Pittsburgh Nationals at Pittsburgh Raceway Park: A Tough Track To Tame

The AllStar Rug Doctor Dodge Challenger returned to Pittsburgh Raceway Park on 1 August attending the IHRA’s Pittsburgh Nationals Nitro Jam.  As predicted in our most recent press release, the path to winners circle wasn’t easy but we had no idea it would be this tough.

The resultant was the team’s first failure to qualify.  Disappointing and frustrating to say the least.  It’s possible that the early afternoon rain shower “washed the track” or that the track’s surface was really “green” and new as a good portion of it was replaced in June due to fallout from an unusually cold and freezing winter….but there’s no excuse.  It’s in the racer’s blood to adjust to these conditions. It was clear early in the qualifying rounds that this weekend was not going to be a record breaker for anyone.

During the first round, only a few of the dozen teams we able to make a full pass with most, including us, losing the handle on the track.  Our Q1 time was a dismal 6.35 sec putting us in last place. Between the 330 ft mark and half track I lost traction. The rear of car slid out to the point where the side of the car was visible from the starting line causing me to lift and coast to the finish line.  A highly unusual occurrence for us at that point on the track…one that could only be addressed with tuning adjustments.

The left lane appeared to be a problem for everyone while those in the right lane were posting the best qualifying times offering a bit of optimism as all drivers alternate lanes for the second round giving us the “good” right lane for our second and final attempt.  More good news… with the shorter 1000 ft run and loosing traction, we didn’t harm the motor during the pass.

Back in the pits, lots of good discussions about what adjustments were to be made: reduce power from the motor, a softer clutch, adjust tire pressures???  Our traditional clutch set up favored a “green” track and our goal for Q2 was to simply make a full pass under full power.  After consideration of all options our decision was to only make a timing adjustment reducing horsepower with intent to not overpower the track.  The bump spot after the first round was set at 5.7 seconds.

Any slower than that in Q2 and our weekend was over.  We were the second pair to the line in Q2. The first pair seemed to have made the right adjustments and was able to make a full pass with only minor pedaling.  Our start-up and burnout were normal.  Time for us to show ‘em what we got.   The car launched without an issue and it seemed we were on our way to a good pass.   At just about half track, I heard the engine rev up indicating loss of traction from the rear tires so I had to get off and back on the throttle to settle the car.  That was all she wrote.  The 5.8 sec, 148 mph pass was not good enough to get us into the show.

In the business of racing there are many things that can work against you and prevent you from having a good day.  Whether its mechanical, the weather, track conditions, tuning decisions or simply human error, the racer does his/her best to conquer those variables but in due time even the most seasoned teams fall victim to this type of unfavorable outcome.   Each event and each pass is a learning experience.  This team is now more experienced, resourceful and resilient. We will return and be ready again for the next race; the season finals in October in Memphis, Tennessee.   We will see you there

Now more than ever, I want to thank our sponsors for hanging in there with us this season. Special thanks to: AllStar Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram,  Rug Doctor, AMT Racing Engines, HotShots Bar and Grill, Vital Signs, Kodiak Equipment, Vinyl Images, Pickup Outfitters, Reese Kittle,  Josies Angels, and David Zientara Racecraft!  Thanks to my regular crew: Mark Hutchison, Curt Meyerhoff, and Jay Broad who continue to help make this happen.