What a weekend it was!

The third event of the 2006 season was definately the most interesting of any race we've ever run. We were making our first appearance at St. Thomas Dragway in probably 15 years and couldn't wait to get there to feel that park like atmosphere. And based on the performance of the last race, we had alot of work to do.

We rolled into the track around 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning and found a really good spot to pit in, at the eighth mile marker, not too far from the track itself. Lot's of trees to provide shade as the weekend weather was calling for very HOT AND HUMID conditions.

We found the OSCA booth just under the grandstands, next to the tower and paid for our tech card. Got the car unloaded and began to prepare for our first time trial pass.

Somehow, we needed to find horsepower - or figure out what happend to the horsepower we had..... Between races, I jetted the carb up a bit and figured that might help. Well, our first pass came and went with a 12.127 @ 111.90 which won't cut it for sure.

All morning, pass after pass, with jet changes (both up and down), shooter changes (both up and down), the car ranged from the low 12 teens to 12.30's - AND THAT'S RUNNING IT OUT THE BACK DOOR!!! Some of the passes the car reached some pretty HIGH temps - 200 - 220, which contributed to my fears of issues with the motor.

Then, after the first qaulifier, we decided to pull a few plugs to check them. Each one pulled had a greyish film all the way around it's threads - but the actual plug looked ok. For a little while, I started to think that I had head gasket issues, with the car running real HOT and the plugs threads looking a little wierd. We decided to head over to the little performance shop down the road to get some fresh plugs and see if we can start from scratch trying to figure out what the motor was doing.

We did that and re-installed a fresh set of plugs. Went out for the second qualifier and ran a pitiful 12.226 @ 111.40 - but believe me, this was our turning point. We pulled a plug after that pass and were amazed to see that the plug looked like it had never been used!! It looked like it just came out of the box, all the aluminum shiny and the porcelain pure white. That was the clue we needed - it started to make sense - the motor was starving for fuel.

Now we had something to go on, we upped the jet sizes once again and made our last qualifier and the car picked up a little - still not enough to get us where we wanted to be. After qualifying was done, St. Thomas staff opened up the lanes for time trials and let all OSCA competitors time trial for free - boy did we take advantage of that. We bumped the jetting up a couple of sizes each pass, adjusting the pump shots as well and finally got the car to run a 12.075 @ 111.95. Better, but again, not good enough. By that time, it was fairly late and the track was shutting down for the night. Given that there were going to be NO time trials on Sunday, we would have to hope for the best. They say tommorow's another day.....

And boy were they right!! Because the car kept picking up, little by little, I decided we were going to jet it up another two sizes both front and back and also, bump the timing up 2 degrees - I figured, I had nothing to lose...we were cannon fodder for thes guy's in 11.90 the way the car was running so what's there to lose?

First round eliminations came and we lined up against Art Niel in his wicked looking nitrous small block Camaro. Art is one of the amazing racers / friends that always offered help when we were trying to figure out what was going wrong. We both left the line, with me getting the jump on Art. Through the gears down track I kept looking over at him wondering when he was going to come on like a freight train and catch me - when I realized he wasn't, I thought ...either I'm running good, or he's running not so good.... in either case, as we approached the finish line, I figured it would be smart cross it by just enough to make sure I got their first, so I lifted. Then we came down the return road and picked up our time slips.... I figured I got him, but boy was I shocked when I saw the ticket. Art ran 11.9086 @ 113.65 and I ran 11.9061 @ 112.80!!! My had started shaking cause I didn't believe the car ran that good!!! I was elated, but I also felt for Art...what are the chances that you run right on the number and still lose the race? Art was very gracious in defeat and congratulated me. I guess I found the combo again!!!

Second round eliminations saw as lined up against Lorne Olling in his small block chevy Firebird. We both left and once again I had the advantage of the start. It was enough of an advantage to allow me to slow down at the top end and take the win with a 12.0262 @ 111.03 to Lorne's quicker 11.9799 @ 11084.

Third round, I was up against Randy Brenham and is Belvedere wagon. This guy is a tough competitor who was struggling to run the number, much like I was all day Saturday. Again, we left and this time, Randy had the slight advantage out of the bucket. I managed to real him in - by half track I was out in front by a good half car length and took the stripe slowing down to an 11.9707 @ 107.93 to his 12.0471 @ 110.82.

I made it to the final round!! I haven't been in this position in over a year and boy was I thrilled. I would be up against Tony Sloot and his small block 66 Chev pick up. This pick up truck is quick! This think leaves like a slingshot - I don't know how he does it, but I've got my work cut out for me. We line up and the tree comes down. We both leave and sure enough, he's out on me by a good car and a half right from the git go. I'm keeping pace with him all the way down track, and gaining slowly, but I realize that I'm not going to catch him - so I run it out the back door and when we come down the return road and I get my time slip....I GOT THE WIN!! Tony ended up breaking out with an 11.8718 slowing down to 108.46 and I ran an 11.9150 @ 113.65. A good race and a great result!!

I think we'll be a little more prepared for the next race TMP.....

Well, the struggles continue.

The second event of 2006 at TMP was held under very hot and humid conditions. As we struggled to qualify with an 11.96, which placed us 7th overall, there seemed to be no end to the tuneups we tried. All to no avail, Sunday's eliminations came around and on the trailer we went. The best we could muster was a 12.18!!

Lance Bisson and his Ford put us on the trailer in a race that we had a chance to win, only if the car was running the way it should have.

Round number 3 coming up - St. Thomas will host their first OSCA event in many years. In the mean time, we will try to find that elusive tune up that will allow us to be competitive.

The very first OSCA race at Grand Bend Motorplex was a resounding success, at least it was for the SERIES!! .

The weather was very co-operative, with cool temps and windy conditions, but dry and sunny all weekend long.

After a long winter and many moments on the message boards getting pumped for the event, it came and went and was all it was hoped it would be.

There were two parts to our weekend. A very successful qualifying day on Saturday with a number 2 spot thanks to a lifting 11.912 et. On Sunday, we arrived at the track and didn't get a chance for a time trial pass due to track clean up. We got paired up for first round eliminations with Randy Nunn in his very clean 67 Firebird. Randy put us on the trailer with a very impressive .016 light.

Round number 2 coming up - Canada Day weekend at Toronto Motorsports Park. We'll be there.

Fans of the OSCA got a surprise recently as the sanctioning bodies website / message board has been revamped.

The new look really captures the essence of the street legal drag racing scene in southern Ontario. Just plain Wicked.

See for yourself, take a tour of their new online home at www.raceosca.com

Well, what a year we had - not quite how we planned it, but it was lots of fun none the less!

Throughout this years season we were fighting transmission / convertor issues that kept us from being competitive. Only in the last race of the year did the car come back around with performances that you could call competitive.

A big thank you goes out to Andy and Pat at Straight Line Racing in Scarborough for their help and support all year.

We would like to congratulate our good friend and fellow racer Dave Abbott who wheeled is immaculate Challenger to a points championship in the 11.90 index class this year - way to go Dave, you deserve every momoent of your victory.

The car is officially away for the winter with no plans to do any thing major in the spring - just some maintenance. After a full year of struggeling, hopefully we can learn how to drive the thing again - can't wait.

That's right, race # 1 of the 2005 OSCA season is finished and although it was a fantastic event, with lots of racing action and a fun and freindly atmosphere, it didn't turn out the way we would have liked it too - that's for sure.

It seems we have some gremlins that have to be caught (and I don't mean the AMC kind!!). We really struggled all weekend long and the results showed as we ended up qualifying 15th with a 12.09 and went out first round.

We will be working diligently to try and figure out what the issue is and prepare for the July race.

Congratulations to our good friend Glen Tovey who took the win at the first event.

The OSCA is adding another class to its already popular index program!

The new class will be geared towards entry level racers and will compete on a 13.90 index. There are already several confirmed racers ready to go in what is sure to be another huge success!

The Canadian Fastest Street Car Shootout for 2005 will move from the Grand Bend Motorplex where it has been for the last two years, and be held at Toronto Motorsports Park. The race will be held July 15 - 17, 2005. Come on out, you won't want to miss this!!

The OSCA finals were awsome, with 22 cars in the 11.90 class, the battle would be tough, but we managed to pull off a late season charge and take the victory in the class culminating in an un-official third place finish in the overall points battle for 2004!

Saturday mornings cold downpour left the track and the pit area under 4 to 6 inches of water in some spots. It didn't look good for any qualifying action. Around 2:30 p.m. or so, we could see a clearing in the distance that was expanding as time went. Finally, the overcast skies cleared and we had fantastic blue skies with tempratures at least 10 degrees above what they were in the morning.

The crew at TMP worked feverishly to prepare the track so that we might be able to get at least a single qualifying round in. The call to the lanes came around 3:30 p.m. and we got ready to go.

Saturday's qualifying would see us get two runs, not one, and the first one would be the keeper, with a 11.938 @ 110.77 mph. Our second attempt was a wasted effort as we hit a greasy patch of race track and got seriously sideway's lifting off the throttle.. - I'm not about to chance spanking the wall with this car!

The weather on Sunday was spectacular and all OSCA competitors were given a single time trial run to gauge what they had that day. We ran a strong 11.85, which told us we had more than enough, but with all that tough competition, it certainly wouldn't be easy.

First round would see us go up against Paul Kirk in his beautiful Mustang. First round is always the toughest, no one wants to go out that early. We lined up and, it was the toughest race of the day. By the time it was over, Paul ran a hair under (11.894) and I went 11.916 to move on to the next round.

Round #2 would see me run against Don Delorenzo and his stunning black 57 Chevy Bel Air. We took the win with an 11.954 to Don's 12.059.

Round #3 pitted us against the #1 points leader in the class Glen Tovey. Glen and I have had some great races over the last few years and this one was no exception. We managed to edge him out with an 11.966 to his 11.977.

Round 4 gave us a bye and we took the opportunity to run the car out the back door again. We ran 11.854.

The final round saw us go up against another racer we have seen many times before. Howard Cox and his killer Mustang took us out in the September race and we definitely owed him one. Well, it was a great race, with us taking the win light running an 11.946 to Howards 11.917, courtesy of a .008 holeshot!

We'll see everyone at the banquet, to be held on November 26th.

A total of 21 "Real Street" 11.90 index cars were on hand to compete in the 4th OSCA race of the season and the battle was awsome, right from the first round of qualifying.

All day long, we were all over the map with our E.T. and of the three qualifying sessions, we were either to quick or slower than we had hoped. When all was said and done, we had to do with an 11.973 to take the 12th spot. The struggles continue.

Sunday's first round match up was to be a non-event as our opponent could not make the call to the lanes due to breakage. You bet, we'll take the bye - they don't come that often lately. Second round saw us paired up with the number 1 qualifier, Bill McDonell and his 1995 Camaro. As we staged the car and brought up the RPM just before launch, Bill broke the beams early and his red light gave us an easy win. Third round put us up against Bryon Terveld and his 1983 Olds Cutlass. Bryon is a great racer and we've had a few really good match ups in the past. This one certainly had the potential to be a great race, if only I had woken up from my nap at the line! My worst reaction time in eliminations all year forced me to play catch up and although I caught him and stayed in front, when all was said and done, I broke out with an 11.887 to his 11.951 and our day was done.

October's race is only two weeks away, the last race of the season and it promises to be as wild as each of the first four. See you at the track.

A fantastic weekend filled with great racing action and equally spectacular weather culminated in a less than perfect result. Saturday's qualifying saw 21 cars in our class hit the staging lanes for what would prove to be a real dogfight to see who could take the #1 spot for Sunday's battle. Although we gave it our best, we couldn't find the right combination that would allow us to get close enough to the index to make a dent. Of the three qualifiers, the best we could muster was an 11.971 which put us right smack in the middle of the pack in the position #9. Not what we would have liked, but not at the bottom either.

Sunday's eliminations were tough on all cars, drivers and crew. A single time trial run was given to all racers and we took advantage of that by clicking off a very respectable 11.909 at 112.35. Where was that yesterday!! was all that I could think afterwards. First round would see us go up against a new comer and it would be a real close one. We got the jump right out of the bucket with a .018 light and kept ahead of our opponent all the way down track lifting just before the finsh line. We both broke out big time, with the result being that we took the win with an 11.784 to an 11.713. That result was great and although we were too quick, the car had it's best E.T. to date! Next race would be very similar but with a different result. Fellow competitor Howard Cox in his very quick Mustang would take the win with another double breakout run, this time his 11.843 to our 11.839 would be enough to put us on the trailer and our day of racing was over.

Looking forward to the September event and a better finish.

We'll start by recapping the second OSCA event, here's a quick synopsis;

• The first race in June saw an increased car count, but this one was wicked.... 23 cars competing in the 11.90 index class alone.
• We qualified number 6.
• Made it to the second round, where we had fuel pump problems and got beat to the end by good friend and great driver Glenn Tovey...... AGAIN!!! Those Holly Blue pumps will kill you!!

The Canadian Fastest Street Car Shooutout was spectacular in every way imaginable, fantastic venue, awsome hosts in Chris and Trish Biro, wild racers in every class represented from both the U.S. and Canada, a wicked pig roast on Saturday night, an excellent Sunday morning service by Mark Walter, lots of close racing and it was all topped off with a runner up finish in our class!!

Here are the highlights:

• Qualified 8th in a 10 car field with a 12.06
• First round win against Steve Large and his awsome Mustang
• Second round win against Steve Douglas and his equally awsome Mustang
• Third round win against Glen Tovey and his wickedly clean Chevelle
• Final round loss to Brad Redford, driving his brothers Malibu..... what a drag race!! We broke out by 2 thousands of a second and ran 11.998 handing the win to Brad who earned every bit of it. Congrats buddy, your the 2004 CFSCS champ! - I owe you one....

The next race is August 21 & 22 and although I would really love to be there, we may not be able to make it due to some family commitments. We will try, but right now, it doesn't look good.

A huge car count generally and our class had a bunch of new comers which is great! The more the merrier.... Mark Walter, the NSCA chaplain came up from Georgia to race in our class and put on a great show, way to go Mark!! Chris Biro, editor of the RPM NSCA StreetShootout Magazine was on hand to do some impromptu announcing and what a great show he put on for the fans!! Chris, I was just waiting to hear "SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY..... BE THERE" - oh well, maybe next time..

Here's a rundown of the results for all classes:

8.90 Xtreme Street

• Winner - Rob Copetti - 2000 Firebird
• Runner Up - Kirk Williams - 66 Nova

• Winner - Chris Lozon - 88 Mustang
• Runner Up - Jeff Lyell - 76 Corvette

• Winner - Brian Prior - 84 Camaro
• Runner Up - Mario Vezina - 78 Trans Am

• Winner - Howard Cox - 85 Mustang
• Runner Up - John McIntyre Jr - 67 Chevelle

• Winner - Dave Jones - 96 Camaro
• Runner Up - Tony Sloot - 66 Chev Truck

• Winner - Bill Richarson - 89 Mustang
• Runner Up - Steven Toth - 89 Mustang

• Winner - Rocco Cerullo - 89 Mustang
• Runner Up - Steve Falle - 90 Mustang

• Winner - Sandra Grella - 79 Mustang
• Runner Up - Joe Carano - 86 Mustang

• Winner - Eddie Timal - 74 GTO
• Runner Up - Darren Wassink - 98 Mustang

• Winner - Larry Sinke - Chevy II
• Runner Up - Terry Brown - Challenger

July 3 & 4 is the next race, we'll try to make up for it then.

Just to get the juices flowing... here is a shot of the car from the July event last year, after Saturday qualifying and first round eliminations was done.

This year will definately be a challenge, with all the new cars coming out. We're looking forward to all the fun and meeting new people!

See you at the track.

From the St. Thomas Dragway website:

After 41 years with NHRA sanctioning, St. Thomas Dragway, Canada’s first purpose built dragstrip, today announced that they are switching to IHRA sanctioning. Dragway President, Dave Mathers, stated that “it was a very tough decision to make. But with IHRA offering the Summit Super Series it was a natural decision for our racers. In 2002 one of our racers, Les Belle of Springfield became NHRA Super Pro World Champion at Pomona winning $10,500 for his efforts. In 2003 Steve Doornbosch of Forest was the IHRA Summit No-box World Champion and won more than $100,000. Under the superb leadership of Bill Bader, IHRA has really focussed on the grass-roots racer. Bill has put together an outstanding team to further develop the Sportsman racing segment of the sport”. The new sanction will allow the track’s racers to compete for the 2004 Summit Super Series, compete at the Summit Team Finals in Norwalk, Ohio and earn additional Summit contingency money at all of the track’s bracket races.

As well, a special race, the ‘Iron Man Classic’, has been added to the schedule on October 10 allowing the overall winner to pick up a coveted IHRA Iron Man trophy.

St. Thomas Dragway operates each weekend from the first of April to the end of October with over 100 events featuring bracket racing , Sports Compact Racing, club racing, Street Legal racing, ‘Run What Ya Brung’ and special events.

We would like to take this time to wish lots of health, happiness, prosperity and success to all our family, friends, and fellow racers along with their families and crews for 2004 and beyond! The spring will soon be here, so get ready, cause it's gonna be AWSOME!

Haven't started doing anything to the car yet as it's too freakin cold in my garage to do anything. Mind you, we don't need to do much since we'll be going to run in the same class for 2004, defending our 2003 championship. Winters here, so hunker down and get ready for the spring, cause it'll be here before we know it!

I've also updated the race schedule & upcoming events for 2004... only two events are set as of yet as the OSCA don't have their schedule finalized at the moment.

Stay tuned for more.....

Hey.... I got lots of other stuff to do too!!

The OSCA year end banquet is being held on Saturday November the 15th, 2003 at Il Cavaliere Banquet Hall. For more information and to purchase tickets, get a hold of Mike Bennet of the OSCA - you can reach him through the OSCA website which you will find a link to in the right side menu bar at the very top. It should be a great time and we're looking forward to it.

Well, Saturday's action was a tension filled affair with both Glen Tovey and Bob Lemay breathing down my neck for the overall points lead. We all got by the first round of action and the tension mounted. My second round of eliminations would see me go up against last years class champion, Gary Quill and we also happened to be the first two cars to run that round. A mental mistake cost me the race as I hit the binders top end to avoid braking out, but I hit em a little too hard. On my way back to the pits, I had really thought that my lead in the points would vanish before the day was out and I'd have to wait until next year to try again.

Well, to my amazement and total shock, my crew man Greg, informed me that both Glen and Bob had lost their respecitve races as well which meant that I had clinched the championship! I couldn't believe it but it worked out that way and although I would have liked to clinch it by winning the event, we accomplished what we set out to do at the beginning of the year and that was win the championship.

A huge thanks goes out to the following folks;

Qualifying went very well as we pulled off a 12.013 to take second spot on the qualifying ladder.

Looking forward to Saturday's action with tremendous anticipation.

If you have or know of a cruise in Southern Ontario that you would like to see listed here, send me an email with the cruise location, night of week, organizer name and/or phone number and I'll include it.

I live in Aurora Ontario which is a small town just to the north of Toronto. Here's a little bit of information about the site to help you through it.