Daytona
10-02-2006, 07:58 AM
This past weekend at RP was the The NHRA Xplōd Sport Compact Racing Series "NHRA Sport Compact Fall Nationals" sponsored by Toyo Tires. Unlike the other big sport compact and import races there that are only sanctioned by NHRA, this one was actually RUN by them just like their regular Divisional races and National events. ESPN2 was even there filming it for later broadcast.
As usual, I ran my 100% stock Mitsubishi-engined Daytona in the B-1 bracket class (15.00 seconds and slower). Heavy rains in the morning caused a 2-hour delayed gate opening and extra drying time of the track. Then, unlike normal race days, they brough out the fastest pro classes first onto the cold track and worked their way back to the slower classes. Usually they build up the rubber by going slowest to fastest but not this time. My class didn't even get our 1st (and only) time shot until 5:30pm!!! Then after another 90-minute wait, it was Round Robin through to the Final Round. I ran the last 4 rounds all within 25 minutes of each other. And I definitely didn't even have time to cool the car down in between the later rounds. Earning the only bye run was great (for best RT 1st round) because it coincided with the semis and leaped me directly into the Finals.
As usual at these events, the field was packed with regular points racers so it was no picnic. There was even a points guy from Cecil and Atco running in our class. I took out fellow points racer Eddie Mockovack 1st round, though we all tried to avoid running each other 1st round as a sign of respect for our fellow points racers. There was a ladder beginning 2nd round so all future match-ups were unavoidable.
Apart from a glitch 2nd round (which ended up not mattering), my car ran dead on the number all evening. Ran within .01 seconds of my time shot all night (except 2nd round, obviously).
In the Finals I faced Ryan Rodriguez who had beaten me in the Finals of the Spring SportCompact race. He had just beaten another tough points guy Pat Glade in the Semis. This time I won our match-up on a very tight race from the lights to the finish with me barely eeking out the win on a double-breakout (-0.001 seconds for me to Ryan's -0.027).
I got my picture taken in the winner's circle with my car & someone from NHRA for National Dragster magazine and the local Raceway News newspaper. And, being it was an NHRA-run event I also won a "Wally", the same trophy they hand out to National Event winners!!!
See photo here of some Wally's held by the 2003 overall points champions of NHRA Summit Sport Compact Drag Racing Series – George Ioannou, Nelson Hoyos, Cesar Febus, Marty Ladwig, and Scott Mohler (NHRA's Wally Parks in the suit): http://www.urbanracer.com/gallery/articles/sancbod/nhra/2003/awards/splash.jpg
The trophy's heavy - probably 5-8 pounds. And big! SWEET!!!!! It and my Event Winner hat are now sitting above my TV in my living room. I also received 2 Event Winner stickers and a gold RP Eliminator sticker for my car. Signed some forms to get extra contingency $$$ from sponsors, including Summit, for using their products and having their stickers on my car, though I don't know how much they'll be paying me. Too bad I switched from Goodyear's to Firestones a few years back and Dodge backed out 2 years ago from contingency payouts or else I'd be raking in even more bonus money!
To cap it all off, I got $250 in cash from the track! It was supposed to be $500, but the rain delays caused NHRA to cap the number of vehicles racing so they cut all the payouts in half as well.
WOOHOO!!!!!! I am SO freakin' pyched! I started calling everyone in my cell phone list on the way home, including Redog - most of whom, including Ken, didn't answer. But that's okay. It doesn't take away from the fact that I am now an NHRA SportCompact National Event winner!!!!! :yahoo:
As usual, I ran my 100% stock Mitsubishi-engined Daytona in the B-1 bracket class (15.00 seconds and slower). Heavy rains in the morning caused a 2-hour delayed gate opening and extra drying time of the track. Then, unlike normal race days, they brough out the fastest pro classes first onto the cold track and worked their way back to the slower classes. Usually they build up the rubber by going slowest to fastest but not this time. My class didn't even get our 1st (and only) time shot until 5:30pm!!! Then after another 90-minute wait, it was Round Robin through to the Final Round. I ran the last 4 rounds all within 25 minutes of each other. And I definitely didn't even have time to cool the car down in between the later rounds. Earning the only bye run was great (for best RT 1st round) because it coincided with the semis and leaped me directly into the Finals.
As usual at these events, the field was packed with regular points racers so it was no picnic. There was even a points guy from Cecil and Atco running in our class. I took out fellow points racer Eddie Mockovack 1st round, though we all tried to avoid running each other 1st round as a sign of respect for our fellow points racers. There was a ladder beginning 2nd round so all future match-ups were unavoidable.
Apart from a glitch 2nd round (which ended up not mattering), my car ran dead on the number all evening. Ran within .01 seconds of my time shot all night (except 2nd round, obviously).
In the Finals I faced Ryan Rodriguez who had beaten me in the Finals of the Spring SportCompact race. He had just beaten another tough points guy Pat Glade in the Semis. This time I won our match-up on a very tight race from the lights to the finish with me barely eeking out the win on a double-breakout (-0.001 seconds for me to Ryan's -0.027).
I got my picture taken in the winner's circle with my car & someone from NHRA for National Dragster magazine and the local Raceway News newspaper. And, being it was an NHRA-run event I also won a "Wally", the same trophy they hand out to National Event winners!!!
See photo here of some Wally's held by the 2003 overall points champions of NHRA Summit Sport Compact Drag Racing Series – George Ioannou, Nelson Hoyos, Cesar Febus, Marty Ladwig, and Scott Mohler (NHRA's Wally Parks in the suit): http://www.urbanracer.com/gallery/articles/sancbod/nhra/2003/awards/splash.jpg
The trophy's heavy - probably 5-8 pounds. And big! SWEET!!!!! It and my Event Winner hat are now sitting above my TV in my living room. I also received 2 Event Winner stickers and a gold RP Eliminator sticker for my car. Signed some forms to get extra contingency $$$ from sponsors, including Summit, for using their products and having their stickers on my car, though I don't know how much they'll be paying me. Too bad I switched from Goodyear's to Firestones a few years back and Dodge backed out 2 years ago from contingency payouts or else I'd be raking in even more bonus money!
To cap it all off, I got $250 in cash from the track! It was supposed to be $500, but the rain delays caused NHRA to cap the number of vehicles racing so they cut all the payouts in half as well.
WOOHOO!!!!!! I am SO freakin' pyched! I started calling everyone in my cell phone list on the way home, including Redog - most of whom, including Ken, didn't answer. But that's okay. It doesn't take away from the fact that I am now an NHRA SportCompact National Event winner!!!!! :yahoo: