NMCA Joliet (Route 66) Update

My son Dallas (who runs in NMC), middle daughter Dez, and I pulled out of Houston Wednesday at 10AM and got to a WalMart in Effingham at about 2AM to get some sleep. Dumped the holding tanks and filled up with diesel at the Flying J at 8AM and headed to the track. Screwed up and followed the Navigation system and drove through every podink town with a low bridge for the last 45 miles. We arrived at the track at noon — which put us about 200 rigs back in the holding area at the NASCAR track. Every year you gotta get there earlier and earlier if you don't want the grass pits.

Got to our pit at about 4PM, unloaded, established credentials, teched in, and put the cars back away for the night. Cruised around visiting friends in the pits. Clay and Rosie arrived at the holding area at 2PM and so they were forced to pit in the grass at about 5PM. We counted up the NSS cars — and felt like there were going to be 30. It was a cold Thursday night — we had to turn the heat on in the coach — something done maybe twice in the last fifteen years.

Friday was cool — and saw everyone's car faster. Well everyone but me. My first pass was an all out (shifting at 7500) and only got me a 9.4. I should have had a 9.1 as in hot weather, shifting at 7000 generally gets me a 9.5. We only took that one TT pass — but they did grant another just before the 1st qualifying. My first qualifying had me shifting at a 7100 and getting a 9.9 — hardly good for B/FX. I figured something was wrong and I was going to have to shift at 7400 for the weekend until I could figure out the problem.

We waited around in the cold (Poor Clay and Rosie freezing instead of being able to drink beer) until 9PM the track announced that they were going to have the Jet car and bracket racers run and the the 2nd Round of Qualifying was cancelled.

Saturday morning had us do our 2nd/last qualifying — and shifting my car at 7400 got me a 10.01. Something was going downhill fast. We changed the plugs, found a burnt header gasket and changed, and suspected that #6 plug was not firing because it was blacker than the rest. We reseated the #6 wire — but it didn't feel like it was loose. The inside of my cap and the rotor were ugly — but I didn't have and couldn't find a replacement.

Click the image above to see the bigger version. Above is Qualifying, and below is the Tree after the First Round.

In the first round I went against a 66/67 Fairlane that got to leave a second before me — sadly I forget his name. He went -.014 red while I went .009 green. I saw his red light and aired the car out for a 9.4. It looked like the car was still sick — but could compete. That was it for Saturday racing, so the cars were put away and half of the people left the track.

At the beginning of the event, Stephanie was in first, Skip was in second, Doug was in third, and I was in forth — but 1st and 4th was only separated by 400 points. Stephanie and Skip were out in the first round, which gave me a chance to advance in positions. Doug was still in, and had to go against Top Qualifier Clay Kasooth. I promised Clay a motor for Rosie's car if he could take out Doug — and he said "No Sweat" lol

Sunday morning comes and I'm against Berens — who red lights against me. Clay really didn't want that engine — and Doug beat him. The third round I had Albert Lee _______. He caught a .025 light and ran a 10.500 on a 10.50. How do you beat that? Doug Duell had his second bye — and then had Albert Lee _______. Albert backed up his 10.500 with another 10.500 and a .021 RT — so Doug was out.

In the finals, Albert Lee _____ was up against Moss and his 66 Chevy. While I missed that race — I heard it was a Hell of a race with Moss winning NSS for the Joliet event.

We left the track an I drove all night. At 7AM I turned the driving over to my son — and an hour later the air bags deflated and cut down my trailer tires. He must have hit a chunk of tire. I nursed the rig home the last 180 miles at 40 MPH while everyone passed me giving me the finger. After checking a dozen truck places for the part — I'm waiting for the manufacturer to over night it to me.

I believe this puts the points with Doug in first, Stephanie in second, me in third, and Skip in forth — with even less of a points spread than before. However, under the Obama plan adopted by NMCA — points will be spread around to where the Top 10 have their gap closed up and the last three races determine the whole season. There is a thread on the NMCA board discussing this. Click here — and please participate in that discussion. Too many times we all grouse about things we don't like — but few have the cahones to say something to the people who can change it — so they assume we like it. I sure like to see the people who have problems with this stuff to speak up instead of saying they just don't want to make waves.

My daughter took a bunch of NSS photos of the event that I haven't downloaded yet. So check back at the NSS Sites listed below and you might see a couple of good photos of your car.

http://nssracing.ning.co/

http://www.nssracing.com/

http://www.oldhippie.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=50

http://www.bigredram.com/

The next race in at zMax in Charlotte, NC. I hope to see most of the NSS Cars there. This sounds like it is going to be a very Kool track. There's a thread in the forum if you are going to the race. Click Here

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