2004-04-26 - 12:01 p.m.
So�the week that was�
First off, no Crown for Rhi or I next weekend, the finances and time just don�t cut it to make a 12 hour round trip. This should be the last thing we have to say �I�m sorry, no� to as a result of the Dark Time. That will be good.
I will be so very happy when I can put to rest the hassles that have pursued us since Mid September of last year. It was the first time I�ve been through a major hurricane�and we plain and simple weren�t ready for it, and it showed. I�m just tired of playing catch-up. Catch-up with the yardwork (we still have a downed tree that needs to be cut up and disposed of), Catch-up with the finances (final total slightly over $3,000, when you count lost income and extra expenses, admittedly, some of them were probably ill-advised decisions at the time, but that�s what disaster panic does for you�and just because it was a bad decision doesn�t mean you don�t have to pay for it). Catch-up with my friends (I do still have friends, right?). Catch-up with the SCA (we have missed the better part of last year�s Fall Season, pretty much all of the winter season, and now the spring seems to be slipping through our fingers as well)�Just Catch-up.
Nope, we weren�t the most affected by the storm at all. Many were affected much worse�but it feels like we have been the ones who have had the hardest times adjusting and getting back to normal�whatever normal is.
Live and learn, I guess. The next one shouldn�t be *quite* so bad. It had damned well better not be. We�re getting there.
On a happier note, we went up to West Virginia this past weekend for MARRS I, the first actual SCCA race for Beth�s husband. For those of you joining our story late, we�re his pit crew, despite the fact that what I know about *racing* cars can be nicely summarized on the back of an index card. Fortunately, most of what needs to be done is on the level of �tighten this bolt, put this gas in, and clean this windshield�, and I can do that.
Saturday, though, turned into some minor drama. See�evidently the SRX-7 class has a mandatory car weight range�and so it began�
See, the way these race weekends work is like this: Friday is a lot like an SCA camping event Friday�folks show up and set up their spaces. There is also some practice time for those who get there early enough (and pay extra for the privledge, I�m told). Saturday is qualifying, which is simultaneously incredibly formal and incredibly informal at the same time. Sunday is the actual race, then pack up and go home.
So on Friday, apparently Greg and Beth got there, got set up, and Greg had some car problems when he was practicing (something about needing to replace the radiator like 3 times�). He got it together, but hadn�t had a heck of a lot of practice time on the track. He also gets the mandatory �Tech Inspection�, which is something like the Marshal�s inspection at an event�all it�s doing is checking your equipment to make sure it meets minimum safety standards.
We all show up Saturday for the first of his two qualifying sessions. He goes out in Group 2 (which is all of the SRX-7�s, there�s like 35 of them). The session is about 20 minutes long, and he has fairly decent times�he�s in the back of the pack, but a) it�s his first race, and b) his car is one of the older ones, and he hasn�t had enough time driving it to get all of the things set up just right.
Regardless, after that session, we have a break of about 4 hours in which to tweak things and such. Greg decides to go and get the car weighed. This is important, as it has to get done at some point, because they do random impound inspections after the race of the winning cars, and occasionally some other ones, and if you have anything wrong, you basically get disqualified, which is bad.
So he pulls the car onto the scale. They write the number down on a sticky note, and give it to him. He pulls away. Beth and I assume that all is well and go off to the Timing and Scoring building to get the official �here�s where you stand after the first session� sheet. This takes about 30 minutes, because it�s a long walk, and there�s a line, and they have to make extra copies and etc, etc, etc.
We get back to the paddock space and Greg is in a tizzy�he�s 50 lbs under the minimum. And he couldn�t leave the track to go buy weights because Beth had the car keys in her pocket�So he grabs Beth, who put her purse down to follow him to the car to figure out what it going on�and Rhi and I are just sitting there, with instructions to �hold down the fort�. We think Beth�s coming back�but after 5 minutes when she didn�t, we realize she isn�t.
This isn�t necessarily a big deal�like I said, we�ve got 4 hours, and they are probably just running to the Wal-Mart up the road to get some barbell weights or something�at least that�s what we thought Greg was saying�
And then an announcement comes over the PA basically saying �Mandatory driver�s meeting at the conclusion of the next group�. We have no way to make sure Greg knows about this meeting.
We try to raise them on their cell phone, only to discover that Beth�s cell phone is in Beth�s purse, which is on the chair in the paddock�DOH!
And then just to make matters more interesting, a group of five gentlemen in matching shirts and carrying tools come over and say �we have to inspect your car�are you the driver?� (uhh�no�take a look a the racing seat in the car�it�s for a 150 lb person�I�m closer to 350�there isn�t enough Crisco in the WORLD to get me into that seat) (and no, I didn�t say that, I just said �No�)
�Well, are you the owner���No�. �Are you the Crew?� �Well, yes, we are that...�
�Okay, then can you pop the hood and stand by in case we have questions?�
Keep in mind my previous entry on this, which basically admits that what I know about cars is that when they go vroom vroom all is well, and when they don�t it gets fixed by giving a man in a greasy jumpsuit lots of money.
So, of course, I pop the hood and stand by to answer questions. (What else was I supposed to do?)
�Do you know your battery mount is broken?��Do you know the way to Sante Fe?� �Do you know your air intake shroud is missing?� �Do you know the hassenfeffer valve is in the off position?� �Do you know that in case of emergency landing, your seat cushion can be used as a floatation device?� �Do you know that your camber is too negative?� �Do you know who put the bop in the bop-sh-bop-sh-bop?�
I knew about the battery mount�that�s been giving Greg troubles the whole year�and I actually knew how to fix it (yeah me!). As for the others�not a clue.
Fortunately, Rhi took notes, and they were all �It�s okay, he just needs to have it fixed by the race�.
So Greg and Beth come back about 30 minutes later (just in time for the Driver�s meeting, thankfully), and we set about getting the stuff that can get fixed fixed.
Apparently, camber is something to do with how the top of your wheels are mounted vs the bottom of your wheels, and it is adjusted using 4 bolts that are just under the hood of the car�
We get that all fixed just in time to get Greg back out for his second qualifying session, which goes okay (where okay is defined as �He came back with the same number of car pieces he left with��which is a definite plus), and all is well.
But still, it made me think�
The folks doing the tech inspection were using their own words, and just assumed everyone else knew what they were talking about�
The newbie (me) didn�t, and was immediately uncomfortable, because he was expected to have a higher level of knowledge than he did.
This feels strangely familiar to me�
Regardless, the race happened on Sunday morning, and he came in 25th, which, when you consider that he started 26th, is pretty good for his first race.
Now the question is, when is his next race?
Well, that and where can I find �Race Car Setup for Dummies�?
This week, it�s back to the SCA prep. Sapphire is soon, and I have projects to finish.
And now, I have work to do, and lunch to eat, so I will leave y�all with this thought:
Trout Ice Cream.
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Random�
