Thursday, July 29, 2010

Anyone for Ellenbrook on 8th August?

Hi all

Rob Watson is running a meeting at Ellenbrook for sprint cars on 8th August.
Hi is keen to get a heap of cars there, support him and Ellenbrook as it is a great venue to run at in the off season.
Team Crabbe will both be in the USA for Knoxville but Glen will be taking the 45 car to defend the title he won last year.

Well the wash up from Tom Price is we need to strip the j&j again, bent one of my winters light weight hubs, bent the axle beam, bent a few radius rods, wrecked both wings, damaged the new body work, tore the down tube where the top wing spud sits below the roll cage, so a bit more work needed to get it back to pristine.
Broke the team Crabbe first rule as well, rule 1 in the team handbook is 1) If car is damaged head to the bar.
I was restrained from indulging by the crew as they worked frantically to get us back out there for heat 3, they succeeded and jammed me into the car despite my wanting to find the esky.
Ran from the front and led for 2 laps until Glen steamed by on the outside off turn 2, he was nice enough to throw me a jar of Vaseline as he went by to stop the wind burn.
I watched heat 2 as we put the car back together and Glen was flying into the turns, thought he would not get around but his car was on rails all night, it would hook up as he went into the turn and then start a gentle push from 3/4 corner allowing him to get on the gas early off the turn, this stops anyone from getting a run on him in the straights or going into the corner, it was something to watch, not bad for an old Pino Priolo Maxim running second hand bits, still the motor is absolutely first rate, it is the one I borrowed to Anthony King mid last season.

Got some heads in my trailer for another new car joining us next season, it is for Matt Muir who brought my old JEI.

Catch you

Crabby



Sunday, July 25, 2010

Done and Dusted

Well all, it seems that Crabby Snr doesn't want to post the blog now he found out Jnr can. We got his car back up and running although as usual the engine isn't really pulling a lot of revs.

Glen won the feature and 2 heats, the old 45 car was on song all night.
Kris Coyle ran second in the feature.
Tom Price local Norm was third.

It has been a great weekend but I am feeling somewhat sore after tagging the wall in the first heat.


Catch you

Crabby

Location:Tom Price

Saturday, July 24, 2010

First Race

Hello all,

Here we are in Tom Price, all the cars have been off loaded, including our trailer with much difficulty. We have had hot laps and our first 2 heats.

Heat one saw Crabby Snr tip, after 3 laps you would think he would've learnt to avoid the pot hole on turn 4 but he didn't. He hit the pot hole and went straight for the wall ending up on his side. They are still fixing the car and we are almost at the third heat. Front wing is ripped up and will go straight to the tip, the front axle was also badly damaged along with all the front wing too, lucky we carry some old spares. 77 almost looks back together, should be out for the 3rd heat.

My lucky number 12 has been doing great, Kris pulled up in the first race due to not being able to get the car in gear on the restart, apparently a nut fell off, I blame dad, his trying to sabotage me. He was doing great though, before Crabby decided to turn right he was catching Glen, chasing him down for first place. The second heat he placed first after a great race. I've let him know that the trophy tonight stays with the car and not the driver, he has also retaliated saying that there is no excuses from me, the car is running too well to be blamed.

Glen won the first race and came third in the second, his car has been running well, it's just unfortunate he couldn't catch Rib and Kris.

Rib's been doing well, second in both heats, car seems to be going great and unlike dad he learnt to avoid that pot hole after a few run ins with it. We would also like to wish Rib a very happy 22nd birthday tomorrow.

Dhuy, poor Dhuy never has much luck. First heat they couldn't get the Watsons' 10 car going because they had the gears back to front which ended up stuffing the diff. Second heat they unfortunately broke a shocky, I am assured by Sandra that the car is ready to go for the third heat very shortly.

One other car has shown up, a 360, number 12, they are a local Tom Price car. His definitely on the peddle keeping up with the others.

One last word from Sandra, if you don't want to crash don't take your car on the track.

Got to run, got 3 cars to push out for heat three that's about to start, Crabby Snr is getting in ready to go. I'll see you all out on the track after America.

CJ aka Crabby Jnr



Location:Tom Price

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Time to go North

Hi all

Well after many weeks of work and lots of help from others we have 5 cars on the road to Tom Price.

I thought I was running late but Watto was still putting a motor into Ribs car as the trailers were being loaded, talk about last minute preparation.
Tried to call Watto this evening to check he had loaded the 4 drums of methanol but couldn't get him, hope he remembered or we will all be in the bar drinking after heat 1.

Have to thank Gavin and Geoff Davis for helping me put Annette's car together, it was a mammoth effort, especially those mongrel panels, what a piece of shit they were. Reckon I had them on and off 50 times, I did not even paint them they fitted so poorly, after Tom Price they are headed for the tip. I will get a set from the USA when I am over there for the nationals.
So sorry to Kris Coyle for the not to good looking race car, not up to my standards at all, but it will still go like a bat out of he'll, should be an interesting tussle between Kris and Rib, they will be up the pointy end in the low budget cars while Dhuy and I will be in the 2 biggest budget cars down the back, Glen will be in the car with the second hand pieces, but has 2 x new wings, reckon they are the first new bits that car has had in the last 2 seasons. He has had to pick through all the pieces off my car at the end of each season.
When I was doing my apprenticeship I had a mate whose dad must have been a Scotsman, the oil started out in the car, then got handed down to my mate Paul to put in his motorbike, from the motorbike it went into the lawn mower, that's how it is with Glen's race car, now he will have to line up after Annette to get the bits.

Hopefully Sandra Watson can load some film and pictures direct from Tom Price onto the web site on Saturday night, check the blog as we will try to keep it up to date heat by heat, we are taking our little blogging machine to the Knoxville track with us as well, so we should be able to keep you all updated as it happens.
Only 16 more sleeps till we go, bring it on.
Straight from the horses mouth- Danny Lasoski is coming over to WA to race for Luche Monte this year in some races. Source D Lasoski.

Catch you

Crabby



Location:Admiralty Crescent,Halls Head,Australia

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Another weekend over.


Hi all,

Well a weekend spent in the cave playing with race cars was just the thing for my stress levels.
Saturday the Coyle brothers came down to help get Annette,s car ready, Kris is going to drive the car at Tom Price, so they helped put it together and fit up a seat for Kris.
Phil Jonson also came down and gave us a hand, Phil is putting a Maxim together as a roller to sell, so if you are interested in a roller give him a call at Big Gun Trucks during the week.

Today Gavin and Jeff Davis came and gave me a hand, we got heaps done and other than wings and a bolt check it is ready to fire up, lots of little challenges as we put the car together but we got through it all.

Shane Webster came down with his car for some minor works, we have put it into the shed and will sort it during the week.
Now I am not an expert on the subject but people have told me how to recognize a Steve Kinser Maxim, well I have checked out a few from what they have said and Shane's car has all the mods they speak of and also one thing they did not tell me about, the front bumper is not the same width as the standard ones, so we are putting new spuds on to bring them online with standard.

For all who have not heard yet the results of Shark Bay are,
Damien Joyce first.
Grant Chisolmn second.
Mick Doble third.
Not bad Limited's filled the first 3 places.

Catch you

Crabby


Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Come on Knoxville

Hello again,

Well it has been a year since we started blogging, it was Knoxville last year we started.
Well we are almost on our way back to the US for another round of the Nationals, there are a few people we know on the Speedway Star tour as well.
Before I go I have a bullet dodging trip to Nigeria to start work on a new crushing plant, this should make the Knoxville trip a pleasant relief, we should only have to dodge dodgy food there.

Team Crabbe Jr has almost got a car ready for next season, it is on the stands with a front end, a rear end and brakes, dash fitted, side panels fitted, should be just needing the panels painted and then sent to the striper early next week, we are taking the car to Tom Price for it's first run.

The guys going to Shark Bay have left and all seem to be looking forward to a great weekend.
Watto has his car and Ribs and are going to run up there, they have also signed up for the Tom Price round on the 24th July.

We are not sure if any of the North West cars are going to turn up for the meet but with 3 local cars and our 5 it will be a good night in town for the locals, looking forward to seeing if there are any of the old sidecar guys Glen and I used to race against up there, last trip to Tom Price for Glen and I was a win on my bike in a sidecar meeting, pity I was not riding at the time, I was a little under the weather from the amber and had a guy called Mark Spencer riding with Glen on the chair, they won 3 heats and tipped over in the second but still won the night, we were invited to the after meet party but somehow got lost in town and never made it.
Glen is looking forward to the run as he has not raced since the State Title and did poorly there.
Well will keep you updated as we move towards the Tom Price weekend and then on to the Knoxville Nationals.

Catch you

Crabby

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Latest updates

Good evening all

Well a lot has happened in our club and we are about to post the draft (note draft) calender to our web site next week.

It looks like we are in for an even bigger 2010/2011 season than the 2009/2010 season was.

We have been given the last night of both the Krikke Boys and the Bunbury round of the World Series, with a guarantee of the laps not being cut short.

We have the usual great Geraldton meetings locked in and some nights at new venues.

Have you been on crabbetube, oops I mean youtube lately, just go into youtube and type in limited sprintcars and see what pops up, last year we had some members sign up from NSW and they have got some of their racing posted up, they have even run in Brisbane.

So the club continues to grow in numbers, latest count is plus 40 drivers/cars.
That elusive Aussie Title race seems closer than ever.

The Armstrong clan are getting cars ready for next year, Caroline's car is/was at Murphy's getting straightened, not sure whats happening on the motor front, perhaps another box from the good old USA?
Team Rickster/Ackland can be spotted on the Schnee web site getting 2 new frames, 1 x custom and 1 x standard I believe, Todd Davis will be green all year, he is a Schnee lover.
Todd's boss ran into me at Settlers road house several weeks ago much to his dismay, 10 minutes I spent convincing him of the need to bankroll Todd into a bigger sponsorship deal, if this comes off Todd I should be OK for 20% I reckon.
Norbert built a trailer for Shane's car and promptly sold it on him, they are building another I believe but it could also go on the market, Shane may have a new trailer each week the way it's going.
Shane Webster is looking to bring the old Farrel mobile down to Mandurah before next season, we will fix those brakes so he can go a bit quicker.
Team Oliver 45 are going to powder coat their chassis after Tom Price, big budget next year, new wings as well and a fresh motor, now that torque tubes bolted in properly he may just get a move on.
Team Dhu has a couple of chassis that he is going to have Murph look at to get a new car together, he is having a couple of runs in Watto's car before the season proper to get back into the swing of it.
Team Crabbe junior has still not advanced much, the chassis is still sitting on the ramps in the shop untouched and unloved, seems she may have to show some more enthusiasm before any one does any work for her.
Team Crabbe senior has acquired some new go fast goodies from the Naylor shop in the USA, we have got a trick fuel system and carby from C&S that Jimmy Naylor is fitting up prior to the engine coming home, thanks team G Davis for the good oil on carby's.
We still have 2 motors coming in from the US if any one is interested in buying a good 580 to 600 hp engine, these engines will be right up there for specs and at a good price, both are all new.
The JEI has had some interest from all over the state, each person says they want to run in the limiteds, we are getting more and more known in the sprintcar world.

Tom Price looks on, we have 5 cars going up to have a run, looking forward to getting back into the seat, hope we don't run more than 10 lap heats and 20 lap feature though.


Catch you

Crabby.