well make my first pass 95 deg 75% humidity. very slow 13.86 test run. second pass same temp maybe a couple deg hotter. 13.73? 60's for both runs 1.903 identical but still a tenth off normal. so here is where the trouble started my dad made his second run and never came down the return rd. i wait make my run and there he is. his trunk died going across the finish. i throw mine into park and hear snap. there goes my shift cable. car now shut off and in drive with broken shift cable. now my day is going bad. another racer gives my dad ride to his pull vehicle. he grabs my jack and my tool box per my instructions. i jack my car check cable connection there, it's ok. pull center console cable connected there. damn. so now i bypass nuetral safety switch so i can start car in drive.(after burning my arm badly fiddling with gear selector under car to make sure the car is in drive and not second gear.) foot firmly on brake pedal turn key car starts and jumps forward i drive to pit area. dad follows in truck. i go back with him to look at his truck find a loose starter bolt and broken engine support causing motor to fall on positive cable to starter and cut the wire in half. i say "get in truck" then i grab a screw driver ; after tighteng starter. and make the contact at the starter truck fires and we go back to pits. so my car stuck in drive and my dads truck only starts with a screw driver. i say ---- it and try to race with no tire warming, due to not being able to back-up. so a 1.97 60 and .2 slow off dial = go home. what a cruddy day. now i have some work to do. only good thing is that i'm a optimist and will make it all better.

I don't see anything wrong with that. That sounds like a normal race weekend for me. If something doesn't cause problems, I must be dreaming. No wait, I have things break in my dreams also. My brain is trying to kill me.

Things like this happen and the only way to twart it is to have buddies that do this ritual every time they're out there...it makes you understand why being anal about what you do when building it the right way the first time does and pays dividends with less headaches. I think in 4 years of racing I can count on 1 hand the times I had hood up or car in the air to fix something at the track, but I seen plenty of "back woods buddies" make this fixing problems at the track a weekend ritual

You need to adopt a serious nutn and boltn regiman during the week to find any short comings and deal with it correctly instead of hodge podging to make it work for now and fix it later...bad habit to get into, I used to be this way years ago until I realized it costs me more money/time to constantly redo things again and again "later" than to do it right "now"

Things will always happen-that's racing, but you can prevent alot of headaches by doing common weekly maintenance, smart building, and attention to details. Good luck next time Not trying to preach like "dad", but I think I get more frsutrated at guys that constantly have problems since there is always a reason those same guys always have problems...my very close friend and his family are these types and I still cant get'em trained LOL!!

IHI, lol i actually see some humor in post. this is the first time my ta has ever given me a issue that made it difficult to drive. I have raced it in the pro class
for 3 years now after driving 83 miles to get to track. once i'm there only vehicle prep needed is to switch to slicks. my ta is very dependable and i would drive to cali and back in it tommorow. there is no way i could have known that cable would break in the middle of the housing.

now my dads truck is another story. he picked up from shop on friday, wen't racing sat and sunday, (met at track with him on sunday) starter and engine support bolt's just worked loose. he is less upset than i am with the shop that installed his motor for him. funny part is he stopped at this shop on the way home and dumped the truck and trailer in front of there bay doors locked in place so they can do no buisness untill they call him.

LOL, sometimes that's what it takes to get their attention as it seems more and more shops are becoming like doctor offices, they want to get you in and out quickly just to make a buck and not find root causes while your there the first time...wifes been going through this song and dance for 4 months now and we're pushing to get a referral to Mayo to try and find exactly what's wrong with her instead of "getting a pill" for what ails her at that exact moment....

Sorry if I came across insinuating anything towards you and your program, and like I sais, it's racing so anything can happen at anytime. The only thing I've found to be really consistant at ANY venue I entered and knew the guys....it's always the same folks having troubles time and time again, hopefully thos words will sink into anybody that has found that to be their "race day ritual" and take steps prior to Fri night/saturday morning to lessen the already hecktic race day so they can focus on the important thing...bringing home the money!! Hard to win anything but the hardluck award when the hoods up or car's in the air LOL!!!

Hopefully this will be as eventful as the season will be for ya