Season Winding Down for the # 18
As
the last few races are fast approaching I figured it was time to reflect
on our accomplishments for the 2006 Racing Season.
I first want to thank Leslie Yaw, Tom Metzler, Brian Roorda and Richard Sawicki of Flotilla 18-08 of the 9WR. Their hard work and dedication to this racing program has in itself made this program a success as far as I am concerned on and off the track. On the track they have put up with the heat and noise to make sure I am buckled in securely and all data needed after a run is collected and adjustments made as I see fit. Off the track they have been true ambassadors for the program talking it up with friends, neighbors and co-workers.
The first season has been a learning experience to say the least. There is more to, of course, it than meets the eye. I figured with all the hard work and expense to get this car to the track I thought we would be more competitive than we were. I knew there would be a learning curve as I got used to the track and found a set-up that worked. Unfortunately with only a twenty-minute practice session each week that we raced it didn’t give us the “seat time” needed to accomplish this. We have made progress each week and are currently in 25th place in the point standings out of 38. We will continue our progress for the remainder of the season. Since the car will be ready at the start of the 2007 season we will be able to take advantage of the practice sessions at the beginning of the 2007 season.
As far as the remainder of the season there are two regular season races September 2nd and 9th at Kalamazoo Speedway. I hope that folks will want to attend these last two races to cheer on THEIR car.
The Team has also been invited to participate in the 4th Annual Randy DeWitt Memorial Invitational at Kinross Speedpark up in the “Soo.” The dates are September 15th, 16th and 17th. These are the same dates as the 9th Central Region Fall Conference so if you are planning to attend that event hopefully you will have an opportunity to watch a race or two. I will also try, if time allows, bringing the car to the hotel so folks can check it out. After all 9CR is where this all started. We are still working on this though. They are presently looking at their rules and comparing them to Kalamazoo’s to make sure I am technically qualified to race at their track. I will keep you posted on this.
Another
opportunity to race comes at the end of September. The Super Shoe
Nationals XX at Kalamazoo Speedway,
September 29th, 30th and October 1st. The format of this event is to take racers with the same qualifying speeds to race against each other, which will allow all racers to be competitive and create quite a show for the spectators. The top racers will then move up to other races until a “Super Shoe” is crowned. For more information go to: www.kalamzoospeedway.com.
So far this season we have only been able to attend one non-racing event. That event was the parade during the Coast Guard Festival in Grand Haven.
During the event we were seen by thousands of spectators and by folks watching at home on TV. Although the aforementioned are our targeted audience, the Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Thad Allen, National Commodore Gene Seibert and all those in between including our own RCO Jerry Ganski also saw us as we past the reviewing stand.
We
couldn’t count how many times as we passed by the kids they would say,
“Wow, look at the racecar!” That itself made all the hard work worth
it.
Once the racing ends it will be time to get ready for next season. The engine will be torn down and rebuilt. The suspension will be taken apart, inspected and lubed. And other modifications will be implemented from knowledge gained over the past year.
Another accomplishment was the publishing of an article in the Navigator magazine. It has gained us much exposure to the Auxiliary members describing our mission. I look forward to submitting another article for the winter edition.
The new season will be upon us before we know it. Starting with the Annual Kalamazoo Speedway Car Show in March and the new season starting in April.
One other addition to the 2007 season will be to race at the M-40 Speedway in Jones, Michigan. This will give members to our south an opportunity to see the car race closer to home as well as reaching out to even more folks in the stands. M-40 races on Friday nights, this will allow us to pull double duty on those weekends.
I again wish to thank all who have helped and support us in 2006 and look forward to the expansion of the program in 2007.
Tim Yaw, FC
9WR, 18-08
