Post by The Observer on Jun 10, 2011 11:52:43 GMT 12
Queens Birthday – Westports Best in the West
The forecast leading up to the meeting had great weather on the coast from Tues through to Friday, with rain scheduled to come in overnight on Friday, and become torrential through the weekend. Not the most auspicious start for the first time visit to Westport, but a regular visitor to Westport, and current Queens Birthday title holder and OAS member Shane Olsen told me “don’t worry mate, no matter what the weather does we’ll be running”.
We all know shaneo never tells a lie, and true to form when arriving in Westport it was raining pretty hard. We had convoyed up with The Doctor Brian Hahn in the x 17g lethal injection, Shaneo in the x Rees 1nz 41gm, owned by Kev the Rev (and for sale the rumour has it), Jayden Gerad in the 48gm of his old man Towbar Black Doug, and me in the 687gm, towed by the grunty Ford Ranger sponsored by Hahn Contracting for the weekend.
We’d left at 7pm, and rolled into Westport at 830am after a couple of stops on the way up. Picked up some supplies for the day at New World on arrival, and convinced each other that the heavy rain would cause a postponement. Rolled into the track, and cars were getting scrutineered left right and centre, with a few of the locals still waiting on the trailer, so we remained a little sceptical. Got the cars off, and through scrutineering, and had a look at the track, which funnily enough looked in really good shape on the straights, and quite thick in the corners. The bank looked lush, but I was trying hard not to focus on that too much since everyone claimed they would be encouraging me into it.
*this was the rain that made the picture blury, honest*
Got through scrutineering with a few looks. The muffler had been removed during the week, as the siderail had been bent in and crushed it at the king of the coast. It has a long pipe that bends of the motor towards the RF wheel, and then back to the rear. Phil Ridland who designed it for the car reckons they dynoed the straight pipe, the donut, and the muffler and there was little difference between the 3, with the straight pipe giving a little more HP but a lot more noise – about 94db he said, so it was good to know in an emergency we could run like a tractor.
*the coolest racecar in the pits – this car is a year old, and was built after the original production version with big tyres finally gave up the ghost. Runs a big 265 and sounds the part and loves the outside line at Westport*
Apart from the Muffler we had squared everything to within a MM of its life, and screwed the diff in the hole to see what would happen in this meeting with a slightly difference approach to set up. Also hoped to make it a little more consistant in the turn in given the heavy nature of the track this weekend, and the proximity of the bank. Turn it in, and keep it sideways was the moto, and hopefully keep it on the drive line. I must say I was most impressed with turn 3 and 4, a long turn in, heaps of banking. You threw the car in there backwards and kept up it and came out all crossed up, as it straighted pretty quickly. A lot of fun!
*some of the bikes in attendance*
*some modified sprints and TQs*
16 cars were divided into 4 groups of 4. Sunset Speedway in Westport is a Divison 2 track, and has permission to run only 10 stockcars at a time in the trial for this class. Each group was programmed to race against each other, and for some reason we were asked to pull two grid numbers - I got 7 and 2 from both, and ended up with grid 1, grid 2, and grid 8 for the 3 races, so not sure what happened there. The top 10 points scorers would then go through to a one race final for the sashes.
First time on Sunset Speedways clay/cement dust service, and on pole. Made it through the first corner and led for half the race before getting out in the wet stuff near the bank. Jason Tasker in 9gm, and current King of the Coast winner had the x Murray Greig car flying, and with a sledge out in the mud he shot up the inside, and slowed down as the inside also had quite a bit of mud. Gave a shunt and got back into the lead, then went into the muddy corner too hot again and got nervous with the bank and was passed on the inside. Came 2nd
*Some ministocks*
2nd race was off grid 2, with the previous year’s best in the west Shane Olsen in 41gm on pole. Got away in front and went amongst it ok before having a half spin in the mud somehow. There was a big hole by now in turn 1-2, and it turned out all cars had been cutting the pole line by a few car lengths, and keeping the RR on the poleline to get around the corner which had caused some trouble. Got back up to 2nd, and gave Shaneo a good shunt as we entered last lap. He bounced real high through the rut, popped the RR off, and I gave him another couple of taps down the straight before sending him wide in the last corner and taking the flag. There were a few RRs popped off in that one, must have been the 26 psi in my RR that kept my one on. The rest of the boys had dropped quite a bit to get some drive in the slush. Slowed down after the flag, but a few were still racing, and got more hits after the flag in this one than in the first race.
*some stockcars and streetstocks*
Race 3 off the back. Kept it down through the first corner and pushed a couple wide to get through a few spots. There were a few spins by others, and a couple encouraged. Managed to get through to 2nd place behind someone else in this one – did I add it was very wet, and we had been sitting in the rain for a long time for this race – a real slush fest. After the race they called the remainder of the meeting off.
We all got soaked loading up the cars, and followed 88gm Chris Baxter to a plant by the river were they had a hoist to dunk the cars to wash the mud off. Turned out that was a joke, but the big hoses they had there were unreal at cleaning the cars, and just bout tore your arm off while we were trying to direct them. Thanks to Baxter for organising this for us – that was until he had finished and taken off, and the owner turned up wondering who the hell we were, and who the hell had given us permission to wash our cars here! Thanks mate hahaha, and apologies to the fella who we mildly upset – we thought he was pretty good about it until it was bought up at the drivers briefing the next day again!
*the pit track through to scrutineering and the track, with control tower in background*
We had a room at the Melbourne Hotel ($45 a night) a warm bed, shower, and great bar with outstanding gravey and chips. We had a little crew of 10 there and threw down about 15 super jugs in the hour we were killing while deciding when to head to Gill Simpsons 21gm Garage for the stockcar after party. After no answer from the taxi service Gill and Dodgy and Bucky convoyed to pick us up for the after match – and then presented the biggest spread I’d seem in a long time. A great night was had by all except for the house across the road who called noise control. My evening was mainly sponsored as people kept putting money in my drinks –not sure what that was about, but I reckon I made about $2.30 when it finally came out and was cashed up. The food was awesome, and thanks so much for opening the house up to us all. And great to hear you’ll be back bigger than ever next year Gill, you just might want to sell a couple of the spare stockcars to get the new hotrod going.
*one of the Westport hotrods that runs out of Greymouth and is for sale – be a great first car for another westportian*
Day two was hard yakka, mainly due to Andy the worker snoring his head off in our room. The bed was comfortable and warm, just the neighbours were not the best (48gm, apparently got a little wet and wasn’t too happy about it, no idea how that happened honest). Classic Hits on the clock radio was never going to keep us up buddy, and was a decent lullaby to send us to sleep haha. Woke to pouring rain at 5am (which was good to wash the tables down eh Doc?) and when we got up at 820am to Shaneo banging on the door we were certain it would be off.
Went for Brekky down the main drag, had a great feed and a few drinks and a couple of panadol and were told to load up and get down there. Got to the track and found another semi full pits, and a sign with the 11am decision written on it. Well, at 1030 the clouds broke for the first time in the whole weekend and some sun shone. That was enough for the Westport committee who got alld rivers through scrutineering, and preformed a miracle on the track. The scraped it right back to the stoney base, and then ran the tractor with tyres around it to spread surface from the straights into the corners. The reps gave us the top 10, and I think I was near the pointy end of the points table with Jason Tasker, who hadn’t reappeared for Saturdays racing – understandable given the weather up to 10 mins before racing and the forecasts. I think there were 5 people tied on points so they did a grid draw for the top 10 final race. I pulled 8 for that, and it turned out that 8 would be what I stayed on.
We did a few laps wheel packing, and the club had done an amazing job with the surface – it was the best it had been all weekend, with the poleline in turn 1 moved right out to the bank, and 3 and 4 being as usual. Heaps of drive, smooth as, it looked and felt real good. Took off from the back at the start – well, wheel spun, as Vaughn in the big 17c tanka kept the brakes on while the inside row went through. He finally let us go, and we banged our way through the first corner where there had been a few spins. I met the infamous Mike Hansen at this meeting, and despite our posts crossing a number of times on macgors he kindly loaned me 5 tearoffs for this race, and the rest had been used up in the slush the day before. The surface was that good that I only needed one for the first lap, and then it was drivy and tacky.
Mr Hansen was spun on the first corner, and the pack drove through him, and a couple of others who went around. I was going allright, and was up to about 4th before went it a little too hot, and brushed the bank in the now narrow turn 1. Managed to keep it straight, got back on the gas to get out of it but nope, the bank didn;t want to let me go, and pulled me in to spin me out. Backed out and waited for the leaders. Mr Hansen was on the back bumper, and it was wet and muddy on the inside. The leader was 48gm, and whaddya know he went for the inside, so I made a dive on em into turn 1. He spun before i got too em, must have been looking in the mirror haha.
Next leader that came around was 85n. By this time the tank and 7g were beached in the mud on the inside of the track, and with the bank on the other side everyone was slowing to go through the hole. Which made it a good place to wait for leaders, they had nowhere to go so latch straight on the bumper. 85n tried the half spin, but held it together. He came back for another hit and spun out to the poleline, while i was sent wide into the mud. OAS shed buddy Shane Olsen had moved into the lead, so put the drive down for a bit and did the last 2 laps backing the old girl into the berm for a bit od fun, and it was really hooking up.
The winning car, only it had a junior version of the driver – Jayden, Junior Towbar in the also for sale Rees Hotrod won his first race in this car, showing how fast, and easy to drive it is. And managed to snatch the title from Shane Olsens hands in the Title race on the last corner as Shaneo slipped wide into the boggy stuff.
Gave the car to andy the worker who had a ball in the next 4 races, getting stuck in the mud twice, hitting everyone (including shaneo a beauty, the ride home was very quite haha) and smoking the clutch a heap when stuck after the last race. We pushed the car on the trailer, and then helped push shaneo on, and the 96n on who had been in the wars for the last race. Everyone still had a smile, and a great time was had by all. Definitely heading back for next queen’s birthday. Thanks everyone at Westport for a great day.
The forecast leading up to the meeting had great weather on the coast from Tues through to Friday, with rain scheduled to come in overnight on Friday, and become torrential through the weekend. Not the most auspicious start for the first time visit to Westport, but a regular visitor to Westport, and current Queens Birthday title holder and OAS member Shane Olsen told me “don’t worry mate, no matter what the weather does we’ll be running”.
We all know shaneo never tells a lie, and true to form when arriving in Westport it was raining pretty hard. We had convoyed up with The Doctor Brian Hahn in the x 17g lethal injection, Shaneo in the x Rees 1nz 41gm, owned by Kev the Rev (and for sale the rumour has it), Jayden Gerad in the 48gm of his old man Towbar Black Doug, and me in the 687gm, towed by the grunty Ford Ranger sponsored by Hahn Contracting for the weekend.
We’d left at 7pm, and rolled into Westport at 830am after a couple of stops on the way up. Picked up some supplies for the day at New World on arrival, and convinced each other that the heavy rain would cause a postponement. Rolled into the track, and cars were getting scrutineered left right and centre, with a few of the locals still waiting on the trailer, so we remained a little sceptical. Got the cars off, and through scrutineering, and had a look at the track, which funnily enough looked in really good shape on the straights, and quite thick in the corners. The bank looked lush, but I was trying hard not to focus on that too much since everyone claimed they would be encouraging me into it.
*this was the rain that made the picture blury, honest*
Got through scrutineering with a few looks. The muffler had been removed during the week, as the siderail had been bent in and crushed it at the king of the coast. It has a long pipe that bends of the motor towards the RF wheel, and then back to the rear. Phil Ridland who designed it for the car reckons they dynoed the straight pipe, the donut, and the muffler and there was little difference between the 3, with the straight pipe giving a little more HP but a lot more noise – about 94db he said, so it was good to know in an emergency we could run like a tractor.
*the coolest racecar in the pits – this car is a year old, and was built after the original production version with big tyres finally gave up the ghost. Runs a big 265 and sounds the part and loves the outside line at Westport*
Apart from the Muffler we had squared everything to within a MM of its life, and screwed the diff in the hole to see what would happen in this meeting with a slightly difference approach to set up. Also hoped to make it a little more consistant in the turn in given the heavy nature of the track this weekend, and the proximity of the bank. Turn it in, and keep it sideways was the moto, and hopefully keep it on the drive line. I must say I was most impressed with turn 3 and 4, a long turn in, heaps of banking. You threw the car in there backwards and kept up it and came out all crossed up, as it straighted pretty quickly. A lot of fun!
*some of the bikes in attendance*
*some modified sprints and TQs*
16 cars were divided into 4 groups of 4. Sunset Speedway in Westport is a Divison 2 track, and has permission to run only 10 stockcars at a time in the trial for this class. Each group was programmed to race against each other, and for some reason we were asked to pull two grid numbers - I got 7 and 2 from both, and ended up with grid 1, grid 2, and grid 8 for the 3 races, so not sure what happened there. The top 10 points scorers would then go through to a one race final for the sashes.
First time on Sunset Speedways clay/cement dust service, and on pole. Made it through the first corner and led for half the race before getting out in the wet stuff near the bank. Jason Tasker in 9gm, and current King of the Coast winner had the x Murray Greig car flying, and with a sledge out in the mud he shot up the inside, and slowed down as the inside also had quite a bit of mud. Gave a shunt and got back into the lead, then went into the muddy corner too hot again and got nervous with the bank and was passed on the inside. Came 2nd
*Some ministocks*
2nd race was off grid 2, with the previous year’s best in the west Shane Olsen in 41gm on pole. Got away in front and went amongst it ok before having a half spin in the mud somehow. There was a big hole by now in turn 1-2, and it turned out all cars had been cutting the pole line by a few car lengths, and keeping the RR on the poleline to get around the corner which had caused some trouble. Got back up to 2nd, and gave Shaneo a good shunt as we entered last lap. He bounced real high through the rut, popped the RR off, and I gave him another couple of taps down the straight before sending him wide in the last corner and taking the flag. There were a few RRs popped off in that one, must have been the 26 psi in my RR that kept my one on. The rest of the boys had dropped quite a bit to get some drive in the slush. Slowed down after the flag, but a few were still racing, and got more hits after the flag in this one than in the first race.
*some stockcars and streetstocks*
Race 3 off the back. Kept it down through the first corner and pushed a couple wide to get through a few spots. There were a few spins by others, and a couple encouraged. Managed to get through to 2nd place behind someone else in this one – did I add it was very wet, and we had been sitting in the rain for a long time for this race – a real slush fest. After the race they called the remainder of the meeting off.
We all got soaked loading up the cars, and followed 88gm Chris Baxter to a plant by the river were they had a hoist to dunk the cars to wash the mud off. Turned out that was a joke, but the big hoses they had there were unreal at cleaning the cars, and just bout tore your arm off while we were trying to direct them. Thanks to Baxter for organising this for us – that was until he had finished and taken off, and the owner turned up wondering who the hell we were, and who the hell had given us permission to wash our cars here! Thanks mate hahaha, and apologies to the fella who we mildly upset – we thought he was pretty good about it until it was bought up at the drivers briefing the next day again!
*the pit track through to scrutineering and the track, with control tower in background*
We had a room at the Melbourne Hotel ($45 a night) a warm bed, shower, and great bar with outstanding gravey and chips. We had a little crew of 10 there and threw down about 15 super jugs in the hour we were killing while deciding when to head to Gill Simpsons 21gm Garage for the stockcar after party. After no answer from the taxi service Gill and Dodgy and Bucky convoyed to pick us up for the after match – and then presented the biggest spread I’d seem in a long time. A great night was had by all except for the house across the road who called noise control. My evening was mainly sponsored as people kept putting money in my drinks –not sure what that was about, but I reckon I made about $2.30 when it finally came out and was cashed up. The food was awesome, and thanks so much for opening the house up to us all. And great to hear you’ll be back bigger than ever next year Gill, you just might want to sell a couple of the spare stockcars to get the new hotrod going.
*one of the Westport hotrods that runs out of Greymouth and is for sale – be a great first car for another westportian*
Day two was hard yakka, mainly due to Andy the worker snoring his head off in our room. The bed was comfortable and warm, just the neighbours were not the best (48gm, apparently got a little wet and wasn’t too happy about it, no idea how that happened honest). Classic Hits on the clock radio was never going to keep us up buddy, and was a decent lullaby to send us to sleep haha. Woke to pouring rain at 5am (which was good to wash the tables down eh Doc?) and when we got up at 820am to Shaneo banging on the door we were certain it would be off.
Went for Brekky down the main drag, had a great feed and a few drinks and a couple of panadol and were told to load up and get down there. Got to the track and found another semi full pits, and a sign with the 11am decision written on it. Well, at 1030 the clouds broke for the first time in the whole weekend and some sun shone. That was enough for the Westport committee who got alld rivers through scrutineering, and preformed a miracle on the track. The scraped it right back to the stoney base, and then ran the tractor with tyres around it to spread surface from the straights into the corners. The reps gave us the top 10, and I think I was near the pointy end of the points table with Jason Tasker, who hadn’t reappeared for Saturdays racing – understandable given the weather up to 10 mins before racing and the forecasts. I think there were 5 people tied on points so they did a grid draw for the top 10 final race. I pulled 8 for that, and it turned out that 8 would be what I stayed on.
We did a few laps wheel packing, and the club had done an amazing job with the surface – it was the best it had been all weekend, with the poleline in turn 1 moved right out to the bank, and 3 and 4 being as usual. Heaps of drive, smooth as, it looked and felt real good. Took off from the back at the start – well, wheel spun, as Vaughn in the big 17c tanka kept the brakes on while the inside row went through. He finally let us go, and we banged our way through the first corner where there had been a few spins. I met the infamous Mike Hansen at this meeting, and despite our posts crossing a number of times on macgors he kindly loaned me 5 tearoffs for this race, and the rest had been used up in the slush the day before. The surface was that good that I only needed one for the first lap, and then it was drivy and tacky.
Mr Hansen was spun on the first corner, and the pack drove through him, and a couple of others who went around. I was going allright, and was up to about 4th before went it a little too hot, and brushed the bank in the now narrow turn 1. Managed to keep it straight, got back on the gas to get out of it but nope, the bank didn;t want to let me go, and pulled me in to spin me out. Backed out and waited for the leaders. Mr Hansen was on the back bumper, and it was wet and muddy on the inside. The leader was 48gm, and whaddya know he went for the inside, so I made a dive on em into turn 1. He spun before i got too em, must have been looking in the mirror haha.
Next leader that came around was 85n. By this time the tank and 7g were beached in the mud on the inside of the track, and with the bank on the other side everyone was slowing to go through the hole. Which made it a good place to wait for leaders, they had nowhere to go so latch straight on the bumper. 85n tried the half spin, but held it together. He came back for another hit and spun out to the poleline, while i was sent wide into the mud. OAS shed buddy Shane Olsen had moved into the lead, so put the drive down for a bit and did the last 2 laps backing the old girl into the berm for a bit od fun, and it was really hooking up.
The winning car, only it had a junior version of the driver – Jayden, Junior Towbar in the also for sale Rees Hotrod won his first race in this car, showing how fast, and easy to drive it is. And managed to snatch the title from Shane Olsens hands in the Title race on the last corner as Shaneo slipped wide into the boggy stuff.
Gave the car to andy the worker who had a ball in the next 4 races, getting stuck in the mud twice, hitting everyone (including shaneo a beauty, the ride home was very quite haha) and smoking the clutch a heap when stuck after the last race. We pushed the car on the trailer, and then helped push shaneo on, and the 96n on who had been in the wars for the last race. Everyone still had a smile, and a great time was had by all. Definitely heading back for next queen’s birthday. Thanks everyone at Westport for a great day.
