Beware of the "cracked rear wheel" Bandit
 

So I'm all strapped in my car ready to pull into the waterbox next pair out 3rd round at Joliet when someone who looked familiar but I'm not sure who it was, cause the window net is up and I have all my gear on, comes to my window and says "Hey Mike you know you have a cracked right rear wheel?" To which I reply, no I didn't know that. He then says "yes, it'll probably be ok this run but you need to check it when you get back". And thats when I'm thinking is this some kind of a prank, a mind game? Anyways I don't have any time to do anything about it at that point as the offficial was already waving us, Scott Richardson and I, out to the waterbox. I did my best not to let it distract me but I still had to think about that instead of watching the cars in front of me run and get a better read on the conditions. So it still hindered my ability to completely focus on the task at hand. After the run nobody came by to see if the wheel was cracked or talk to me, so I'm skeptical that this person had my safety or best interest at heart. The wheel had a couple oil trails running straight out from the studs from where I put wd40 on them when I put the wheel on, the stripes were straight as an arrow unlike most cracks and wiped right off with my finger. I guess if my new friend was so concerned maybe he could have reached in and tried wiping one when he noticed my "bad wheel" or if he thought it would be ok for that run could have come over and told me after the run, no?

Anyways I just wanted to let the racers know, so if next time they have to race Scott Richardson in Anthony Bertozzis car, to be wary of what anyone that approaches you right before you race has to tell you or warn you about. They may be just trying to screw you up before an important round.

The other thing I was disappointed with over the weekend was the starting line the first 2 days. It was worse than the starting line anywhere else I've been in the last year. Which I wouldn't have expected at an NHRA super track, at a race I had to pay $270 to enter. It was worse than the starting line at that backwoods Indiana track that use to be a smalll aircraft airport. I was pretty surprised. But it did get better finally 3rd round saturday morning. Too bad I couldn't count on that when choosing my dial in..

Re: Beware of the "cracked rear wheel" Bandit
 

Mike, glad to hear you didn't actually have a problem. Although it would be poor form to do something like that to try to get someone off their game I'd like to believe it was an honest person just misdiagnosing a concern. Sometimes we are so focused on one thing we tend to overlook a lot of things, like a visual inspection of our rides. Anyway glad you didn't really have an issue. Joe

Re: Beware of the "cracked rear wheel" Bandit
 

I bracket raced at Pageland Dragway in SC on Saturday. Put 2 psi more in my radials than I normally run to make an adjustment on the tree. They called Modified to the lanes three times, and nobody wanted to be first out on a 'fresh' track. I went up, and was in the first pair out. Hooked like a bear! Big thumbs up to the Pageland Dragway crew.

There's no reason to have iffy track conditions at a national event, IMO.

Re: Beware of the "cracked rear wheel" Bandit
 

I'd have to agree it was someone who might have thought the wheel was cracked, but it wouldn't have taken much just to swipe the wheel to see. And you could always have asked anyone else there to see quickly. If it was cracked, I'm not letting a car I'm working on go down the track, I've told my buddy that my first concern is the car doesn't crash. And if the car doesn't crash he's going to be OK.

And in all the years we've raced against Anthony in IHRA Division 5 and at NHRA races, him and Rodney have never been anything but upstanding to race against.

Re: Beware of the "cracked rear wheel" Bandit
 

Worse than Topeka?

Re: Beware of the "cracked rear wheel" Bandit
 

Well, lets just hope that the guy was just seeing the oil, and read it wrong, and not the other way around.

Re: Beware of the "cracked rear wheel" Bandit
 

anthony and scotty, no way, now if fletcher was involved, all bets are off!

Re: Beware of the "cracked rear wheel" Bandit
 

Sounds like something Billy would tell Cheryl to do!!!

Re: Beware of the "cracked rear wheel" Bandit
 

hahahahahahahahaha

Re: Beware of the "cracked rear wheel" Bandit
 

probably wouldn't even worry about your wheels either eh?