Iowa Corn Indy 250

Indy cars screaming around the track at 160 is unreal. Great race!

Rotax Pan American Challenge Race Report

Wow. Where to start? This sums up the weekend:

The kart and entire racing operation was prepped during the week to make the 400 mile trek to New Castle Motorsports Park east of Indianapolis, Indiana Thursday night.

I was ready and excited to race on a track I’ve never been to. New Castle is probably the best karting facility in the country! Up to this point, this is the biggest race I’ve ever entered. Racers from Mexico, Canada, Florida to California were in attendance to do battle for the Rotax Pan American Challenge. The winner of the 4 race series earns a spot on Team America representing the USA at the Rotax World Finals in Italy! I thought the kart was ready. I couldn’t have been more wrong!

Friday morning I got registered and set up the pit next to the LSR Motorsports guys. 5 practice sessions were on the schedule for the day. The first session I went out to familiarize myself with the track and concentrate on picking up the apex points learning the track. As the day and practice sessions went on the kart just wouldn’t respond to any chassis adjustments I’d make. Sometimes it would hop in the corners, sometimes it would be loose in, sometimes it would push, sometimes it would be loose off. WTH was going on?

The last practice session for the day I picked up a bad vibration. I aborted early and went back to the pits scratching my head. None of the tires were losing air pressure, nothing was loose, and the axle wasn’t bent. I swapped out the sprocket and chain for new parts and prepped for qualifying Saturday morning.

It rained all night and most of Saturday morning. Luckily the track was dry for our 15 minute qualifying session. By the halfway point the kart was shaking and vibrating pretty violently. I pushed on trying to diagnose what was happening but I wasn’t going any faster and called it quits. By this point I was way down on everything that was happening and bummed.

Remember I’d thrown the chain in previous race weekends? I found out why after qualifying:
http://picasaweb.google.com/morganschuler1/CRGBlackStarChassisCrack

Weak sauce, the frame freaking cracked where the rear cross bar behind the seat meets the second rail motor mount. The second rail is cracked too. At this point I knew my weekend was probably over. Pissed off and bummed out, I spent Saturday cussing and running around looking for a welder or another chassis. I conceded that I wouldn’t be able to make the Saturday races, but maybe I could get everything together to race on Sunday. The motor came off and I got permission from race officials to switch chassis if I could find one. By the end of the day, no one would weld the frame for fear of causing more damage. Don’t blame them. Found a chassis but it was a you break it you buy it deal. No thanks.

All the time, effort and money wasted with two Did Not Starts to show for it. Suck!

I loaded up and left the track early Sunday morning to make the drive back home. At this point we’re still trying to determine if the frame can be welded and fixed. So for now I won’t be racing, at least this weekend. A new bare frame might be in my future.

No pictures from the weekend. Too busy running around pissed off that I forgot I even brought the camera. No video either. One because I didn’t race, two because race officials wouldn’t allow on board cameras. Never did get an explanation, just a NO.

Since I’m not racing this weekend, I’m going to watch Indy Cars at Iowa Speedway Sunday with my Dad! Thanks Manatts for the sweet (and suite) tickets!

Your friend and my favorite,
Morgan

61 Kartway Race #4 Report

It was one of those days. I had the chassis sticking fairly well in practice. And then I threw the chain in the last practice session. I scrambled back to the garage to get everything put back together for qualifying. In a fit of cussing I crawled around on the garage floor and kart chanting "honka honka, I'm a Tonka. Meep, meep, I'm a Jeep" to get everything buttoned up and appease the karting gods.

I had a pretty nice gouge in my front left tire. Must have ran over something on track? Changed tires and went 1.5 seconds slower in qualifying, but I was on pole!

Rock on! I jumped out to the lead in the pre-final and was cruising to the victory. Then with 3 laps left, ZING! The chain went flying off again! WTH, I coasted back to the pits in dejection. Repeat what I went through before qualifying to start dead freaking last in the final. I got everything put back together in the pits and went out for the final. Starting from last place, I made it up to first within 4 laps! Again, I was in the lead cruising to take the checkered flag. ZING! With 3 or 4 laps left the chain decided it wasn’t up for winning today and went flying for the 3rd and final time. This time I was cussing out loud inside my helmet!

DNF! Did not finish, dead last. F me! I was apparently riding the fail boat all day. The chain and 2 rear gears went in the trash, I’ll be rocking new parts for the next race.

No racing this weekend, we’ll get back at it in a couple weeks. Then June 11-13 is the Pan American Challenge at New Castle Motorsports Park in New Castle, Indiana.

Pixxors from the last race. Sorry about the quality, I had to scan them in old school:

The video did work this time but it was pointed right at my steering wheel. All you can see are my hands and front of the kart. So no video again, but I did LOL when my chain came off and I was dropping F-bombs over Baghdad.

Your friend and my favorite,

Morgan

61 Kartway Race #2 Report

I guess a miserable day at the track is better than doing most anything else on a Saturday. 50° with 15-20 mph winds made for a long day. Remember high school track meets when it was cold and windy? You had to sit outside all afternoon and night. Nobody wanted to be there, not even the coaches. It sucked. But you stepped your game up and killed it when you had to. That’s how it was Saturday. Turnout was so-so but pretty good considering the weather. 7 total in TAG. After 2 or 3 practice sessions I had the chassis hooked up for once and was actually confident going into qualifying. I jacked up the air pressure in the tires and mentally prepared to hold it WFO whenever possible.

Qualified 3rd. Less than a tenth of a second split the top three. When I saw my time on the gauge I thought I had a chance at stealing the pole. Just missed it!

For the pre-final I totally missed the setup and was off pace before the halfway point. Got a terrible start anyway and banged side pods with Dave for the first couple turns. I rode around in 3rd by myself waiting for the race to end. Back in the pits I went through some adjustments and stressed about what air pressures to run for the final. Pressures set, last minute check, and off we went for the final. I got a great start this time behind Kyle and the three of us up front checked out. It was great to finally be back on the track doing battle and being competitive.

I hit the podium coming home 3rd. Fun, fun race. Second fastest time in the final! If I would keep all four wheels on the track (I might have done a little lawn mowing excursion) and be more consistent I could be contending for the win. More seat time and racing will cure that. Hopefully.

No pictures. Hey it was too freaking cold, I was hiding in my garage most of the day. No video. I am pissed about that. That video would have been way cool. Not sure what happened but nothing even recorded. With any luck it works next weekend. Then a week off and back at it last weekend in May.

Your friend and my favorite,
Morgan

Rock and Roll

New chassis and engine locked and loaded!

Marching On...Motor in a Box

No, not JT in a box. But I do LMAO every time I see it.

This:


2010 125cc Rotax Max. In a box.

I haven't had a motor on my kitchen table for awhile now. Instead, the complete assembly is front and center on my living room floor. C’est La Vie. Really ties the room together. I had a bad case of shiny-new-thing-itis and when someone offered to buy my used motor I didn’t hesitate. The new stuff showed up yesterday. I just have to put that mess on the new kart, break it in, and get ready for the first race of the season.

Somethings been brought to my attention.


I've been told no man should ever be caught on an elliptical. Something something questioned my masculinity something something cut up my man card. Then I was accused of willingly watching Twilight, WTH? Listen, it tightens my buns and thighs ok.

No worries, with the spring weather I’ve pulled the bike out and started doing some spinning. Did a brick workout for the first time ever, what a PITA!

Your friend and my favorite,
Morgan

2010 Schedule

April 17-18: Great Lakes Pro Series New Castle, IN

April 24: 61 Kartway opens

May 8: 61 Kartway Race #2 Rotax Max Challenge

May 15-16: Midwest Sprint Badger, WI or 61 Kartway #3 Rotax Max Challenge

May 29: 61 Kartway Race #5 Rotax Max Challenge

June 5: 61 Kartway Race #6 Rotax Max Challenge

June 19: 61 Kartway Race #8 Rotax Max Challenge

June 26: 61 Kartway Race #9 Rotax Max Challenge

July 3-4: Midwest Sprint Road America, WI

July 10: 61 Kartway Race #10 Rotax Max Challenge

July 14-18: Rotax Grand Nationals New Castle, IN

August 6-8: Championship Enduro Series Blackhawk Farms, IL

August 21-22: Midwest Sprint Norway, IL

September 3-5: Rock Island Grand Prix Rock Island, IL

September 17-19: Championship Enduro Series Autobahn Country Club, IL

September 25: 61 Kartway Championship

October 9: 61 Kartway Challenge