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.