Friday, July 26, 2013
Happy Birthday Mick!
Saturday, July 6, 2013
The 2013 Greatrace in 10 Photos (plus one)
1) Car loaded on U-Haul trailer.... ready to hit the road for St Paul.
2) The largest and smallest vehicles in the race; a 1960 Fiat 600 and a 1955 firetruck. Both cars made it to the end of the race!!!
3) The car is tech'd, prepped, stickered, and ready to go! I took the side panels off the hood to make it go faster......
4) The starting line at Back to the '50s Carshow in St. Paul. Over 12,000 cars were at the show. It was overwhelming. Cool start however.
5) Chad, seconds from a restart, chowing down on a McDonald's hamburger!
6) An over-night stop. Notice the two Ace stickers above the door? Yeah, baby....
7) We ended with five Aces. Did I mention my nephew is a math major at TCU?
8) Who is that crazy lady photo-bombing us?!?!?! Hey, its mama duck. Quack, quack, quack. Nice knickers, eh!?!? Who said the 1930's wasn't stylish?
9) The finish line in Mobile, AL. I was a little hot in my knickers. I can't imagine how sweltering those "belles" were in their dresses.
10) At the finish line: 1st in class and 16th overall. Amazing!
11) On the way home we passed through West Monroe, Louisiana - home of "Duck Dynasty." We shopped, bought a t-shirt, and took a pic in front of the building. No sign of Si....
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Greatrace 2013 - Postscript
A few random thoughts:
1) To recap - I bought the car in May and drove it from Casper WY to Denton TX; a total of 1,040 miles. We then rallied the car from St. Paul, MN to Mobile, AL; a total of 2,200 miles. I then drove the car home from Alabama; a total of 630 miles. That's 3,870 trouble-free miles in a 78 year old car. AMAZING!
2) If you had asked me four months ago about the outcome of this years' Greatrace, I would've framed my answer: worst case scenario, most likely scenario, and best case scenario. The worst case was hard-break early and go home with the car on a trailer prior to finishing the race (about 10 cars ended up doing this). The most likely scenario was break often (flat tires, vapor lock, toasted starter motor, etc.), repair car each night, and soldier on to the finish line mid-pack and out of the money. The best case scenario was what happened: flawless car, excellent performance, taking 1st in class. Hollywood could not have scripted a better 2013 Greatrace for us!
3) Funniest moment: a few nights ago, my nephew bolted up in bed at 2AM in the morning. He sat straight up and yelled, "Bryan!" I groggily answered, "Preston, what's the matter?" He paused and responded, "reduced speed for .7 seconds!" He was navigating in his sleep! I didn't answer. I just watched him stare straight ahead. After a moment, he flopped over and went back to sleep. Ha! Sleep-rallying. That has to be a first!
4) Runner-up funniest moment: We were checking into a hotel about day 4 and the girl behind the desk was frazzled. She had just checked in 100+ guests and was disheveled, tired, and ready for a break. She confirmed, "One room with two queen beds" and asked, "Is there anything else?" I responded, "Nope, we should be good; oh by the way, we have seven monkeys and a case of champagne, is that a problem?" She looked at me with a mixture of shock, horror, and disdain; and without missing a beat, my nephew added, "its okay, the champagne is for the monkeys." Eh eh eh eh.... That kid is FUNNY!
5) Joe and I often say, "Rallying is fun; its more fun when you win." Its true.
6) Next year's race is Maine to Florida. Hey Joe, you ready?!?!?!
I'm not sure who actually reads this blog. Aside from my wife, I don't imagine there are a lot of you. My final thought: cars were meant to be driven. I don't understand keeping a car as a garage/trailer queen and never driving and enjoying it. That's like being married to a super-model and never "gittin busy." What's the point point of admiring your super-model wife and never enjoying anything else? I love the Greatrace because it gives me a chance to drive my car and enjoy its' essence. If you own a pre-war car and have never driven it 200 miles at one time, you have no idea what you are missing. Get it out; clean it up; and drive it.
Cheers,
BSD
PS- Dixie Racing's new motto is, "Its okay, the champagne is for the monkeys"
Ha! That's funny, I don't care who you are.....
1) To recap - I bought the car in May and drove it from Casper WY to Denton TX; a total of 1,040 miles. We then rallied the car from St. Paul, MN to Mobile, AL; a total of 2,200 miles. I then drove the car home from Alabama; a total of 630 miles. That's 3,870 trouble-free miles in a 78 year old car. AMAZING!
2) If you had asked me four months ago about the outcome of this years' Greatrace, I would've framed my answer: worst case scenario, most likely scenario, and best case scenario. The worst case was hard-break early and go home with the car on a trailer prior to finishing the race (about 10 cars ended up doing this). The most likely scenario was break often (flat tires, vapor lock, toasted starter motor, etc.), repair car each night, and soldier on to the finish line mid-pack and out of the money. The best case scenario was what happened: flawless car, excellent performance, taking 1st in class. Hollywood could not have scripted a better 2013 Greatrace for us!
3) Funniest moment: a few nights ago, my nephew bolted up in bed at 2AM in the morning. He sat straight up and yelled, "Bryan!" I groggily answered, "Preston, what's the matter?" He paused and responded, "reduced speed for .7 seconds!" He was navigating in his sleep! I didn't answer. I just watched him stare straight ahead. After a moment, he flopped over and went back to sleep. Ha! Sleep-rallying. That has to be a first!
4) Runner-up funniest moment: We were checking into a hotel about day 4 and the girl behind the desk was frazzled. She had just checked in 100+ guests and was disheveled, tired, and ready for a break. She confirmed, "One room with two queen beds" and asked, "Is there anything else?" I responded, "Nope, we should be good; oh by the way, we have seven monkeys and a case of champagne, is that a problem?" She looked at me with a mixture of shock, horror, and disdain; and without missing a beat, my nephew added, "its okay, the champagne is for the monkeys." Eh eh eh eh.... That kid is FUNNY!
5) Joe and I often say, "Rallying is fun; its more fun when you win." Its true.
6) Next year's race is Maine to Florida. Hey Joe, you ready?!?!?!
I'm not sure who actually reads this blog. Aside from my wife, I don't imagine there are a lot of you. My final thought: cars were meant to be driven. I don't understand keeping a car as a garage/trailer queen and never driving and enjoying it. That's like being married to a super-model and never "gittin busy." What's the point point of admiring your super-model wife and never enjoying anything else? I love the Greatrace because it gives me a chance to drive my car and enjoy its' essence. If you own a pre-war car and have never driven it 200 miles at one time, you have no idea what you are missing. Get it out; clean it up; and drive it.
Cheers,
BSD
PS- Dixie Racing's new motto is, "Its okay, the champagne is for the monkeys"
Ha! That's funny, I don't care who you are.....
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Greatrace 2013 - Day 9
Greatrace 2013 is in the bag. And the winner is......
Barry and Irene Jason from Keller, Texas (grand-champion)! Congrats to Barry and Irene. BTW, they are repeat winners... they won last year too.
And the 2013 Sportsman class winner....
Dixie Racing!!!! YEAH! WE WON!
Special thanks again to Danny Byington and Alan Calvert. The car ran perfect.
And special, special thanks to my nephew Preston. Awesome job buddy!
Barry and Irene Jason from Keller, Texas (grand-champion)! Congrats to Barry and Irene. BTW, they are repeat winners... they won last year too.
And the 2013 Sportsman class winner....
Dixie Racing!!!! YEAH! WE WON!
Special thanks again to Danny Byington and Alan Calvert. The car ran perfect.
And special, special thanks to my nephew Preston. Awesome job buddy!
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Greatrace 2013 - Day 8
I believe it was Charles Dickens who said, "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times."
Let's start with the "worst of times." We got a 28 second leg. Ugh! We took a speed adjustment at the wrong sign. We weren't sure exactly how much time to make up, so we "hacked" off the car in front of us. Bad idea. They were off too. Nuff said. As mentioned in an earlier post, no scores are dropped on days 8 and 9. So we got what we got....
The Best of times: three Aces!!!!! The car was dialed in and we had an outstanding run.
Leg 1: 1 second early
Leg 2: ACE
Leg 3: 2 second early
Leg 4: 3 second late
Leg 5: ACE
Leg 6: 1 second late
Leg 7: 4 second early
Leg 8: 28 second late (uuuggghhhh!)
Leg 9: ACE
Leg 10: 3 second late
That's a 42 second raw; 34.65 second adjusted.
I'm not sure of standing- they haven't been published. My guess is that we dropped out of 1st. But we should still be "in the hunt."
THIS JUST IN: the results are out; and we're basically tied for 1st in class (16th overall). Technically, we're 2nd in class. The other team is 6/10th of a second ahead. Whew! Dodged a bullet today with the 28 second leg.
Let's start with the "worst of times." We got a 28 second leg. Ugh! We took a speed adjustment at the wrong sign. We weren't sure exactly how much time to make up, so we "hacked" off the car in front of us. Bad idea. They were off too. Nuff said. As mentioned in an earlier post, no scores are dropped on days 8 and 9. So we got what we got....
The Best of times: three Aces!!!!! The car was dialed in and we had an outstanding run.
Leg 1: 1 second early
Leg 2: ACE
Leg 3: 2 second early
Leg 4: 3 second late
Leg 5: ACE
Leg 6: 1 second late
Leg 7: 4 second early
Leg 8: 28 second late (uuuggghhhh!)
Leg 9: ACE
Leg 10: 3 second late
That's a 42 second raw; 34.65 second adjusted.
I'm not sure of standing- they haven't been published. My guess is that we dropped out of 1st. But we should still be "in the hunt."
THIS JUST IN: the results are out; and we're basically tied for 1st in class (16th overall). Technically, we're 2nd in class. The other team is 6/10th of a second ahead. Whew! Dodged a bullet today with the 28 second leg.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Greatrace 2013 - Day 7
Day seven is in the bag. It has been an amazing week. We have watched the endless cornfields turn to cotton fields. We have watched the weather go from 80's to 100's. And the food is now all BBQ. You know you're in a Southern gas station when they sell a rack of ribs and fried cat fish along with the gas!
Alas, our performance continues to slide:
Leg 1: 11 seconds early
Leg 2: 4 seconds late
Leg 3: 9 seconds early
Leg 4: 3 seconds late
Leg 5: 4 second late
We're still 1st in class by just hundredths of a second, and 15th overall.
Tomorrow is when the REAL race begins. Until now, the worst 5 leg scores have been dropped. Tomorrow and Sunday, no drops. All leg scores count. If the car breaks down, too bad.
Alas, our performance continues to slide:
Leg 1: 11 seconds early
Leg 2: 4 seconds late
Leg 3: 9 seconds early
Leg 4: 3 seconds late
Leg 5: 4 second late
We're still 1st in class by just hundredths of a second, and 15th overall.
Tomorrow is when the REAL race begins. Until now, the worst 5 leg scores have been dropped. Tomorrow and Sunday, no drops. All leg scores count. If the car breaks down, too bad.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Greatrace 2013 - Day 6
We are now officially two-thirds of the way complete. We finished yesterday 1st in class and 10th overall. I'm sure we slipped a few more spots today. It wasn't a steller performance.
Bottom-line: lack of sleep + lack of caffine + warm car = sleepy driver
Leg 1: 14 seconds late (YGTBSM!!!!!)
Leg 2: 4 seconds early
Leg 3: 1 second late
It was a long, hot day. Seven of our compatriots ended up on the trailer. The 100 degree heat and hard running took its toll.
Three more days to go.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Greatrace 2013 - Day 5
Quick post tonight. Long day. Early start tomorrow.
Results:
Leg 1: 3 early
Leg 2: Ace!
Leg 3: 3 late
Leg 4: 1 late
Leg 5: 6 early
Leg 6: 7 early
That two aces so far; but just a so-so score. I haven't seen the standings, but we probably slipped a few spots. There's always tomorrow.... and we are more than halfway through.
Results:
Leg 1: 3 early
Leg 2: Ace!
Leg 3: 3 late
Leg 4: 1 late
Leg 5: 6 early
Leg 6: 7 early
That two aces so far; but just a so-so score. I haven't seen the standings, but we probably slipped a few spots. There's always tomorrow.... and we are more than halfway through.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Greatrace 2013 - Day 4
The Good: no flat tires, no over-heating, no rain (yeah!).
The Bad: a hornet flew in the car and as I'm frantically swiping at it, a deer ran into the road, and then a tractor loaded with hay pulled in front of us. Thankfully, nobody died.
The Ugly: the next time it's 97 degrees out, drive around with ur windows down and the heater on full blast. Yeah, baby! That's what it's like great-racing in this car.
Actually, I really like my 1935 Ford. Good torque. Easy to drive. A little hot, but hey.
We did okay:
Leg 1: 2 sec early
Leg 2: 2 sec early
Leg 3: 2 sec early
Leg 4: 7 sec early
Cumulative, we're still 1st in class and 7th overall. But we're only on day 4. The REAL competition is still five days away....
PS- yesterday, I left my gas cap at a fuel stop. Preston and I smelled a strong gas odor as we raced down the road. I stopped and fixed it with rubber bands and a plastic bag (southern engineering). Someone found it and it made its way back to me.... :)
The Bad: a hornet flew in the car and as I'm frantically swiping at it, a deer ran into the road, and then a tractor loaded with hay pulled in front of us. Thankfully, nobody died.
The Ugly: the next time it's 97 degrees out, drive around with ur windows down and the heater on full blast. Yeah, baby! That's what it's like great-racing in this car.
Actually, I really like my 1935 Ford. Good torque. Easy to drive. A little hot, but hey.
We did okay:
Leg 1: 2 sec early
Leg 2: 2 sec early
Leg 3: 2 sec early
Leg 4: 7 sec early
Cumulative, we're still 1st in class and 7th overall. But we're only on day 4. The REAL competition is still five days away....
PS- yesterday, I left my gas cap at a fuel stop. Preston and I smelled a strong gas odor as we raced down the road. I stopped and fixed it with rubber bands and a plastic bag (southern engineering). Someone found it and it made its way back to me.... :)
Monday, June 24, 2013
Greatrace 2013 - Day 3
[Hey Danny, no flat tires so far!]
In no particular order:
Ours friends Barry & Jule have had 3 flats in 4 days. They had the tubes taken out of all four tires today.
We started the day with more rain. Ugh!
Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri sure have a lot of corn. I mean, as far as the eye can see....
We had a pretty good day:
Leg 1: 7 sec
Leg 2: 2 sec
Leg 3: ACE!!
Leg: 4: 1 sec
Cumulative so far, we are 1st in class and 7th overall.
In no particular order:
Ours friends Barry & Jule have had 3 flats in 4 days. They had the tubes taken out of all four tires today.
We started the day with more rain. Ugh!
Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri sure have a lot of corn. I mean, as far as the eye can see....
We had a pretty good day:
Leg 1: 7 sec
Leg 2: 2 sec
Leg 3: ACE!!
Leg: 4: 1 sec
Cumulative so far, we are 1st in class and 7th overall.
Day 2 Update
As of this morning, we're 1st in class and 8th overall. A lot can change in the next seven days....
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Greatrace 2013 - Day 2
Arrived in Davenport, Iowa tonight. It was pretty good:
Leg 1: 2 sec
Leg 2: 1 sec
Leg 3: 1 sec
Leg 4: 11 sec
Not sure what happened on the last leg.
Funny thing happened while we were at the finish line tonight. The owner of a local pizzeria stuck a pizza through the drivers window and asked if he could take a picture. We posed. He snapped a pic. We got a free pizza. Sa-weet! Is this how rock stars live?
Leg 1: 2 sec
Leg 2: 1 sec
Leg 3: 1 sec
Leg 4: 11 sec
Not sure what happened on the last leg.
Funny thing happened while we were at the finish line tonight. The owner of a local pizzeria stuck a pizza through the drivers window and asked if he could take a picture. We posed. He snapped a pic. We got a free pizza. Sa-weet! Is this how rock stars live?
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Greatrace 2013 - Day 1
Day1. The good news: No flat tires. Car didn't over-heat. No rain (during the rally). Bad news: after the rally, prior to getting the hotel, ANOTHER TORRENTIAL DOWN POUR!! Uuggggh! Enough rain!
I saw an Amish horse and buggy on the road today. I'm not sure who looked funnier- him or me (in my 1930's knickers).
Quote of the Day: Preston, "Gee, Wisconsin is just like I pictured it...."
We did okay.
Leg 1: 5 sec early
Leg 2: 1 sec late
Leg3: 5 sec early
Leg 4: 16 sec late
Raw score 27; adjusted score 22.28; after dropping one leg = 9 sec!
I saw an Amish horse and buggy on the road today. I'm not sure who looked funnier- him or me (in my 1930's knickers).
Quote of the Day: Preston, "Gee, Wisconsin is just like I pictured it...."
We did okay.
Leg 1: 5 sec early
Leg 2: 1 sec late
Leg3: 5 sec early
Leg 4: 16 sec late
Raw score 27; adjusted score 22.28; after dropping one leg = 9 sec!
Friday, June 21, 2013
Greatrace 2013 - Day 0
Tonight's post will be quick. It was an interesting day that culminated in a trophy run (practice rally). This allows veterans to scrape off the rust, and rookies to gain experience before the big show begins. The car performed flawlessly. No flat tires! I was worried about our "tubeless" set up, but so far - no problems. The same couldn't be said for our friends Barry and Juke. They too have new tires and went with the recommended tubes. They had not one but TWO flats today! Uggh.
Our problems didn't start until AFTER the rally, on the way home. The skies opened up and a torrential flood came down. The car stalled out and had to be towed home the final 10 miles (thanks to Jim and the guys at Hemmings Motor News for the help!). We dried out the distributor cap and should be good to go for tomorrow.
We did well today considering I haven't rallied in two years and my nephew has never rallied before. We ended up with a 17.33 second day (33th out of 99 cars)
Raw scores:
Leg 1: 1 sec late
Leg 2: 14 sec late
Leg 3: 3 sec late
Leg 4: 3 sec late
(note: our raw score was 21 sec (x) times our age factor .825 (1935) = 17.33)
The winning time in our class was a 3 sec raw score: Ace, Ace, Ace, 3...... whew! That's good.
For the record: we got a 14 second on leg 2 because we missed a turn. Preston saw it, called it, and I drove past! Totally my fault. Uggh.
Our problems didn't start until AFTER the rally, on the way home. The skies opened up and a torrential flood came down. The car stalled out and had to be towed home the final 10 miles (thanks to Jim and the guys at Hemmings Motor News for the help!). We dried out the distributor cap and should be good to go for tomorrow.
We did well today considering I haven't rallied in two years and my nephew has never rallied before. We ended up with a 17.33 second day (33th out of 99 cars)
Raw scores:
Leg 1: 1 sec late
Leg 2: 14 sec late
Leg 3: 3 sec late
Leg 4: 3 sec late
(note: our raw score was 21 sec (x) times our age factor .825 (1935) = 17.33)
The winning time in our class was a 3 sec raw score: Ace, Ace, Ace, 3...... whew! That's good.
For the record: we got a 14 second on leg 2 because we missed a turn. Preston saw it, called it, and I drove past! Totally my fault. Uggh.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Greatrace 2013 - Prelude Continued
We made it! We are actually at the Airport Marriott across from the Mall of America! The entire trip took 15 hours 24 minutes and 49 seconds...... and 953.4 miles. We dropped our stuff at the hotel, returned the U-haul truck & trailer, and got the car put away. Tomorrow, we have registration, technical inspection, and a reception. We have a few things to do to the car: calibrate the speedo, check the oil, etc.
Now would be a good time to thank Danny Byington and Alan Calvert. Without both of these guys, I would not be here now ready to race. They are patient friends and highly skilled. Thanks guys!
Stand by - more to come....
Now would be a good time to thank Danny Byington and Alan Calvert. Without both of these guys, I would not be here now ready to race. They are patient friends and highly skilled. Thanks guys!
Stand by - more to come....
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Greatrace 2013 - Prelude
And so it begins. My nephew, Preston, and I departed today for St. Paul, MN and the start of the 2013 Greatrace. We made it to Kansas City and will finish the trip to St. Paul tomorrow. Today was uneventful - except for 20 minutes of torrential rain and hail. The car made it through unscathed. We're towing the Ford up with a u-haul truck/trailer. We're going to drive the rally then drive home from Alabama. That's Plan A...
More tomorrow. Cheers!
More tomorrow. Cheers!
Thursday, May 16, 2013
1928 Ford Model A Speedster For Sale
Here is your chance to own a piece of history. My 1928 Ford Model A speedster is for sale. This isn't just any speedster. It was featured on the cover of Hemmings Motor News in Sept 2011:
It is the 2007 Greatrace grand champion winner (Bob Labine won that year). This ex-Rex Gardner; ex-Jeff Stumb; ex-Bob Labine rally car is awesome. It starts every time. And has all the needed mods to successfully rally: 12v conversion, juice brakes, modified Ron Kelly engine ('28 4 cylinder), electric fan, timewise speedo, dual electronic fuel pumps, etc.
The car runs cool (no over heating problems) and is very reliable. I have never had a DNF or DNS.
I am selling because I just bought a 1935 Ford Deluxe to rally. My speedster is now redundant. As much as I would love to keep her, this car needs to be rallied - not regulated to a life of 4th July parades and casual Sunday drives.
Car price is $20K firm. There is a spares package available which includes a ton of parts and a spare Ron Kelly engine. Spares packages is $8,000 obo.
email questions to info@aerotac.com and include 1928 speedster for sale in the subject line
Monday, April 29, 2013
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Thursday, February 28, 2013
It's time to start getting ready for this year's adventure. Great Race 2013 promises to be an exciting time. The course will travel down the Mighty Mississippi River:
One change will be to the line-up. My good friend and life-long navigator Joe, will be busy this summer. So my nephew Preston will be joining me in the 1928 Speedster.
Also joining Preston and I will be my buddy Frank. For more info goto: www.greatrace.com
See you on the road!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
