"Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Welcome to No Problem Raceway Park in Belle Rose, LA for the 2nd annual Moser Engineering Great American Bracket Race, this year featuring a S/SS Combo, thanks to Britt and Slate Cummings and promoter Gaylon Rolison.

16+ hour drive from NC, but happy to be here. Camping out this weekend, and got to enjoy a clean shower in the track's facilities, even if the humidity quickly erased those efforts. Currently 91deg, 55%, 30.02 Baro, 2757' DA... Surprisingly good.... Haven't seen a real barometer in months! Time shots start in about an hour.

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Michael please post qual sheets if you can. I wish I was there but I just couldn't afford to go down there. Ed

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Thanks for the live reports. Appreciate the Stock and Super Stock info. Good Luck and stay cool. Frank B.

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Michael, tell CH Craft, rcr pastor, hello from the left coast.

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

I got 150 miles into the 550 mile tow to Belle Rose and turned around. I got nervous about the tropical storm in the gulf. Looks like Sunday will be the only day affected, but I did not want to take the chance. I hope you guys get all three days completed and thanks for the live report.

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Just looked at the latest projected path, and it looks like it's coming right up ya'lls alley!! They are prediciting a late Saturday/Sunday landfall. Hope things change for the better. I'm sure Pat is watching and will keep everyone well informed. Good luck to everyone, and stay safe n dry!!

David Buckner STK45

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Michael -- I've always known you were pretty good with a mike in your hand but now you've decided to give reporting a shot -- good for you and welcome aboard ! ! !


PS- Watch your back as they get testy when it rains ............

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

1st qualifier in for the Stockers... Didn't get to see anything as I was first pair out (and running No-Box this weeknd too, so things will be hectic!). Been .029 and .031 on the tree... May be a little loose here. The good baro has already started to nosedive, dropping several hundredths in an hour. Vapor Pressure is a nasty .81

They're running Stock and Super Stock separate in the early going. Looks like at least 18 Stockers, plus whatever we have for SS... Can think of 7-8 just off the top of my head. Good to see the Teuton and Helms gang again! The Challenger is gorgeous, plus the Viper is here (presumably the old Tommy Fudge car), which looks like Kevin Helms is driving.

Don't know most of the folks, but am slowly meeting everyone, one by one, including Bill McClister and his 8mo old, 103+lb wolf hound Darby.

Taken tons of pics, just need to get them from my Blackberry to here... Monday post, worst come to worst. Gotta zip back up for No-Box TT num 2!

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

No--Box Run for the Money... -003 red taking a stab, spun .08 anyway. Seems like a lot of rubber or something... Track's very black. Felt a little mushy on the first two runs, but hooked. I'll knock the tires down another pound and see how it goes.

99.4 deg, 43% H, 29.97 Baro, 3343' DA. Lord knows what the track temp is! Feel bad for the track workers who can't really get out of the heat. Bit of a Head/cross head wind makes it bearable in the shade.

Oh, the Stock run earlier was 11.29 @ 116... Probably my slowest 1/4 mile run in years! Nasty out.

Owen - saw your dad here with the wagon.

Re: storms.... Yah, heard about it on the news when I was halfway here. Will play it by ear. Can always bug out Sat night or Sun morning as necessary. Maybe we can run 2 tomorrow, or just stack the purses into 1.

This place would be great spring or fall!

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

2nd and final Q run was handicapped off the index. Kinda fun, got to see the Viper closing the gap on me in a hurry! KH is driving, and it is Fudge's car... Finally got to meet the man himself. Still a Top Stock car. They fudged the indexes for us IHRA cars... Put me in "GT/MA" for the sake of qualifying. 11.75 index vs my H/CM 11.95. Close enough for gov't purposes! Dropped radials to 16 psi and got 'r hooked up. 11.21 @ 117.

Gotto go, No-Box Rnd 1....!

Thanks to Admin for getting the pics posted for me.

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Teuton had problems with DragPak 2nd Q run and was pushed back from the burnout box. Don't know what the issue was yet.

Sammy with the blue L/SA car was changing a head gasket this morning too. Not fun working out in this.

Got by 1st rnd of No-Box despite turning the tire again. Time for drastic measures I guess.

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Michael great reporting almost as good as Jack.Can you see how fast Barry Parkers old camaro is going. That car was a monster when it was in D-1. Keep up the good work and good luck.

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Sorry, been 1st pair out and haven't gotten to see anything. (Not much for lollygagging). ;). Teuton sed he was off his rocker, or had a rocker come off earlier. Repaired, then we ended up running 1st rnd, and he had problems again. :( Had a 10.70 on the window FWIW. Pairings were just however we pulled in the lanes, with a random potential bye drawn. If odd, last Stocker would run a SS car.

Hooked that time, and again 2nd round of No-Box, where I got by on a .005 double breakout. Sun's going down now, down to 90deg (woohoo!), so the track should be good from here out. And things are probably going to start going really fast.

Didn't make the 75 car threshold, so 1 Rnd of buybacks @ $30. Fair enough.

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Had a great race with the pup (Hidalgo Jr)... 1 number different on the tree, double breakout .009. Still in No-Box as well after 3 Rnds.

Finally got to see some Super Stockers... Lots of really nice stuff here. Latino, Hebert, Emmons, the Volare and Avenger/Sebring? out of the Caro camp, Larry Stewart, Teuton's Duster and I think two from the Kent camp.

Looks like Warren Birkett busted an axle or something... Had it pushed off to the side w/ the left rear off.

Teuton said he just spun against me... Duster's been perfect all day, but having bad trouble hooking the Challenger. Hebert ran out by .001 2nd Rnd... Emmons is in..

Country Dog carrying the wait n' see bye to the 3rd rnd.

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Thanks for the reporting Michael and good luck in the "no box " race.... Better get your hits in tomorrow looks a little wet there on Sunday.....

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Friday. S/SS Combo
WIN - Dewayne Custer
R/U - Michael Beard
Dewayne did an awesome job here... Like double-oh, take double-oh, out .002, wins the double breakout by .010!
Semi - Another Dog Hidalgo and the Steve Kent SS/KA car

No-Box
WIN - Michael Beard
R/U - Scott Taylor
Semi - Dave Latino (Hollingsworth car)

Box
WIN - Todd "Bones" Ewing
R/U - Slate Cummings


9AM start tomorrow to try to beat the weather. Night Y'all

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Nice going Michael, and thanks!

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Nice job of driving Mike. I just got cleared by the brain doctor yesterday afternoon. All tests reports done... Definitely not a stroke... just a severe concussion causing the memory loss and numbness.

Good luck to ya'll.

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Pat

Take care of yourself. Drag Racing needs you.

Hammer

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Nice job Michael. Pat , i hope things will be alright for you and good luck (prayers sent)

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Mr Beard you are on a tear this yr. Not unlike past yrs!! Congrats. You said they put you in GT/MA, would your car naturally fit that class?

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

We are all with you Pat! Take care of yourself my friend. Jim

Thanks Michael!



.

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Pat, that ole Cajun head is too hard for serious damage. Hope you're better soon.

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Thanks everyone! GT/MA...yeah, with a 318! ;). No, they were just trying to find something with an index close to H/CM.

Got to bed about 2:30am, up at 7:40am. Ran the generator all night to run the fan in the tent... Made it decent. Had a refreshing shower, then planned to make the 30min drive to Gonzales to find a Wally World to stock up on fruit, Powerade, ice, and some other such goodies... Only to find the right rear tire on the truck flat! Always a PITA to change, but when done, made up my mind I was still going to the store, knowing I would miss a time trial or two. Got back in time for the S/SS run. Was going everything in my head, and kept thinking I forgot something. Bump in to Stage.... Ah! Still have my clip-on shades on! Whipped them off and jumped on the converter... Bang, .009. :). Best run of the weekend, 60' .04 faster than yesterday, and an 11.10, compared to yesterday's early-day 11.29. Track's definitely better. Just a little overcast, helping things out.

Racer's Appreciation Luncheon!!!! Gotta jet. :)

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

good job on your win mike !!!!!!

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Didn't make it to the luncheon, as they called No-Box. Had the bye from last night's win. Good thing, as the sun came out, and we're back to blowing the tires off. :( Will see if I can muddle through. Couple new entries today, Jarrod Granier among them.

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Wow, Pat. Hope the coming days are better for you. Get well soon!

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Mystery solved... Radials are down to cords. They're weren't that old, or so I thought. Runs add up QUICK when you're double-entering 3 races per weekend. My fault. Still in going into 4th rnd of No-Box, though.

Gonna try to get some miles under my belt tonight. Wore out! (Me and the car both!)

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Michael, your just one hell of a good racer and capable of winning anywhere anytime in any categorie with a footbrake car........


Billy Nees introduced us once up at Island......he said you were good.....He was definately right.......!!!! and that is an understatement.....You are way better than good...

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Now you've done it Rich! He's gunna need a new helmet. Jim

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Jim....I think Michael is kind of old school......I admire that a great deal. No big motor home and no big budget....Sleeping in a tent in 90+ degree weather.......basically roughing it and still able to do the job and win. Takes a really serious racer to do stuff like this......I was once like that.....

I have slept under my trailer....under my race car while it was on my ramp truck.....in my ramp truck.....in my racecar.....

Reminds me of the old days when I could get by like that......Damn sure couldn't get by like that these days at the ripe old age of 62.....and I never won like Mike does......Hell of a racer.....Good luck Michael....

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Rich
That what was nice about having a stationwagon.
Slept in it quite a few times.

Hammer

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

This could be tread to "why aren't you racing this year" nice to see someone who doesn't see any barriers to stop him from competing at any cost. During the 60's and 70's I've slept in the station wagon with my older brother many times flat towing his Jr Stocker, Micheal reminds me a lot of that pioneer spirit that many racers had in the past. Good-luck Micheal.

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

MB,
You sure are bad to run'em till the cords show.
Good Job.
10k at MIR wednesday night you want to go.
Chip

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Michael, congrats on your win and ru last night. Just got home from NPR, after spectating all day. Congrats to "Cooter" Hidalgo on his win tonight in the S/SS class. "Bones" won the 50K in the box class tonight. Brian Hughes won no box.

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Linda informed me last night that we had a "BOX" racer blow the clocks out on both ends of the track this weekend.

Congrats to Wayne Henry of Baton Rouge for bagging only the second PERFECT RUN since NPR opened in 2001. He received a monogrammed racer jacket for his effort from NPR.

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Did Michael get in the final the next day? I know he won No-Box on the first day but, what about the second? Is there a qualifying sheet that can be posted? Other than the heat it sounds like a great race.

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Saturday, Jarrod Granier got me first round of S/SS, and I made it to the 4th round of No-Box, despite being on cords.

Just bad at math... :p I'm normally good for 112-115 runs on the radials, and I only had about 65 on them going into Bristol last week. I forgot how many runs you could put on a car double-entering for three days. Finished wearing them out in two weekends! :eek: Again -- my own fault. Still had a couple 1.46 60's out of them, though! LOL Tossed the alternator belt at some point too, probably against Jarrod when it shook the tires so hard the ash tray fell out. At least it was still laying in the engine compartment.

$350 in gas, $325 in entries, flat tire on the truck probably $280... 1 night of hotel at $73 on the way home... and for those that don't eat when they're at home, 1 track burger $4 (which was excellent, BTW!), 1 Powerade at the track $2, and $40 shopping trip at Walmart, (although I have 1/2 of what I bought left).... total weekend cost $1074 for a track that took me over 16 hrs to drive to. Skipped Sunday's race just so I could get home and work. Not much, but still made money on the trip.

Even though I'm bad with names and will probably never get all of the Hidalgos straight, it was great to race with them again, meet so many new people, put faces to names, and see old friends again.

Sorry, no qualifying sheet... think I got pics of most of the cars, though. Think we had 32 entries total on Friday, around 20 Stockers each day, so that leaves about a dozen SS cars. ....Now, where were the other 100 cars that should've been there?

Thanks once again to Britt Cummings and Gaylon Rolison for making us part of the Great American Bracket Race!

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Stk/ Super Stock Combo Sat-Sun Results

Saturday

Semi-
Jody Simoneaux vs Lloyd Woffard (win)
Nolan Grier vs. Jimmy Hidalgo Jr(win)

Final
Jimmy Hidalgo(win)- Lloyd Woffard

Sunday

Semi-
Nolan Grier vs. Kevin Helms(win)
Jimmy Hidalgo Sr vs DeWayne Custer(win)

Final
DeWayne Custer vs. Kevin Helms(win)

Re: "Live" from Belle Rose, LA
 

Rich, Michael is a lot younger than most of us.