Free Autox at Heartland Park, site of SCCA Solo2 Championshi

Dale Seeley

I am the organizer of an event coming up at Heartland Park in Topeka July 19-22. In the 22nd, we are having an autox, course design by Scottie B. White, with the SCCA ruleset adopted by our private event.

The autox will be on the new championship surface that will be the site of the Solo2 Nationals later this year.

I would like to invite three F125 Karts to the event to drive in an exhibition class.

The SRT Nationals is designed to introduce people to motosports activities that they might not have considered. I'd like to make Karting a part of that since my motorsports program has been nearly completely converted to my son's Karting program.

If you would like to participate in the event, with no registration or entry fee, please let me know by email Dale At-Sign Seeley.com

This event is as much of a spectator event as it is a participation event, I'd like people to see what the shifter kart can do.

Regards,
Dale Seeley

Alan Sheidler · Joined: 09 Aug 2001 Posts: 471

An excellent offer, Dale!

I've taken the liberty of cross-posting this on the F125 Yahoo list, where a lot of the SCCA Autocrossers hang out.

Alan Sheidler
F125 #21

Ryan D Thompson · Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 6:39 pm Post subject:

Dale,
I just sent you a PM about the event.

Bob Monday · Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 91

Sounds like fun. I've sent Dale an email offering to attend. I'm not sure what the SRT connection is, but as a long-time Neon guy... expenses are considered payback to Chrysler Corp.

Bob Monday

Dale Seeley · Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2006 4:25 am Post subject:

Thanks for the support, it means a lot to me that we can put together a really fast exhibition class that can also be considered affordable (compared to A-Mod) and will really appeal to the people there.

Bob, the SRT connection is simple. Like yourself, I am a Neon racer, now I am an SRT-4 Neon racer, and hosting this event is an opportunity to add some value to my program for the SRT folks.

The purpose of the event is to expose SRT owners (primarily, it has evolved into a fuel-injected mopar nationals) to multiple forms of motorsports that they can participate in with the vehicle they currently own.

The HPDE event is a good example, we have several instructors volunteering that I am sure you know form your own exploits. Drag racing is an obvious event to have, it's incredibly popular, now it's accessable in a non-threatening environment.

The autocross is probably the most important part of the event to me (except for the banquet, I'll be hungry by then) because it really is a drivers event on the cheap at a local level.

I asked for 3 F125 Karts, I've done that in hopes of getting 5-7, enough for a nice small class that will expose people to the karts. I would bring my 7 yr old son in his Cadet 80 to race you, but the logistics just aren't working out for that.

Please visit the event website at http://srtnationals.org

Dale Seeley · Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 4:07 am Post subject:

There is still room for more Karters who would like the opportunity to practice on the National Championships surface.

Support your sport, promote your business, get an advantage over the competition... your motivation is up to you, let's put on a good show.

Dale

Dale Seeley · Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2006 4:06 pm Post subject:

Bumping the thread, free practice time on the Solo2 Nationals course....

Bob Monday · Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 91

We have two karts coming from the Indpls area. One is an ICC, the other is my CR125. Both are GP6 chassis, both experienced autocrossers and Great Lakes Region Superkarts! USA W2W racers.

I thought we had a 3rd guy, but he RSVP'd regrets yesterday.

Any others?

Bob Monday

Bob Monday · Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 91

For those who thought about going, and didn't, you missed a GREAT weekend of fun and comraderie. Dale did a great job with the event planning, and with the unplanned stuff too. The 6am thunderstorm/windstorm did a LOT of damage to canopies in the Pro paddock! Didn't Roger "The Famous" Johnson tell them about Topeka weather?

Several of us here in Indy had been trying to run our karts down the drag strip at Indpls Raceway Park (OK, O'Riley Raceway Park or whatever!) for quite some time, but NHRA doesn't like karts. Period. Motorcycles, OK. SNOWMOBILES, OK!! Karts: bad. Unless you want to run the whole 2.5 mile road circuit that INCLUDES THE ENTIRE DRAG STRIP! Go figure.

A couple of the other GLSKUSA folks strongly considered joining us, but in the end, it was just my two karts and two of my sons (David, Matthew) that made the trip from Indy with me.

Folks have argued in these Forums about how fast karts should be in the quarter-mile, but this is what we got out of both of ours:

60' in 1.5 seconds
1/8 mile in 8.1 seconds at 79+ mph
1/4 mile in 15.3 seconds at 91.6 mph trap speed.

The karts were a GP6 with JMR Honda and my 2001 MBA with "built" TM Moto.

We started out at 14.7 seconds and about 85 mph using 18/23 gearing, so improved via some changes between runs. I'd have been interested to see what increasing the gear ratio (higher numerically) even more than we did would have done... faster or slower ET? I know that decreasing the ratio (lower numerically) was slower, but we were just topping out at 1/4 mile with our final selection for the 3rd run using 18/26 gearing.

For comparision, the Darrell Cox/Mike Crawford 1400hp SRT4 alcohol/nitrous oxide Neon (180mph, 8 seconds) gets to 60' in 1.3 seconds. (More info at

http://srt-4racing.com/

I offered to change my axle gear and race them heads-up... for 60'.

The entire SRT crowd were a GREAT bunch of guys/gals! The spectators LOVED watching the karts on both the strip and autocross. Folks would line up with video and still cameras at the autocross, and do the "thumbs up" and cheer when times were announced. You could see them hurry to the stands when we lined up at the drag strip. It was a really great weekend of fun! I was really surprised, though, that folks who were as "into" motorsports as these folks were had NO IDEA about the shifter karting scene. Dale knew about WKA due to his 5-year-old son's involvement in it, of course.

I'll try to update the above with full statistics tonight (other than RT, which was UGLY!) for those who are interested.

Now if I can just achieve my other lifetime goal: running the greenways through the Plainfield Indiana Parks system some night without having my kart confiscated! I need to remember to cover the "51j"...

Bob

Dale Seeley · Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 10:37 am Post subject:

Thanks Bob and sons for all of your help with the autox. I didn't plan to drop that much responsibility on you, but when Mark wasn't able to attend (family) you guys stepped up and made it happen.

You have a typo in your timeslips, I believe it was a 13.5 second pass that your son beat you with at the end of the night...

Track management and the crew were not all that enthusiastic about having the karts on the dragstrip, but it's nice when the participants are in control. You passed safety tech, you get to make passes, even though you kept crossing the white line.... Razz

You and the boys are ambassadors for the sport of karting. You answered questions all day, both days, and provided a very positive image. I'm very happy to learn you enjoyed yourself, and I look forward to seeing you again.

Watch for Simon Sikes (#22 Novice) and Jesse Seeley (#25 Expert) in the results at the Kid Kart Nationals this weekend at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri.

Regards,
Dale

Bob Monday · Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 91

David had a 13.335 ET for his last run, and I had a 13.380. Unfortunately, he was .219 slower off the line than I was, so I got to the lights first! <G>

The TM engine on his kart, which is not nearly as well maintained as my CR125, must be making some good torque! He was faster in 60', 1/8 mile, mid-track mph... but not final MPH. Mine apparently came on a bit stronger at the top-end, which is not surprising.

It was a great experience for us both. Keep us informed here about how your son is doing in WKA.

Bob