More fast drivers were racing tonight, as I was fighting every round for 3rd place! There were 9 trucks running too, so there was traffic every few laps. Every heat was so intense that my knees were shaking as I stood at my marshall spot! LOL! It took me the entire heat I was marshalling to calm back down. Anyways on to the recap.
The first round of qualifying was rough. Everyone kept running into each other. I got punted in the hairpin after the double following the straight more than once. I admit, I was driving very aggressive and as fast as I could go, and probably returned the favor of getting hit a few times myself. I always try to drive clean, but if I get hit, I'm returning the favor. In fact, if the driving of the others in my heat is clean, I'll drive clean. If everyone is aggressive, so am I. The rough driving showed in the times for the heat. Robert Black only turned 15 laps, when he can usually go 17 laps. Everyone else turned 15 laps or slower. I turned a 15:12 finishing in 4th. For this round I was running the same gear as at HRH, 78/29. My motor temp was a safe 150°F. I also turned my fastest single lap at 18.829 sec. The dirt was also pretty damp, so I was running my new Holeshots on the rear. Unlike last week, when the dirt was a tad drier, and I was running my Stingers.
In the second round of qualifying, the driving was much cleaner. The top 2 truck went 17 laps and 3rd/4th both went 16 laps. I finished 5th with a 15:00. Hmm. I think I'll move my transponder to the front of my truck! In this heat again, I was fighting for 3rd place. There were 3 of us running together all trying for 3rd. It was intense! I was doing my best to drive clean, but we all got tangled one time or another, and I kept making small mistakes. My motor temp with the same gear was 160°F, and I upped my single fastest lap to 18.680 sec. Although my fastest single lap was getting faster, my truck didn't have the same punch off the corners. For the main I went back to same gear I was running last week, 78/27.
For the main the track was watered, then we took a 30 min break. During the break Robert Black (track owner) was laying down a coating of maple syrup on the racing line. Hahaha! I guess traction would be good for the mains! The main was more of the same. Intense battling for 3rd place! I got a clean start and the battle began. A few laps later, I got punted in the same hairpin again as the 1st round. But this time it was so hard, my truck was spun around! Great! Here we go again :( I did manage to make it up to 3rd place for a lap or two, but made stupid mistakes, that I would not normally make, but I was driving so hard and aggressive, just to stay with the other 2 drivers in the battle for 3rd. I finished the main in 5th, just 1 second behind 4th, with a 15:12. My truck had what felt like way more punch out of the corners this time, but my fastest single lap was only a 19.138. I bet it would've been faster if I could get some laps in away from the other drivers. I was always in a battle for position.
For my next race at OCRC, I want tp change out the rotor in my motor, as the magnets are beginning to feel weak. When the motor was new, the rotor was difficult to spin, now it almost free spins. This is a sign that the rotor magnets have weakened. I'm also thinking of trying the Orion or Novak 17.5 bl motor. When taking a peak at Robert's truck, I saw that he was using the Novak bl system, while I run the LRP one. I wonder if the Novak 17.5 is faster than the LRP? Now, I need to find out what gear he's running, and I wonder if it'll be the truth!
See you next time at OCRC! If you're reading this, and I hit you/tangled with you in tonight's racing, sorry about that. But, you probaly hit me too, so we're even now :)
No comments:
Post a Comment