FAO RocketmanX..,.....

[Zak33]

mate....we lost a few hours of Hexus posts....and sadly your most excellent VICTORY went with it

and I'm sad about that.....I know you aint got a big head, (your helmet stops that ) BUT we would like that post back please!

PLEASE..... doit again

Full story and all ta

[RocketmanX]

Big heads never been my problem Zak, it's kicking my own butt that's always been my problem

I WAS (still am actually very excited about it though as it was a race victory that happened as I always wanted it. Lapping most of the field and battling with Jack Landis (one of our local heros and a driver I admire for his intelligence and skill) for the win at the end of the race. As the press release article said it was a fairy tell ending to the race and my season. Couldn't ahve dreamed up a better one

Angola Motor Speedway message board

AMS Press release

I had a carburetor fitting that started leaking badly when we first arrived at the track and we lost all but about 5 practice laps to the problem. We had to send a guy back home (30 minute drive) to retrieve a part and had to sit and wait till he got back. While we were waiting the track officials announced an extra practice session for us in 15 minutes. Well my motor guy returned 5 minutes before the session and I replaced the carb in time to practice for 8 laps. I wasn't too happy afterward since the car was mishandling due to the traveling series that was there and their rubber makes our cars mishandle and I had no more practice to try anything.
We qualified and I qualified 9th, the worst I've done all year and about .3 seconds slower than the car normally runs
Decided to make a change in the Heat race (or qualifying race) and use it as a hot lap session since we had to scuff in (reminds me of another lost post) a new set of tires for the 100 lap feature (we normally run 30 but this was our big event for the year).
Ran the heat race and the car was back to it's old self but when I got back into the pits the RR had only 18 pounds of air (normal is 26 for that tire) and we found that it had gotten a puncture during the heat. Well the tire truck was about out of tires and I had to settle for a somewhat smaller diameter tire than I had before (you may know us roundy rounders use Stagger in the tires) and we had no time to run it and make sure itwas going to be right.
I had to reset all the bleeders (we use popoff bleeders in the wheels to keep the air pressure from growing from heat) and tear them apart and clean them since I found that they were sticking. Spent about an hour doing that, setting, checking and resetting them, (mostly 'cause I was nervous because of all the problems we were havning )

Well the feature came and my 9th place Qlfng spot was a stroke of good luck since the invert put me in the second row on the outside. The press release tells most of the rest but I also had my radios go heywire and had nothing but static when we were running green flag laps and had no spotter to hepl me out. I could here them under yellow.
I had about half the field lapped and was about to lap 7th, 6th, and 5th place when a wellow cam out with 11 laps left. Until now I had no one even close to me. My guys came on the radio and told me that when the green came back out that Jack Landis would be in second right behind me, the caution allowed him to come around and catch up since he had passed for second a few laps before. This is NOT what I wanted to here and was a bit worried at first but then I remembered my goal of wanting to win a race like this battling Jack for the win. Jack's a good guy and also one of the best racers around here having done some pro circuits in recent years.
I got on the radio and told the guys that I had something left and if he was going to pass me it was gonna have to be on the outside. Well, He tried but I guess i started to pull away after about 2 laps and won with about a 3 car advantage. This was a dream come true and I when I stopped at the finish line for pictures and trophy Jack came over and shook my hand 3 times before we left the track It was about like winning Monaco for me as this is the first long race I have won, and doing it this way was and is still kinda hard to believe.

Forgot that it was also our company that sponsored the racing that night (Dekalb), along with having about 50 people, including my Wife, 2 good friends of ours and a host of people from my church, and 2 realatives I see once a year, who came that night who don't normally come the races, unbelievable

BTW- No I'm not Knackerred, I don't drink actually despitewhat I may do for a living and no those aren't my girls, mine are younger and MUCH cuter

[XTR]

congratulations


lovely car! bet it sounds awesome!

[Tumble]

Knackered obviously means something different across the pond....... I meant you looked tired, beat, exhausted etc.... wouldn't dare imply that you'd been drinking, unless you posted drunken post-victory party pics of course.. Sorry for the confusion pal

[RocketmanX]

Yeah, I assumed the worst Tumble, sorry my misinterpetation

Although the way some races go, like F1 and the champagne, it wouldn't be hard to be lit already (that's what I thought you meant BTW, post victory party)

Then you were absolutely right, I was beat!

[Zak33]

What a fantastic story Made me smile.......and besides....100 laps! Unreal...

Quote from RocketmanX:
"I got on the radio and told the guys that I had something left and if he was going to pass me it was gonna have to be on the outside"


Love it love it love it

[RocketmanX]

Glad you liked it

100 laps is actually not terrible, it's a lot more than usual but the tracks a 3/8th's mile oval so the actaul distance isn't that much but 100 laps on such a short track IS tough. I can't imagine doing 500 laps like the NASCAR guys do at Bristol, a half mile oval.

As you can tell buy the pic I'm a skinny runt and the Nick, Rocketmanx comes NOT from me thinking I'm some great driver or something but from my love of Wile. E Coyote and his escapades on ACME rockets and the figurine on my desk of him on such a rocket

[Zak33]

Nope....to me you are Rocketman.....the X is a cool addition....
its an old Black and White cinema thing...

Im sure you US dudes got it too....

[Bunjiweb]

O MY GOD you look like an american version of my uncle totally... right size, build, glasses, look.

Much respect mate i can't even keep 65bhp worth of Ford machine on the road let alone something like that.

Ben

[RocketmanX]

Hey Bunji,
I'm adopted, we might be related

I have no idea what nationality my paternal parents were so, you never know

BTW- my condolences to your Uncle

[RocketmanX]

Thanks for lettin' me share that wiht Ya guys, I get nothing but eye rolls from the wife

I know you guys arent too familiar with our Safety equipment here but, did anyone notice the F1 inspired shoes

F1 aint something that has a lot of fans in oval track racing over here, kinda opposite ends of the world IYKWIM.

My gloves are as well, Sparcos with the seams on the outside.
Just thought I'd share that bit of love I have for F1 with Ya

Noone at my track has a clue what kinda hat I'm wearin' when I wear my Vodafone hat with the #1 on it My Blue #6 hat doesn't ring a bell with them either.
That's one of the reasons I like comin' here so much, you guys know what I'm talkin about

And you live with F1 and WRC like I do NASCAR, close to home (relatively speaking) and a tradition. I'm jealous

[jon bda]

Originally posted by RocketmanX
And you live with F1 and WRC like I do NASCAR, close to home (relatively speaking) and a tradition. I'm jealous

Congratulations on the win pal, and as for F1 you can keep it...but i do love my rallying. And i'm jealous of Laguna Seca, what i would give to go there and watch the World (or AMA, been watching that lately) Superbike boys...