July 26 and 27 I was at Nelson Ledges Raceway near Youngstown, Ohio for a double regional race weekend. Check out the track map and do a ride along.

http://www.nelsonledges.com/TFMap.aspx

Fun fast 2 mile track, and some areas you really need big steel ones to gain some time. A couple corners are fairly well banked, but if you go off of them you drop about 15 feet and most likely will be stopped by piles of tires (their version of a tire barrier I suppose)...more on that later...

My buddy (Chad) and I did the old school grass roots thing. We drove both Neons packed to the roof about 280 miles to the track Friday afternoon. We unloaded the cars, set up our camping tents and a canopy in the grass paddock, then swapped tires and brakes on both cars from street to racing. Another buddy from Indy brought his Neon too (on a flatbed trailer) and set up right next to us. The Indy buddy (Dave) brought his wife and she was very cool and cooked up a bunch of hot dogs on their grill for all of us. I felt pretty exhausted from the day and thought I'd catch some good sleep...nahhh. I hit my cot about 22:00 and my eyes were very sleepy...and then I heard Dave in the tent next door start snoring. Not that big of a deal and I almost started drifting off until I heard music and crowds cheering in the distance, and somebody goofing around on a loud motorcycle a couple miles away. WTH? Then I just layed there thinking of the race on Saturday morning. I might have grabbed about 2-3 hours of sleep...ugh!

Up with the sun we wiped the dew off the cars and double checked the cars. Called to the false grid and on the track at 08:30 for 25 minutes of practice/qualifying. Dave did his driver school here in the spring, but Chad and I had never been here...this should be fun.

I come out of the pits and take it easy for a couple laps, waving everybody by until I get a feel for it. I did watch a lot of YouTube videos, studied the track map, asked other drivers where the tricky spots were, and even found a version of the track for rFactor (close but not perfect). After driving at crappy IRP a few weeks ago, this track was pretty sweet! After about 5 laps I was picking up the pace and there weren't too many people going around me. Near the end I felt pretty good and found my big steel ones going through "The Kink" without a confidence brake tap. If you saw the website above, the kink is near the end of the long fast back straight. I was going through it at about 100mph and had a couple pucker factor slips, but it was fun. The best part to me when the session was over...I qualified faster than Chad (who's been racing for 13 years) and Dave (who did two days in his school here). So, for a novice on a track I've never seen before, out of 19 drivers I qual'd 12th with a 1:26.603 (Chad was 2 seconds slower...hadn't found his big steel ones yet).

After the other groups did their sessions and after lunch we were called back to false grid and lined up for our pace lap about 13:30. At the green Chad who started right behind me dove to the inside and took my spot...grrr! Another Neon (4 of us in ITA) followed Chad inside. I was outside for the start which is where you just don't want to be for T1, T2, or T3...lol. After T1 I dove inside so nobody else would freight train me and started running with the pack, and I held Dave off in the other ITA Neon. Wow, something that hasn't been seen since around 2000 during the "Neon Challenge"...4 Neons running together on a course! The announcer was even commenting about it...they have a very local radio broadcast for the fans to listen to and Dave's wife told us afterwards. Man, we were all running in a tight pack and kept swapping positions. I felt I could have gotten around Chad, but he was battling another car (VW Golf) side by side in the back straight and both would brake a bit at the kink where you should be running balls to the wall...lol. I was having a blast, but at the same time I was getting a bit frustrated because I knew I was faster but just couldn't get around them. Near the end of the race Chad made it past the Golf and I tried to follow but the Golf blocked me (it was for position so I don't blame him). Turn 12-13 is a 180 hairpin and I outbraked the Golf and dove inside...he missed a shift (YEAH!) and I got by with Dave hot on my tail. We finished midpack...Chad 8th, other Neon guy 9th, me 10th, and Dave 11th...all together. When we pulled back into the paddock we acted like we'd just won because it was just an awesome race where we were...plus the top 5 or so guys were about 4-5 seconds quicker per lap than us anyway. Chad said it was one of the best fun races he'd ever done...and he's been racing for 13 years as I said before. I put down a 1:25.294 for my PB in the race.

That night we rechecked the cars, swapped tires to test what we might run for the 24 hour event next month, and rode out at least two huge thunderstorms. It was raining buckets about every 15 minutes for about 4 hours. We'd bail out our tent floors and then another storm would come...what fun! Went to bed about 22:00 again just after the last storm rolled through...this is going to be a great night for sleeping!...nope! Hit the rack, the air was cooler, all I heard was tree frogs chirping in the woods next to the track and heard thunder wayyy off in the distance. Perfect sleeping sounds. Closed my eyes and out of nowhere I heard music again with crowds cheering in the distance! Come to find out a few miles from the track is Nelson Ledges Quarry...which is a state park and they host live music events throughout the summer. Joy! I hear Chad in the next tent over say "at least we don't have to hear that motorcycle tonight!"...and like clockwork we heard a loud Harley fire up again and go riding around. Oye! Then I yell over to him "what next???"...and then a 40 minute fireworks show starts at the quarry. Holy hell! Yeah, another night with maybe 3-4 hours of sleep.

Same schedule as Saturday, we hit the track for practice/quals at 08:30. I had run almost slick Toyo tires Saturday but Chad threw on some newer Kuhmo tires for Sunday to get them "heat cycled" (still testing stuff for the 24 hours). I pulled up late to the grid and was still putting my helmet on when the rest of the cars hit the track, so I had some great open track to qual on. The newer tires felt a little squirrely at first but when they warmed up after a few laps they felt pretty good. With nobody in front of me I could run the Kink full out, running through there at 110-115 mph. I didn't feel like I was doing anything faster, but after the session (and after I told Chad that I think those tires slowed me down), I qualified 7th out of 21 drivers with a 1:24.745! Chad qual'd 8th with a 1:25.111, the other guy Neon was 10th and Dave 11th. The 6th place qual was an SSC Neon so there were 5 Neons. OH BOY! This is gonna be fun!

After Saturday's event, both Dave and I had the required races under our belts to go from Novice to a Regional Competition License (our goal for the weekend). With the amount of fun we had, we all agreed Sunday there was no pressure and we should go out and let it all hang out. Chad would start next to me on the grid but on the outside. Just in front of me and to the outside was the SSC Neon, and Dave and the other Neon guy were just behind us. Chad was trying to trash talk me since I'd qual'd better than him both days that he was going to blow by me at the start and probably wouldn't look back. Hmmmm...I qual'd better both days, and he was holding me up for the race Saturday...and I'm starting on the inside...we'll see Chad.

Called to false grid at 13:15. We're early so we sit there trying to stay cool. I pull my belts extra tight at the 5 minute warning. One to go I fire up the Neon (we're tight on gas to lighten the car). Roll out on course and do our warmup lap...everyone's warming their tires and brakes...this is going to be big. Around the final corner we bunch back up and start accelerating anticipating the green. GREEN! Holy crap! Let it all hang out Chad said...so I keep up with the inside cars and blast into T1 in front of Chad, and in front of the SSC Neon that was a bit faster than my qual. Oh heck yeah! Hell, I'm pushing the 5th place starter Honda CRX that was a couple seconds faster than my qual. I'm hitting my lines fine with Chad almost touching my rear bumper through T5 and then he dives inside in the only place on track I don't want to be outside...through the longest carousel I've ever seen. I have to back down or I'll end up in the tires off track. Luckily he's not able to drift outside because I stay with him so we accelerate onto the back straight at the same time. I stay with him and pull ahead slightly until we get near to the Kink. I'm outside still and you HAVE to be inside to go through the Kink. I finally let Chad have it and the SSC Neon sneaks in right behind him. Crap! SSC Neon finally gets by Chad and I'm once again right with him, and the other two Neons are all there too. 5 Neons head to tail, door to door...man this is fun!

On lap 5 we're still running each other very hard. My front bumper is within 8-10 inches from Chad's rear going down the front straight and I pull out wide and right next to him to set up for T1. He figured I'd give him the position but I'd seen him braking before where I hadn't been, and I thought maybe he'd back down since I was passing him. Neither one of us backed down.

Going into T1 at about 95mph side by side...not so easy. I was holding on surprisingly well until my two left tires went off course when he slid over into my lane. Okay, I know to keep the car straight and I let all 4 tires go off and I'd ease it back on course. Well, the grass was still wet from the storms, and the track surface to grass transition was a few inches difference. I feathered the gas and kept the car straight. I just barely turned the wheel right to ease back on course when my back tires caught the lip of the track surface and sent the back end of the car hard left. I corrected but was already shooting across the track towards the inside pile of tires. I braked hard and then gassed hard closer, and almost made it...

Another foot or two is all I needed the tire barrier to be away. I was thinking to myself "I've got this!". The closer I got I thought "not that big of a deal, I'll bump and keep going!".

Thank the powers to be for providing me with a 10 point NASCAR roll cage and window net, 7 point harness, and my Pyrotec helmet.

Have you all seen the video of the Viper at Nelson? I did the same thing, but the corner before he did (but I didn't scream...lol).

http://youtube.com/watch?v=50lGdQvVF3Q

I almost had it saved across the track but my right front caught a tire in the pile at about 75-80mph. The tire pile grabbed my Neon and then I launched and did a complete 360 barrel roll on the pile and landed back on my wheels.

I never uttered a sound, and as I sat there for about 5 seconds I checked myself first. I'm okay! Next I waved off the corner worker who was walking towards me. Didn't want to waste her time. "I'm okay!" Another second or two my mind was racing...I don't really want to be towed (that would be embarrassing!...hehe) so I turned the key and she fired right back up! Corner worker looked surprised and said since I rolled I had to go to the pits to be looked over...it's the rules. Crap! I took off through the grass and took it easy through the next couple of corners back on track, waving people by. Then on the back straight while I was making sure everything was still working I gassed it and even held off another car that was coming up. Other than the driver side mirror hanging, my car was still racey!

Still, I had to pull into the pits to have the stewards look me and the car over. I climbed out to look it over and Chad pulled in the pits to see if I was okay and then said "Get back out there!". I told the steward I was feeling fine and wanted to go back out, but he told me since the mirror was hanging they wouldn't let me back on track. It could fall off and might mess up another car. CRAP! Maybe I was in a little bit of shock from the rollover, or my adrenaline was pegged but I didn't think of maybe ripping off the mirror or even going back to the paddock to duct tape it. I retired from the race.

The only damage was cosmetic. Two broken mirrors (drivers and passengers), a few dents on both sides that could easily be pounded back out, and a small crack in the windshield. Internally the car was still sound. Didn't mess up the steering, the engine and tranny were still fine. My first DNF...ugh!

I'm okay other than a little soreness under my left side ribs where the seat support must have gotten into me a bit. I never felt a thing until about 2-3 hours after the race.

We pounded out most of the dents, swapped tires and brakes, packed up and drove it 280 miles back home that night. What a tank!

Before we left the track we wanted to ask the corner workers who were still hanging around if we could check out the crash site on track to figure out what I might have done wrong. I pulled up to the tech shed where they were hanging out and I saw one guy point at me and then all of them gave me a standing ovation.

All in all it was still a fun weekend, and even the rollover crash was pretty fun after all's said and done...lol. I don't want to do it again though!

Next stop, Nelson Ledges again next month for "The Longest Day At Nelson" 24 hour enduro!

That was one of most worthwhile reads in a good while, very enjoyable, and well done on getting your license!

Speed tape, my man, speed tape! If "BearBond" is good enough for the NASCAR crowd, it'd be good enough for SCCA.

An excellent read, and good on ya for the Regional License!

BTW, should I forward an application for the AAA (Accidental Aviation Association)?

Glad you're OK

Read in the PM you sent Weas that you had "sore ribs" and I though "ruh roh". Glad you the green hornet survived the shunt in such good condition. Ya not a vurgun nah more sonny.

Racer Tape / Speed Tape = Duct Tape in colors.

It was kind of funny when I went to the timing and scoring tower to get my novice permit filled out. The Chief Steward asked who I was so I told him, then he asked what I was driving and I told him the #72 green Neon...everyone in the room stopped and looked at me. "THAT Neon???". Yup. A few people shook my hand and welcomed me into the rollover club...lol.

Chief Steward was cool. I only needed one race filled out in my logbook for the license and he told me not to worry about filling out the info for the second race since it would be marked as "unsat" because I DNF'd (which could affect getting my license). Second race never happened.

Hindsight, I would have definately threw some tape on the mirror or torn it off completely to continue on and finish...heck I would have been treated like a hero because I'd rolled and still finished. Like I said I was still in a bit of shock, adrenaline was over the top, and I'm still pretty new to this. When the official in the pit said my race was over because of loose equipment I just said okay and retired. Kicking myself now, but my mind wasn't very clear at the time.

Geez, Jay. Glad you're alright.

Glad you made it thru ok, awesome read. REally got that 'You were there' feeling.

Coooool! and thanks.