On a day of remembrance the track was serving the community in such a way that truly defines the hearts of a racer, by racing to raise money for the Colorado State Patrol Family Foundation. This organization has provided financial and wellness assistance to the families of fallen officers. In addition to providing aid for the necessities and unexpected hardships for these families, the organization has defensive driving programs available to the general public. Their Alive at 25 defensive driving program that is geared towards drivers ages 15-24 has received national recognition. It’s with this next generation we are to pass down the passion in the automotive industry while doing so in a manner that keeps the roads safer for everyone on them.
The drag strip is an exemplary place to support these ideals. Although there can be many dangers at the track the Heads Up FWD class is continuing to push and improve on safety and speed. FAMILY FEUD 4 presented by Brandon Dodge, RPM - Rains Precision Motorsports, and Green Light Media is an event that allows for these grudges and rivalries to be brought out. Shooting for winnings is just part of the fun, for it’s another chance to run race cars that are constantly being improved on and changed.
The last two weeks Jamie Lankford dissected and reconstructed the majority of his Civic. This can leave many tweaks to be figured and analyzed with every pass made within the competition. In turn, Jamie had the unfortunate instance of his crankcase plug blow out leading to an overflow the catch pan was unable to hold. A shiny mist of oil gleamed down the left lane of the track, causing the FWD class to become a single lane competition for the remainder of the event after basic cleanup on the lane was completed. Jamie was disheartened to be the cause of the disruption of the night, but there was continuous growth and improvement to be made moving forward. A matter of having the knowledge to correct and educate others that it might affect in the future is all part of the growing process. Prior to the oil mishap, his Civic ran a 9.315 making it the fastest pass of the night.
The remaining racers each made their respective passes during the elimination rounds in the right lane. Brent Leivestad was able to make a successful pass testing Jimmy Chung’s right hand drive Integra the first round of eliminations. During the qualifying runs the Integra was not performing to the best of its capabilities. When looking at the data there was information that left PFI searching for the whys in order to figure out the how this was possible. For a moment it had the guys baffled until it was determined to be a corruption. Once the corruption was identified and addressed the following pass gained an improvement of 10 seconds and provided a baseline data set to truly begin working on getting Jimmy’s unicorn running its best.
Making it down to the finals of the FWD class Brian Phillips and Chris Phillips in battle of the hatches, a true family feud one could say. In preparation for the final round a whirlwind of dirt flew through the air pelting everyone in its path. Within a matter of minutes a layer of dirt covered the raceway in which the track officials made the call to close down the remaining lane and end the event before that final feud could take place; both racers agreed to split the win.
As the trailers were getting loaded the atmosphere remained relaxed and friendly, a common occurrence at Pueblo Motorsport Park. Conversations of racing enhancements from new transmissions to ways of sealing crankcase plugs furthered the excitement for the progression of the FWD class. Each racer and crew left the track implementing the American values of unity and family, as one should on the night of any September 11th.
Please visit Colorado State Patrol Family Foundation if you want to support the organization or learn more.
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