Gero Here We Come

The title has been run and won by a very persistent Gavin Davis and from what we've heard most people were really happy with with the whole weekend. Sound like next years title will be in Bunbury so the Davis's will be hard to beat again.

Well it's time for most of us to pack up the cars and easter eggs and head to Geraldton for the Old Boys Memorial.

I spoke to Mick this week and at the moment he has around 14-15 nominations so far so contact him if you haven't already.With a total prize money of $20,000 and $5,000 to win on Saturday it should ensure some good hard racing and big crowds. I also spoke to Graeme Smith and he said there has been some re-surfacing to the Geraldton track corners so fingers crossed for a nice smooth track.

Here's what I've heard this week.

Former Old Boys winner Nathan Chant suffered some engine damage at the title and is racing to get it all ready for the weekend.

Gavin Davis will be in Gero and should be hard to beat now he's found full revs. A minor engineering issue i was told.

Todd Davis still hasn't found and killed the gremlin in his engine and is hoping to have it all sorted out for the May 1st meeting in Bunbury.

Team Ackland/Rickster,who will be known now on as Team Ackster, are busy preparing and polishing their new transporter and will have it ready for unveiling at The Wayne Armstrong Cup.

Team Armstrong will be there for Old Boys and hopefully can hold it all together for one more lap this time. I still can't believe that.

I've heard that Mike McGinness has purchased the Ex Jason Johnson Maxim just not sure when he will be running it. Be a handy car if there's a McDonalds close. Need to see video of that very funny.

Still can't work out what Crabby's doing in Europe there's no sprint cars over there?


Well that's all I've got so I'll see you all in Gero.

Hi

Hi Everyone, Well its that time of the year up here in Geraldton, with the running of the Old Boys Memorial on Saturday the 03/04/2010 and 04/04/2010, I dont't know how many cars are coming but if somebody could let me know that would be great so we can promote the meeting for your division.

Kind Regards

Tim.

Limited Sprintcars head North.

Well folks the limiteds move to the big meetings of the year and head North to Geraldton for 4 nights of action packed racing.

The Old boys and the Armstrong race are the ones to look out for.
Old boys, week end of 3/4th April 2010.
Armstrong Gold Cup, weekend of 24/25th April 2010.

We need a Blogger from Geraldton to keep the site updated, so if you are interested send your details to steve@sjcrushing.com.au and we will have a look and pick a blogger, person must be prepared to keep us updated with all happenings in the Geraldton area.

Catch you.

Team Crabbe talk.

Well folks our season is done.

We ran the state title and after a engine failure in the first heat of night one we were left pondering how we would come back from last in the feature on night two and make the podium.
We worked all Saturday from 5:30am until 3pm and headed for the track with the spare engine in the car.
We ran 4th in our heat and lined up dead last for the feature.
We finally broke into the 15 second group on lap 15 of the feature when I saw the lapping flag come out, I/ got inspired and refused to be lapped so I drove a bit harder.
We finished fifth with Glen DNFing after tagging the back straight wall.

So we are left to ponder how our year went and start on the job of getting the J&J Chassis we like so much ready for next year.
Phsyco is going back to the US for some work, the performance unlimited motor is going back into storage.
On the car front the J&J after passing the acid test we have put on it in the last 3 weeks has come through and so now will be stripped, a new body will be put on it and then we will paint and stripe it the same as the old JEI.
The ex Bombak maxim will be put together with my old engine as I have been informed we will be running three cars next year with Annette keen to have a go (inspired by Stacey Chisolm).
Glen's car will run a couple more races this season and will get its usual once over before running Ellenbrook if it coincides with his roster.

So in summary:
Thanks to Ed and Mick for all the help this year.
Thanks to Norbert and Gail also.

Thanks to Lillian, Peter and Martin for all the work they have done organising and running the race meetings this year, we have had a lot of fun.

I will keep blogging while we are away and let you know where we are.

We are racing Carnarvon again so if you have a car turn up and lets have fun.

Steve Crabbe

LTD Sprintcar 2010 state title wash up.

Hi all,

Well the 2010 State title has come and gone with the following results.
Winner Gavin Davis.
Second Tim King
Third Chris Ackland
Fourth Caroline Sotirroff
Fifth Steve Crabbe
Sixth Ian Dhu
Seventh Stacey Chisolm.

First I need to apologise to Mick Doble for putting the kiss of death on him by giving him favourite status.
Secondly I must say Michael Armstrong is a man on the move in the limited sprintcar circle, he held down fourth until he got over excited coming off turn 4 for the last time and looped it.

Bad luck goes to Anthony King who melted his motor after winning the night one feature, Tim King who destroyed his car on night one and myself who lost a motor in the first heat of night one.
Tim got into night two with Anthony's car and his motor, I got in with my performance unlimited motor and no sleep.

The time trials had a best lap time of 15.110 seconds, almost a second faster than the 360's.
Our feature had a best lap of 15.080.

We continue to have more competitors in the open wheel division than the 360's and the speedcars, and given the camaraderie around the club it is easy to see why.
Close exciting racing with a mixture of new and old drivers, always forming up quickly and just getting on with the racing.

Well done to all who competed.

Catch you.

Team Crabbe talk.

Hi all

Just a little reminder that Jimmy Naylor from Naylor race engines is going to be at the state title this weekend.

Jimmy built the motor we have just installed in our J&J, and I must say it is a beast.
I have nick named it Physco, you stand on the pedal and it just spins up, we were wheel standing coming off the turns in Bunbury.

Jimmy is looking to forge a relationship with racers in WA to help out and he is reliable.

If you are looking for engine parts to a complete engine come on down and have a chat with him.


Catch you all at the title.

State Title odds and sods.

Hi all,

Well what is going to happen this weekend?

We are going into the state title and the pace has lifted considerably over the last 2 meetings.

This is the rankings as seen by myself- no science has been used and the top 8 cars are all in with an equal chance, even the second tier drivers are so close that one of them may get up.

1. Mick Doble- Just based on form at Kwinana Mick has to take the honours as favourite, subject to only his set up or mechanical drama he is the one to beat.
2. Gavin Davis- Fitness is the key to how Gavin will run, he showed good form at the Krikke boys and if he can drive the laps he will be jostling with Mick and co all the way.
3. Todd Davis- Only mechanical issues have stopped Todd from being up with the best of us this year,
4. Anthony King- Really should be rated higher possibly even favourite but given we are running on a Saturday and the track should be hookier he may struggle for power but not spirit.
5. Tim King- Tim is due a big win and again may lack some power if the track is fast, like Anthony above Tim should be higher ranked given some of his times this year.
6. Nathan Chant- Nathan shows a lot of promise and has travelled down to Perth to try out the track, will be in there giving it a good shake.
7. Chris Ackland- Chris has shown some seriously fast speed this year but admits his fitness is holding him back.
8. Glen Oliver- Not had the best of years with his car owner changing engines on him, now has old faithfull back in and likes the way it delivers power and got straight back on the pace.

9 onwards and not in any order.

Dhuy is fast and has now got some laps under his belt.

Caroline Sotiroff will be fast if she gets near the front of the feature, possibly and arguablt the fastest driver in our division if she gets to the front with no traffic.

Steve Crabbe swapped chassis and has now found a whole new world of car speed.

Michael Armstrong has been getting quicker by the meeting.

Grant Chisolm dark horse who has run quick at Narrogine.

Stacy Chisolm making up the numbers this year but improving with every drive.

Sorry if I have missed any one.

Krikke boys wash up.

Hi all,

Krikke boys has come and gone, and another great meeting was had by the Limited Sprintcar Club.

We had 12 cars turn up and ran in two separate heats.
The track was wet and sloppy and track packing was no fun, come heat time there was good drive and the heats were fast and furious as has now become the norm for our division.
Heat one winners were Dhuy and Todd Davis.
Heat 2 winners were Crabbe and Nathan Brady.
The feature line up was to invert the top 6 so Nathan Brady and I as top point scorers started out of positions 5 and 6.
On the roll around laps I fed Glen the front bar, just to let him know that his usual slow starts were not going to be tolerated, as we gassed it of the green flag I popped a wheelie and thought to myself that we were in for a big feature, I had gotten up to fourth and had Glen in my sights for a big passing manoeuvre when the real Crabbe came back into the driving seat and ran into turn 3 way to hot and took a big spin, and that was the end of it for me, Glen ran 3rd as they called the race after 7 laps, the only disappointing part of the whole meeting.
On the drive back to Mandurah this morning Janette voiced her displeasure at the tracks that keep cutting short our races, and after much reminding she pointed out that Bunbury was the track at which we get cut the most.
Given that we spend as much getting to the races as anyone else and we have the second biggest car count we do not really get the track time we deserve, we look after ourselves with stewarding and lap scoring, all first rate and mostly we put on a great show.
So why are we treated so badly?????????

My personal opinion is we should start looking at alternative venues where we can be the main division of the night.

So the main things of note after another great time was had by all.

• Team Dhu continues to keep that motor running and is on the pace.
• Team Webster with the baby motor (cheapest in the division) drove with his boot in it and surprised us all, some poor line choices in heat 2 almost saw him into the fence, all I could think about as he was headed rapidly towards the wall was ' we don't need this work this week" but he got it back together and finished well, some more laps and the Burgundy car is going to give some of us bigger budget teams a real shock.
• Team Brady Rocka continue to improve and his car speed is right up there.
• Team Crabbe pulled the fastest lap for a limited on the night after receiving some in car advice while waiting at the gate for heat 2, thanks Darren I needed the wake up call.
• Team Chisolm junior had a small roll but was not too shaken up, she is getting on the gas and a run in the state title will see her only get better.
• Team Joyce turned up for the night and looked smooth.
• Team Tim Davis made a comeback from the shed and smoked his brother in heat 2, there was some spirited chasing by Gavin though, he was not going down without a fight and I must say that between the chase by Gavin on Shane Webster and then the chase to run down Tim I got to see that these Limiteds are as spectacular to watch and look as quick as an open even if we do run a second or so slower a lap, when I am driving I always think we must look slow.
• Team Oliver made it through a night without a hick up and at the end of the night voiced his displeasure of me taking his old engine out and up powering him, with the old Bombak motor back in and the right length bolts in his torque tube he was flying.
• Team Todd Davis got through the night trying to run his motor in, he drew 1 in the first heat and running the engine in went out the window, he is looking like he will be right in the mix for the state title.

Catch you.