Well the racing at Sunny South Raceway is completed for the 2010 season. Connelly and the entire #32 team has been blessed with an extremely successful season. We won seven races (it would have been eight had Connelly gone through tech for race number seven in a timely fashon) and he had second place finishes in three other races. We won the Bandolero track championshiop by a wide margin of 154 points, which is two complete races. We will probably wind up second in total points for the Louisiana Bandoleros, the car that will probablly win will have 2 or 3 races more than we had. We will most likely finish in the top third of all the Bandoleros in the US with only 13 races to our credit (some cars have over 40). So with all things considered 2010 was almost a perfect season for us, and it was only our second season, with us competing in only 5 events in 2009. We couldn't have asked for more.
I and the entire #32 team would like to thank Joe McArdle and the entire staff at Sunny South Raceway for providing a great venue for racers young and old alike. The track is excellent in that it offers challenges to the crew chief in setting up the car, and the drivers to get the most out of what they have. SSR in truly a unique setting and we want the entire staff to know how much we appreciate their efforts. We are already looking forward to next year.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Sunny South Raceway Results 8-21-2010
Last Saturday was the last race of the season at SSR. It called for a unique fromat in that a double program was scheduled to make up the cancelled race from July 24th due to tropical storm Bonnie. We arrived at the track about 30 minutes late after having to deal with a blow out on the right trailer tire. We got that repaired with the help of the Motorist Assistance Patrol on I-10. The track was very hot, 113 degrees and somewhat loose. Connelly went out and I called him in after only 5 laps, he was sideways coming out of both turns 2 and 4. I didn't want to tear up the car at this point of the season, so I put a half turn of wedge in the left rear to tighten him up. He went back out and said he was too tight, so I took half of what I put in out. He then said he was OK. (should have left it alone as the track came to us and we probably would have been fine if I had given the track time to cool off).
We had a good field of 4 cars for this weekend's event, the #32, the # 39, the #55r, and the #18. Connelly drew the pole to start the first heat race, got a great start and led every lap. The finishing order for the heat was #32, #39, #18, #55r. Connelly reported being a little tight, but the track was still quite hot, but he was turning some dynamite times.
For the feature we started on the pole, followed by the #39, #18 and the #55r. Connelly got another great start and lead every lap. The finishing order was #32, #39, #18, #55r. After driving a great race Connelly made a mistake, instead of going directly to the technical inspector for post race inspection, he inadvertanly went back to the trailer area, where he realized his error and without turning the motor off went back to tech the car but it was too late the damage had been done, he had been disquilified. Connelly was crushed. He desperately wanted to win these last two events. I told him it was just one of those things and to get his game face on and go get the next heat and feature.
We re-registgered the car for the next event, drew third for starting position for the heat race. The program dragged on due to an oil spill in one of the legends races. It got late fast, the driver of the #55r (age 10) was falling asleep in the staging area and his father did not want him up front with the mad dash that was to come at the start with him being so tired, so he moved him to the rear of the field, which by rule moved the whole line up, which put Connelly on the pole again. Connelly got another great start and by halfway had half a straight a way lead. Connelly went on to win the heat by a large margin, folowed by the #18, #39 and #55r. In the second feature the #32 started on the pole due to the heat win, followed by the #18,#39, and #55r. Connelly nailed the start and proceeded to gain a large lead over the #39. The #18 blew another engine, his second of the year while running third and had to retire. He wound up 4th. Connelly went on to win by a large margin, with the #39 second and the #55r third, which guaranteed him the Bandolero Championship of Sunny South Raceway for the 2010 season.
Although we did not go home with the first place trophy for the first feature race, no one crossed the finish line ahead of us all night. We led all 46 laps run in competition Saturday night, but did not qualify for the first place trophy because we did not correctly present ourselves to the track inspector at the required time, even though the "inspection" was nothing more than a drive through. For the last feature of the night Connelly put a piece of tape on the dash board with the words "GO TO TECH" printed on it. I'll bet that he never misses tech again.
Connelly conducted himself in a very professional manner all season, we are proud that he raced everybody clean, was involved in only one minor incident, got spun by the #18, no harm no foul (he still got the win that night). All in all this could be considered a prefect season, 7 wins, 3 seconds out of 14 races
We had a good field of 4 cars for this weekend's event, the #32, the # 39, the #55r, and the #18. Connelly drew the pole to start the first heat race, got a great start and led every lap. The finishing order for the heat was #32, #39, #18, #55r. Connelly reported being a little tight, but the track was still quite hot, but he was turning some dynamite times.
For the feature we started on the pole, followed by the #39, #18 and the #55r. Connelly got another great start and lead every lap. The finishing order was #32, #39, #18, #55r. After driving a great race Connelly made a mistake, instead of going directly to the technical inspector for post race inspection, he inadvertanly went back to the trailer area, where he realized his error and without turning the motor off went back to tech the car but it was too late the damage had been done, he had been disquilified. Connelly was crushed. He desperately wanted to win these last two events. I told him it was just one of those things and to get his game face on and go get the next heat and feature.
We re-registgered the car for the next event, drew third for starting position for the heat race. The program dragged on due to an oil spill in one of the legends races. It got late fast, the driver of the #55r (age 10) was falling asleep in the staging area and his father did not want him up front with the mad dash that was to come at the start with him being so tired, so he moved him to the rear of the field, which by rule moved the whole line up, which put Connelly on the pole again. Connelly got another great start and by halfway had half a straight a way lead. Connelly went on to win the heat by a large margin, folowed by the #18, #39 and #55r. In the second feature the #32 started on the pole due to the heat win, followed by the #18,#39, and #55r. Connelly nailed the start and proceeded to gain a large lead over the #39. The #18 blew another engine, his second of the year while running third and had to retire. He wound up 4th. Connelly went on to win by a large margin, with the #39 second and the #55r third, which guaranteed him the Bandolero Championship of Sunny South Raceway for the 2010 season.
Although we did not go home with the first place trophy for the first feature race, no one crossed the finish line ahead of us all night. We led all 46 laps run in competition Saturday night, but did not qualify for the first place trophy because we did not correctly present ourselves to the track inspector at the required time, even though the "inspection" was nothing more than a drive through. For the last feature of the night Connelly put a piece of tape on the dash board with the words "GO TO TECH" printed on it. I'll bet that he never misses tech again.
Connelly conducted himself in a very professional manner all season, we are proud that he raced everybody clean, was involved in only one minor incident, got spun by the #18, no harm no foul (he still got the win that night). All in all this could be considered a prefect season, 7 wins, 3 seconds out of 14 races
Monday, August 9, 2010
Sunny South Raceway Results 8-7-10
Saturday had finally arrived, Connelly was was going through racing withdrawls. We haven't raced since July 10th because tropical storm Bonnie cancelled the 7-24-10 race date. We arrived at the track at 5:00 pm and the rain arrived at 5:05. It rained one of those southern frog floaters for about an hour then another hour to dry the track. We finally got on the track for practice around 7 pm. Track was green as the rain had washed off all of the rubber put down from prior racing. Car was really good, wicked fast and handling great. Connelly's comment when he returned to the pits was,"don't touch it, it's perfect." He turned a 13.71 in practice.
Another top field of competitors were on hand; the #00, the #55r, the #18, the#39, and of cource us the #32. We drew the 4th starting position with the #39 on pole #00 outside front row, the #55r inside second row, the #32 outside row two, and the # 18 inside row three.
At the start of the heat race Connelly touched bumpers with the #00 and tired to "push" her past the #39, that didn't work so he dove to the inside and went form fourth to second in the first lap. It took him about four laps to get buy the #39 and take the lead and went on to win by about 8 to 10 car lengths. It was a very entertaining race with a couple of lead changes and some real close action. The finishing order for the heat was #32, #39, #18, #55r and #00.
In the feature Connelly started from the pole as a result of winning the heat followed by the #39, the #18, and the #55r, Raelyn Harris in the #00 did not start due to a mechanical problem. Connelly took the lead at the start but in lap #3 got loose and went up high in turns
1 & 2 letting the #39 get under him and take the lead. Connelly didn't panic he just got down to business and ran down the #39 and re took the lead, which he extended to a half straightaway before a spin by the #55r brought out a caution and closed the field up. Connelly got another good start and extended his lead to about 10 carlengths after a few laps of very close racing. These youngsters put on a very entertaining pair of races for the fans. Finishing order #32. #39, #18, #55r.
This was a very good points weekend and we extended our lead to 183 points, which almost locks up the track points championship for us ( we still have the "drop your two lowest points" races to deal with and we don't know how that will impact the final standings.) We'll just keep on racing.
Another top field of competitors were on hand; the #00, the #55r, the #18, the#39, and of cource us the #32. We drew the 4th starting position with the #39 on pole #00 outside front row, the #55r inside second row, the #32 outside row two, and the # 18 inside row three.
At the start of the heat race Connelly touched bumpers with the #00 and tired to "push" her past the #39, that didn't work so he dove to the inside and went form fourth to second in the first lap. It took him about four laps to get buy the #39 and take the lead and went on to win by about 8 to 10 car lengths. It was a very entertaining race with a couple of lead changes and some real close action. The finishing order for the heat was #32, #39, #18, #55r and #00.
In the feature Connelly started from the pole as a result of winning the heat followed by the #39, the #18, and the #55r, Raelyn Harris in the #00 did not start due to a mechanical problem. Connelly took the lead at the start but in lap #3 got loose and went up high in turns
1 & 2 letting the #39 get under him and take the lead. Connelly didn't panic he just got down to business and ran down the #39 and re took the lead, which he extended to a half straightaway before a spin by the #55r brought out a caution and closed the field up. Connelly got another good start and extended his lead to about 10 carlengths after a few laps of very close racing. These youngsters put on a very entertaining pair of races for the fans. Finishing order #32. #39, #18, #55r.
This was a very good points weekend and we extended our lead to 183 points, which almost locks up the track points championship for us ( we still have the "drop your two lowest points" races to deal with and we don't know how that will impact the final standings.) We'll just keep on racing.
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