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Bluteam
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Posted: Monday Oct 1st, 2007 10:31 PM |
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It is 964 miles from our front door in Puyallup, WA to Kings Speedway in Hanford, CA. where the SCRA360's were billed this past weekend for a 2-day show as part of the Open Wheel Invitational. The fans were treated to two days of midgets, 360 & 410 Winged Sprints, and the SCRA360 non-wing sprints.
This was our second time making the trip to compete at Hanford, and through careful hydro intake planning, and a complete disregard for the ridiculous California speed limit for towing vehicles, we were able to shave 25 minutes off our old time - establishing a new personal one way (towing) time to beat of 15hrs45mins.
As our son/friend/driver has stated his preference to run sprint cars without the wing, we couldn't help but notice his inquisitiveness to the other cars in the pits, and when they were on the track. Each time they would finish, however, he would simply smile and ready himself to try and find his own stride in his preferred drug of choice.
The simple story for this past weekend would be that of a 15 year old child who is not to proud to say he has a confidence problem, but is most likely selling himself short. In a world full of teenagers ready to set the world on fire, it seems odd to have one who isn't afraid to say "I need more time" or "I'm not ready for that part yet." Giving up a front row starting spot to purposely start in the rear of the field showed a great deal of respect to himself, as well as the other drivers in the field, and understanding the reason why showed a level of maturity and self confidence that this young man doesn't even realize yet.
Or, maybe he does. Friday evenings tragic event unfolded before his eyes, yet he never wavered or showed signs that he was bothered by it. His mother and I cannot say the same, yet we trust that he comprehends the reality of what can happen in a instant. I will leave this subject with a few requests.
Drivers: Make sure that you have done everything possible to protect yourself with safety gear. Being comfortable may not equate to being alive - and the latter is a far better alternative. If funds are an issue - then wait.
Crew Members: Do not let distractions get in the way of making sure everything on the driver is fastened and tight. A bleeder or stagger change can wait. Check your driver.
Parents: I'm still blank on this one. Somebody help me out.
As the story of our weekend racing trip unfolds, let me just add in a few personal observations and alleged comments by those watching.
It was noted that a certain younger sibling of the driver was borderline out of control in the cheering section. Described as "TJ's biggest fan for life", I have to wonder..........where did she learn this kind of fanatical behavior. Jumping up and down and screaming loud is one thing during a pass in the A-main - cheering during wheel packing is another. Not caring who was hearing or watching her, and the first to hug her older brother no matter where he finished, I have no doubt the description fits her. But where would she have learned this sort of behavior, and what else has she picked up without us knowing?
You can't outrun a Motorola no matter how much you try to antagonize someone with your passive aggressive smile and wave. Running 20+ mph over the posted speed limit apparently isn't enough for some drivers in California. Quite honestly, I was sincerely trying to get out of the way for those whose highway driving style borders on the criminal, but the closing rate was beyond the limits of my calculations, and we narrowly avoided what could have turned out to be a very ugly scene. Instead, I showed him what I thought his IQ was, and wondered if I should be the one to make the phone call to be on the lookout. As it turns out, I didn't have to(or get to) make the call, and I'm glad your wave remained the same as we passed by while you were parked on the shoulder explaining your existence to one of California's finest.
Promoters: Ask yourself - would you ask your mother to use the restroom facilities at your track?
Upper echelon: Why I like dirt track racing. Only at a sprint car race can you park your pickup and trailer next to the guy with 500 gazillion dollars and a 53' Featherlite and have a mutually respectful conversation as he wishes he was still where you are and your glad you don't have to find a place to park that thing. Hearing the ocean and seeing the ocean are two different things, but having an appreciation for both is what counts.
Weather: Call me sick. Not withstanding hoping for a Monday morning rainout call for work which didn't come, it was nice to turn the wipers on once we were back in the Northwest. Washed all the bugs off too. However, I am beginning to understand those guys who wear shorts and sandals(or flip flops for you younger people) with no socks at a dirt track. Those toes need to breathe too even if they are dirty. My apologies to those of you in Yakima who were offended that I was still in a t-shirt at midnight Friday in Hanford.
Transponders: Hate them. Don't trust them. Plus, they'll never smell or look as nice as the ladies who score who have to be there anyway. But as much as I may disagree, I know better than to argue about a scoring position - whether it be a computer or real person. Knowing that she may let you sleep in your bed later on is far more important than where your driver finished. Besides that, I've never won an argument about scoring in 10 years. But I still hate transponders.
Work: Because I have to and it's cheaper than calling everyone with the results.
Soccer teams at a Motel: Ban them.
Washing and servicing a sprint car in a parking lot: Serious attention getter.
Budweiser Trophy Girls: Serious attention getter, and can't wait for driver to win at that track so the crew can be in the picture too.
Australians: Hilarious. Especially when they say "swamp".
Jimmy Sills: The best. Thank you again.
Oh ya, and there was a race.
We had a transfer spot on Friday out of the B-main until the final corner but let it get away. Rough heavy track relegated him to the bottom of a narrow track, and he would rather be up top. A short time later we were glad he wasn't in the A-main.
On Saturday the track looked like a drag strip from top to bottom - complete with tire smoke and all. Tire management was going to be the key, and with the left rear rotor glowing coming off the corners, he started 23rd, 4 laps later was lined up 16th and on a restart promptly blew off the top of the track in 3 and 4. If you've seen the animated movie Cars where Lightening McQueen is trying to figure out how to turn on dirt at the end of the straightaway and goes off in the weeds - that's what it was like - complete with my hysterical laughter. Driver smiled later too. Restarted 22nd, passed 4 cars and a few laps later(transponders lie) slid to a stop because of a 5 car pile up in front with no where to go. 2 stops - you're supposed to be done, and we were.
A success anyway. He was passing cars and having fun.
Mom and sister say they prefer watching the winged cars. Driver just smiles and quietly says "whatever, but if I have a choice it's what I'm doing now." Crew just wants him to smile. Dad could sit and talk with the gazillionaire, the Australian, the Budweiser girls (do they talk?), the guy in the parking lot, or the promoter and be perfectly happy.
We don't have to do this, but you should see the Bluteam smile when we do.
 
Green to Checkers,
Ted Hartman
Last edited on Monday Oct 1st, 2007 11:54 PM by
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The Nicki Factor
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Posted: Tuesday Oct 2nd, 2007 01:31 AM |
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Tina and Greg,
I miss you guys helping me cheer! I was the only one cheering while TJ was racing! (or packing the track!!) Everyone was looking at me like I was crazy or saying "What are you doing?!??!!?!?!" 
I also miss Phil Martelli announcing. Enough said!!
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Tina
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Posted: Tuesday Oct 2nd, 2007 02:31 AM |
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| We miss you all too, we'll be right by your side next year Nicki, people can look at us all they want.
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Dirttrakker
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Posted: Tuesday Oct 2nd, 2007 03:10 AM |
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I have a really funny story to tell when we stopped for gas at Heaven on Earth, Oregon...
There was this kid (probably about 18) and he was really funny. He said, "is that a go-cart in their?" My dad said, "no, it's a sprint car." He got a confused look on his face, and about 5 seconds later he goes, "You mean one of them things with the wing things on them?!" We started crackin up laughing and my dad said, "ya, but this race was without the wing." He asked where we placed and I told him I spun out, and he said, "was it crazy man??" I said ya there was this flip and everything. He said, "man, I was on this greyhound bus one time, goin like 90 MPH, and this big truck pulled out in front of us, and the road was like this (he was waving his hands all crazy showing us what it looked like - he was pretty dramatic) He said we went down the side of the road, and wrecked." (He started feeling his face all different ways to make sure his face wasn't bleeding. It was the funniest thing. Then he told us that later one of the school buses picked all them up, and everytime a car went by, he would put a face up against the window and the people driving by would point up at him. (I can't explain the facial expressions he did but we were all just laughing.) He asked us if we had any racing decals. We didn't have any, but the thing that my dad had (a poster of the trophy girls) my dad unrolled it and the kid went, "Wooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" That was really funny. The pump stopped filling, and he said, "Man, She was thirsty!" (Because of how much gas we put in) LOL. That kid was really funny.
It's cool how people know about sprint cars, the things with the wings on them. It was a fun time traveling all the way down there and back. I'm laughing right now as I'm writing.
I had a great time down there, and thanks everybody for your help!
TJ
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Fletch
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| Joined: | Sunday Sep 18th, 2005 |
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Posted: Tuesday Oct 2nd, 2007 03:28 AM |
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Ok Ted,
Maybe Not as long and hard a Journey as Yours but just as Fun. 3 weeks ago, Thurs 5:30 am leave Bremerton to Bainbridge Island,work 8 hrs(Ok, I was there 8 hrs ) after work pack up 18 y/o daughter & left Bremerton again @ 8:30 pm for Boise, ID, arrive Fri, 4:30 am, Sleep in Car till 8 y/o daughter wakes me up at 6:30 am (parked in front of X's house) My daughters get changed & I take them to Breakfast, then 8 y/o to School to meet Teacher & Friends. 9:30 am on the Road again headed to Lebanon, OR. Oregon, Gotta Love that State, Drove through 1 Forest Fire, Coasted off a Mountain for 11 Miles @ 6 degree grade(Mostly 35 MPH)  . Once off the Mountain I tried to make up some time, 118 MPH, in My Wifes Turbo Beetle (Hope She Never Reads This) past an Oregon State Trooper all I remember was Him shaking his head as He pointed the radar gun at me ! I was like, well, if He's Gonna Catch Me, He better get moving (Never Did See Him ) Somehow Lucked Out of That One. Arrive in Lebanon, OR @ 2:00 PM, visit my Fav Pizza Joint for some Lunch. Back to Willamette Speedway & the NSCS Race. Leave Lebanon Speedway for Cottage Grove arrive at the Village Green @ 11:30. Finally some Sleep You say ? Naaaaa, RickT showed up along with the rest of the NSCS Staff in the Lounge. I got to thinking, Band Playing, take away the "Racing" Crowd & there would had been 3 People in that place ! Ok, Finally at 2:30 am I was the LAST Person to leave the lounge ! Is it time for Sleep yet ? Yep, I slept till 5:30 am, got up, 7:30 went to the check in counter (only place with Wireless Internet) and Start downloading pics from the night before. Get finished around 10:30 am. After 13 years of chasing the races around the Great NorthWest I FINALLY got to go to Cottage Grove !!!!!!!!!!!! Somehow this track has avoided me all this time. Races there were finished 10:30- 11 pm, oh what a relief ! Then the reality Hits me like a ton of Bricks. I have to be to work on Bainbridge Island in 8 1/2 hours ......... Arrive back in Bremerton @ 4:30 am, just in time to unload car, take shower & head to work again.
Days Traveling ? 3
Hours Driving ? Dunno
Miles Traveled ? Dunno
Highest Speed attained ? 118
Speeding/Wreckless Driving Tickets/Arrests Avoided ? 1
Longest time Coasting in Car ? 11 Miles
Races attended ? 2
Pictures loaded to Laptop while driving home ? 458
How High Did The Fun Meter Go ? IT WAS PEGGED !
Cindy Lauper once sang that "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"
Haaaaaaaaaaa, BOYS do too !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fletch
A Trip Like This ? Priceless !
Last edited on Tuesday Oct 2nd, 2007 03:35 AM by Fletch
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Here For The Fun Of It, And Doing Just That !
http://www.Photobucket.com/Fletch
http://www.graysharborraceway.net/
http://www.ascsnorthwest.com/
http://www.jaycoleracing.com/
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rickt
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Posted: Tuesday Oct 2nd, 2007 03:39 AM |
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one thing to add Fletch......**** it was fun huh?
Rickt
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Just another old guy!
FB/92
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Fletch
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| Joined: | Sunday Sep 18th, 2005 |
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Posted: Tuesday Oct 2nd, 2007 03:44 AM |
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YEP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fletch wrote:
How High Did The Fun Meter Go ? IT WAS PEGGED !
Last edited on Tuesday Oct 2nd, 2007 03:46 AM by Fletch
____________________
Here For The Fun Of It, And Doing Just That !
http://www.Photobucket.com/Fletch
http://www.graysharborraceway.net/
http://www.ascsnorthwest.com/
http://www.jaycoleracing.com/
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The Nicki Factor
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Posted: Tuesday Oct 2nd, 2007 03:58 AM |
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| Oops forgot to click quote Last edited on Tuesday Oct 2nd, 2007 04:02 AM by The Nicki Factor
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The Nicki Factor
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Posted: Tuesday Oct 2nd, 2007 04:01 AM |
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Dirttrakker wrote: I have a really funny story to tell when we stopped for gas at Heaven on Earth, Oregon...
There was this kid (probably about 18) and he was really funny. He said, "is that a go-cart in their?" My dad said, "no, it's a sprint car." He got a confused look on his face, and about 5 seconds later he goes, "You mean one of them things with the wing things on them?!" We started crackin up laughing and my dad said, "ya, but this race was without the wing." He asked where we placed and I told him I spun out, and he said, "was it crazy man??" I said ya there was this flip and everything. He said, "man, I was on this greyhound bus one time, goin like 90 MPH, and this big truck pulled out in front of us, and the road was like this (he was waving his hands all crazy showing us what it looked like - he was pretty dramatic) He said we went down the side of the road, and wrecked." (He started feeling his face all different ways to make sure his face wasn't bleeding. It was the funniest thing. Then he told us that later one of the school buses picked all them up, and everytime a car went by, he would put a face up against the window and the people driving by would point up at him. (I can't explain the facial expressions he did but we were all just laughing.) He asked us if we had any racing decals. We didn't have any, but the thing that my dad had (a poster of the trophy girls) my dad unrolled it and the kid went, "Wooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" That was really funny. The pump stopped filling, and he said, "Man, She was thirsty!" (Because of how much gas we put in) LOL. That kid was really funny.
It's cool how people know about sprint cars, the things with the wings on them. It was a fun time traveling all the way down there and back. I'm laughing right now as I'm writing.
I had a great time down there, and thanks everybody for your help!
TJ
Good times, good times
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