NDW
Enthusiast
The V-TEN Racing Chronicles written by Tom Wilson 
Viper Days at Mid-America Motorsports Park, Pacific Junction, Iowa May 14-16
We got off to a slow start-------Ten days after we returned from Viper Days at Putnam Park we are headed to the Iowa event. I have been working in Manhattan and would be flying back to Atlanta on Wednesday night. Unfortunately, the flight back Atlanta was at 6:00 pm and was delayed 6 hours due to rain? Rain? I can see snow delaying us, but not rain. I arrive in Atlanta at 2:00 am Thursday morning, drive 45 miles to pick up Eyal, drive 40 more miles to pick up the trailer at the in-laws, then drive 90 miles to my home and arrive at 6:00 am. Who needs sleep when it’s time to load the cars and head to Viper Days? We might be able to drive the 980 miles in 10 hours or so, try 17 hours. We arrive at the host hotel at 1:30 am Friday. Got to get some sleep or I will be slower than usual. We are at the track when it opens at 7:00 am.
This year we remembered to turn back our clocks one hour and avoided getting up, showering, and arriving at the track at 6:00 am (the track opens at 7:00am). John Archer is glad for that. You see, last year we woke John up in our confusion. Somehow, we got the room next to John again this year, not sure how that happened, grin.
The Track:
+ This is a new track to all of us;
+ From the pictures, it looks fast with sweepers and no sharp turns. Maybe a set of pads would last all weekend. No way! How about two full sets. Thank you very much.
+ The track is a 2.2 miles with 15 turns. With decreasing radius and off camber turns, it demands a skilled driver to go fast. Ok, you guessed it, I didn’t go fast.
+ The front straight is 2,200 feet long where we were seeing 130 mph plus before going getting on the brakes, hard.
Car Prep (Team Secrets, don’t tell other Viper Days Participants):
With our alignment noted in the last V-TEN chronicle, our tire pressures resulted in good tire temps across all of the tires. Ideally you would like no more than a 10-degree spread across the tire. This shows that the whole tire is working. If the outsides are higher, increase pressure and if the center is hotter, lower the pressure. Changes should not be more that 1 lb at a time. Try to keep hot tire pressures below 40 psi or there abouts. It might be worth a try.
The Weekend:
Friday was test and tune. A little cool with temps in the low 60, but dry. The forecast for Saturday was dry with mid-60s, with possible thunderstorms on Sunday, which threatened but never, materialized. Woodhouse and the local area Dodge Dealers advertised the event with a good spectator turnout expected. They got to see Bob’s car. Going into the event we looked at times from last year and guessed that 1:42s would be competitive and maybe on the podium. As you will see later, 1:42 was way to fast for me. You see, my in-car timer kept shutting down, from boredom I think. Maybe I should be using an hourglass. Our times on Friday confirmed that 1:42 was going to be a stretch. Although not for Newt who goes 1:41. Eyal was at 1:45 and I lagged behind at almost 1:48. Oh, that yellow number 81 driven by Speed Racer (Ray Moore) was back. I was afraid to look at his times, I would probably get depressed. Luckily, his son Kyle was helping us in our pits. We would surely extract his father’s secrets from him at any cost. The cost might be too high since Kyle is almost 17 and 6’5” and still growing. Food bribes might cost us all of our gas money back to Atlanta . We will need to figure out something to beat him in Prepared. Maybe we could spray paint his car a different color and he might not notice. I know red is slower.
Note to Self:
When changing the oil, please remember to replace oil filler cap. Some idiot (me) forgot to replace the cap and actually ran almost two 30-minute sessions before getting the meatball flag (it has a big red dot in the middle and means to come into the pits since you have a mechanical problem) for trying to spray the track for bugs before the official season. I thing they have bugs in Iowa. Well, that flag didn’t work on me so they got frustrated and threw the checkered flag. Surely he knows what that flag means. Over comes the track official and says, “You might want to review what each flag means... Anyway, I found out I didn’t know my flags well enough, but I do now. I am very lucky the car did not catch on fire or run out of oil (lost 2 quarts). Some parts will not rust on this car for years. What a mess!
Saturday. The track is very challenging. After the race group comes in from their first session we happen on (seek him out) Bob Woodhouse who is climbing from his car. “Hi Bob. This sure is a tough track. Any tips?? Bob took at least 30 minutes with us walking through each turn and what he has found to be successful over the many years he has been driving MAM. I think, no I know, this was the most memorable part of the trip for me. I think I can remember every word he said. Not for any other reason than someone who was nice enough to share his vast knowledge with others that enjoy what he loves, driving Vipers. It was his enthusiasm! Thanks for the memories, Bob. This IS why I am willing to drive more than 2,000 miles to a Viper Days. Now, can I follow any of what Bob said? I try but not very well.
The Saturday race saw Bob win the race from the pole but not without some excitement. Rob Foster stayed really really close for the first lap and then faded. Bob Archer ran well, but his car was no match for a top ten World Challenge car with Bob behind the wheel. There were about 300 paid spectators.
Sunday. Ok, it’s time to put up or shut up. I start with new pads all around. Eyal goes for new tires, and Newt is good to go as is. Times don’t seem to be getting any faster. We keep pushing. Jim Garrett who is pitted with us gets new wheels and tires. That’s not fair Jim. Then he has Bobby Archer demonstrate that his car can go way faster with Jim riding along. Again, no fair. Jim waits to the last session on Sunday to go 1:45 and leap from third to first to win Super Stock. Newt and Eyal improve on their prior times with Newt just cracking into the 1:41’s.
The race on Sunday would be great. They inverted the finishing order from the Saturday. We would get to see Bob charge through the field. It took Bob about two laps to get by the field. By race end, he lapped the field up to fourth place. About 450 spectators attended the Sunday race. Spectators wandered through the pits and asked for autographs. If you has a drivers suit you must be a racer. How do you tell a 6 year old who asks for your autograph that you …………. I would be happy to sign your Viper Days calendar. They were happy and so was I.
Sorry this is so long. I love this stuff.
Oh, I almost forgot. The pop-up awning we use as a shelter in the pits went airborn while we were on track due to the 40+mph wind gusts. That big dent in your new Ram just might pop out in the sun, not. This isn’t Kansas, is it? Thanks to those who pulled it from my truck and stopped it from hitting Bob’s new beautiful semi-trailer race rig. That would have been bad.
Our Results:
Newt, first in Modified with a 1.41 (8 of 29 Challenge Series Drivers);
Tom, third in Super Stock with a 1.46.389 (second was 1:46.271) and 18th of 29; and
Eyal, fourth in Prepared (again) with a 1:44.6 and 13 of 29. Ray Moore (Speed Racer) ran a 1:40.94, which is flying (literally), in a Prepared Class car.
We will miss the Gingerman event in two weeks with our next event being VIR. I know Newt will see 140 plus on the long back straight. It will be his first trip to VIR and our second. I can’t wait.
We want to again thank JonB at PartsRack.com and Mike Robbins at Ringgold Dodge in Ringgold GA for their continuing support.
John Archer, thanks for helping Eyal and sorry for the pulled muscle.
Viper Days at Mid-America Motorsports Park, Pacific Junction, Iowa May 14-16
We got off to a slow start-------Ten days after we returned from Viper Days at Putnam Park we are headed to the Iowa event. I have been working in Manhattan and would be flying back to Atlanta on Wednesday night. Unfortunately, the flight back Atlanta was at 6:00 pm and was delayed 6 hours due to rain? Rain? I can see snow delaying us, but not rain. I arrive in Atlanta at 2:00 am Thursday morning, drive 45 miles to pick up Eyal, drive 40 more miles to pick up the trailer at the in-laws, then drive 90 miles to my home and arrive at 6:00 am. Who needs sleep when it’s time to load the cars and head to Viper Days? We might be able to drive the 980 miles in 10 hours or so, try 17 hours. We arrive at the host hotel at 1:30 am Friday. Got to get some sleep or I will be slower than usual. We are at the track when it opens at 7:00 am.
This year we remembered to turn back our clocks one hour and avoided getting up, showering, and arriving at the track at 6:00 am (the track opens at 7:00am). John Archer is glad for that. You see, last year we woke John up in our confusion. Somehow, we got the room next to John again this year, not sure how that happened, grin.
The Track:
+ This is a new track to all of us;
+ From the pictures, it looks fast with sweepers and no sharp turns. Maybe a set of pads would last all weekend. No way! How about two full sets. Thank you very much.
+ The track is a 2.2 miles with 15 turns. With decreasing radius and off camber turns, it demands a skilled driver to go fast. Ok, you guessed it, I didn’t go fast.
+ The front straight is 2,200 feet long where we were seeing 130 mph plus before going getting on the brakes, hard.
Car Prep (Team Secrets, don’t tell other Viper Days Participants):
With our alignment noted in the last V-TEN chronicle, our tire pressures resulted in good tire temps across all of the tires. Ideally you would like no more than a 10-degree spread across the tire. This shows that the whole tire is working. If the outsides are higher, increase pressure and if the center is hotter, lower the pressure. Changes should not be more that 1 lb at a time. Try to keep hot tire pressures below 40 psi or there abouts. It might be worth a try.
The Weekend:
Friday was test and tune. A little cool with temps in the low 60, but dry. The forecast for Saturday was dry with mid-60s, with possible thunderstorms on Sunday, which threatened but never, materialized. Woodhouse and the local area Dodge Dealers advertised the event with a good spectator turnout expected. They got to see Bob’s car. Going into the event we looked at times from last year and guessed that 1:42s would be competitive and maybe on the podium. As you will see later, 1:42 was way to fast for me. You see, my in-car timer kept shutting down, from boredom I think. Maybe I should be using an hourglass. Our times on Friday confirmed that 1:42 was going to be a stretch. Although not for Newt who goes 1:41. Eyal was at 1:45 and I lagged behind at almost 1:48. Oh, that yellow number 81 driven by Speed Racer (Ray Moore) was back. I was afraid to look at his times, I would probably get depressed. Luckily, his son Kyle was helping us in our pits. We would surely extract his father’s secrets from him at any cost. The cost might be too high since Kyle is almost 17 and 6’5” and still growing. Food bribes might cost us all of our gas money back to Atlanta . We will need to figure out something to beat him in Prepared. Maybe we could spray paint his car a different color and he might not notice. I know red is slower.
Note to Self:
When changing the oil, please remember to replace oil filler cap. Some idiot (me) forgot to replace the cap and actually ran almost two 30-minute sessions before getting the meatball flag (it has a big red dot in the middle and means to come into the pits since you have a mechanical problem) for trying to spray the track for bugs before the official season. I thing they have bugs in Iowa. Well, that flag didn’t work on me so they got frustrated and threw the checkered flag. Surely he knows what that flag means. Over comes the track official and says, “You might want to review what each flag means... Anyway, I found out I didn’t know my flags well enough, but I do now. I am very lucky the car did not catch on fire or run out of oil (lost 2 quarts). Some parts will not rust on this car for years. What a mess!
Saturday. The track is very challenging. After the race group comes in from their first session we happen on (seek him out) Bob Woodhouse who is climbing from his car. “Hi Bob. This sure is a tough track. Any tips?? Bob took at least 30 minutes with us walking through each turn and what he has found to be successful over the many years he has been driving MAM. I think, no I know, this was the most memorable part of the trip for me. I think I can remember every word he said. Not for any other reason than someone who was nice enough to share his vast knowledge with others that enjoy what he loves, driving Vipers. It was his enthusiasm! Thanks for the memories, Bob. This IS why I am willing to drive more than 2,000 miles to a Viper Days. Now, can I follow any of what Bob said? I try but not very well.
The Saturday race saw Bob win the race from the pole but not without some excitement. Rob Foster stayed really really close for the first lap and then faded. Bob Archer ran well, but his car was no match for a top ten World Challenge car with Bob behind the wheel. There were about 300 paid spectators.
Sunday. Ok, it’s time to put up or shut up. I start with new pads all around. Eyal goes for new tires, and Newt is good to go as is. Times don’t seem to be getting any faster. We keep pushing. Jim Garrett who is pitted with us gets new wheels and tires. That’s not fair Jim. Then he has Bobby Archer demonstrate that his car can go way faster with Jim riding along. Again, no fair. Jim waits to the last session on Sunday to go 1:45 and leap from third to first to win Super Stock. Newt and Eyal improve on their prior times with Newt just cracking into the 1:41’s.
The race on Sunday would be great. They inverted the finishing order from the Saturday. We would get to see Bob charge through the field. It took Bob about two laps to get by the field. By race end, he lapped the field up to fourth place. About 450 spectators attended the Sunday race. Spectators wandered through the pits and asked for autographs. If you has a drivers suit you must be a racer. How do you tell a 6 year old who asks for your autograph that you …………. I would be happy to sign your Viper Days calendar. They were happy and so was I.
Sorry this is so long. I love this stuff.
Oh, I almost forgot. The pop-up awning we use as a shelter in the pits went airborn while we were on track due to the 40+mph wind gusts. That big dent in your new Ram just might pop out in the sun, not. This isn’t Kansas, is it? Thanks to those who pulled it from my truck and stopped it from hitting Bob’s new beautiful semi-trailer race rig. That would have been bad.
Our Results:
Newt, first in Modified with a 1.41 (8 of 29 Challenge Series Drivers);
Tom, third in Super Stock with a 1.46.389 (second was 1:46.271) and 18th of 29; and
Eyal, fourth in Prepared (again) with a 1:44.6 and 13 of 29. Ray Moore (Speed Racer) ran a 1:40.94, which is flying (literally), in a Prepared Class car.
We will miss the Gingerman event in two weeks with our next event being VIR. I know Newt will see 140 plus on the long back straight. It will be his first trip to VIR and our second. I can’t wait.
We want to again thank JonB at PartsRack.com and Mike Robbins at Ringgold Dodge in Ringgold GA for their continuing support.
John Archer, thanks for helping Eyal and sorry for the pulled muscle.
