Lowes Racing Stories

#1

Got any?
Al, after further inspection, how is the car?

Good racing by some of the new guys (Tower and Evan)and Alex and Eric are no longer a rookies and post good finishes.

Johan wins, no surprise there…

Regards, Robert Patton

#2

my full writeup, including video: http://racing.cerient.net/?p=178

once again a great event, thanks to everyone for keeping it clean. except for al’s unfortunate incident i hardly saw a single yellow flag all day, a pleasant change of pace from the earlier races this year. for once i was actually praying for the checker flag to be thrown!

#3

I had a great time as usual. And great fun battling with you Patton, as usual.

As excited as I was to get a 2nd place finish, I have to say that Al’s fart during the drivers meeting was still the highlight of my day.

#4

jtower wrote:

[quote]my full writeup, including video: http://racing.cerient.net/?p=178

once again a great event, thanks to everyone for keeping it clean. except for al’s unfortunate incident i hardly saw a single yellow flag all day, a pleasant change of pace from the earlier races this year. for once i was actually praying for the checker flag to be thrown![/quote]

Great write up and videos. I can’t even begin to tell you guys how much it sucks missing the start of the season.

Thanks for posting.

BTW: How tall is Brad Daugherty? 7’4"

#5

Evan, were you sandbagging in race two to see if Johan was sandbagging? The lap times for your car make a 45 degree upward trend.It ain’t nice to give old racers false info on “catching the 2nd place guy.”

RP

#6

Patton wrote:

[quote]Evan, were you sandbagging in race two to see if Johan was sandbagging? The lap times for your car make a 45 degree upward trend.It ain’t nice to give old racers false info on “catching the 2nd place guy.”
[/quote]

I was counting the seconds between Johan and I each lap, excitedly bouncing in my seat as it went from 5, to 4, to 3, to slightly under 3. And then it started going back up, by at least a second a lap. I realized he was just taking it easy until I got close and then speeding back up, so at that point I figured I’d stop pushing it and roll around the track until it ended.

I don’t know if I’d call that sandbagging, but yes, I stopped pushing for the last couple laps.

#7

When two racers ahead of you are slowing, double sandbagging is the correct term.

RP

#8

Patton wrote:

I prefer “pretecting an insurmountable lead”.:laugh:

I hope the competition wasn’t as weak as the race reports (Tower being the one exception). So far, all I know is that Evan was giddy like a schoolgirl in 2nd place, Fred spun, and Al farted and hit the wall (in that order, I think).

Weak.

It’s almost enough to make me figure out a way to scrape together the CMP weekend funds…:woohoo:

#9

Steve D wrote:

You a big badminton fan?

#10

AThe first race was a constant battle with Jones and Patton, if we had worked together we could have caught Evan…Bump Drafting is fun and it works…we caught Evan and Reznikov in the second race in a matter of a lap or two. I hit the wall because I heard Jones’s engine sputter in the same spot as it had in the first race, moved right, into the marbles and rode the greasy edge of the track around untill it kicked me off and into the barrier. The car is toast. A lot of folks came up and commented on the bump draft close battle we had going on in the first race, the lap times were pretty close…Pattons car didn’t seem to like the uphill right hander but it is hard to get around there…proven in the second race when I tried Jones in the same spot…

Al

#11

My only race report is… how do I get those stains out of my suit??

(Watch in Jason’s rear-view mirror after I go off)
http://vimeo.com/11070586

And from my point of view: http://vimeo.com/11082167

Sorry Al, I think I sucked up all the good luck Monday…

#12

Steve D you better be at CMP. Patton and I are going to bump-draft our way to your rear bumper like we should have done back in Feb.

#13

Its always nice to take a day off of work to go racing. I had a blast and this was some of the most fun racing I’ve had yet. Charlotte is a great track to race on…especially if you have a motor. The NASCAR part is a little boring as you just hammer down and ride around until T1 comes up but the infield is definitely one of the best sections of track we run on period. On and off camber turns and plenty of elevation change throughout.

I managed to qualify 4th in Spec E30 and since we started both races from that qualifying, there I was.

Race one I managed to get freight trained and Evan, R. Patton and Al went by me. Evan got a good gap on us and he was steadily getting away. Al, Robert and I had a great battle the whole race and I managed to get by both of them about halfway thru and hold them off until the last lap. One thing is very apparent, I need more motor. Read more in race 2. I also started getting the dreaded fuel starvation thru the infield and on the last lap on the last infield turn, the car fell on its face and Al drove right by me to take 5th? The car came back and I managed a 6th place finish.

Race two, same starting positions. Race started well and the same thing happened. Evan drove by us and was catching the leaders. Every single lap I would gain a bit of an advantage on Robert and Al in the infield only to be tracked right back down again on the straight bits. From the exit of the last infield turn all the way around the track to T1, Al was bump drafting me down the straight. And it worked very well. We managed to catch Reznikov and he was then black flagged getting him neatly out of the way. A few laps later I started getting the fuel starve again and in 3 places the car would fall on its face for 2 full seconds before lurching back to life and continuing on. After Al went off Robert manged to get by going into T1. I quickly made a re-pass on him in T3 and held it for a little while. More fuel starve an Robert went by again. This time he and Brad in the Thunder roadster were dicing it up and just as I had the perfect run thru 4 to pass them both, on its face the car went again. That was the end of that battle. I managed to hold my starting spot to take a 4th place finish with Robert in 3rd, Evan 2nd and Johan 1st.

You certainly use a lot of fuel going flat out for that long. That was part of the startvation problem. The other part came down to priorities. I had to decide between working on my sweet tan and filling the car full of fuel. Anyone who knows me knows I am very practical and simply cannot pass up a chance to catch some rays. I put the rest of the fuel in after the race but have a sweet tan. Don’t you judge me.

It was a great day at the track. Great to see everyone again as well, hope you all made it home safe. Can’t wait for CMP.

P.S. Oh yeah, no video from me as the camera was left safely at home in the closet, next to Robinson’s true sexual persuasion. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

#14

Jones wrote:

Enjoy having the camera in the ‘closet’ while you can, it will come out faster than DeVinney when you’re married and be safely back in the car.

Good to see Beertech isn’t all about big days at Home Depot and Bed Bath and Beyond just yet…

#15

evanlevine3233 wrote:

I wish I could make it, but it just ain’t happening. I have a track day planned at Little Talladega the following weekend with my wife and some friends. Unfortunately, even SHE knows CMP’s reputation and she said “you could go, but you better not mess up the car” by which she meant “you better not go”. 17 years of marriage and I am starting to get a handle on communication with her.:laugh:

I am gearing up for my Northeast SE30 debut at the end of May. My only concern is that I will kick so much New Jersey a$$ that they take me out to the Pine Barrens and whack me. :stuck_out_tongue:

#16

Fred42 wrote:

[quote]My only race report is… how do I get those stains out of my suit??

(Watch in Jason’s rear-view mirror after I go off)
http://vimeo.com/11070586
[/quote]
Fred, Fred, Fred. Both feet in, my friend. That could have been u.g.l.y. when you whipped across track.

#17

Laura, where is my video upload of race two with Al’s slide into the wall?

RP

#18

Steve D wrote:

[quote]Fred42 wrote:

[quote]My only race report is… how do I get those stains out of my suit??

(Watch in Jason’s rear-view mirror after I go off)
http://vimeo.com/11070586
[/quote]
Fred, Fred, Fred. Both feet in, my friend. That could have been u.g.l.y. when you whipped across track.[/quote]

Sigh… :blush:
Yeah, I’ve been kicking myself for that one. I know better…