I got there just before 4:00 to find out tech in is 1:00- 3:00... almost didn't get to race but I asked real nicely so they let me in. I raced in the stock V8 class since at the end of tech-in (3:00) there was only one 4 banger and one 6 banger so all the little guys were bumped up to stock V8.
My first race I was pitted against the guy who took first place at the end of the night. It was a super close race and I swore it looked like I had him by four inches... but I chose not to hire an attorney and spend $6000 in legal fees to get that ruling reversed!
So I got the losers bracket right from the start. I raced a Toyota with a 22R next. He ran really good- lockers front and rear, 5.29 gears, 37 inch boggers. I got the faster lane at the time and I beat him. He didn't give it up easy though and if I wasn't running so good he would have beaten me.
Next I raced a purple F-250. Good running stock truck who was one the guys fighting for first place. I got the slower lane but I gave her hell. It was a really close race and had I had the easy lane again I think I could have beat him. Or if we ran times in the same lane it would have been super close. But he got that one at the end... I hit the deep part and had to downshift at the end. I pulled off a really sweet 3rd to 2nd shift that and automatic tranny would have been proud of without losing any wheel speed... but lost too much momentum and the purple truck won.
So there I was done for the night. Then a guy comes up and talks to me and the guy in the 4 banger Toyota that I narrowly beat when I had the better lane. He puts up a $50 bill saying if we re-matched and switched lanes the winner would be $50 richer. So I launched off the line in third gear and was seriously kicking butt on the Toyota. But once I hit the deep part of the hole at the end I slowed. I left it in 3rd gear for nearly a half second too long before grabbing second gear and that error is where the guy in the Toyota passed me and got the $50. But I made him work for it!
Big Al's seemed to do a really good job running the whole show. I have heard a horror story or two about them this year, but my experience there was a good one. I'll go again!
