Dates for the season

Here are the dates that I am planning on running this season

Sat June 24, 2006 @ 6:00pm
Cadillac Fair Grounds, Cadillac, MI
Figure 8
Compact & Big Car

Wed July 05, 2006 @ 7:00pm
Montcalm County 4-H Fair Grounds, Greenville, MI
Figure 8
Compact Cars ONLY

Sun July 09, 2006 @ 7:00pm
Mecosta County Fair, Big Rapids, MI
Figure 8
Compact & Big Car

Tue July 18, 2006 @ 7:00pm
VanBuren County Youth Fair, Hartford, MI
Demo Scramble

Fri July 21, 2006 @ 7:00pm
Ionia Free Fair , Ionia, MI
Demo Scramble

Maybe - Wed July 26, 2006 @ 7:00pm
Ludington Fair Grounds, Ludington, MI
Demo Scramble

Maybe - Thu July 27, 2006 @ 7:00pm
Ludington Fair Grounds, Ludington, MI
Figure 8
Compact & Big Car

Tue August 08, 2006 @ 7:30pm
Branch County Fair Grounds, Coldwater, MI
Demo Scramble
MID SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP
Small Car Fig 8 Heat

Tue August 15, 2006 @ 8:00pm
Cadillac Fair Grounds, Cadillac, MI
Demo Scramble

Sat August 19, 2006 @ 7:00pm
Cadillac Fair Grounds, Cadillac, MI
Figure 8
Compact & Big Car
MID SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP

Sat September 09, 2006 @ 6:00pm
Cadillac Fair Grounds, Cadillac, MI
Figure 8 CHAMPIONSHIP

Sat September 16, 2006 @ 5:00pm
Ionia Fair Grounds, Ionia, MI
Demo Scramble CHAMPIONSHIP

Sat September 30, 2006 @ TBA
Ottawa County Fair Grounds, Holland, MI
Demo Scramble
Points Championship will be determined here

There are other dates listed at Unique Motor Sports and Hudsonville fair that I am not running. Plus there is a demo scramble at Hudsonville on June 17th. You have to move the fuel tank for the Hudsonville races so I tend not to run those.

Ionia results

The first real demo scramble of the season took place on Saturday out at Ionia fairground with over 60 cars in attendance. Some of my usual track buddies were strangely absent - one I think was showing rabbits or doing something involving rabbits - do we even want to know more?

I was drawn into the fourth heat and while they are certainly less than they used to be the butterflies were still there as I was waiting on the starting grid. I managed to avoid the mayhem of the first corner fairly well and drove the little 4 cylinder Cavalier to second behind someone driving a relatively late model Monte Carlo. Which meant a trip to the B Feature.

All the winners from races go straight to the A Feature. The second place drivers into the B Feature where they get a chance to race again for an entry into the A and the third place drivers go into the C where they too get a chance to race for entry into the A.

My B feature performance was less successful and definitely more bruising. I got spun out numerous times and even ended up doing half a lap in reverse eventually coming home 4th.

Still it was fun and the Cavalier drove onto the trailer with no major issues beyond rearanged body panels.

Saturday's race details

Saturday there will be a demo scramble starting at 6 PM at Ionia Fairgounds in Ionia MI.

Painting

MVC-002S
Originally uploaded by figure_8.

I had a couple of friends over at the weekend for beverages and fun with spray cans. Here is the end result. One very colorful 1989 Cavalier

Next race

Now that I have caught up on February's misadventure, it's time to look forward. The next race is a demo scramble May 20th at Ionia at 4PM. I still have to finish a car.

Right now the car collection is sat at 4 with another one coming in today. So what is lurking in the driveway.

1 The infamous 1994 Hello Kitty Cavalier. This will never run again and I somehow need to get it on the trailer and to the junkyard.

2 The 1980 Ford Fairmont that ran a couple of races last year with minimal success. It needs a tie rod fixed but I am debating whether this too needs to go to the junkyard as it sucked last year. If it does the heavy steel bumpers are being saved.

3 A 1999 Ford Escort ZX2. Yes a 1999. In fact its one year newer than the same car that my girlfriend drives but it is in a lot worse shape. When I bought it at a storage auction for $150 there was not a single panel that wasnt dented, the ignition was ripped to pieces and it didnt run. Well I dont care about the dents, the ignition has been fixed and it runs. Just a side note did you know that people can let their cars get so dirty that coins will stick to the carpet?

4 A 1989 Cavalier. I like Cavalier's - they just seem to work. This one was also acquired for $150 and it too had already been in a few accidents but it seems to run good.

Now I just have to finish prepping them

Too long

It has been so long since I posted here. Like so many things we start out with good intentions and then get distracted by other pursuits - in my case actually trying to get some money rolling so with the pathetic apology in place its time to get rolling again. Especially as the sesaon is almost upon me for proper this time.

So time to recap. I did race the winter race at Ionia back in February. The little purple Cavalier had its one and only outing. Expecting sub zero conditions I decided to leave the windshield in unlike normal and this proved to be part of my undoing. I knew that the Cavalier had a weak head gasket but didnt quite realize how bad things were until I got going. I, like the other racers had been expecting a hard fast track because the earth would have been frozen but the reality proved to be thick wet cloying clay that you could get up no speed in whatsoever. Pushing the car hard through the mud I did get off to a good start - leading for the first couple of laps but then problems arose. The head blew and the entire car interior was filled withe white smoke. I could hardly see where I was going but I was still going which was something. Then my windshield got covered in clay to add to the smoke problem and now I was driving the straights counting the concrete blocks so I knew where the corners were because I couldn't see a thing. Somehow I managed to finish in third - not good enough to qualify for the feature.

I got the car back to the trailer and it decided that at that point that it was never going to run again.

So after one race the purple Cavalier has gone to the junkyard.