2008 Burris Drags Wrap-up.

Well, It's Monday morning and the weekend festivities are complete. It seems from the response I've received so far that most everyone had a good time at the event. There was some tight racing competition, great food and even better company.



Here's a quick recap of the event:



Saturday morning... It was already getting hot out and it had all the indications of a real scorcher! Bill Laird showed up early and set up his PA system so I'd have a way to announce the racers and such. We also had music piped through the concert sized speakers in order to either incite or sooth the attendees, depending on the song selected. Actually, it was a fairly random selection of music and I'd like to thank Connie Kinyon for providing a few playlists for us to use as well. I know my Mom enjoyed the music that Connie had chosen. Neighbor Janet then shows up with an inflatable water slide and says, "Hey, do you want to use this?". As busy as I was, I thought that would be a great thing for the kids to do in the heat of the day so I said "sure". Bill and Janet got the slide all up and running and from what I saw, it was a big hit with the kids! Thank you Janet... you saved my bacon on that one. Until the slide showed up, my plan for all the kids was to have them all removing the blackberry bushes and load them in the trailer so I could haul it away this week. I suppose the slide was a better idea in the long run. My parents arrived and Dad immediately got to erecting a "misting" device on one of the pop-up shade tents. It didn't take long and before you knew it, we had a place to cool off as the sun was baking down. Dad thought that the mist wasn't "misty" enough but I think it worked well. I know I stood under the mist quite a few times.



Before long there was a steady stream of party goers arriving at the house and I have to thank neighbors Joe & Lynne for allowing everyone to park on their property! With as many people that showed up there would've been almost no way to accomodate all the cars at my place. So Thanks again Joe & Lynne! (Side note: Lynne is the creator of the amazing pork and chicken dishes. Thank you Lynne!)



As everyone arrived, they were instructed to take their race car into the garage and have Mike Brown collect technical info on each car. Thanks Mike for doing all that work!



I had scheduled a 2 hour block of time for people to test their cars on the track and I have to say I was surprised that hardly anyone took advantage of that. A few people did but mostly everyone just hung out, ate a hot dog or whatever. Fine by me... that just meant that all my testing was going to pay off come race time!



3pm: As the sun was throwing UV daggers at us, we finally got the ball rolling with the "Junior class" of racers. We had 8 kids with race cars and so in order to ensure each kid got a chance to race as much as possible in a (relatively) short amount of time, I had decided earlier that I was going to have a double elimination bracket system. With only 8 cars, how long could it possibly take? An ETERNITY, it turns out. Either it was the sun cooking my brains or I hadn't had enough beer but I felt like the kid races would never end. I actually think it went ok with the kids race but since it took nearly 1.5 hours to get through 8 cars, I learned NOT to have a double elimination bracket system for the adults since there were 26 cars. We'd still be racing.



The kids all did well with their cars and ultimately it was Jeremy Gilderoy who took home the 1st place trophy. My neighbor Rex came in second and the rest of the kids did really well! Congratulations to all the kids! Each one of them took home a prize of some kind.



At this point I was thinking that for the adult races, I needed to modify the race format in order to speed up the process. Instead of averaging the times of 4 passes down the track, I shortened it to the average of 2 passes, one in each lane. This not only sped things up but made it that much more important to make good, clean runs down the track.



Once we got going, and with my brother Dale helping out with the bracket board, things actually went very smoothly! Thanks Dale!



The races were usually very close. There were some fast cars, some not-so-fast cars and many in-between cars. In my opinion, the races were much closer than last year's event which made it more interesting as each outcome was usually in question until the averages were calculated.



Since Jim and Denise weren't able to make it this year, (I hope you're feeling better soon Jim), someone NOT named Taylor was going to take home the coveted Burris Drags Champion trophy in 2008. For those of you who weren't here the last 2 events, the Taylor's have been nearly unbeatable to this point. The only past BDR Champion that had a chance to repeat was Jason Ainardi and in my mind he was the favorite coming in to the event. Every year his cars are very fast and I expected a total domination by Ainardi. But a funny thing happened on the way to the winner's circle for Jason, and her name was Nan. My Mom dispatched Jason quickly and almost as soon as we got the races started, there were no prior BDR winners left in the field. Stine Nelson showed up this year with a great car and after his 2nd place performance in 2001, I expected him to do well also. He made it out of the first round but surprisingly was eliminated in the 2nd round by my aunt Donna, (more about her later). Jason's wife, Sue did well with an overall 3rd place finish taking out first time BDR racer Aaron Starr (my cousin, Jana's husband), my wife, Kim and my uncle Lloyd in the process. My cousin, (actually 2nd cousin I think but who's counting?), Tosha did really well also making all the way to the semi-final round. She took out my sister-in-law Beth and my aunt Penny before getting knocked out. The "Runner-up" of the event was none other than Bill Laird, (Jason's arch-enemy), with his last-minute effort car "Voodoo Child". It went straight and fast and he eliminated my uncle Ed Lewis, Julie Gilderoy and my Mom on his way to 2nd place.



One of the coolest things, for me, that can happen at an event like this is that someone who maybe isn't really expecting to do that well, does. My aunt Donna showed up with a cool car and completely dominated the race! She consistently went down the track straight and true and knocked-out my Dad, Stine, Tosha, Bill and Sue on her way to victory lane.



This year's Burris Drags Champion is Donna Werner! Congratulations to my aunt for doing so well!



After the main races were over we had a new class of competition called the "Unlimited" class. This was to be for the more serious racers to compete. We ended up with 6 cars competing for the award and after each car had 4 passes down the track, my Dad came away with the prize. His car made it down the track in just over 4.6 seconds! The fastest car of the day.



At this point in the evening it was time to eat and just talk with family and friends. Before it got too late though I needed to present the awards. Instead of listing them all on this posting, just click HERE to see them.



We had the largest Burris Drags turn-out ever with 37 race cars and 60 people attending!



It was terrific to see all my friends and relatives! Many of the attendees were people I hadn't seen in years so I want to thank everyone again for coming, it really made it worth the effort!



I had many people provide assistance and I've tried to thank them as much as possible but if I've somehow overlooked someone, please know that I am very grateful for all the help! I seriously couldn't have done this without your help.



If you have pictures from the event please email them to me if you can. I'm trying to compile all of the photos in one location. Thanks! Photos are currently being hosted HERE.



Thanks again and maybe we'll see you in '09!



Scott

INTEL

My secret inside sources have just sent me an image of what they think Ainardi is planning to race this year.

(Note the taper)

Hijacking the display case...

I like to display my collection of NHRA diecast race cars once a year during the Burris Drags so I dusted them off last night and placed them inside the display case. I think they look pretty good but I'd prefer having a nice "man room" where I can display them year-round.

A change in the weather...

The latest forecast for Gig Harbor NOW shows a high temp in the low to mid 80s for Saturday. Looks like it might be a bit toasty for some of us. Bring the shade tents!

One week to go... and it's raining.

I woke up this morning with a long list of things to get done for next week's event. I looked outside and I noticed that it's raining. Honestly, I welcome the rain today. It helps wash off all the dust that has accumulated on everything over the last few weeks. But this morning's precipitation prompted me to check the forecast for next Saturday. The forecast says 75 and mostly sunny! That's just about as good as it gets out here. Those of you were here 2 years ago may recall the record heat wave that cooked our corpses. I remember it all too well and am thankful that it should be nothing like that this year.

Yesterday I ran to Costco to stock up on a few supplies, (mostly beer). I ended up spending more that I expected, so I did a search on the inter-web after I got home and found out that "Costco" in swahili means: "Come in with money and leave with none", so I felt a little better knowing it wasn't just me.

I have almost all the awards completed for this year. Last year I ran out of time and energy when it came to the awards so it was a bit sparse but this year we're back on track (so to speak) with the glorious prizes for you.

I will be building my car in the next day or two so I can whooop up on many of you "pikers" come Saturday.

SIDE NOTE: Some of you may wonder what "piker" means. Well, until just now, I had always thought that it meant "beginner" or "novice" or possibly even "slacker". The reason for my belief in this definition, (you may be asking yourself), comes from... yes, my father. When my brother and I were kids, (and actually to this very day), my dad would use this term in the context of the above mentioned definitions. So as I so confidently typed the word "piker" above, knowing internally that I was really giving you all a good verbal jab, I decided to check on the true definition so as not to look like a "literary piker" as it were.
The term "piker" actually means "cheapskate, or "tightwad". So, it turns out that my use of the term "piker" above isn't truly what I intended, however, since there will be quite a few airline pilots attending the event, "Piker" actually fits just fine. Damned Pikers.

Another item I tackled yesterday is the bracket system that we'll be using for the event. I called my brother at work yesterday and actually stole an hour of his time from Microsoft discussing various subjects. During the course of our conversation, it had come to my attention that maybe the current bracket system I was using was a little too basic. Now I believe that most of the time simple is better, but it seems that the racing didn't last long enough for some of the participants. It was kind of a "one and done" kind of deal, (sounds like an Ainardi problem). After much thought last evening, I am almost certain that I am going to go to a "double elimination" tournament system. This will allow everyone an additional opportunity to either be horribly humiliated again or victorious & triumphant. The brackets will seem a bit more complicated but I feel confident that a bunch of us Pikers can figure it out.

Please call or email if you have any questions!

I hope to see you next Saturday!

Race Donations-

If you would like to donate to this year's event, here is your chance!!!
-Bill

...and a good time was had.

Yesterday, Kim and I went to the Checker, Shucks and Kragen Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceway and had a good time. It was a bit cool but not too bad. The track temperature was colder than usual which usually means that there's going to be some fast runs down the strip. During the Top Alcohol Funny Cars, Top Alcohol Dragsters and the Pro Stock Cars sessions, it seemed like the track record was broken each time a car went down the track. It was great to watch the cars screaming past at 200 & 300 MPH.

We got a chance to hang out at the CSK Funny Car pit for a while and we talked with Bob Wilber for a bit. Bob is the team manager and also runs the CSK Team Blog on NHRA.com.

We spent the rest of the time eating "track food" and just milling about. It's interesting to see the people that show up to the races. I'm hoping to possibly get to another race this season, maybe Vegas or Pomona?

A weekend for racing...

You may remember that I initially had planned on having this year's Burris Drags on July 19th, which is 2 days away. The reason for wanting to have it this weekend is because this is the weekend that the "real" racers come to town. The NHRA Powerade drag racing series is currently in the middle of what they call the "western swing", and Pacific Raceways in Kent, WA is the middle stop on "the swing". The "swing" starts in Denver and stops in Seattle, then next weekend they'll be in Sonoma, CA.

In 2002, Tony took me to my first NHRA drag race and it was awesome. I've always been interested in cars and racing, but had never seen drag racing in person. If you have even a passing interest in racing of any kind, you absolutely MUST attend an NHRA event at some point in your life. It's impossible to describe the power these cars generate and the feeling of the earth moving when the Nitro cars make a pass down the track. It's something you just have to experience in person.

Kim and I are heading out to the drag strip tomorrow for the first 2 qualifying sessions. We enjoy watching the racing and also cruising through the pit areas where all the teams are working on the cars, etc... During my first involuntary vacation from United Airlines, I spent a year flying a Learjet out of San Diego. One of the guys who used to fly with us a bunch was Jerry Toliver. He is the driver of the Rockstar Funny Car so sometimes we hang out in their hospitality tent and shoot the breeze. Last year it was nice to have that option as it was absolutely pouring rain the entire day. This year promises to be a perfect weekend for racing. The weather looks fantastic and it shouldn't be too hot.

REMINDER: The Burris Drags are one month away! It's time to actually stop thinking about going to the hobby store, and actually GO to the hobby store. Pick yourself up a pinewood derby car kit and drive back home and put it together. It's very easy to do and is fun as well. It doesn't need to be anything fancy, just slap the wheels on, spray some paint on it it and you've got yourself a race car. Now if you want to compete with the likes of Ainardi or Taylor, you may want to put a little more effort into it.

Now, if you're a serious racer, you can build a car for the Unlimited Class, (which is what I'm going to do), and really show what you can do.

Hope to see you all there!

Where to stay on race day...

I was asked the question, "Do you have a list of places to stay in Gig Harbor?". The answer was "no, I didn't". But I then took a few minutes and compiled a short list of local Hotels and Bed & Breakfasts in the local area and uploaded it to the Burris Drags web site.

So if you need a place to stay nearby during the event, check out this page for a few ideas.

Hello Racers-

Bill Laird here; Year after year, Scott and Kim have hosted this event with generosity and have never asked a dime in return. I don't think it's a secret that there is a lot of time, money, and effort that they have put into this wonderful event. I thought it might be a nice idea to start a little 'cash kitty' for this years' event.

Donations are OPTIONAL and certainly NOT expected- I'm taking it upon myself to help them offset the costs of the event. It is a great family tradition that Scott and Kim have worked hard to uphold.

I'm sure ANY contributions will be greatly appreciated!

Cheers!
Bill

(Just so you know, the button below will take you to a PayPal site that will allow you to donate if you so desire. The correct email address associated with the Burris Drags donations is trailmoto@gmail.com)

3 month warning

If you gaze to the upper right hand side of your computer screen you might notice a timer that is counting down the time. If so, you also might notice that it says that the races are just around the corner! We're sitting at just over 3 months to go and it really is time to start heading out to the hobby store and picking up a kit to put together for this year's event. It's not hard to do, just do it! Please email me if you have any questions!

Put a big circle around August 16th, 2008!

After the "thousands of votes" have been tallied, we have a winner in the preferred date election! August 16th will be the date of this year's Burris Drags! Please mark your calendar and start thinking about your car's design. There are a few changes this year so be sure to check out www.burrisdrags.com to see all the new stuff.

Please email or call if you have any questions.

The "Unlimited" Class gets a little less limited.

A couple evenings ago I sat down on a cold bench near the door at McMenamin's brew pub in Mill Creek with my brother and Mike Brown. It was at the last Burris Drags in August where I had seen Mike last so it was nice to be able to talk to him again. While we were eating our dinners and I was enjoying my "Rubinator" we eventually started talking about the new unlimited class for the Burris Drags.





One of the ideas that was tossed around was to actually make the unlimited class more unlimited, (or less limited if you prefer). My initial thought was to keep it as I had it but as the conversation continued and I thought more about it, I had decided internally that it needed to be done. The reason I didn't want to change it at first was that I was interested in keeping the rules as they were from last year to allow some of us to directly compete against the Taylor's super fast cars from the last 2 years. But then I came to the conclusion that in order to really see some great ideas and creativity, the unlimited class needs to be more wide open and less restricted.





So I have made an executive decision and have modified the rules of the unimited class. You now have up to 16oz (1lb) of weight to work with! This should allow for all sorts of ideas to crop up. You don't have to use 4 wheels (or any wheels for that matter) but remember that there is a "straddle strip" down the length of each lane and the timing sensors are located in that strip so if your car doesn't go down the middle it might not register a time. The wheel diameter limit has been increased to 2.5".





I hope that this might generate more ideas and get more people to participate in the unlimited class.





If anyone has any comments or ideas they want to share, please do.

5 Months to go... or so...

Last night I received an email from Jim & Denise Taylor, our defending champions from the last two years. Jim & Denise are two of the handful of people, including my brother's family, my Uncle, and my dad, who have other things scheduled during the weekend of July 19th. As the last post on the blog addresses, I am willing to change the date to fit the needs of the majority of the potential attendees, but I am needing everyone to vote as soon as they know what date works best for you.

Also in their email were a few "jabs" at me for changing the rules about the wheels. Anyone who has met the Taylors knows, they're a very competitive couple and can be pretty intense. They have been very successful the last two years and have basically destroyed the competition.

In order to "level the playing field" a little, I needed to restrict the "big budget teams" with a few rule changes. This will give even the "average Joe" a better shot at winning a few rounds of racing and hopefully make it more fun for everyone. Some people don't like restrictions and I understand that but my intent is for this to be fun as well as competitive.

Years ago when my Uncle EZ had the "Burris Lake Regatta & Pig Cook" where we raced handmade boats across his pond, Tony Marrapodi & I always tried to stretch the limits of the rules in order to win (which we never did by the way). Each year my Uncle would modify the rules in order to "reel us in" a bit and honestly, I felt that it was more fun when the competitors were more closely matched. It was more fun to see a close race than someone just run away with the trophy.

I really think that this year's Burris Drags will be much closer in competition and more fun for everyone. We'll have a seperate "kid's class" where the kids can have a fun race, the Unlimited Class for the serious competitors and the regular ol' Burris Drags Champion Class where the winner takes home the traveling trophy. As always there's plenty of food and drinks and people to talk to.

The summer is just around the corner so start thinking about your fastest car designs. I'm excited about the new Unlimited Class and I think this year will be the best yet.

Email me or post a comment here on the blog if you have questions.


Scott

Race Day... when will it be?

I have lately become aware of a few scheduling conflicts with a few people and I have decided to let you be a part in the decision making process in determining the actual event date. I have included a poll on the right sidebar of this blog that lists 3 dates. (NOTE: You can vote for more than one date... For example; if only one date is a problem but the other two are fine, you can vote for BOTH of the acceptable dates.)

PLEASE select a date as soon as you can in order to help determine when the party will be.

I hate to be "wishy washy" about the date but the current scheduled date is not going to work for quite a few people who generally attend the party every year and I'd like to be flexible enough to allow for as many people to come as possible. Therefore I really need you to choose a date that works best for you. I will make a final decision by May 1st and that should give all the airline folks enough time to bid for the time off, etc...

If you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to email me or just call.

EVITE invitations

Well, since today is exactly 6 months from this year's Burris Drags, (and I'm sitting on short-call reserve in Denver today), I decided to send out the invitations from evite.com. If you are reading this and didn't receive an "evite" from me and would like one, then please email me and I'll add your name to the list. If you would like your name removed from the guest list, just let me know and you will be removed. It's just that easy.

I am pretty sure this year will see a lot closer racing and less predictable outcomes. If you're one of those people who think it's too hard to make a car or maybe you think you don't have a chance to win... I am here to tell you that anyone can put together a pinewood derby kit. They're cheap and easy (no comments directed toward me please :) ) Side note: check out a few of the links over on the right of the page. I've included a few that have information about building pinewood derby cars. In addition to the simple kit construction, this year's racing format will have much less predictable outcomes since EVERY car will be placed into the elimination brackets at random. The eliminations will also be slightly different in that to advance to the next round, you must have a quicker average over the course of three runs, instead of just winning 2 out of 3 head to head races.

For those of you who actually want to get serious, the Unlimited Class is for you. Wouldn't you like to see if you can beat the Taylors? I know I'm planning on it.

Tony Marrapodi & Bill Laird have both brought up the idea of racing powered cars of some sort. I'm thinking this might have some potential. We can have a powered car class where maybe we race UP the track??? Post or email your thoughts. Also... try to participate in the polls on this blog page if you can. I'd appreciate it.

So... I know it's too early for some of you to even start thinking about his yet but every year the event sneaks up on us before we know it. Kids are welcome and if you need a place to stay send me a message and we can probably set something up.

It's go time!

Welcome to 2008!

Well, the new year is here and believe it or not summer is just around the corner... and we all know what that means! Yes, the 2008 Burris Drags. This quick post is to serve as your 6 month warning.

For those of you interested in competing in the Unlimited Class you may want to think about getting started on your design because before you know it July will be here and you'll just have to slap something together at the last minute and you'll be embarrassed by the likes of ME!

I hope to see you all there on July 19th!!!