Off season 2019
Tried to resolve the motor problems on the dyno last summer but despite the improvements and changes made, it is still a dog.
Looked for a second motor and found that Zach Newlin was moving to the 358 class and selling his 305 motor. He was always a top 5 car, won championships, won the BAPS 2019 305 championship and ended up 7^th in National 305 points for 2019 with this motor. It was built and maintained by Hershey Racing Engines so I bought it. Got everything from air cleaners to headers, radiator to fuel pump and bypasses.

I took both motors to Hershey's for new springs and complete checkout.

In car camera at Port gave me some insight to driving and Zach had some info for the chassis. Time for cleanup and reset.

Port Royal 10/19/2019
After the Hagerstown race I made some calls and had some things to try. This was a test for a softer and different setup.
The track started out dry and got slicker through the night. Hot laps ,time trials and heats for the 410s, URC and 305 hot laps had used and up most moisture leaving streaks of hard, dirty black and some brown teasers.

Th full feature setup was loose in the heat and the motor stumbled on the start and just seemed flat. I tried different lines, Tight on the bottom was slow going . The car drifted up with more speed. The car was sideways off the bottom.

Tried softer shocks lower pressures and less offset for the Bmain but not much better.

Need to solve the motor problem and get through the corners better. Got the winter to work on it.

Hagerstown 9/22/2019
I hadn't planned to go since last time when seventy cars showed up but this race was late in the season and there had been a more normal car count at an earlier race.
The PASS group was the support class for the 410 Allstar race. Teresa's sister Rhonda and Dave came along to crew.

I really liked running the track last time there. The surface had bite and a decent cushion that I ran all nite. I was reasonably fast but with a draw of 190 out of 200 I started at the back all nite and only missed the show by one spot. I was expecting the same conditions.

When I pushed out for motor heat, the track was already showing black ice in spots of turn two. By hot laps the comb over was blown off and the track was slick right up to the fence. I mean NY slick. The 410s were crawling through the middle in time trials and those trying the cushion found marbles and fence.

I set up full feature for the heat, started mid pack and went quickly backwards as the car was loose and drifting. There was no time between my heat and Bmain and I only got the change shocks and I was back on track at the back of 14 cars, taking 4. I passed two got passed by one and that was it. I ran the laps for fun and trying things but watched the feature where there was little passing with everyone crowded on the bottom.

Path Valley 9/7/2019
The Summer heat and humidity finally took a break and made racing comfortable. The Path Valley quarter mile is an abnormality in Central Pa but it fits with my experience on the short NY tracks. It races the same as Woodhull with high banks and tight turns but with straights half as long. The big difference is the bite of the clay. When it has some moisture it sticks the car bottom, middle and top and builds a cushion. When it dries out it does glaze over and drifts. The low gear you run there will break tires loose even with the 305. It makes for good two or three wide racing.

The 305s are a good fit for the track, fast enough and fun.
Mike McConnell came along to crew. Teresa kept track of lineups and run of events.

A good draw put me 4^th in the first heat. After our good run last time here I expected to pick up a spot and make the redraw but the heat was loaded with fast cars behind me. There was only one other class of cars with power and tires to work the track and hot laps appeared to leave enough moisture for a sticky track. We were out first so I didn't make any changes except to take out a little stagger.

It was a racy, fast heat that kept everyone together. I dropped into forth in the back straight but cars were diving low on me at entry and I was trying the same on the car ahead. I got under one car for third but then got passed on the outside. As the race progressed the line I was good on must have been good for everyone because it got used up quick and slicked off. The fast cars behind me took advantage when I slipped up or hung coming off. Every other lap I lost a spot as the car got looser and looser. At the end I was seventh. Fortunately there were only twenty one cars so I was in the feature but in the back.

Starting nineteenth in the feature meant not much to lose. I made a lot of changes to tighten the car for the blackening track. The biggest risk was going to be first lap spin ahead of me on the slick track.

When the leaders took off, I was still entering three and the pack spread in the corner and front straight. It was nose to tail and waiting time for a hole. Running the very bottom was working and I picked off a couple cars that were trying to use an outside line to pass but then I caught up to a car that was falling back through the pack and running a tight bottom line.

After a couple laps of trying to pick a bottom hole on him and getting cut off, I decided to try to pass on the outside going into one. That upper groove was black and slick and there was nothing there. I was no good on either end and got passed low by a really good car. I thought that might be my best move anyway. I'd let him wedge that car out and I'd follow him through.

That worked and I tried to follow him as he passed other cars but I couldn't stay close enough. As the laps wound down and one restart, I was able to pass more cars and ended up thirteenth.

Car worked pretty good but needed more. Motor was good but probably less gear would have helped. It was a fun race.

Port Royal 8/24/2019
Mike McConnell and Teresa went along for this race

A decent draw and held my own in the heat and let me make the show with 32 cars in the pits.

Started twenty second and picked off some cars running bottom middle. Ended eighteenth. It was an ok run but I expected better. Just didn't have enough to pass more cars.

Selinsgrove 8/10/ 2019
With a break in the summer heat and humidity, racing in the bright sun would be comfortable for a change. Mike McConnell worked the pits along with Teresa. A bad draw put me at the back of the second heat.

Lined up sixth but got passed on the outside by a strong car as the pack raced into the first turn. Car stuck to the bottom and I traded places with the car ahead and ended up 7^th. That finish would start me 20^th in the Feature. With 25 cars in the pits, everyone started.

Last time here the motor didn't hit the target RPM with the gear we were using. It was the gear I was told worked for the 305 here but it wasn't enough for the track conditions or my driving or something. We went a couple gear sets lower last time and it helped some. Just to be sure I used that gear in the heat again this time to see if it was track conditions but got the same thing on the tach. So for the feature I changed gears a couple more sets lower and that put us on target and I could feel a big difference.

Going into one at the start packed cars into a three wide jumble and I had to wait for an opening. But as racing goes, when the pack spread out coming out of two, everyone found room and took off. I was back to about 22^nd or so at this point and as the car hooked up on the bottom, I was able to dive inside at corner entry and pass cars coming out.

A number of restarts for flats and spins negated some passes but kept the cars close, so I had to pass the same cars a couple times to get by. On restarts the bottom lane would fill up and I'd have to wait to get up to speed, meanwhile cars behind would get by on the outside. The outside wasn't fast for me.

Once the pack got out of two on restarts, the track opened up and I could drive in hard, hook up in the middle and get good drive coming out. It was back and forth with some cars and just faster than others. The track dried and slicked more and more as the race progressed and the line of moisture at the rail narrowed but the stagger was right and the car still had good drive off.

At the end I had made my way up to 13^th and had a couple of cars that I could have passed if we had more laps. This was another good run for me and the car. As I get the 305 deal refined I am gaining more confidence as a driver and it's fun to race.

Selinsgrove 7/27/ 2019
I had planned to run Port Royal last week but it was 98 degrees with a heat index of 112 degrees. Super humid and it would not be any fun to race. Many tracks canceled across the north east. Port decided to start an hour later. They still had 39 cars in the 305 class. It was just too hot for me.

So Selinsgrove was the next race. I had run there once with ESS about 8 yrs ago and it was just flat out. I've decided not the run the 360 car there weekly because it's a very high speed place, eats tires and there are no little crashes.

When I was younger and racing full time, we ran 410s there weekly during the mid 80's and won there but now the 305 series works best for me. The 360's have gotten expensive to race and if I run outside of the 305 series, then I have to start last at the next 305 race. The 305 motor is affordable and simple.

For setup I went back to what we had been doing but kept the shock changes and had some different things to try when the track dries out. Jim and Robbie Miller came along to help in the pits along with Teresa.

I drew a 33 that put me fourth (of eight) in the third heat, 5 to qualify. Motor took off ok but not exceptional. I was third coming out of two but a yellow set up a complete restart. On the restart, in the second turn a car on the outside pinned me tight on the bottom and with a little front end push I had to lift a bit to stay off him. That put me fourth and that's where I finished and put us in the show.

In the feature, I started 15^th. I was running with a pack when a car spun in front of me and I slowed to miss him and lost a lot of spots, no yellow. I was back to about 20^th. It took a couple of laps to get a good feel of how the car needed to be driven but once I felt the bite I was able to drive in deeper and stick to the bottom and get great forward bite coming off. We had reduced the stagger and that kept the car straight coming out at full throttle.

I was catching cars and driving under them going in or middle and passing them coming out. There were a few restarts and I lost some spots on the start and then ran them down and passed them back.

In the last few laps I tried to pass the car ahead but he kept chopping me at entry. I thought of driving in deeper on him but remembered doing that at Susquehanna and ended up with both of us spun out in traffic. The drivers in this series don't give any room so it was best to let that one go unless he made a mistake. By the end of the race I made it to 13^th without anyone dropping out in front of me.

The car felt really good and it was fun to race and pass cars. We'll see if the changes work next race.

Dyno days 6-19 and 7-17 /2019
The motor sucks and I finally got fed up enough to pull it out and take it to Godfrey Racing Engines dyno in York Pa to see if we could figure out what was wrong.

First pull using all the stuff we had in the car was as good as the last despite a number of changes... until I had them start at 3000 rpm instead of 4000. That's when we found a big drop at 3500 to 3800 rpm. That is what I've been feeling in the seat.

So to do the changes we wanted meant I had to get some parts and we'd try it again. Meanwhile, I had to spend a couple weeks in Brewerton again so by the time I got a new fuel pump, new headers and stumble valve together and there was another opening at the dyno it was late July.
This is a good reason to get a second motor.

When we ran the motor with the new parts we were able to improve the 3500 to 4000 area by 100 more torque which was a change of about 50% more power in that range. That's huge!! We also got about 30 more hp in some areas of the upper range too.

There was no way I could have figured all this out at the track. It ended up being very expensive but at least now I know what the motor needs with this set of parts. Hopefully it will solve the problems on the track.

Port Royal 6/8/2019
Was in Brewerton for a couple weeks to help out with my mother while my sister was away. Decided not to go to Hagerstown for the “big” race because last year there were 60+ cars and I drew 190 out of 200. I guess I wasn't alone as they only had 35 cars or so.
People pay for, prepare and tow to a race because they want to race the car, not watch.

Anyway, Port was the next race and I needed to try something different so I put a stiffer bar in the LF and changed up the shocks for the night. It did not work. The changes lost side bite in the car that got worse as the track got slicker. With 39 cars there wasn't room for a bad setup. Not good in the heat and tried some more fixes but no better in the Bmain. The motor is frustrating too. It still stumbles on starts and just doesn't seem to be sharp. So we raced, DNQ, loaded up and watched.

Port Royal 5/11/2019
Threat of rain all day. Radar showed it coming from the west with the forecast saying it would get to the track mid evening. Mike McConnell came to Port to crew for the night.

Car was good in hot laps. A good draw put me on the pole of heat one. The motor still is flat on starts. Got passed in the straight. Handling was good and ended up third and in the redraw for the feature. With 40+ cars in the pits it was good to make the show out of the heat.

Radar looked bad and some big drops fell and then it quit.

Started 4^th in the feature. Motor bogged at the start again and when I needed the brakes in traffic in turn one the pedal wouldn't move ! Never had that happen before and it was very unsettling. Several cars got by as I was collecting the car.

I was cautious getting into three and lost more spots. Our race is after all the other races so on the slower track I use the brake, while still on the throttle, to slow the car without letting the chassis settle on the suspension.

I tried to figure it out. Something was jammed. Under caution I felt around at the master cylinder linkage but couldn't feel anything wrong. I thought maybe it was something broken inside the master cylinder or in the check valve or maybe a rock hit the brake line and pinched it but this felt more mechanical and didn't feel like a pressure build.

I was racing without brakes. Usually with soft brakes I could pump it in the straight and have some brakes at the corner but this pedal wouldn't move. I thought about pulling in.

Under the next caution, I played around the with the pedal with my foot and found that if I pressed really hard that it would go past what was stopping it and worked fine. Then I found that if I pulled the pedal to the right as I pushed it that it worked OK.

It was now past halfway and the workaround let me get back up to speed on the restart. I passed a couple cars and that was it to the end. Finished 16^th but the car felt good at the end.

In the pits I found that a bracket that I have to hold the steel plate floor pan (to make weight) in place had turned into the path of the brake pedal. Easy fix but unfortunate problem to have on a night with a good starting spot.

Started raining just as we were loading up and it rained all the way home.

Port Royal 4/27/2019
Full race nite at Port Royal with 410s, 360s, 305s. Burt Wiegner was pit crew for the nite. Burt crewed my car every week throughout the 80s.

Car didn't feel good in hotlaps. Just wasn't sticking like it had before. a tough nite at Port Royal.

Started inside row 3 in the heat race. Motor was flat at the start and I dropped back but gained on the car ahead coming out of two and dove in low beside him in three. As we went through four a car at the front spun and came down across the track at corner exit. I was on the bottom with a car to the outside and cars ahead. There was only a second for everyone to find a way past the spun car and they all went for the bottom.

We were three wide in a two wide hole. I got wheel slammed on the right side and it spun me left side forward and it felt like the car was going to layover and flip but fortunately it just spun and stopped in the straight.

I was lucky. The other two cars tangled and flipped hard behind me. A race official looked over my car and found no problems. I started 6^th on the restart, picked off one car coming out of two and finished 5^th to make the feature from the heat.

I made some setup changes but never really got the car right. I kept pace at my spot in the feature but could not make any headway. The 21^st finish was OK considering 40+ cars in the pits and a tangle in the heat.

Path Valley 4/13/19
Linda Walker used to live near my shop in New Cumberland, Pa back in the 80s and came along with Teresa and I to help crew the car and run the ATV to push the car around the pits and onto the track.

A descent draw put me in the second row of the heat. At the start, going into one the car in front of me hung in the corner and I slowed to wait for him or a hole to open and I got drilled in the back bumper and spun. On the restart I passed a couple cars but got wheel slammed on the right side exiting two and nearly spun again. Finished at the back but everyone made the feature so I would start in the last row.

In the feature I passed a few cars and some dropped out and we finished 19^th.

Susquehanna (baps) 4-7-19
Thirty two cars and evening rain in the forecast. 
Good draw put us on the pole for heat three. Car felt uncomfortable in hotlaps especially with the rough corner entries. Just not fast in the heat.

Raced hard to keep positions but racing side by side going into three we both went to the bottom and hit wheel to wheel and spun. Was ok until t-boned by oncoming traffic.

Crew replaced bent parts and we started at the back of the Bmain and moved from 9th to 6th but they took four. Then it rained just as the featured started and it's re-scheduled for two weeks later and I will be in Brewerton, NY for the weekend so I couldn't run the race anyway.

Port Royal 4/6/19 PA Sprint Series (PASS)
First race 2019.
My favorite track. Cool spring sunny day.
40 cars in the pits and I draw 50 out of 60 start 9th in heat, take 5, finish 7th.
Start 4th in first Bmain and finish 3rd - they take three!!

Start 25th in feature and finish 24. Passed some cars at the beginning but the car got looser at the end and lost some spots. 
Car felt great... ran heat and B flat out. 
It was a good first outing.

Rebuilding
Last season was a great reintroduction to the tracks of Central PA.
I ran the 305 exclusively in PA and got to most tracks with the PA Sprint Series schedule. I didn't get to Lincoln, Trailways or Selinsgrove. Those races were run when I was away.

My schedule took me back to Brewerton, NY to take care of my mother while my sister was at her horse shows.  In the May and June trips I took the 360 with me and Greg and I ran some Patriot and ESS shows. Then in August my best friend and crewman Greg Moteyunas died unexpectedly. We had been together for 19 seasons and for the last time at the ESS Utica Rome race. My late summer trip to NY was now to put him to rest along with my NY racing.

In the shop, over the winter, repairs of parts and pieces are being worked on along with cleaning and painting. Spares are being assembled and cars prepared. Going through the 305 car will make it ready for the first PA Sprint Series race in March.