Re: "Live" from Route 66 Jegs All-Stars Nationals in Joliet
 

I wonder what type of draw ( attendance ) the NHRA had at Route 66 this weekend. Watched the last hour on ESPN 3 and the stands were pretty empty before they ran the finals so it most certainly does not reflect on just S/SS. I guess nobody really cares who wins but go to see who crashes and burns.

Re: "Live" from Route 66 Jegs All-Stars Nationals in Joliet
 

I thought I heard them say on the TV broadcast that there was a sizable rain delay between the semis and finals today,,,,, that could be the reason for no fans hanging around.
Danny Durham

Re: "Live" from Route 66 Jegs All-Stars Nationals in Joliet
 

Never watched the TV broadcast and just followed it on ESPN 3. Did not know about the rain delay. Thanks

Re: "Live" from Route 66 Jegs All-Stars Nationals in Joliet
 

There was a huge storm Friday afternoon north of Joliet that left many without power Sat. and a lot of uprooted trees along with downed branches and one again Sunday which left many about a hour north again witrh large amounts of uprooted trees and downed power lines. Many without power today.

Saturday seemed to have a large crowd, maybe many of the walkup Friday crowd skipped and came the next day. If you walked the mile or so back to your car Sunday and were faced with a 3 hour delay, maybe they left.

Re: "Live" from Route 66 Jegs All-Stars Nationals in Joliet
 

About the storms at the track: there was damage to lots of awnings and personal injury to one of the allstars. The story I heard was that his feet became tangled in on of the big blow-ups at the track and it banged him around and up against the concrete barriers. He had damage to his face and a dislocated shoulder from the rumors I heard. I don't know what his name is.

About Cour's DQ for fuel: He was DQ on his first time run for something. I had heard that it was for fuel, don't know for sure. He obviously passed at some time, because he got on the sheets. I would think that tech checked everyone's fuel that won the 4th round. Since Cour's failed, could it have been he had already been warned, and then tossed after it didn't pass again. My dealings with fuel check is that they give you every opportunity to get it right during time trials, even letting you know if it is close to not passing. And also the fuel will vary from track to track. I bought fuel at one national event and was at another national event the following weekend and the first fuel did not pass. So you do what you have to do to pass at that event, including buying more fuel. Maybe Cour will get on here and explain exactly what happened. I know how it is to drive a long way and then get beat!

Re: "Live" from Route 66 Jegs All-Stars Nationals in Joliet
 

PICs

I have a link below to myphotobucket if anyone wants to see more pics from Joliet and Heartland races. Jim

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...eheartland.jpg

http://s256.photobucket.com/albums/hh170/jimschaechter/

Re: "Live" from Route 66 Jegs All-Stars Nationals in Joliet
 

A few years back at the Winternationals I was awarded a DQ for fuel too. I think it was 06, hard to remember as with age the memory synapses tend to deteriorate kind of like spark plugs losing their gap.

Anyway, I had passed fuel check in the Q's as well in 1st rd. Then after my win in the 2nd rd I failed. And failed real bad like off the charts fail. The NHRA guys at the fuel check trailer sampled my fuel several times and even pulled a sample from the cell. All checked bad. Thus, I was DQ'd. I went back to the trailer and took over my fuel jug which was half full of "fresh" VP C12 fuel bought the prior day and NHRA checked it for me. It was ok and in fact "in the middle". I then went back to my trailer and pumped out all the bad fuel and replaced it with the good fuel as declared by NHRA and drove the car over to fuel check and they check it from the fuel check valve. Yep,it was just fine.

In the after math of all this I sent the "bad fuel" to VP in Houston via their depot near Temecula, Ca to be analyized. A waste of time and the lose of $10 / gal pit bike fuel.
After numerous attempts to speak to one of their crack chemists I finally was told that the fuel had simply "aged" due possibly to me leaving the cap off the jug or some other bone head thing. I am sure we all from time to time leave the cap off the jug and leave it out in the sun etc. I explained to no avail that that didn't happen and that the fuel was fresh off their truck from the day prior of the DQ. I was talking to a closed set of ears. I am not even sure they had the fuel for that matter. Taking the time and expense to have Mr Wizard do an analysis may have been asking to much for a lowly stock eliminator racer.

Now, all this being said what conclusion would one draw from these circumstances. Well, my conclusion is that my fuel and been contaminated sometime between rds when I was away from my car watching SS. The opportunity was there as the key to the car's trunk was in the lock. It takes just 10 sec or less to pull it off. I will never know for sure unless some day someone comes forward with info about this. I see no other conclusion as to what happened. I hate that this is my conclusion as I can't image anyone of my competitors or anyone else for that matter doing such a thing. I will say that the guys at the NHRA fuel trailer gave me every opportunity to pass. They had no alternative than to DQ me. I still use VP C12 and have had NO problem with the fuel since. (except for the cost !)

Well, I got over it and still enjoy racing. I did not take the stance that I am going to quit because I got screwed. I plan to quit when I damn well get ready to and nothing short of NHRA doing away with stock or getting closed down by Al Gore is going to change that.

To Brian and the boys, just move on. We don't know their side of this yet but, maybe Brian or Sean will eventually fill us in.

Life is to short. See you at Sonoma.

Jim Meador

Re: "Live" from Route 66 Jegs All-Stars Nationals in Joliet
 

If the fuel test machine was "not properly sanitized or neutralized", how were all the other racers in Stock, Super Stock, Comp, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Bike passing fuel check? Everyone else passed fuel check the round Cour was DQ'd.

Re: "Live" from Route 66 Jegs All-Stars Nationals in Joliet
 

Jim, met you couple of years ago at the St Louis National Open (and sorry, I still haven't converted to a stick despite your very compelling reasoning) and just wanted to say I really enjoyed your black and white pictures, apparently colors can 'overrun' the lines and details and it was a very nice perspective. Thanks for chipping in on the Live reports.

Re: "Live" from Route 66 Jegs All-Stars Nationals in Joliet
 

Thanks Jim. I enjoy the pics from others. I think there is a different perspective from different racers that we can share. I have a new camara that I am still trying to figure out. The black and white is kind of cool too.

I remember you. Start by scraping the unsightly "A" of the G/SA and the rest is easy! :)