Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

"Moroso Racer Appreciation Parties the free fried chichen, bear and wet Tee Shirt contest with Joe Williamson brother Bruce? and John Bugenski trying to be judges!!!

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

Highs : Winning in 1985 by .001 on a heads up run.Lows: being tossed in the mid 8o's in teardown because the lift was over by .002.the same cam had checked at Gators earlier in the year.That was when class was worth $800.plus dollars to win!!!Another low was not being allowed to race at the 50th in 04 because after racing at 28 straight, they told me I had not"participated enough the year before"!!!! Some racers who had never ever raced at the Nationals before got in.

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

oh boy do i remember the Moroso parties as Vigil Cates and myself had front row seats all the time, lol

48 E/MP's in class 1971

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

See, I told you some would remember.

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

Unfortunately work has kept me home again...had a blast in 2008...even with having to go through teardown....definately want to go back.....nothing compares to the Big Go !!!!!!

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

Highs:
-Getting to meet people you'd only talked to on message boards, e-mails, IM and chat rooms. Years ago, before Classracer, there were two other boards (Marie's board, and Dale's board). Dale had a chatroom that many of us used to gather on nightly and talk from 1999 up til a few years ago. I made it to Indy in 2001 and was great to meet people from there from outside my area.
-Seeing cars in person that you'd only seen in pics or read about.
-Class Eliminations. Watching all the baddest of the bad bang heads at the same track, same time, and all the talk about "who did what elsewhere" was put to rest.
-Seven to eight days away from home, a vacation that may not have exactly been relaxing, but awesome nonetheless.
-Racer gatherings in racers trailers/parties/houses, hearing all the stories, truth, fiction, and flat out fibs (LOL).

Lows:
-None during the three years that I raced there (2002-03-04). Maybe seeing thr disapointment on friends faces after a DNQ or blown engine. The fact that Indy has become watered down over the past few years. The fact that a racer can win Class and not make the show, making a Class Win mean less. Class win money is almost non-existant (I won a hundred bucks each of my three years, and might even be less now).

The best high of all, for me: Winning Class at Indy.

"Entry Fee: $300.
Crew Pass: $85 each
Motel Bill for the week: $600
Two propane tanks for the grill to cook for a week: $20
Fuel used to tow to Indy, be there and back: $250-$300
Getting the Wally for Winning Class at Indy:

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-...8_356451_n.jpg
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs220...._5777084_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._1396535_n.jpg

PRICELESS!

(* = money as of 2002 through 2004 prices.)

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

Changing every part in the trailer, to try and pick up a few hundreths
Keeping the engine so cold in the lanes that the engine block starts sweating
Racing the fastest cars in the country in a all out real heads up race.
And no one cares about horsepower on Monday

Letting it all hang out WIN or LOSE

That is what Indy is about.

Can't wait for this year. Three weeks and counting



Andy Fogle

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

And when we come for Thursday only, it is $105 a day. Simply inexcusably outrageous in this or any other economy...

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

The matchups are always fun to watch.........



Rock Haas

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

THUR. SEPTEMBER 2, 2010
THURSDAY - Mac Tools U. S. Nationals
O Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis
Tickets: $14
why would you buy a crew ticket for 1 day, when an adult ticket is $14.00 for thursday. Just saying???

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

Highs.. Winning the 1997 super stock U.S. Nationals....
LOWS... going red in the finals 3 years later- Results of final, round 7 eliminations in Super Stock at the 46th annual U.S. Nationals:
W/L Driver Class Dial RT ET Ov/Un

(W) Scotty Richardson GT/FA 10.28 0.511 10.257 -0.023
(L) Herbie Null GT/BA 9.74 0.490(R) 9.703 -0.037

4:41 PM Null won this event in 1997, while Scotty had never been in the Super Stock finals at this event. Null made it easy for Scotty to add this event to his long list of event wins in multiple categories.

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

To actually help with the car closer than 1/2 mile from the starting line.

We will spectate from home and save $224 @ $76 gas, $70 hotel, $50 food, plus the $14 gate x 2. With so many bye runs for class wins, the $ per actual drag race are high.

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

Lows, Severe Sinusititis lying in camper bed till eliminations. Being 1/2 tracked by Herman Chapman in my early years at INDY. High, Runner-up to John Barkley for O/SA at the 1970 Nationals my first Indy with my First Stocker.14 + cars in class including beating John Lingenfelter, and several other regular racers.

High Winning GT/AA several times with greats Jim Boudreau and Butch Williams, Don Ciccarone,Rusty Howell. Nothing like winning a class when there are 10 to 12 cars which are very close.THAT IS CLASS RACING.

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

Don't know any lows yet,,, but planning now, to be there next year!!!!! Just gonna make it a 2 week vacation and make a few races getting there and coming back. Just planning now, is a high already !!!!

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

I'm not a racer, just a fan of S/SS racing. I went to my first Indy last year. Only went for Wed thru Friday. The high of watching 360 cars qualify 3 times on Wed. Run class on Thursday and continue with eliminations on Friday with Comp Elim quals certainly was a high for me. I took over 2000 pictures, many of whom have been sent to some of you guys.
The low for me is not getting to go back this year, but don't count me out forever.

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

Don, this is posted on ORP's website.

http://www.oreillyracewaypark.com/ap...9686&zoneid=97

Q&A says only service animals are permitted

Ernie Neal
SS3400

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

Geez, Sheehan. I've only been sitting in the same spot for thirty-four years. LMAO!

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

In '96, I entered the U.S. Nationals, my first national event. I had the good fortune to slip into the field as the 2nd alternate and then make it all the way to the finals. The finals were shown live back then on TV (yes, even the sportsman). I remember a buddy telling me "it's just another bracket race", while we were waiting on TV commercial time.
I lost in the final to Scotty Richardson, but it's still a great memory. I was a bit bummed afterwards for losing, but Bobby Brannon, who I had raced earlier in eliminations, came up to me and basically told me that there was alot of guys that would surely trade places with me, and I'll always remember that as well. I entered in again in '97 and '98, but couldn't make it in the field. I'm sure I'll try again in the not too distant future.

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

High, was watching Indy in 1979 (25th Anv Race) :)

Low, was finding out my Lunatti cam didn't check . :o

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

I've been to Indy twice. Pretty much nothing but highs!!

1999 with my Uncle Jim where he won Best Appearing with his S-10 and class.
2004, the "whole family" was there and my brother Lee won Stock Eliminator for the second straight year over Dan Fletcher at the 50th US Nats!

Lows? MAC Tool people had left long before the Sportsman hit the Winners Circle and that we even had to leave the race track which meant that the race was over. Of course that was the next day as there was much celebrating to do that night!

INDY - the highs and nothing but
 

We went to INDY twice....

Nothing but highs

1985....We went with a Buick V-6 SS/XA and got our butt kicked in class...

2004--- Now that's another story...On the way to INDY, with our 74 Firebird K/SA, we stopped at Topeka for the LODRS race and qualified #1 and went a few rounds...Got to INDY and got to see and race against the best in the country....We won class and went a few rounds only to have Fletcher kick my butt.......Then on to Earlville and butted heads with Bob Shaw for #1 spot and he won..We went 3 rounds and then headed back to Gilroy, CA

The best part is that I am still racing with the same partners and we have been together 35 years and look forward to many more.

Good friends and good racing....

All in all we put 6,200 miles on the rig and I wouldn't change a thing..

We just wish that we could race at INDY every year..

Bob

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

Indy Highs-

Running 10.000, making it to the final round of class, going a round in the eliminator, being able to actually race at Indy during US Nationals, fun times

Indy Lows-

Redlighting in the finals of class. :(

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

:) 8-26-2010-.. Left home with all my ducks in a row, truck running great and every trick i know of done. Two days into the trip i start feeling just a bit off...? We keep driving the 2200 miles almost hitting every rest stop with bad flu like symptoms.:( ....... Get there Sunday at about 4:00 to a field of racers from all over the country. We are number 126---Now feeling very very bad we hit the motel.Up half the night. Wake up Monday morning sicker than a dog... Get to field about 11:00 am-- I don't even have the energy to make it over to see Harold for my tech card but the wife does, thanks god. Back to the motel. Up all night again and no better on Tuesday and the wife now starting to feel the same. About noon we decide that we are in no shape to give the 125% it takes to run this race. Pulling out of the gate was the lowest thing I have ever done. Now a week later this is the first time i have logged on--. That's it, a 4500 mile trip with the wife just so we both can be sick together.:rolleyes:

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

Lows losing Rd 1 in all 3 cars and worse yet running 45 miles in low gear getting there!

I do want to thank everyone that helped me out at indy with trans problems, Dick & DJ Fox (Champion engine diapers) Roger Weaver, Ralph Cardamone (Rich south's Crew chief & my good friend) Ernie Neal for taking it apart for me, Red Fritsche for having his guys bring me a spare trans (and i needed it, stold the gov out it when i broke down going to Hamilton again)and my parents Bill & Mary Ann Jackson for all their help.

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

Kelly,
So sorry you and your wife got sick. I wondered what had happened to you, since you were not there for qualifying on Wed. Hopefully you both are feeling better now and will come back again sometime.

Patsy

Re: INDY - the highs and lows
 

High: Getting the A motor together and getting to Indy.

Low: Wensday 1st pass car doesn't run what it should.Thursday 2nd pass car slows even more.

Low: Take oil filter apart and it's full of bearing material.

Low: Thursday @ 2:30 Drive 1.5 hours home pull motor and tranny,take carb,intake,heads, cam & lifters,timing chain, oil pan & pump, and put on spare short block, put spare motor and tranny back in car,sleep 50 minutes and drive back to Indy for class Friday Morning.

High: WIN CLASS.

Low: After .007 light in 2nd round, give the stripe back to Lincoln Morehead by.007

Low: Not getting around to visit like normal.

Indy has plenty of high's and low's,wouldn't miss it for the world.