"Gas Mask, Please"!

Well, the good news is that the Rusty Bucket made it to Indianapolis early this morning.  The bad news....the driver phoned Viguen shortly after departing asking for a gas mask.  Apparently, Viguen did not have a chance to dump the tanks before the Bucket left the racetrack.  For those of you who have been in an RV with tanks that haven't been dumped for a bit and have sat in the heat of Florida and South Carolina for a bit and have fermented for a bit....you know the desperation of the situation and the ultimate need for a gas mask QUICKLY.  (FYI...the tanks hold all of the poopy from both of my boys.....YIKES!)  After Viguen stopped laughing, he told the driver where he could find some tank deodorant.

As for my boys, they spent the night in a hotel by the airport, enjoyed breakfast in the morning, and then spent some time working on school work and "work" work before heading out to catch their flight back to Minnesota.  They enjoyed a smooth plane ride and arrived home at 8:30 in the evening. Everyone was pretty quiet on the way home because we were all VERY tired....my boys from all of their racing and me from being up the last few nights with a sick dog. Tonight, we will all sleep better because we are back together and know that our Rusty Bucket is back in the Midwest.  Sweet dreams!

This is the picture you get when you Google:  "Stinky Face Man"

Good Day, Sunday!

In Alexander's words:  "Today, was the last day of racing before we head home so I was determined to do my best.  Practice went well and I found myself getting really pumped for qualifying.  In qualifying, I didn't get a draft and my kart barely went, so I got 36th place.  In the pre-final, I got another great start pushing me up to 30th.  I picked off a few more karts and finished 25th.  In the final, I passed 10 cars on the start but my clutch broke soon after and I lost spot after spot putting me at the back of the pack.  I didn't do very well but I had lots of fun and can't wait to go back!"

Happy to be Karting and Looking Forward to More Fun Times!

And now a  word from the Editor:  My boys did have a wonderful time in South Carolina despite all of the on-track "learnings".  Hopefully soon, everything will click and all of their efforts will be rewarded.  We keep in mind that we are new to the team racing concept, new to the WKA Racing Series, and new to having so many karts on the track.  I think it's neat to see that despite all of the "learnings" and the back-of-the-pack finishes, both of my boys remain optimistic and truly enjoy the sport of racing.

After the boys got everything packed up, they said goodbye to the Rusty Bucket with the trailer in tow.  I mean literally.....one of the WKA team members drove our Rusty Bucket off into the sunset as my boys sat in their rental car anticipating their departure and subsequent hotel room rental near the airport.  With the next race being in Pennsylvania, the amount of mountainous road between South Carolina and Pennsylvania, and the coordination required for Viguen to get the Rusty Bucket from South Carolina to Pennsylvania...we decided to have a teammate drive the Rusty Bucket back to the shop in Indianapolis.  So, we gave our "baby" to someone else to care for and to hopefully get to Indianapolis safely.  It was a difficult decision on many levels...but primarily because we were concerned that the driver would be stranded somewhere on the way to Indy because he didn't know all of the "nuances" of our coach.  We let go and prayed for the best.  Here's to Happy Trails and Happy Arrivals....at Indy, we hope!

Before leaving Kershaw, my boys made one last stop:  Gus' Restaurant!  They just had to enjoy one last meal to celebrate Kershaw, racing, and "just being together"!

Day One of Real Races at Kershaw

On the Grid....Kershaw, here we come!

In Alexander's words:  "Today was the first day of racing and I could hardly wait.  We had one session of practice before qualifying to get everything ready.  I did really good and was very confident going into qualifying.  In qualifying, they space everybody out so nobody gets a draft.  My engine didn't go very well without the draft, so I was stuck back in 28th place in a field of 45.  The next session, was a pre-final race which determines your starting position for the main event.  I got a really good start....putting me up to around 22nd place.  After my phenomenal start, I passed a couple more karts and I ended up in 20th.  In the final race, I got an okay start and stayed in that position most of the race.  I later found out that I finished in 18th place.  I was pretty happy with the days' results."

Fish Fry Friday

In Alexander's Words: "Today was a day to use for practice.  With heavy rain last night, the track was very slippery and I had to be smooth or I would crash.  For my first session, I simply wanted to get used to the track and to see how the car would run on the straight-away.  I was very smooth and didn't crash.  I spent the next two sessions trying to figure out what to do to get more straight-away speed.  Before I knew it, the announcer called for the final session and all I wanted to do was get a good lap time.  I got a great time and was looking forward to the race tomorrow."
From the home front, I worked and then enjoyed a Friday Fish Bake at my school and church.  I shared a wonderful meal with the Mayor and fellow teachers.  YUMMY food and a nice way to end the week.

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Thursday at Kershaw, South Carolina

Prep day at the track.  All of the teammates have arrived, the tent has been pitched, and the karts are being tuned.  There is an air of camaraderie, competition, and excitement as the karts are readied for another racing event.  We are so lucky to be a part of this racing family!

We're Leaving on a Jet Plane.....South Carolina or Bust!

Although my boys' flight doesn't leave until 10:15 am, I dropped them off at 7:00 in the morning so that I could make it to work on time.  The security check-in went fine and my boys were at the gate before I made the trek back home and then to work.  While waiting for the plane, both boys worked on their homework, read, and grabbed breakfast.

The flight was uneventful and they arrived in Columbia, South Carolina without a hitch.  They rented a car and drove the 1+ hour drive to Kershaw.  It was a LONG day, but they made it to the Rusty Bucket before nightfall and set up camp for the weekend.

Home Again....

Last day in Kershaw.  Today's focus is the handling and chassis.  The day began with some minor changes to the kart....but Alexander said that the kart kept getting slower and slower.  By this time, Viguen was the only mechanic there, so he did the best he could to tweak the kart.  The changes were met with little success.  According to Alexander: "By about 12:30, we hit a good time.  Then we made a little change (to help go faster) and went back out and got a whole second SLOWER!  We put it back the way it was, but it still didn't work.  After an hour or so, we decided to call it a day and catch an early plane home."

I picked up my boys late this evening and got an ear full on the way home about Gus' salads and all of the tweaking to make the kart go slower.  Alexander could barely get the stories out amidst all of the giggles.  The last line of his journal entry reads:  "I can't wait for the event so I can go back to this amazing track."

Gus' Restaurant

Alexander's entry:  "We want to get a little faster today.  The first thing we want to tune is the clutch, then the carburetor which controls the air to gas ratio, and then finally the chassis.  We got the clutch and carburetor to work, but I am still having problems with the initial and mid-corner turning.  We got down to a great time and hope to get a little more speed tomorrow."

From me:  What I find interesting is that Alexander always talks about racing as a "we" sport.  Even though Alexander is by himself in the kart and has to navigate the track by himself, it is neat that he realizes that it takes a mechanic, a dad, a team, and a go-kart itself working together to compete in the race. (Not to mention the support team at home....a mom, a teaching staff that makes it possible for Zander to miss school, and 3 pooches!)

When I spoke to the boys tonight, I didn't hear about all of the on-track stuff.  All I heard about was the GREAT food at Gus'.  "I had the BEST salad ever!'" ~ Alexander

So I did a little research and found this information:

"Gus Deligiannidis and his wife, Effie, are the owners and founders of two full-service restaurants, Gus' House of Pizza in Kershaw, SC and Gus' Family Pizza Restaurant in Lancaster, SC. The restaurant in Kershaw, a cozy and charming occupation on the corner of Hampton and Marion Streets, was established in 1988. Before this, the building provided space for a jewelry store as well as a pawnshop. Throughout the years, several menu changes and major building renovations have changed the "look" of the corner pizza parlor. Nonetheless, the most important elements have remained the same; our delicious home-style pizza made from an old family recipe, true heart-of-the-Greek-home dishes and recipes, a warm family-type atmosphere, and our friendly service."

So, next time you are in Kershaw....my boys highly recommend Gus' Restaurant.  Thanks, Gus, for taking such good care of my family!

Gus and his wife

Testing in Kershaw

Alexander penned part of today's journal entry:

"As we pulled into the racetrack at Kershaw, our friends already had a kart ready to go for me.  I suited up and went out to learn the track.  As soon as I hit the gas, I knew something was wrong because it barely went.  I ignored it, so I could learn the track.  After I had the track figured out, I told my mechanic that I had no power so he made an adjustment to the clutch.  I went out on track again and it went much better.  I got down to a decent time but still had room to improve."

Now....a word from me:

Viguen was able to go out on the track as well and worked with Alexander to get the correct line around the track.  In the evening, Viguen looked at race times from previous kart races at Kershaw and targeted a time for Alexander to get down to.  Zander did a good job of not only gaining knowledge about the track, but speed as well.

Kershaw...Almost!

My boys awoke this morning in West Palm Beach, Florida.  They coordinated with the Holiday Inn Shuttle driver to drive them to the West Palm Beach go-kart track after he got off work at noon.  Viguen and Alexander arrived at the airport to pick up their bag that made it back from it's detour to Pittsburgh.  The shuttle driver took them to the track, they picked up the Rusty Bucket, and left for Columbia, South Carolina at about 1:30 pm their time.

There is a strong head-wind, but no sign of treacherous weather.  The Rusty Bucket seems to be holding its own....although gas mileage hasn't been great.  Who needs an economic stimulus package when you have the Kardashians?

Anyway, Viguen just called and said that he and Alexander have pulled into a Rest Area just outside the airport in Columbia, South Carolina to spend the night.  They will pick up the rental car in the morning and then finish the 1-hour trip between Columbia and Kershaw in the morning.

Here's the track diagram at Kershaw:

Kershaw or Bust

The Champs

What a day!  This morning we began our day by packing so that the boys could get to Florida to pick up the Rusty Bucket and trailer, drive to Kershaw, South Carolina, and start testing for the upcoming go-kart race in a couple of weeks.  After getting all of the bags, helmets, and homework packed, we went to Alexander's championship basketball game.  The team has played better games, but they pulled together and won the championship!  The game ended at 3:30 and my boys had to be at the airport no later than 4:00. 

Alexander changed in the car as we raced to the airport....made it just in time. 

Phone Call Number 1:
from Minneapolis
My boys called from their coach seats at 4:55 pm.  "We made it!"  Off to Atlanta then to West Palm Beach, Florida.

Phone Call Number 2: 
from Atlanta
Alexander:  "Mom, guess what is in front of me!"
Me: "The pilot."
Alexander:  "Nothing but space!"

Yes, both of my boys made it to First Class for their travel leg between Atlanta  and West Palm Beach.  All of Viguen's travel over the last year is really paying off.  I can just imagine their First Class Smiles!  (And, yes, the pilot was in front of them....I just didn't get the joke at first.)

Phone Call Number 3:
from West Palm Beach airport
Viguen: "We are in West Palm Beach...we are going to rent a car and drive to the track to pick up the Rusty Bucket.  We'll call when we get to the RV."
Me sleepily:  "Sounds good."

Phone Call Number 4:
from West Palm Beach
Viguen: "Our bag is in Pittsburgh."
Me: "That's the pits!"
Viguen: "Just checked into a Holiday Inn near the airport.  We'll go back in the morning, get our bag, rent a car, pick up the RV, and then head out to Columbia, South Carolina."
Me: "That's great, but how are you going to brush your teeth?"

....This is why I don't go to the tracks with my boys.....my concerns are not the same as theirs. 

Good night!