Well, what a crazy night. I was happy to finally get to race since we have been rained out almost as many times as we have raced this year.

Time trials-
Track manager decided it'd be cool to only have two time trial runs.... I dunno why. But hey, I'll be fine with two right? First run .493 light, car went 8.92@81.5. It was extremly hot and humid. Second time trial... I was somewhere else in my mind. I noticed in the burnout that I didn't have my helmet on, the radio was going and I'm thinking "What am I doing"... lol. Well to top it off I launch in 2nd and before I realize there isn't a chain hooked to my car and the starting line (.751 light) I was like WTF. Notice it's in 2nd and realize that I just wasted my second and last TT run. I was quite pissed at myself.

So after a hour and a half wait they call first round. I knew it was gonna go faster than the first TT, but I didn't know how much. So I decided on 8.85 I knew it would run that, and maybe I'd be able to get on the brakes. I get really into my procedures, get focused. Hit the gas and think god thats red, but to my suprise it was green so I imediatly look for him see him at the 330' mark. He didn't look like he was gonna fly past me so I figure I got him tree'd right? So, I never look back down track and get on the brake in the traps hard. Win light my lane, (.507 light) 8.78@80.5 . As I look at the ticket I think..."that was really stupid of me to get on the brakes" cause while I was paying attention to his car, my win light was on for the whole race....he had a .406 light. So not just once but twice I throw a free TT away.

Second round, (.531 light) but the guy goes flying pass me at the 60' mark. I'm confused once again as he left 2 tenths after me, so then I start reeling him in but he broke out bad on the brakes. Full in it I only ran 8.77@82 on a 8.72 dial. Well the car was alittle bit more warm then.

Third round won against the guy I beat first round. Cut a .543 light, 8.77 dial and 8.83@82 all in it, he broke out anyways. So, at this point I'm thinking "Man this car is all over the place."

4 round I figure I'll just dial one down. So I dial 8.82, had to wait almost 3 seconds on some guy in his F150, get a decent light and catch him before the traps and stand on the brakes. 8.85@76 so to the finals I go.

Finals, a little history first. This is my first season bracket racing, and out of all the races so far I have went to the finals and lost 3 times. Twice to the 2003 track champ, and once to the guy standing next to me... the 2004 track champ. Every other time but once, I have went out first round. So I have already lost two coin tosses to him earlier tonight. We are both right lane guys so he lets me call, I call heads he flips ... tails. Damn, I get left lane, leave the dial the same. Why not take the gamble right? The damn car is all over the place. And in comes the black cloud. .618, to his .600 so I have already gave him the edge. I'm catching him about right to pass him right before the stripe and I start to feel the cloud lifting from my sight and in comes the thought of "What if I break out?" Yeah you know it baby! I hit the brakes and did it right as I passed him. Well I guess the cloud wasn't ready to go anywhere. I had the win and handed it right back to him 8.86@80.9 he took the stripe by .0019.

I dunno if I am every gonna win but I first gotta learn to quit beating myself, and go some rounds every night instead of this all or nothing deal I've been pulling. I'm planning on stepping up from Sportsman to Pro next year but I want the car alittle faster, and to make sure I'm gonna stick this whole bracket racing thing out. Well, these are my results, rants, and raves

enjoy

 

Long post, but I actually enjoyed reading that and got a good laugh at the end.

Good luck next time!

 

Great post man. Congrats on making it to the finals. I love reading about my fellow LS1tech brothers bracket racin. Congrats on your season so far. Are you in the track points program?

I can feel your pain about bracket racing. 2 weeks ago I win a big race in San Antonio and last week in my track points race I go out in the 3rd round on both tech cards. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good.

Good luck and keep it up man.

Coach

 

Yeah, sorry for the long post but had to rant alittle bit.

Coach-
I was 8th in the points till last night, I missed two races and the show up points alone would have put me in 5th. But I'm in fifth after last night without those 4 points. If I had them now i'd be in 3rd.

 

Congrats Nate, you seem to be doing well for your first season in the Camaro. Ever want to bring it to Gainesville and try 1/4 mile let me know, as I've made a few runs in an LS1 down the track

Keep in mind, some racers go for long amounts of time, even years without scoring a win. I've been lucky to watch and experience racing for 8 years as a kid before I could ever drive, and even then racing with a big group of friends that help to bounce ideas off each other for dialing, staging and stripe tactics, and so on helps a BUNCH! But you are always learning, no matter how many years in the game.

Keep in up, and maybe I'll see you at the finals in October!

Derek

 

You guys race twice a month on Saturdays right? I've thought about it especially since we've been rained out about the same amount we've got to race. I've been helping my cousin bracket racing for 3 years now. So I've picked up alot of do's and don'ts from there. The T/A was a 6 speed and bracket racing it was almost impossible. I don't know how many people Jax takes from Sportsman to the Division race, but I hope to go.

 

yep, Gainesville FINALLY changed from every weekend points to 2nd and 4th saturdays points. We've had 3 rain-outs now (counting last night), and it's made life a lot easier to chase points (I missed 2 races last year and still somehow came out on top by 1 round).

Yeah, manuals are hard to bracket race, but there are a few that experience success with them, but autos are the way to go (although sometimes not as much fun on the street). PM me if you think about heading over, as I usually have a big group of people I pit with.

Derek