Daytona
09-13-2004, 08:06 AM
Yesterday was my last points race of the season and my last chance to regain my spot near the top of the standings. I had been in 2nd place most of the year, only to drop the last 3 races down to 7th. The top 8 in Street ET get jackets, but only the top 4 get bonus money and the trip to the Bracket Finals. I wanted that trip.
All season long, every time I had a chnace to gain ground on the Points leader when he'd go out early I ended up shooting myself in the foot and go out that same round or the next. And sometimes it was stupid stuff like going red against a guy low in the standings who I never lost to before and wouldn't have lost to if I stayed green. Or when I raced the guy in 2nd place and treed the crap out of him only to get on the brakes at then end and still brake out by 14-thousands and lose (I would have moved from 3rd to 2nd place with that win but instead dropped to 6th).
Yesterday I was extra focused. I had a Jack Nicklas (the golfing great) quote tapped to my dashboard which I'd recite before each round to help me concentrate:
"It's never been about the trophies or the money. It's about the standards you set for yourself."
I set pretty high standard for myself as I consider myself one of the top racers in my class. And last year I lived up to that standard and my own level of expectations. This year I started off great as I would expect myself to, but then couldn't get out of my own way the rest of the year. Last year I earned enough money to pay for my year and then some but this year I ended solidly in the red. I definitely didn't perform to the level at which I am accustom to, nor to which I expect myself to. Yesterday to change all that and put me back where I feel I should be - in the running for the Bracket Finals.
The Bracket Finals is a post-series race where all 14 NHRA tracks in our division get together to compete as teams against each other. Each track takes their top points guys in each class. I've been to the Finals twice in the past 3 years.
I start the day going up against the Points leader and beat him, forcing him to go red trying to cut a tight tree to catch me with my good light. Then I get paired on the ladder against someone right behind me in the standings. I cut a .003 light on him and tap the brakes at the top end to win round 2. Round 3 was against a kid who surprised everyone by being up in 5th place. I'm a much better racer than him normally, though he was having an unusual good (or lucky?) season. All I needed to do was win that round and then 1 more and I would have been guaranteed to go to the Bracket Finals. And what happened?.....
I think I let the trans get too hot sitting on the convertor as he deep-staged because when I launched it felt slow and sure enough my RT was the worst of the day, my 60' was the worst of the day, and at top end my ET was off 7-hundreths. I can accept a drop off of 1 or 2 hundreths but 7???? :huh?: That was enough to do me in and lose. The win automatically guaranteed him that trip to Delaware. My car runs dead on all day until the most critical of the races and falls flat on its face.
All I can do now is go to the points banquet at the end of the month, wish the other guys good luck, and then fixate on this until we start all over again in March.
Last year I finished 2 round wins away from the Points title. This year I finished 2 round wins away from the Bracket finals. What's next year going to bring? 2 round wins away from a jacket?
Damn! Damn! Damn!
----
p.s. - at least I now have 2 new pit mates in Ken (Redog) and Corey. They were really supportive of me ad I appreciate it. :thumbsup:
All season long, every time I had a chnace to gain ground on the Points leader when he'd go out early I ended up shooting myself in the foot and go out that same round or the next. And sometimes it was stupid stuff like going red against a guy low in the standings who I never lost to before and wouldn't have lost to if I stayed green. Or when I raced the guy in 2nd place and treed the crap out of him only to get on the brakes at then end and still brake out by 14-thousands and lose (I would have moved from 3rd to 2nd place with that win but instead dropped to 6th).
Yesterday I was extra focused. I had a Jack Nicklas (the golfing great) quote tapped to my dashboard which I'd recite before each round to help me concentrate:
"It's never been about the trophies or the money. It's about the standards you set for yourself."
I set pretty high standard for myself as I consider myself one of the top racers in my class. And last year I lived up to that standard and my own level of expectations. This year I started off great as I would expect myself to, but then couldn't get out of my own way the rest of the year. Last year I earned enough money to pay for my year and then some but this year I ended solidly in the red. I definitely didn't perform to the level at which I am accustom to, nor to which I expect myself to. Yesterday to change all that and put me back where I feel I should be - in the running for the Bracket Finals.
The Bracket Finals is a post-series race where all 14 NHRA tracks in our division get together to compete as teams against each other. Each track takes their top points guys in each class. I've been to the Finals twice in the past 3 years.
I start the day going up against the Points leader and beat him, forcing him to go red trying to cut a tight tree to catch me with my good light. Then I get paired on the ladder against someone right behind me in the standings. I cut a .003 light on him and tap the brakes at the top end to win round 2. Round 3 was against a kid who surprised everyone by being up in 5th place. I'm a much better racer than him normally, though he was having an unusual good (or lucky?) season. All I needed to do was win that round and then 1 more and I would have been guaranteed to go to the Bracket Finals. And what happened?.....
I think I let the trans get too hot sitting on the convertor as he deep-staged because when I launched it felt slow and sure enough my RT was the worst of the day, my 60' was the worst of the day, and at top end my ET was off 7-hundreths. I can accept a drop off of 1 or 2 hundreths but 7???? :huh?: That was enough to do me in and lose. The win automatically guaranteed him that trip to Delaware. My car runs dead on all day until the most critical of the races and falls flat on its face.
All I can do now is go to the points banquet at the end of the month, wish the other guys good luck, and then fixate on this until we start all over again in March.
Last year I finished 2 round wins away from the Points title. This year I finished 2 round wins away from the Bracket finals. What's next year going to bring? 2 round wins away from a jacket?
Damn! Damn! Damn!
----
p.s. - at least I now have 2 new pit mates in Ken (Redog) and Corey. They were really supportive of me ad I appreciate it. :thumbsup: