."

No, you came in third from last, behind two cars that got massive BS Penalty laps... and the Yugo. By the way, great bribe!

When your car seems dead, come to HQ and get us to spread the word that you need parts and/or wrenching help. With an MR2, odds are that someone had the expertise, parts, and willingness to help get you back in the race. Doesn't matter if your engine is dangling rods out the block- there's always a way (especially when you have a very common car that shares parts with a bunch of other common cars).