01/21/2025
Ok well here's the full race report from the RC Chili Bowl! When we got there Monday, it was a little easier than I thought to get both cars through tech. Had to fix a couple issues in each car, but nothing major. Monday afternoon, I hit the track for practice, first with the street stock. My first thought was that it was going to be a long week! I struggle a little bit at Commiskey seeing my cars because of my cataracts, but it's not too bad there. But the Chili Bowl track is a lot bigger, and the drivers stand is farther away, and especially when the car was on the backstretch, all I could see was a black blob🤣 I could see the b mod a little better, but wasn't sure if that was because it's bigger, or because it's white. In the seeding round on Tuesday I still struggled and seeded near the bottom. So for the first heat Wednesday morning, I switched to my white and red body for the street stock. It didn't help, and was actually worse, because now it looked like several of the other cars! Besides not being able to see it very good, the car was terrible. All week it had no grip at all. I finished 8th in the first heat on Wednesday, 7th in the second heat on Thursday, and 8th in the final heat on Friday so I was close to the bottom of the heap. I was getting ready to race my main on Friday night expecting to be terrible and be finished with that class when I got a text from Jason Basham who was watching online and could tell I was on The struggle bus. 🤣 He offered his help to get the car better, and I sent him pictures of the car, and he gave me advice on several changes to make. I was willing to try anything, so I did exactly what he said, and when I went out for the main the car was amazing! I was able to make clean laps for the first time all week and before that race I couldn't get in the car under eight seconds. During that race I was turning consistent mid 7s! I was able to pull off the win and transfer to the next main on Saturday. I couldn't get to the top two to move on after that one but I did make it from starting last up to 5th so what started out rough ended up being a decent run. Thanks Jason! 👍 Now the B Mod... I totally guessed on the setup at home, and when I first set that car down, it was on a rail! I literally never touched a spring adjuster the whole week, and I would say that was probably the best car I've ever taken to the track! I finished 3rd on Wednesday, and 3rd again on Thursday. Still going into the last heat on Friday I was tied for 6th overall. I knew if I could have a solid run, I would make the a main. I went into that heat more nervous than I've ever been at an RC track, and unfortunately made a few costly mistakes. I finished 6th (I think) and missed the transfer. I ran the b main and finished 5th, but unfortunately only the top 2 transfer, so my Chili Bowl came to an end. That one was a little harder to swallow because my car was SO good! I feel like I had at least an a main car, and most likely a top 3-5 car, and I didn't get it done. But I still had a great week, and overall I'm happy with the result. Now to get my cataract surgery next month so I can actually see again, then hopefully have the opportunity to go back and give it another shot! Until then, back to the local tracks! 🏁
