The day started very rough at Miller Motor Sports Park for the last and final race of the season for #115 Doug Tingey. The track was very cold (less than 55°F) and it took several laps to get the tires warmed up. This was my problem: I would run and about 2 or 3 laps and my engine would run out of gas. I thought that it was because there was oil in my fuel filter pulse tube. Today's race was going to be a Qualifying Heat, then a Prefinal Heat followed by the Main Heat. I was going to be in trouble for the Qualifying Heat since I could only run a couple of laps before the engine would die. But I would have to run slow to get my tires warmed up.
Mean while, my son Dylan's kart was broke! I pulled the starting cord out of the housing!! Thank heavens the Burdett boy's dad fixed it for me. But, I did not have time to fix my kart prior to Qualifying. So as I suspected, I got one lousy Qualifying lap in (5 seconds off of the pace) before the engine died!! I was going to start last in the Prefinal. Goose sold me a new fuel filter and I reduced the oil content in my crankcase as low as I dared go. I ran the motor in the pits for about 10 minutes and noticed that fuel was leaking out near the carberator. So I put 2 zip ties on the fule line going into the carb. It stopped the leak.
I got a good start on the Prefinal. I ran 4th position nose to tail with the leaders. My engine ran fine!!! I don't know what fixed the problem, but I suspect the fuel leak was the problem, not the pulse or the fuel pump. Great! The problem solved, but now I only have one shot at adjusting my kart for handling.
I made a few adjustments and started the main in fourth place. Here is a picture showing us rolling to the straight way for the start. I am right behind #11 Jared Simcox.
I got a good start behind Jared. I went right to second behind #7 Rob Nye. Ran most of the race bump drafting with Jared trying to make up the 3 second gap to Rob. I made a mistake and Jared took over second place. We drafted together and reeled Rob in a little.
Then on the last lap, I rolled back 5 car lengths coming into the "Snake" and tried to get a ton of speed and sling shot onto the straight way. This picture shows me going onto the front straight. It worked! When Jared looked left I went right and ran up along side of him. We crossed the finish line together. But he was 6 to 8 inches ahead. He took second by 9/1000ths of a second!!!
After the race, Jared talks to me about such a fun and clean race. That was a blast!!
So I took third. Rob Nye took first and Jared Simcox took second. Rob did not show up for awards.
I ended up in Third Place in the Season Points.
I got a good start on the Prefinal. I ran 4th position nose to tail with the leaders. My engine ran fine!!! I don't know what fixed the problem, but I suspect the fuel leak was the problem, not the pulse or the fuel pump. Great! The problem solved, but now I only have one shot at adjusting my kart for handling.
I made a few adjustments and started the main in fourth place. Here is a picture showing us rolling to the straight way for the start. I am right behind #11 Jared Simcox.
I got a good start behind Jared. I went right to second behind #7 Rob Nye. Ran most of the race bump drafting with Jared trying to make up the 3 second gap to Rob. I made a mistake and Jared took over second place. We drafted together and reeled Rob in a little.
Then on the last lap, I rolled back 5 car lengths coming into the "Snake" and tried to get a ton of speed and sling shot onto the straight way. This picture shows me going onto the front straight. It worked! When Jared looked left I went right and ran up along side of him. We crossed the finish line together. But he was 6 to 8 inches ahead. He took second by 9/1000ths of a second!!!
After the race, Jared talks to me about such a fun and clean race. That was a blast!!
So I took third. Rob Nye took first and Jared Simcox took second. Rob did not show up for awards.
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