First I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!
Pinks at Firebird Raceway was an adventure this year. Hollywood could not go due to family health issues, so Diego had to make the trip solo. I had gotten an E-mail from the Pinks website that noted registration would be on Thursday not Friday, so I had to call in sick as we are on mandatory overtime and all annual leave requests were being denied. I left Diego Town Wednesday after work. Not more then 10 miles from home I had a blowout on one of my almost new Carlisle trailer tires, on the freeway side of the trailer. I changed to the spare on the side of the road avoiding the death run of mad semi drivers. I called my wife and she located the nearest Discount Tire store and luckily they had a tire. Two hours later and a carne asada burrito and I was back on the road.
Getting to Chandler was no easy feet and I had to weave in and out of many rurel communities without a GPS and trying to read my Mapquest instructions, which seemed like they were written in Greek.
I made it to the track and waited for 4 hours for them to open the registration tent. I got my credentials and headed to the pit area. I was pitted near the front and started to unload when the word came that they were not going to tech until Friday! WTH, So I locked the trailer and headed to the hotel for some shuteye. I got up early Friday and headed to the track. A bunch of my childhood friends had come in for the race and met me at the track and helped me set up.
I headed to the tech line, which was moving at a swift pace. I met member Duster7695 and chatted a bit, I was called to the front of the line and met the tech guy from hell. He put me through the ringer for a good half hour before releasing me so I could finish tech.
La Putita’s first run went well she ran a best of 9.78 @ 137.48. My second pass did not go as well, I did my burnout and staged, when I let go of the transbrake I was looking at the tree and had to get out of it, there must have been something on the track and I was done for the day. The next day my first run I got on a cold track and the car slowed a bit. They had just called my number for the last run of the day when the Pinks interview team cornered me, they asked me to give them a lively interview, which I did!! I jumped back in Putita and headed for the staging lanes. I did my burnout and staged. The car pulled a little to the left but I reeled her into the grove and was rewarded with bests all the way around. My 1/8 mile time was 6.15 @ 112, my ¼ mile time was 9.66 @ 139.76. I didn’t get picked for the finals but met a bunch of great members, I spent a lot of quality time with my childhood friends at the racetrack, who could ask for anything more.
Diego
