From the Seat!

It was "oh dark thirty" Friday morning August 8th when the notorious Gooseman (?) and I rolled into Blackhawk Farms Raceway. On the other side of the pit wall was the object that drew us here. Gleaming dully in the murky early morning light was a newly re-paved racetrack!

Fresh pavement, good weather, it was the dawn of a new era of competition at Blackhawk.

This was my first trip to Blackhawk in nearly ten years and the infamous Gooseman's (?) first trip ever. After shaking hands for thirty minutes with long lost old friends the Gooseman (?) and I walked out onto the pit straight admiring the beauty of a first class paving job. The sudden horror stricken expression on the befuddled Gooseman's (?) face pointed out the one thing that stayed the same. "What are those trees doing that close to the race track?" mumbled the Gooseman (?) doing his best James Dean impression. You have to admit that there isn't a lot of margin for error if you get off the track. Having said that I can't recall the minimal runoff room or the trees ever being an issue and it wasn't this time either. "Oh you get used to it!" was my reply.

Fridays practice sessions rolled off like clockwork due in no small part to the professional approach by chief starter old friend Earl Clements. Rolling a well rested "Lucille" out onto the track for a break in session I marveled at (1) the really nice paving job and (2) how freaking narrow the track is in some spots. As the day wore on the Ancient Mariner (me) and "Lucille" (Tony/Honda) continually picked up the pace and while we were not quite even with a select few we were close and on badly worn tires to boot.

Saturday practice and qualifying pointed out that there was more speed to be had with several drivers getting into the 1:14s. Knowing we had to find more speed the Gooseman (?) and I fell onto "Lucille" and changed everything but the decals. Soon race time came and it was time to hope that the changes were the right ones. Making a fair start I was around fifth place on the first lap and beginning to think that we had at least improved things. Well! We never found out because on lap two a young driver that I have a lot of respect for drafted up beside me put on the blinders and punted me off the track. I know it was not intentional but trust me I wasn't smiling. "Lucille" left the track at 100 mph and created a brown tornado of loose dirt that blotted out the sun (I'm not kidding) as we spun and flew through the scenery. By the way thankfully this was in the one place where runoff was adequate. About that time through the dust cloud appeared the face of Davey Larson Jr. "Hey man! Want me to push you?" shouted Davey. "$@$#$#," I shouted back. Upon restarting experience told me to pit to examine for damage. Other than a slightly mangled side pod and nerf bar and about 8 cubic yards of dirt covering me and the car "Lucille wasn't damaged, but the race was gone.

Sunday morning we did some minor tweaks on the car and waited for the second round of practice which was qualifying. To our horror the fast guys were now in the 1:13s and we were not. Desperate to find more speed we changed gear, carb, tire pressures, and about a dozen other things and lined up for the race. At the wave of Earl Clements Green flag we made another Uh! OK start running the first lap around fifth or sixth. Those changes? Well they could have been better and we actually went backwards. Oh well nothing ventured, nothing ventured. Again calling on experience I found a comfy pace and cruised home somehow to an uninspiring fifth.

For us Blackhawk was a tough taskmaster this weekend but if you can't put up with a weekend like that now and then you probably should take up bowling.

Nonetheless great racetrack, great racing, great friends, great weather and on and on.

Attention Blackhawk! You got me this time but in the words of a California Gubernatorial candidate "I'll be Back!"

Till next time race hard, race safe, and God Bless America!