|
Post by sportf on Jul 11, 2022 11:32:18 GMT
What a night of racing. Picture taken at 3 AM Sunday and Victory still has a mob for the winner/runner up photos! We are Victory NSS Racing!!!! Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by sportf on Jul 11, 2022 15:10:11 GMT
Mopar Bash St. Louis July 8 and 9
Friday 8 July, Victory racers showed up at World Wide Technology raceway to see who could come home with all the Victory Marbles in a race that will be noted as one of the longest days of NSS racing ever.
Friday's 3 test hits were topped off by a 1/8 mile bracket race in which our own Jim Hagenhoff knocked off all competitors in a 6 round win in No Box. In the Box/no box shoot out Jim missed the winner circle by like .002.
Considering he was racing a box programmed air shifted racer, that was a good show. All the Victory race gang was there for the win photo, and that was a good opener for our drivers meeting and give away program.
Right after the drivers meeting our snack out was interrupted by some rain that thankfully waited until we were done racing. Although it really came down and ruined some canopies and awnings, some of us elected to snack out and watch the rain from under the roof of the (closed) open air bar. Plenty of bench racing was done there.
Saturday morning we we all pretty surprised to wake up to some un-predicted rain. And it rained and rained. Although we had some 26 cars show up for this race, one elected to leave as many of us thought the race would be called.
Clay Kossulths 63 Dodge had to bow out of the race action due to a fatal flaw somewhere in that engine of his. I believe that car will be retired for the rest of the summer and await a new engine in the off season. That left 24 ca rs to race in a situation where at 1:30 in the afternoon, we expected the race to be called. Jokingly, we talked and someone said, if the race is to go on, “we'll be racing at 3 AM!” We all laughed, but that turned out to be true.
The track crew was spectacular and with as many as 10 people working the track the racing started about 3:30 and away we went. Kurt Tevavult was our number one qualifier and he would eventually have an interesting second round. More on that in a bit.
Round 1 Round one is always nerve racking for most of us, and two race veterans lined up as first pair out. Bob Westhoff and Rosie Kossuth. Both had similar but not spectacular lights and both ran just a smidgen over their respective indexes. Bob came out on top in this round, and Rosie had to sit the rest out.
Next pair out Tom Head lined up with Jon Landwehr in an all Plymouth race. Jon's car, Sea Bisket, was at lunch when the tree came down and this allowed Tom to take the win light. Jon broke out trying to take the strip from Tom's car, as they hit the finish line.
Then, Jeff Wood in his original paint survivor 64 hardtop took on Jay Freihage's hemi Barracuda. Jeff put a light on Jay, but both broke out trying to get the stripe. Both broke out almost identically, but Jeffs run was slightly better, giving Jay the spectator role.
Next up, Steve Gantz lined his 65 Belvedere up with Donny Gains 64 Dodge. You talk about two beautiful cars lined up at the line, this is it. If you haven't taken a good look at each of these, both could be show cars! Well, they are, but they happen to race as well. Donnie takes the win when Steve gives away his lead and terrific light at the top end. This is a race lesson that has to be repeated somewhere in the future for Steve, and we all been there before.
Bruce Lang starts off this race in a good way when he takes on Dalton Bruemmer's 65 Plymouth sedan. That plain Jane body style of Dalton's car that we all love left the start line late against Bruce's car. Both run slow trying to win in anyway they can, Bruce by not braking out, Dalton slowing hoping Bruce will. Dalton will watch his dad in the second round when his win light doesn't come on.
Derek Strait then lines up with David Fuzner's “T bolt”. Derek gets a real real break here when David turns on the “now I'm a spectator bulb”. Its a real break in the luck department as Derek was watching something other than the tree when it came down and cut a “no way can you win with a light like this” light. Derek goes on to have a reasonably good day.
Jim Hagenhoff then lines up against points leader Bob Lantero. Bob is way ahead in points and has just been killing it every race. But, Holeshot Hagenhoff is on a roll from his Friday 6 round win and cuts an .014 light. Bob has a raceable .048 light, but it does him no good. Jim goes on.
Shaun Johnston lines up with John Hamer, last years champ. Both have close lights, both break out. As you know already, Shaun is going to come out on top.
Next, Jeff Blick and I line up for our time in the spotlight. I did say to Jeff that I didn't want to beat him, but I did want to win before the round. That is the trouble when racing friends. I got a better light than Jeff, and he broke out trying to stay ahead. There was some relief for Jeff in this break out loss in that prior runs he was having trouble running the number. And now with this breakout, he could rule it as a traction problem and not an engine problem.
Next pair, George Justice lines up with Kurt Tevault. George was on a 12.50 index as he couldn't quite make the 12.25 in this weather. Kurt was on his typical 10 flat index. With a pretty big difference in trap speeds here, George tosses a .003 light away trying to judge Kurts 130 mph plus speed at the stripe. Both break out, Kurt goes on to an interesting second round.
Then, Curt Hoeft and his rocket powered Comet (actually a 390 FE) takes on Don Bruemmer's nuclear hemi powered 65 two door sedan. Don cuts a rather conservative light, but takes the win when Curt cuts a (I'm done right here right now) light. When you get a chance, take a look at that engine in Curts car or the engine in Fuzners T-Bolt car. That is a tight fit.
Last pair down the track Bill Ping lines up with Doug Duell's Draggin Wagon. With rather close lights a piece, Bill breaks out trying to stay ahead of Doug's high speed Wagon, and breaks out. Doug moves on,
Round 2 Donnie Gains lines up with Jeff Wood in this round, and this will be Jeff's last round. It seems, in the dark on this long long day, Jeff drops synch with the finish line, and confuses it with the 1000 foot cone. Donnie Passes Jeff in wonderment, thinking he may be broke. Well, Jeff sees the mistake too late and that is that. Jeff runs an 11, Donnie runs a slowing 10.70 on his 10.50. Keep in mind, this is about 11 at night after a long day. None of us were at the top of our game at this point.
Derek Strait then lines up against Kurt Tevault to run for the money. I am two cars behind Kurt as he stages the car. But, I don't know its his car, and when I see a 12.00 index on the score board I'm a little confused as I KNOW there is no 12 second index's in our class. I see some people jumping up and down here and there, and Kurt's nephew Cameron running around on the wall beside Kurt. Both cars go down the track and I see the 12 second car runs a 10.99. I'm thinking that is the worst breakout I've seen in quite some time, but I'm not correct. Turns out Kurt staged on the 12 second index INSTEAD of his correct 10 second time, and that cost him this round. Everybody at the line was trying to catch Kurt's attention, but to no avail. Once you stage, you accept the dial, and the track. The starter could have saved him, but didn't notice, and I bet Kurt won't do that again. Derek goes on to have a day he'll remember.
Shaun Johnston then lines with another Plymouth belonging to Tom Head. Tom has raced a lot of cars, fast cars, but is still trying to get a handle on this foot brake nostalgia stuff. Tom cuts a “I can't win with out a whole lotta luck” light against Shaun. Tom doesn't have a whole lotta luck, and Shaun goes on to a memorable day.
I then line up against Don Bruemmer at like 1:30 in the AM. This is like two weeks past my bedtime, but I am pumped and fully ready when the tree comes down. Well, so I thought. I cut a “two days later” light (not really, but I shouldn't have won). Don, perhaps suffering from some of the same time shift, gets ahead of his thinking and cuts a white, but painted shabbily red light*, and I go on to the next round. (*It was a regular white light they painted to make it red. But most of the red paint had already come off)
Next, Bob Westhoff lines up with Bruce Lang. Bruce gets a little better light, but Bob almost gets the stripe anyway in a close race that sees Bruce go on to round 3.
Last pair, Holeshot Hagenhoff lines up with Doug Duell. Jim could have used a hole shot here, but both came up with lights with in .004 of each other, Doug's slightly better. Both were dialed 9.50. Both ran exactly 9.56. Do some math there and you can see the win margin was the same as the starting line advantage. Doug goes on.
Round 3 Keep in mind, at this time its been a long long day, and I would guess nobody is at the top of their drag racing game. I line up with Shaun Johnston and he just wins. We had lights within .006 of each other, and I would guess it was about that at the stripe. We both ran it all out and when my win light was absent, I might have been relieved. Not now of course, but maybe then.
Doug Duell then lined up with Donnie Gains. Donnie got a better light but the car slowed just a little and Doug runs the top end better to go on to the next round.
Dereek Strait then lines up with NMCA champ Bruce Lang. Derek cuts a little better light, but Bruce runs him down but takes just a little too much Stripe and breaks out in the cool of the night. Its been a long night so far, and it will go on for another hour and a half.
Round four
Shaun Johnston lines up with Doug Duell. As I am watching this, I am watching from in front of the tower with a lot of the Victory gang, and about 100 other drag racers hanging around for their turn down the track, or a friends time on the track, and its after 2 AM. The staging lanes are full,and there is plenty of activity in the pit for racers who are still in. Track crew have been on the job for almost 20 hours. This is drag racing. Shaun cuts a better light by .009 (not much really) and takes the stripe from Doug who slowed just a little too much giving the win to Shaun.
Derek gets a ladder bye into the Finals. He said he always wanted one of those runner up or winners hats that John Hamer has had made up and has gratefully donated. At this point he is guaranteed one or the other.
Final Round
Well, we know Derek has pulled this off, how about some details. Its late, we all kinda wanna be done, and we are just about there. Both Shaun and Derek are in the burn out box ready to smoke, awaiting a single car run in front of them. Its 2:20 AM. This car makes a pass but there is some smoke down track. Track worker radios back there is pistons (yes, plural) on the track. Both cars back out, and sit. I was thinking they may call it a day, but no. Track gang get'er done, and at 2:50 AM, they make their pass. Both have rather close lights, Shaun breaks out and Derek doesn't. Cheers all around, by the Victory Gang, jumping around, rooting for both as these racers are winners. A bemused observer said to me, after watching our vigorous display, “theses guys must be popular winners?” . I said yeah, we are happy for both.
What a pair of racing days, Saturday into Sunday. We are the Victory NSS race gang, no matter what it takes. See you in Eddyville!!!!!!! .
|
|