Pete McKay
04-20-2008, 11:54 PM
What started out as a test and tune session turned into the first race for Sequoia Speedway. I guess the first clue was when my buddies showed up with bags of Taco Bell, 6 packs of Corona and their $150 Professor Motor controllers. After about 30 minutes of trying out different cars everyone finally for their pick of the 13 available, and the four drivers (including myself) wiped down the track, taped the tires and set off for a short event.
We decided on two heats with all 4 lanes, a heat with 3 lanes and a heat with only 2 lanes to get every car a shot. The race would be 100 laps and every car would have to run a complete 100 laps to establish a time of race, and consequently where they would finish. Then we set to time qualify each car to decide where they would line up. Most of the cars ran single lap times in the 1.15 to 1.20 second range, with three cars running identical 1.17’s. Fast time was set by an astounding flat out lap of 1.02 seconds by Dale Jarrett with myself at the handle. That time was about to be thrown out when I ran an identical 1.02 the next lap. Cars were then set into their grids and the 100 lappers began.
Having all four cars on the track was exciting, although everyone had to marshal their own cars most of the time in the first two races. The rest of the races were run and when we began getting only 2 or 3 drivers on the track it was easier to keep track of where you were. It took a little over half an hour to run all the races and record the times. In the end some surprises were discovered.
The top qualifying Ford slipped back to a 4th place overall but set a track record again of 1.01 seconds. What amazed many was that the 2 Pontiacs, who qualified 6th and 7th, finished 2nd and 3rd. The Dodges, who we all thought were not going to handle, did. The 3 that ran qualified 10th, 11th and 13th but finished 11th, 9th and 6th respectively. While not fast they did handle really good, just as the Pontiacs did. Chevrolets did well in qualifying but about 50 laps in the tires went away and all of them began suffering from loose conditions. The best Chevy finished 7th.
Here’s how it all shook out (qualifying time):
1st #38 M&M’s Ford 2:00.73 (1.11)
2nd #01 US Army Pontiac 2:10.10 (1.17)
3rd #10 Valvoline Pontiac 2:13.60 (1.22)
4th #88 UPS Ford 2:19.07 (1.01)
5th #28 Havoline Ford 2:19.85 (1.25)
6th #19 Dodge Dealers Dodge 2:20.57 (1.28)*
7th #48 Lowes Chevrolet 2:22.99 (1.27)
8th #20 Home Depot Chevrolet 2:32.60 (1.12)
9th #9 Dodge Dealers Dodge 2:42.42 (1.26)*
10th #4 Kodak Chevrolet 2:45.82 (1.20)
11th #22 CAT Dodge 2.48.97 (1.15)
12th #5 Kellogg’s Chevrolet 3:00.60 (1.11)
13th #17 DeWalt Tools Ford 3:03.78 (1.14)
O-Chassis cars.
We decided on two heats with all 4 lanes, a heat with 3 lanes and a heat with only 2 lanes to get every car a shot. The race would be 100 laps and every car would have to run a complete 100 laps to establish a time of race, and consequently where they would finish. Then we set to time qualify each car to decide where they would line up. Most of the cars ran single lap times in the 1.15 to 1.20 second range, with three cars running identical 1.17’s. Fast time was set by an astounding flat out lap of 1.02 seconds by Dale Jarrett with myself at the handle. That time was about to be thrown out when I ran an identical 1.02 the next lap. Cars were then set into their grids and the 100 lappers began.
Having all four cars on the track was exciting, although everyone had to marshal their own cars most of the time in the first two races. The rest of the races were run and when we began getting only 2 or 3 drivers on the track it was easier to keep track of where you were. It took a little over half an hour to run all the races and record the times. In the end some surprises were discovered.
The top qualifying Ford slipped back to a 4th place overall but set a track record again of 1.01 seconds. What amazed many was that the 2 Pontiacs, who qualified 6th and 7th, finished 2nd and 3rd. The Dodges, who we all thought were not going to handle, did. The 3 that ran qualified 10th, 11th and 13th but finished 11th, 9th and 6th respectively. While not fast they did handle really good, just as the Pontiacs did. Chevrolets did well in qualifying but about 50 laps in the tires went away and all of them began suffering from loose conditions. The best Chevy finished 7th.
Here’s how it all shook out (qualifying time):
1st #38 M&M’s Ford 2:00.73 (1.11)
2nd #01 US Army Pontiac 2:10.10 (1.17)
3rd #10 Valvoline Pontiac 2:13.60 (1.22)
4th #88 UPS Ford 2:19.07 (1.01)
5th #28 Havoline Ford 2:19.85 (1.25)
6th #19 Dodge Dealers Dodge 2:20.57 (1.28)*
7th #48 Lowes Chevrolet 2:22.99 (1.27)
8th #20 Home Depot Chevrolet 2:32.60 (1.12)
9th #9 Dodge Dealers Dodge 2:42.42 (1.26)*
10th #4 Kodak Chevrolet 2:45.82 (1.20)
11th #22 CAT Dodge 2.48.97 (1.15)
12th #5 Kellogg’s Chevrolet 3:00.60 (1.11)
13th #17 DeWalt Tools Ford 3:03.78 (1.14)
O-Chassis cars.