The Weary Traveler

On Wednesday, I set out for the Inaugural “Midwest Fray”, The Quad Cities Quarrel, in Davenport Iowa. Mike Block and Dan Luna put incredible effort, and resources into producing a race for a group of Fray Class deprived racers who were having withdrawals, because the Fray was cancelled this year. In a very nice building, in the downtown area, right next to the Mississippi River, the event began two days ahead of the race with practice sessions. For two days, we all tried to figure out the nuances of track and car. Since there were five tables, that was no easy job, because they all required different setups from the cars.

For those of you who are uninitiated, preparation for these races starts early. It’s the race before the race that is really the contest. Trying to get every advantage you can, tuning,

parts, accessories, and accepting failures is the real work. It’s three months before the big National race, you luck into a combination of parts that are the fastest, best handling set up ever created, and so you drive it. You drive it, because you are driven to drive it. I mean, it feels so-o-o-o sweat. First date with a cheerleader type sweat. It’s just not possible that there is anything better out there. And then it happens.

Oh, it’s not really obvious. Just a stutter that one time, halfway through the long straight. Nope. It was just your imagination. But you’re a cautious sort. So, you take it over to your bench, pull it apart, and give it a thorough going over.

Back at the track, she looks and feels just fine.  Aha, you say to yourself. Dodged that bullet. But then, you notice your laps are down about .200. Try as you might, you just can’t get her to link up again. You start to face the reality of your circumstance. This car will not accompany you to the event.

And so it goes. No matter what you do, or try, the cars you go with will be the ones that you cobble together just days before you leave. That’s the nature of it. Even the 1:1 guys go through this mental gauntlet, and the best drivers figure it out early, and expect it, and deal with it.

Then you get to the venue, and you pull those glorious, little “watches” you so masterfully tinkered to run smooth, and straight, and quiet. You plug in, place the car in the lane, and squeeze the trigger. Damn! It isn’t the same car I brought with me. It’s either slower, or doesn’t handle as well, or it’s tight. Whatever. It just doesn’t meet the standard of performance you expected. This is the ‘Curse of Racing”. It’s hidden within the walls, and floors, and tables of every venue you will attend.

But, undaunted, you reach for your number 2 car, and lo and behold, this one ain’t so bad! In fact, it’s quite acceptable. Let’s see what the #3 car will do…and so it goes.

This isn’t some present day trial of Sisyphus. This is how it goes for everyone. Ignore it – deny it – and you just can’t win. Accept it – embrace it – and you have a chance. This hobby, and any competition, is about details. It has nothing to do with luck. It has a lot to do with perseverance. Scratchin’ and diggin’ all the way. And that’s the beauty of it. When you finally dial it in, there’s nothing like it. It’s a rush!

If I had to be honest, I would say that the intent, if not the duty, of every racer is to reach the edge. It’s just the natural order of things. In this race, it was no different. But what was different is that Tech Coordinator Dan Luna, and Race Director Mike Block were the sheriffs, and they didn’t want to hear excuses. Many cars were DQ’ed and one team failed with all but two of their cars. Small infractions, and all were fixed, and there was some carping, but if I had to offer an opinion, I’d say the best thing happened. The tech team kept it close to the cuff, and didn’t bend, and they will think about new rules NEXT year.

The race started early Friday morning. Unusual for most of us. The norm is a Saturday start. The early 9 a.m. check in had most of us walking in bleary eyed, and holding warm cups of brew to take off the chill of an Iowa winter. 

Block and Luna were new to this, and so there were some bumps in the road. Some of the problems were mechanical issues, some of it was software, and some of it was track conditions. Yet, with this class of veteran drivers, we managed to work around these, and after a few races, things smoothed into a nice flow.

Now, as anyone who puts on events like this knows, this happens, and adaptation is the cure. From what I know of these promoters, next year they will have it all ironed out. Their desire to make this a World Class event, and their ability to listen, and take criticism, and then react, assures me it will happen.

In attendance were people from all over the US. Ten teams, with attendees from California, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and Tennessee. The cars were Fray style, with a few body restrictions, and the format for the first day of racing were ten lap heats. The team winner was determined by adding up members points, based on place of finish.

When you race for 10 hours, against every other team, and the spread of the first four teams is a difference of only 8 points, you know this was a cock fight.  As with every Fray race of late, the bar was raised again. These cars were dynamic. Changes in tuning techniques and bodies and tires have created cars that are very close to taking off. There was a lot of talk about how a second has been lopped off of most track records around the country in the last few months.

The Team Finish for the Quad City Quarrel.

1. Kansas City  479

2. Overland Park  476

3. Outcasts     470

4. Wizzard West 467

5. Davenport, IA 409

6. NorCal       404

7. OutHouse     391

8. Independence 338

9. Outsiders    307

10.T.H.O.R.     228

The next morning everyone came in ready for the Individual race.  Well, maybe not so ready. After a late night of partying at a local restaurant, where about 30 people showed up for drinks and food, and then moving it back to the hotel until 2 am, there were some ragged looking people oozing through the doors at 8 am.

The Individual event was an awesome display of cars with some speed  to handle the large 107' Roval. After some tight races to vie for the  right to be in the final 8 there was a lot of last minute hookups. At the end of it all the A Main consisted of two members from the Outcasts, one member from KC, three members from the NITRO group, and

two members from CA. Running all 8 lanes for 4 minute heats was going to take a toll on some tires.

It was looking like it might be a battle between Todd Allen and Steve Ward, but Don Bourne made the prophetic statement that this was a race for second place for everyone else. Ward would be a pull away winner in the end, as he predicted.

Seven drivers scored within seven points of each other, but Ward was 6 points ahead of second, and he made that look easy. I suspect he was pulling the trigger for the fastest Fray T-jet ever made.

Individuals results:

Driver --------------------------Best Time

1. Steve Ward   174------------10.27  blue

2. Todd Allen   168------------10.65  Yellow

3. Danger Dan   167------------10.37  Green

4. Don Bourne   166-----------10.87  purple

5. Scott Dunlap 165-----------10.60  Orange

6. Rick Jocham  165----------10.37  Green

7. Jeff Wright  162------------10.76  Black

8. Jim Keen     161-------------11.03  Yellow

There will most certainly be a lot of debate about conditions, and racing format, and rules, but one thing we all noted after the first day, if only to ourselves, as our heads hit the pillow – “This was one fun week of racing”.

The effort put out by Luna and Block was large. It was helped by the fact that the best drivers in the nation appreciated that, and showed up. In part because they love a challenge, of course, but maybe the primary reason is that we love each others company so much, and we love what we learn each time we go to events like this.

The advice was shared freely, and without strings. Same goes for the tools. It was just 4 days of brotherhood and fair competition. What was distinguishing about this event was that I never heard any yelling at all. Not once.  If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of attending one of these, for what are you waiting? There can’t possibly be a better group of individuals to hang with.