We start on March 12th at Atco. There are 20 points races total. I'm hoping to make them all for my rookie year in Super Pro.

 

When the stinkin lousy snow stops. Probaby in June I despertly need a test and tune B/4 points start. New engine and converter. Maple starts on 3/26. Looks like I'll be using opening day at ATCO as my first test and tune and hope I don't see Rick in round one.

Jackie, good luck in SP.

 

Just get in the same lane as him and you'll be fine.

I can't believe we have less than 2 weeks already. This winter FLEW by!!

 

I run at 2 different track in the Houston area. Lone Star Raceway(IHRA) started Feb. 19th. Houston Raceway Park(NHRA) start this Saturday(March 5th).

Coach

 

My track, OBX sweedway, points start on April 2nd. They'll have 15 pts races and are also in the Summit Super Series, which I also plan on running. Hopefully I'll do well and can recoup some cash.

Randy

 

Mid May. We have 6 weekends this year as double headers giving us a total of 12 races. We've tried starting early May in the past but the last 3 years have been snowed out.

 

I almost wish we did it that way here. 20 weekends is A LOT and in order to be competitive, you can't miss one. Family and friends don't understand that...

 

But that's the only track time we get. Saturday nights used to be T&T and a king of the hill race if you wanted to enter. Sunday was points series competition. This is the first year of the double header style instead of 12 weekends for a season. Now we have no track times for T&T unless you get eliminated in the first round.

 

Ah, gotcha.
I think even 12 Saturdays would be good for me. It's hard to turn down almost every Saturday "thing" that comes up from March through September.

We do get T&T time though. Atco is one of the few tracks around that is open 5 days a week.

Good luck with your seasons everyone!! I know I need all the help I can get for my rookie year in Super Pro!!!!

 

How hard can Super Pro be even for a girl? See the first flash, let go of the button, take a deep breath, and hold on. J/k
Jackie, good luck. Your gonna do fine. If the weather gets better I'll see ya all at the first 2 races. Are you pitting in the same spot?

 

If it's open, I will pit there but I didn't buy it this year. They aren't supplying electric or anything like that anymore so we didn't bother. Not to mention that we really don't know how many races we're going to make. It's hard now that we have a house!!!

Joe Jr was nice enough to waive the $55.00 points entry fee for me because I paid last year and didn't race a single race. I was VERY happy with that. I sure as heck hope the weather gets better. It's beginning to look like March 12th is going to be my car's first appearance at the track!!!!

I really need to get out to the garage and spend some time running through passes in the car. I have to get used to it!!!

 

Our old 12 weekend season normally worked out as every second weekend. On the off weekends, there are road course races. The dragstrip is the main straight-a-way. Around mid season we had 2 races on back to back weekends then every second weekend again. At least duing the off weekends, you had time to fix or repair anything for the next race. With little time during the week to do anything, I managed to get everything done on the off weekend. It also gives some time if you had to order any parts. Now I have lots of off weekends between races. I also have a chance to travel to a couple of regional tracks during those local off weekends so technically I can race just about every weekend from early May to end of September but that's a little too much for budget racing with no sponsors helping to foot the bills.

I don't know how some racers can handle a season that ends in November and starts up again in January or February. When do you have time to do any changes?

I love transbrake racing. Last year I started using a delay box and go off the top bulb now. It takes a bit to get used to but once you get your reaction times consistant, you can adjust the delay box to get a better light. I have mine set for 1.000 and only get the occasional red light now. For me, anything worse than a .030 (.530) light is bad. The delay box is also very helpful for LED lights. You can't watch them come on like an incandescent bulb so you can't judge how long the bulb has been on and leave when it's at it's brightest. So with the LED, the first flash of yellow you let go of the button and hang on until the transbrake releases. Adjust the timer as you judge your own reaction times. My delay box doesn't have all the bells and whistles. No second hit at the tree. No crossover etc. I don't care what anyone is doing in the other lane. I'm there to race my own race.

 

I raced my dad's nova using the transbrake once. I was very late on the tree (top bulb racing is WAY different than bottom bulb!) but I had a blast!! That convinced me that I wanted to put a box in my car and go Super racing. It really wasn't a hard decision because my car is too much for the Street class and Heavy at Atco is deadly. Those footbrake guys cut consistent .00X lights. There are 5 or so that dominate the class every year too. This year, Jim (kazman) is going to shine in Heavy l- if he decides to make more races!

Last night I sat in the car for a few minutes. It was late though, and I was tired so I didn't really go through much. Rick keeps pounding what you said above into my head - "it doesn't matter what your lights are because you can adjust the box - just make sure that you do the same thing every time!"

 

Thanks, Jax. Here's my story. It's a 2 hour tow to ATCO and cost $50 more per race than the Maple Grove (gas and tolls). If I do extremly well in ATCO's first 2 races then I'll stay for the first session. If not I'll be running points at Maple. ATCO and Maple schecule races on the same day making it impossible to run both tracks for the full season. If that is the case then I'll be down at ATCO on "off" says, about 9 races total. The goal this year is to qualify for the division 1 race.

Listen to Rick, he really helped me in my rookie season in Heavy. He will tell you where you need to improve. Take what you did well in the last run and use that as a mind set. From there do better on one aspect of the race. Keep building on the positivites. Just keep at it. Don't worry on what your did wrong, dwell on what you did right. Never, never, never give up. The positivites will out weigh the bad. Keep good notes not only of the race car and weather but on yourself too. How where you feeling, what were you thinking in the staging lanes, burnbox, etc. How much sugar or coffee did you have before the round? Bad week at work? Late night before race day? Write down the root causes of why you lost. Example is that you didn't make your dial. Why?- bad 60'. Why?- didn't stage the car in the same spot. Root cause of the loss is not a dial-in error but that of staging. Don't be afraid of who is in the lane next to you (even if it is your dad). Don't try to change things because of your opponent. Do everything the same. Off topic but I hope it helps you.

-Jim

 

Thanks Jim. One of my worries is that I will get conflicting advice from my dad and Rick... who do I listen to?? They both said to pick ONE of them and only listen to that person but how would the other one feel if I didn't pick him?? It's odd. I think they both know that I feel this way so I hope they make it easy for me!!!

As for making Atco points races...
IF you decide that you want to race more than the first 2 - leave your trailer there!!! There is parking lot on the other side of the track that is gated in and watched over (by Bud - he lives in a trailer over there). You are allowed to leave your rig there IF you are a points racer and you race regularly. No crap is allowed over there anymore and it isn't storage for people who aren't racing regularly. So, that will save you a TON in gas and tolls...