03-20-2022, 06:18 PM
Chapter 98
Mr Jack Peck was standing proudly over the three S-85 kart sitting here in the pits after the great presentation he gave.
So do I need to worry about having some competition in building karts? You say that one kart is fixed and you also copied it? How are those karts working out for you?
Yes sir. Oh, I mean no sir. This is the only way I thought of actually ever getting a kart of my own. It took a lot of work, but we finally managed to make our first race. It was a whole lot of trouble and a great learning experience for me. I am more confident in my welding abilities now, but no where near where I would like to be yet.
We spent all summer trying to fix that one frame and finally copying it so me and Steve here both have the same thing. The karts worked out very well. I am not disappointed at all in how they handle or even run.
But me and Steve, well now Chris here are going to be racing a lot more in the bushing class together. It is all I can afford anyway. I would really like to race in a faster class, but sure cant afford those new McCulloch or Power Products engines everyone else is running up front with.
Well boys there is nothing wrong with racing in the bushing class. You can really learn how to drive when there is not so much power to compensate for mistakes. You have to be smooth and not get too crazy in the tighter turns or will loose all of your momentum. Once that is gone, your race is over.
Dont knock the class just because it is slower. When you can afford to move up, you will appreciate the driving experience you have gained. It will help out a lot when setting up your kart to handle the extra power better too.
When there is very limited power to work with, the kart has to be spot-on perfect or you go backwards. You have to drive using your head instead of your right foot thru the turns. Because if you try to make a risky pass and scrub off too much speed, it was for nothing. You loose everything. Sometimes you can loose several positions too.
I try to recommend new drivers considering starting out with a practice motor. Something like the old Clinton or any of the bushing motors. Most people dont know how to take care of their equipment, so a cheap engine to start out with makes sense.
Unfortunately those same people dont want to learn how to work on or even drive a kart first. They want something fast that is race ready. So that is what we are developing. A great handling kart with the most common motors that run up front.
Past that, we cant do much else unless they take the time to learn what to do with what they have. There are still other people that come back and want the engine modified and with all of the aftermarket parts.
So that is what we give them. But still suggesting they spend time learning how to drive and set up the kart. I dont know how many calls we get complaining about getting beat by someone else with about the same equipment.
I have even put Richard in their kart for one heat race to find out what the problem is. He almost always runs up front with the fastest in the class. Doesnt win every time in someone elses kart, but sure doesnt end up somewhere in the back where the owner usually runs.
What I find irritating is how someone lets their equipment just sit between races. Then expects it to run fast as someone else that spends a lot of time keeping up and taking care of their karts.
I dont know how many times we do nothing but change a spark plug or adjust tire pressure for some of our recent customers so the kart is running like it did when they first bought it.
Other times the frame has been in a wreck or some bolts has been over tightened. But we get blamed until finding the culprit and fixing for free. Just to save from loosing a customer.
But usually Richard might make a few minor adjustments on some and then can run right up there in front. But we cant be doing that with every customer that buys a kart from us. We would never get a chance to race for ourselves to keep improving the karts.
Well anyway, tell your dad to drop by and say hello. We need to get the karts ready for tonights race. It was very nice to meet all of you. I hope to see you out here to race very soon too. We will be running up here a lot for the rest of this year.
Yes sir. It was nice to met you and Richard. Thanks for your time and the information about the karts. I am very impressed with what you have here.
We went about looking at all of the other karts that will be running tonight. The atmosphere here is not anything like what we had to endure at Fabens. You can feel the energy and excitement in the air.
This track is something else. I cant even explain it. But I have not been to any other track but Fabens. I would love to start racing at this track. It is not much farther to drive from home either. OK, it might not be ten minutes from there. But still not too bad. The distance to drive is a little farther. It did take us nearly 45 minutes to get here.
It was getting dark and the races were about to start up and going. First thing happening is time trials. I have thought about time trialing and on the fence about it. I do like drawing for position, instead of fast guys always start in front.
I have always thought the real winner of a race has to beat everyone in the class. If someone time trials fastest, then he is only outrunning everyone else. To drive thru the pack or battle for your position is real racing. Starting out front and maintaining your position is nothing more than fastest lap time. I will now get off my soapbox.
At this track if you get fast time in your class, you are almost guaranteed the win for the night. That is if you dont slow down during your race. But if someone passes you, just make some adjustments for the next heat and try again to get your position back.
The third heat almost predetermines who the winner is going to be. But just winning the third heat doesnt make you the winner. It is a total of points from the three heat races. If everyone has a bad running in the first two heats, then you only know who has the most points. If the leader fails to hold position in final heat, the finish is still up for grabs.
So your time trial determines your starting position. The finish of that first heat is the starting position for the second heat. Adding the points from your finish position from the two heats determines the lineup of the third heat.
What I dont like with time trials is if someone sets fast time, he starts first. If no one gets around him, he starts in the pole position for all three heats. So he doesnt get any real driving time against the other karts. Only holding on to his position or just blocking like I have seen happen way too many times before.
I know all of the professional racing is more or less done this way. But I dont see how you can get any real driving experience just starting up front all the time. If you can maintain your lap time, nobody should be able to make a pass. The same for the second heat race.
The final heat race is combined points of the first two races. If you dont get passed in the first two heats, almost gurantees the same finish position. You have fast time, no mistakes, then you are the winner.
Obviously there is the human factor. You botch the start. Someone else gets a jump on you out of a turn. The driver on outside pole cuts you off. If he causes you to give it up you position, then you have to get back around him. This does require some more talent than just turning the fastest lap time.
Another very important thing is your kart must be handling the same throughout the whole race. You might make an initial fast lap time, but then your kart slows down as the race progresses. This is a real problem that you would have to be good enough at setting up the chassis to maintain your speed on every lap.
I guess yet another possibility is someone gets faster as the race progresses. Your kart might be a little bit loose on the first few laps. But then as the tires get hot or the track gets more hooked up, your times improve. You make that last second pass and take the checkered flag first.
At Fabens, for the weekend races, you draw for position, so nobody has any real advantage over the other drivers. Well unless you are the flagmans kids racing. They always seemed to line up close to the front at every race, according to Chris. The second heat race is inverted from your draw position. The combination of points from the two heats is your start position for the third race.
If lucky you draw a good start position, then finish close to the front. Second heat you start nearly in the back. If you are decent in traffic, you move up quick enough earning a lot more points. Then the points added up puts you close to the front for the final heat.
You still have to actually race until the last lap if not starting in the number one position. There is a big downside to this type scoring. The third heat race is your actual finishing position for the night. If you break, then your race is over. So someone could easily punt you off the track at the start, then you have no chance to even place.
Drawing for position you end up running against other drivers that may not be anywhere as fast. If they can drive a good defensive line, you may not be able to get around them. So you do get some good driving experience. And probably a lot of complaining from sore losers.
It was surprising the first time we came out to Fabens. That guy Greg Mullins was cussing up a storm about being faster, but he could not get around David Watkins. But that is racing. You dont win if you get beat. Doesnt matter who is faster.
Even tho they did time trial at that race, Greg thought he was faster than David. But he ended up on outside pole because of a little screw up in one of the turns. So for the rest of that night it was just one yelling scene after another. Then Greg Mullins got pitched out for the night.
So after the races he just had to prove it to everyone else who was actually faster. But I was in the way. Or in the wrong place right then. Really I guess I was the reason David didnt go spinning off the track instead of me. I was the reaction to Gregs action against Davids kart. Some of that laws of physics thing going on out there.
Chris had explained to me about those two brothers driving the Westbends. At first they were always starting in front. Well until a lot of complaints from other drivers.
Everyone pulled numbers from the same hat. So you didnt really know where your start position was until the grid sheet was drawn up. You also put your number back in the hat. If someone drew that number again, would be behind the other person in that class that pulled it first.
Chris had also noticed, after all of the complaints, those Westbend drivers would at the worst only be one or two rows back. But the drivers now in front were never any competition to them. They would always be some of the slow racers that never finished anywhere close to the front. These same drivers would also move out of the way if someone was following close behind.
Chris came up with a theory that someone was manipulating the lineup for at least the Junior Bushing class. He rationalized this because of the year end awards they had. There was a one hundred dollar gift certificate to the driver that has accumulated the most points for the given season.
The two Westbend drivers also race regionally. But they dont usually fare so well at other tracks. This is something Chris had filled us in about them. One thing in the brothers favor when there are scheduled regional races, it is a non-points weekend at Fabens.
Mr Jack Peck was standing proudly over the three S-85 kart sitting here in the pits after the great presentation he gave.
So do I need to worry about having some competition in building karts? You say that one kart is fixed and you also copied it? How are those karts working out for you?
Yes sir. Oh, I mean no sir. This is the only way I thought of actually ever getting a kart of my own. It took a lot of work, but we finally managed to make our first race. It was a whole lot of trouble and a great learning experience for me. I am more confident in my welding abilities now, but no where near where I would like to be yet.
We spent all summer trying to fix that one frame and finally copying it so me and Steve here both have the same thing. The karts worked out very well. I am not disappointed at all in how they handle or even run.
But me and Steve, well now Chris here are going to be racing a lot more in the bushing class together. It is all I can afford anyway. I would really like to race in a faster class, but sure cant afford those new McCulloch or Power Products engines everyone else is running up front with.
Well boys there is nothing wrong with racing in the bushing class. You can really learn how to drive when there is not so much power to compensate for mistakes. You have to be smooth and not get too crazy in the tighter turns or will loose all of your momentum. Once that is gone, your race is over.
Dont knock the class just because it is slower. When you can afford to move up, you will appreciate the driving experience you have gained. It will help out a lot when setting up your kart to handle the extra power better too.
When there is very limited power to work with, the kart has to be spot-on perfect or you go backwards. You have to drive using your head instead of your right foot thru the turns. Because if you try to make a risky pass and scrub off too much speed, it was for nothing. You loose everything. Sometimes you can loose several positions too.
I try to recommend new drivers considering starting out with a practice motor. Something like the old Clinton or any of the bushing motors. Most people dont know how to take care of their equipment, so a cheap engine to start out with makes sense.
Unfortunately those same people dont want to learn how to work on or even drive a kart first. They want something fast that is race ready. So that is what we are developing. A great handling kart with the most common motors that run up front.
Past that, we cant do much else unless they take the time to learn what to do with what they have. There are still other people that come back and want the engine modified and with all of the aftermarket parts.
So that is what we give them. But still suggesting they spend time learning how to drive and set up the kart. I dont know how many calls we get complaining about getting beat by someone else with about the same equipment.
I have even put Richard in their kart for one heat race to find out what the problem is. He almost always runs up front with the fastest in the class. Doesnt win every time in someone elses kart, but sure doesnt end up somewhere in the back where the owner usually runs.
What I find irritating is how someone lets their equipment just sit between races. Then expects it to run fast as someone else that spends a lot of time keeping up and taking care of their karts.
I dont know how many times we do nothing but change a spark plug or adjust tire pressure for some of our recent customers so the kart is running like it did when they first bought it.
Other times the frame has been in a wreck or some bolts has been over tightened. But we get blamed until finding the culprit and fixing for free. Just to save from loosing a customer.
But usually Richard might make a few minor adjustments on some and then can run right up there in front. But we cant be doing that with every customer that buys a kart from us. We would never get a chance to race for ourselves to keep improving the karts.
Well anyway, tell your dad to drop by and say hello. We need to get the karts ready for tonights race. It was very nice to meet all of you. I hope to see you out here to race very soon too. We will be running up here a lot for the rest of this year.
Yes sir. It was nice to met you and Richard. Thanks for your time and the information about the karts. I am very impressed with what you have here.
We went about looking at all of the other karts that will be running tonight. The atmosphere here is not anything like what we had to endure at Fabens. You can feel the energy and excitement in the air.
This track is something else. I cant even explain it. But I have not been to any other track but Fabens. I would love to start racing at this track. It is not much farther to drive from home either. OK, it might not be ten minutes from there. But still not too bad. The distance to drive is a little farther. It did take us nearly 45 minutes to get here.
It was getting dark and the races were about to start up and going. First thing happening is time trials. I have thought about time trialing and on the fence about it. I do like drawing for position, instead of fast guys always start in front.
I have always thought the real winner of a race has to beat everyone in the class. If someone time trials fastest, then he is only outrunning everyone else. To drive thru the pack or battle for your position is real racing. Starting out front and maintaining your position is nothing more than fastest lap time. I will now get off my soapbox.
At this track if you get fast time in your class, you are almost guaranteed the win for the night. That is if you dont slow down during your race. But if someone passes you, just make some adjustments for the next heat and try again to get your position back.
The third heat almost predetermines who the winner is going to be. But just winning the third heat doesnt make you the winner. It is a total of points from the three heat races. If everyone has a bad running in the first two heats, then you only know who has the most points. If the leader fails to hold position in final heat, the finish is still up for grabs.
So your time trial determines your starting position. The finish of that first heat is the starting position for the second heat. Adding the points from your finish position from the two heats determines the lineup of the third heat.
What I dont like with time trials is if someone sets fast time, he starts first. If no one gets around him, he starts in the pole position for all three heats. So he doesnt get any real driving time against the other karts. Only holding on to his position or just blocking like I have seen happen way too many times before.
I know all of the professional racing is more or less done this way. But I dont see how you can get any real driving experience just starting up front all the time. If you can maintain your lap time, nobody should be able to make a pass. The same for the second heat race.
The final heat race is combined points of the first two races. If you dont get passed in the first two heats, almost gurantees the same finish position. You have fast time, no mistakes, then you are the winner.
Obviously there is the human factor. You botch the start. Someone else gets a jump on you out of a turn. The driver on outside pole cuts you off. If he causes you to give it up you position, then you have to get back around him. This does require some more talent than just turning the fastest lap time.
Another very important thing is your kart must be handling the same throughout the whole race. You might make an initial fast lap time, but then your kart slows down as the race progresses. This is a real problem that you would have to be good enough at setting up the chassis to maintain your speed on every lap.
I guess yet another possibility is someone gets faster as the race progresses. Your kart might be a little bit loose on the first few laps. But then as the tires get hot or the track gets more hooked up, your times improve. You make that last second pass and take the checkered flag first.
At Fabens, for the weekend races, you draw for position, so nobody has any real advantage over the other drivers. Well unless you are the flagmans kids racing. They always seemed to line up close to the front at every race, according to Chris. The second heat race is inverted from your draw position. The combination of points from the two heats is your start position for the third race.
If lucky you draw a good start position, then finish close to the front. Second heat you start nearly in the back. If you are decent in traffic, you move up quick enough earning a lot more points. Then the points added up puts you close to the front for the final heat.
You still have to actually race until the last lap if not starting in the number one position. There is a big downside to this type scoring. The third heat race is your actual finishing position for the night. If you break, then your race is over. So someone could easily punt you off the track at the start, then you have no chance to even place.
Drawing for position you end up running against other drivers that may not be anywhere as fast. If they can drive a good defensive line, you may not be able to get around them. So you do get some good driving experience. And probably a lot of complaining from sore losers.
It was surprising the first time we came out to Fabens. That guy Greg Mullins was cussing up a storm about being faster, but he could not get around David Watkins. But that is racing. You dont win if you get beat. Doesnt matter who is faster.
Even tho they did time trial at that race, Greg thought he was faster than David. But he ended up on outside pole because of a little screw up in one of the turns. So for the rest of that night it was just one yelling scene after another. Then Greg Mullins got pitched out for the night.
So after the races he just had to prove it to everyone else who was actually faster. But I was in the way. Or in the wrong place right then. Really I guess I was the reason David didnt go spinning off the track instead of me. I was the reaction to Gregs action against Davids kart. Some of that laws of physics thing going on out there.
Chris had explained to me about those two brothers driving the Westbends. At first they were always starting in front. Well until a lot of complaints from other drivers.
Everyone pulled numbers from the same hat. So you didnt really know where your start position was until the grid sheet was drawn up. You also put your number back in the hat. If someone drew that number again, would be behind the other person in that class that pulled it first.
Chris had also noticed, after all of the complaints, those Westbend drivers would at the worst only be one or two rows back. But the drivers now in front were never any competition to them. They would always be some of the slow racers that never finished anywhere close to the front. These same drivers would also move out of the way if someone was following close behind.
Chris came up with a theory that someone was manipulating the lineup for at least the Junior Bushing class. He rationalized this because of the year end awards they had. There was a one hundred dollar gift certificate to the driver that has accumulated the most points for the given season.
The two Westbend drivers also race regionally. But they dont usually fare so well at other tracks. This is something Chris had filled us in about them. One thing in the brothers favor when there are scheduled regional races, it is a non-points weekend at Fabens.