10/12/08
2008 Season ends with a thud for Winland Racing....
I replaced the heads on my Chevy 350 in preperation for Petaluma due to catostrophic damage from Altamont. After starting 10th, I managed to get up to the top 3 when around lap 50 my lf wheel studs broke causing the car to become disabled between turn 3 & 4. My passenger Fred and I got the best seat in the house to watch the next 150 laps of racing action buzz past us which created some unique video.
Not the way I wanted to end 2008, but thats racing!
Enjoy some in car video and some footage from turn 3 & 4, lots of good side by side action.
10/6/08
Race Report
Big Dog #3, Altamont. Started the afternoon with the 15 lap Figure 8 race. Ended up 5th out of 8 cars and provided some excitement with some close calls in the X.
Then ran 75 Laps on the road course finishing in the top 5 at intermission. Changed radiator due to carnage from the first half. Then went out for the second 75 lap segment going the opposite direction on the 1/4 mile oval. Car sputtered and never got up to speed with the oil pressure fluctuating in the turns. Ending up coasting the car around to finish 11th with 132 laps.
After race diagnostics: 1 broken valve, 1 broken stud, 1 broken rocker.
Currently installing new set of heads to compete in the annual Petaluma Crash Nationals on 10/11/08.
Enjoy some video!
9/30/08
Been working on the car the last few weeks for the busiest month of the season. Work included mounting a new bumper, installing a seat and repairing my bashed in front end.
Next up, Big Dog #3 @ Altamont on 10/4 for 200 laps, then Petaluma on 10/11 for 200 laps. The season will then conclude on 10/25 @ Madera. Go to www.westcoastenduro.org for links to these tracks and additional information.
Robbie from MR. FREEZE Refrigeration will be my passenger @ Altamont and one of my crew, Mathew will ride along in Petaluma. This should be fun since I have never had a passenger before. Also a big thanks to KWIKWAY Muffler for repairing my exaust and to Tony in the #37 for towing the car back and forth to the shop.
The goal is to get through the month, have fun and be competitive!
8/4/08
I just finished a great weekend of racing. With the remodel almost complete, I took a break and ran the car in the 50 lap Tim Williamson American Stock Classic in Watsonville on Friday 8/1 and then ran in the 75 lap Enduro @ Kings on Saturday.
I was not the fastest car at either race but managed to take 8th out of 23 cars on Friday, then after working on the rearend replacing seals and shocks Saturday morning, I drove 4 hours and took 4th out of 12 enduro cars. Overall, I completed a total of 120 laps out of a possible 125 laps. Have to repair an exaust leak but otherwise should be good to go for October in Petaluma.
6/18/08
Big Dog #2 is in the books. I started 3rd out of 13 cars on the road track. We raced to lap 60 and finished 4th. 2 cars failed post race inspection moving me up to 2nd place. So far the up and down season has provided excitement, surprises and a ton of fun. I am going to take a break and concentrate on my house remodel with the hopes to get back out in July or August.
5/27/08
Chico 200 Lap Enduro
Another rough day at the office!
If these race days get any rougher, I might as well just stay at work.....
I was running well untill I was hit from behind and put into the wall. Then to make matters worse, I made it back out and lost my rear bumper, then ended up running it over a few laps later and punctured my oil and tranny pan ending my day early.
Mathew and I in the pits before the race Getting ready to start
Johns car pitted next to mine Shawn and I trying to repair the damage
The damage was already done, what the hell.....
Enjoy some video
Opening Laps In Car View Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Kpt2xSQfaM
Early Laps Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpNVC6vjldE
Early Laps Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CToDkte7IWQ
Second Half from pit area
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLsoZNl9oUE
NEXT UP??????????? Hopefully Altamont on 6/8 and Kings at the end of the month.
5/5/08
Rough day at the Office!
Winland Racing took to the Water & Soap strewn asphalt of Madera on 5/3 which turned out to be a rough and tumble affair. The race started in the opposite direction on the very soapy track. Most of the cars that run windshields have large water tanks over the rear ends supplying clean water to their wipers and allows them to stick to the ground with the extra weight rignt over the rear axle. The 79 Malibu piloted by driver Ken Winland had no such water ballast. This became very evident as the car spun circles around the track. The car was extremely loose which required WR to stay off the throttle keeping the car at least 2 seconds off the pace. Lap 64, WR spun out collecting many other cars in a Daytona like wreck on the back straitaway. WR bent a control arm, 2 other cars were destroyed. WR was able to replace the control arm and race the second half. WR ended up in 12th place out of 20 cars. Special thanks to Fred & Mathew for assisting with the repairs!
Spinning out hitting a large water barrel, cool shot! Another one of my spins
Trying to keep it going forward Good side by side battle
4/25/08
We interupt this season to bring you the construction project. This includes the new shop for Winland Racing World Headquarters as well as a modest addition for the family.
Winland Racing is accompishing the impossible..........We will race @ Madera on 5/3/08 while construcion begins at the race shop (home). This is actually the back of the new garage. WR then plans on going to Chico at the end of May for the annual Chico Memorial Day Enduro.
4/8/08
The 2008 season kicked off in fine style with the Big Dog Open @ Altamont Motorsports Park.
Day 1, I started in the 6th position out of 31 cars. I quickly got into the top 5 until around lap 30. I got a flat tire which was quickly followed by another flat tire. Shortly after returning to the track, my car shut down. We later found out that my rotor came loose and cracked the distributer cap. I finished the day in 21st position.
Day 2 was a 50 lap race. I made a few adjustments in the pits and saw my lap times increase by .75 seconds. I completed 49 out of 50 laps coming in 6th after getting punted out of 5th by the second place car around lap 40.
It was a great weekend of racing and the car made it out still in one piece. Next race on the agenda is the Annual Memorial day race in Chico.
