We all had high expectations going into the weekend after the run at Allentown. Each time we hit the track we knew we were improving the car, and we were excited to see how we would end up at Atlantic City. Atlantic City is the biggest indoor race for the TQ midgets, and always brings some of the top names in motorsports. Even more reason to try to get the car in the A Main and have a good run.
Unlike Allentown, we had an extra practice day. We spent Thursday shaking the car down from some of the changes we made as well as seeing how the track changes over the course of the day. This is one of the hardest parts of indoor racing as we have to constantly monitor the track including how much coke syrup they spray and which groove is becoming dominant. We were decently happy with the car we had for Thursday. We knew it was a solid piece that was repeating itself from the speed we showed at Allentown. We were just a little snug and made a small change going into Friday. We had good speed in practice on Friday. We were not far off, but needed to change a lot to get us over the top and into the top 20 which we were shooting for. The car would be twitchy one run, then tight the next. We were close, but had to find the right change for us that would get speed. The time trials were grouped for 45 minutes, which allowed us to go out four times.The difficult part is based on the last run time which is the time you keep for your time trial time. In other words, if your first time was your fastest but you kept going out as the fastest then the time was voided. We continued using the sessions to try and find speed. We were flirting right around the top 28, but every run was the same exact time - 8.4. We just could not break the barrier of the 3’s which would of jumped us up some spots. Unfortunately this put us 35th. This year rather than having the regular format, they changed up the racing format to give some excitement to the fans. The top 28 who qualify get into two 20 lap qualifiers, and the rest of the field goes to heat races to try and qualify into the 20 lap qualifiers. With us qualifying 35th we were in one of the two heat races in attempts to get into the 20 lap race. We made a spring change from the time trials to the race in hopes we would find the speed we needed. We started 5th and quickly got to 4th. For 8 laps we were right on 3rd places bumper but could not find the space to get around him. Knowing the top 7 moved on I was buying my time and making sure I kept the car in one piece. We got a caution with 3 to go which bunched us back up. We fired off good on the start but unfortunately another car, that I rolled inside of, got impatient and pushed us into the tires. There is a fine line between saving your car and not racing at all. I did everything I should have to try and make the qualifier but also race. When we made contact, this broke the LF. I went down the back stretch and had to make a quick decision. The wheel was leaning up on the hood and it was not moving. We had a lap and half to go and I was in a qualifying spot. I was not giving up. I got the car to turn on three wheels somehow. I held onto 5th for the last lap and a half and locked us into the 20 lap race. Unfortunately after surveying the damage and the quick turn around we were not able to make the race. The damage was just too much and we had to get the car ready for Saturday. Frustrating indeed, as I thought I was patient and doing it right, but that’s racing. You can only be so careful and can only control so much. My crew, once again, showed why they are great and prepared the car for the next day. I was ready to refocus, find more speed, and lock us in another A main. With Saturday on a different schedule and having the practice Thursday, we were only able to have one round of practice. The car repeated most of the speed we had on Friday, but was diving right when I lifted and it felt a little off. We went over everything we fixed Friday night, made sure all of the front end settings were right, and changed a few things to try and fix that. I was overall happy with the car. Unfortunately the bad lap in practice put us early in time trials. You always want to try to go later, but it was the hand we were dealt and we were ready to make the most of it. We laid down a good lap but it was only good enough for 35th again. We knew we had a car that could race, just didn’t get the lap I wanted. This put us starting 6th in the 5th heat race. They were taking the top 3 to the A main so we had our work cut out, but I was more than ready to make that happen. We got a decent start and we're battling right where we needed. A few cars were bounced around during the race. This put us finding ourselves 4th to 7th and everywhere in between during the race. At one point we were on the bumper of 3rd which was the final transfer spot, but as it happens with indoor racing the track changed and our car just didn’t like it. We ended up crossing the line in 6th. We were in 5th for the last few laps but lost it right at the line. I didn’t expect the track to change that much and was not prepared for it. We were still right there with the pack and knew we had a car that could make it through the B main. We made big spring changes for the B main to try and get grip. We started P5 and had to get up to top 2 to make the A main. I was ready to dig and make it happen. Right on the start we got into 4th. The driver ran out of talent the next corner and I looped it. 100% my fault. This put us in the back. I regrouped and got by a few cars quick. I regained my position at 5th, but couldn’t get to back to the front cars to move forward further. Frustrating end to our night, just did not have the overall speed or luck that we needed. With that, it ended our indoor season. We had a great Saturday at Allentown, and just came up short on luck both Friday races. I can not thank my crew enough for all the hard work this indoor season. Thank you Nick G for allowing me to while this hot rod. We really showed everyone what we can do and I’m excited to continue making gains on it. Thank you Mark for making all the changes and getting it fine tuned every time we hit the track. Huge thank you to Timmy and David for all there help! Thank you Ashaway performance engines and Mertz racing for their support this indoor season. Without these sponsors we cannot do what we do. We have some time in between seasons while racing continues. The next race is scheduled for April 27th at Claremont Speedway with the Nema midget! Make sure to keep an eye on social media as we start to put our schedule together. It’s not a secret that we have not had the greatest luck, or runs, with the 34.5 TQ. At Allentown we were able to finally turn our luck around by getting into the A Main with a solid run. After the feature we recognized some of the changes we should have made, and are actively preparing to try for next time. It is always tough when you have a fast car yet you never want to second guess what to do to go faster. Throw in the coke syrup used to create grip indoors, and it can be even more difficult. The track is constantly changing, and it is a guessing game every time you hit the track. This can be fun and frustrating all at the same time.We added an in car adjuster for Atlantic City. As the track changes, this will provide us with opportunities to tune the car as well as try to get that little extra speed out of each run. Our notebook grows with each event, which really showed during Allentown. We manifested speed the whole weekend, and really hope to repeat that at AC.
We will also have a second car this weekend. We will be bringing the 34 with Brett Meservey behind the wheel. He was a huge help at Allentown, and I am excited to be running with him. For those that can not make the event it can be watched online at https://dirttrackdigest.tv/videos/31548 Dad continues to make a lot of progress with the modified. Between me traveling a lot for indoor races as well as work, Dad has been flat out making sure we are ready to go for 2024. We continue to compile schedules for all Tour Mod races, and will have a plan on what we will be running shortly. Of course the more marketing partners I can find the more we can race! Besides racing, I have also been busy traveling for work. I just returned from a trip to Day Motorsports in Tyler, TX for their yearly Super Show. This gave me a great opportunity to connect with different manufacturers, and increase my knowledge. After Atlantic City I will be traveling to California for the MPMC show which allows me to connect with more industry experts in the racing world. Make sure you come back next week to hear all about how we do at Atlantic City, and how all the changes we plan to make will go. The start of the 2024 Season has finally come! 2023 was a humbling year. We struggled with silly things in the TQ to start the year. We had skips, wrecks, and just no luck to get us success. Then we built a new mod, and had engine issues after engine issues, but closed the year showing a lot of speed. The NEMA we were able to find a little success at Wiscassett Speedway, but it was a learning curve on how to drive with the wing and the increased down force it gives. We were able to finish on the podium in all 3 races with the Pro 4 Mod, and by the end of the year, I was ready to refocus, reset, and get to 2024.
Dad has been working extra hard in the shop. We have a new body, new paint on the chassis, and motors being refreshed as I write this. Hopefully, in the next week or so, the power plant will be going into the car, and we can start to focus on the small details to be ready for when tracks start to open up for practice. After the mod is ready to go, we will be focused on getting the Nema Midget ready as well as getting our second motor for the mod prepared. Last year was a struggle waiting for parts on the motor. Luckily for us, our engine builder Norm from APE, came up big with a borrowed SK motor to keep us turning laps and learning the new car. For the past three seasons I have had the privilege to open the race season behind the wheel of the 34.5 TQ midget for Nick G. This off-season Nick, Mark, and Timmy made a huge change to the car by moving the fuel cell to a more strategic spot to help the setup. Each year we have been getting closer to the big goal of making the A main. I knew we just needed a little more speed and patience to make the A main! We took off to Allentown, PA for indoor race #1 of the year with high hopes. The format is always fun during the indoor season, as it is two separate days of racing. Friday we unloaded with a lot of speed. Right out of the box, I could tell a huge difference with the fuel cell moved to the left side. The car was very consistent and had a lot of drive-off. We were solidly in the top 15 all day. We were a little off-in-time trials, but still had an excellent run. Our best run yet for an indoor time trial - P20. This puts us starting P5 in the heat with them taking the top 4 to the A Main. With the speed we showed all day, I knew we could compete, and possibly finally make our first A Main. Unfortunately, all hell broke out at the start of the race. We got bounced around, and on lap 2 the tires got pushed out. I was driving aggressively trying to get around a car, got the tire, and bent a few rods which ended our night. Very frustrating, but part of racing. It was too much damage to repair it for the B Main. It was now on to Saturday. Though indoor racing can be rough, as a racer when you know you have been given a car that can make the A main, and have speed, you get mad if you make mistakes. As it may not have been all my fault for wrecking, I still made mistakes that led to the car being wrecked. My crew worked hard Friday and Saturday to get her fixed. These guys always fight behind me, so Friday weighed even heavier on my shoulders. We had decent speed early in practice Saturday, but were just too tight. Mark and I have great communication which helps. We were 20th on the speed charts but knew we could be better. Each run we got more comfortable. We think by the time we got to the group time trails we finally hit on something, but unfortunately got caught behind a slow car and got a decent time, not a great time. We were 24th quick on the charts which put us starting 6th. Since I ran up on the guy so fast and I knew we were faster, I just had to remember we had a better car than 24th and had to take the heat race as it came. When you look at the heat race lineup and see 2 of the last 2 winners in it, you have to shut that stuff out and go run it as it comes. People may say you have the hardest heat race or stacked heat race, but we are all racers. We race and it’s what we do. I got a decent start. I got shuffled back to 7th, but the guy who moved me out of the way for 6th spun the next corner which put me right back to 6th. I knew we had a good car, but had to settle in and get laps in. On the restart, we fired off well. We were right there battled. On lap 4 or 5 the leaders got together. We had to restart again and this put us in 4th. Right on the restart I jumped to 3rd. They were taking the 4th. I was able to drive away from 4th and stay in 3rd. This put us into the A Main! This was a feat in itself, and I am so happy we finally put this car into the A Main against some of the best drivers in the nation. This put us starting 13th in the A-main. After a lot of thinking, even knowing the track may change, we kept the car the same. We fired off decent. Knowing it was a 40-lap race, which I know is a long race, I settled in and just stayed in line. We were going between 9th and 13th, and staying consistent. Unfortunately, around lap 10 I got indoors - and spun. This put us in the back. We guessed a little wrong on the car and just did not have the noise we needed to pass. We held on the whole 40 laps to stay on the lead lap and finished 18th. We are very happy to make the A main, but always want more. It was a great first A main and we have a lot of notes on track changes to better us next time. I am excited about AC now. To back up this run. I have to give a huge thank you to Nick G. for letting me run his car, Mark G for all the changes to the setup all weekend, Timmy for all his hard work in the shop, and at the track. Normally he is my eyes in the sky at the track, but this week he made sure the car stayed together. Also, a huge thank you to David, Brett, and Josh for all the hard work. This A main was for all of us. Another huge thank you to Mertz Racing, Ashaway Performance Engines, Kluth Racing, and NHOU for all the support. If it was not for our partners we could not have this success. This was truly a fun weekend. We are now on to AC to back up this run and get in both A mains. We are also aggressively putting together the mod schedule. We have a good idea but as always the more support we can get the more races we will run! Good start to 2024! Now to make it continue! |
AuthorThis page is a personal journal of racing as written by me, Derek Robbie. It will have news, recap, stories, and anything else I can come up with. Archives
May 2024
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