Wife's view from the pits - by Lynda Makinson (May 2013)
Disclaimer: This is my view and opinion, not the view or opinion of Bruce Makinson or anyone else.
May 25, 2013
Hi Everybody,
What a beautiful May-vember it was this past Saturday. Threat of rain and a few snowflakes to remind us just who is really in charge….Mother Nature! And of course it was cold as we were sprinkled with a few water droplets most of the night yet the track remained dusty. Either way the race must go on!!
The Heat race: Bruce started 2nd and shot off the line to take the lead. Bruce easily got ahead of the pack not to be challenged by anyone for the whole race. It was fun to watch as the pack of cars were racing away almost ½ a lap behind him. I was watching from the pit tower and as I gazed with excitement the track official bent over and asks “what did you give him for lunch?” I have to admit it was a beautiful sight, the car was running great and Bruce was on his game.
The Feature: Bruce started 4th and shot up to 2nd in the first few laps. He was doing well holding off Herbison until a restart where his visor fogged up so his reaction time was off, then he ended up driving thru the pot hole on the 4th corner to give Herbison the advantage he needed to pass Bruce for 2nd. Bruce was running third for many laps despite the rain drops and occasional fogging of his visor. Then the top 3 runners lost out to a car that has my suspicions going. (I’m sorry but remember this is my opinion and my updates so if you’re "sensitive" stop reading now). If you once ran Sportsman and didn’t do anything spectacular, then you move up to Modified and didn’t do much there either, then return to Sportsman and kick everyone’s butts and win ever race….hummm….do you see where I’m going. And to be able to drive around the classes top two runners like they were standing still. Could it be that he learned the ultimate secret to racing the Sportsman class by moving up then back?? I have to say, I doubt it. I really hope the officials are taking notice and are going to do some investigating. The Sportsman class is supposed to be all the same motors and about the ability to read the track and drive the car, and keep the cost down. I know racing, for some, is about cheating and not getting caught but that really sucks for those of us that try to do everything by the book and win by our driver and crew chiefs merits. Just sayin’ zol. I know Bruce may not have been able to win this past weekend, but I don’t like to see the guys I feel are doing an honest effort get railroaded either.
Well, Bruce is now 7th in points, if it wasn’t for the prior week’s “same points across the board” race Bruce would have been higher in points, but that’s ok, I really feel the car and Bruce are fine tuned this year and he’ll be moving up every week. Bruce has really impressed us with his “I’m not going to take it anymore” attitude. He’s still driving clean but with just a little more “get the heck out of my way” attitude. So, if you’re looking for a really good show, come out and see him race (and of course cheer him on!).
This weekend it’s supposed to be a lot warmer but if you come out, remember the nights at BOS can still be chilly. Have a great week everybody and hope to see you at the races!
Cheers,
Lynda
What a beautiful May-vember it was this past Saturday. Threat of rain and a few snowflakes to remind us just who is really in charge….Mother Nature! And of course it was cold as we were sprinkled with a few water droplets most of the night yet the track remained dusty. Either way the race must go on!!
The Heat race: Bruce started 2nd and shot off the line to take the lead. Bruce easily got ahead of the pack not to be challenged by anyone for the whole race. It was fun to watch as the pack of cars were racing away almost ½ a lap behind him. I was watching from the pit tower and as I gazed with excitement the track official bent over and asks “what did you give him for lunch?” I have to admit it was a beautiful sight, the car was running great and Bruce was on his game.
The Feature: Bruce started 4th and shot up to 2nd in the first few laps. He was doing well holding off Herbison until a restart where his visor fogged up so his reaction time was off, then he ended up driving thru the pot hole on the 4th corner to give Herbison the advantage he needed to pass Bruce for 2nd. Bruce was running third for many laps despite the rain drops and occasional fogging of his visor. Then the top 3 runners lost out to a car that has my suspicions going. (I’m sorry but remember this is my opinion and my updates so if you’re "sensitive" stop reading now). If you once ran Sportsman and didn’t do anything spectacular, then you move up to Modified and didn’t do much there either, then return to Sportsman and kick everyone’s butts and win ever race….hummm….do you see where I’m going. And to be able to drive around the classes top two runners like they were standing still. Could it be that he learned the ultimate secret to racing the Sportsman class by moving up then back?? I have to say, I doubt it. I really hope the officials are taking notice and are going to do some investigating. The Sportsman class is supposed to be all the same motors and about the ability to read the track and drive the car, and keep the cost down. I know racing, for some, is about cheating and not getting caught but that really sucks for those of us that try to do everything by the book and win by our driver and crew chiefs merits. Just sayin’ zol. I know Bruce may not have been able to win this past weekend, but I don’t like to see the guys I feel are doing an honest effort get railroaded either.
Well, Bruce is now 7th in points, if it wasn’t for the prior week’s “same points across the board” race Bruce would have been higher in points, but that’s ok, I really feel the car and Bruce are fine tuned this year and he’ll be moving up every week. Bruce has really impressed us with his “I’m not going to take it anymore” attitude. He’s still driving clean but with just a little more “get the heck out of my way” attitude. So, if you’re looking for a really good show, come out and see him race (and of course cheer him on!).
This weekend it’s supposed to be a lot warmer but if you come out, remember the nights at BOS can still be chilly. Have a great week everybody and hope to see you at the races!
Cheers,
Lynda
May 18, 2013
Hi Everybody,
This past Saturday night was an action packed one and an unexpected one. The unexpected part is…well, I really should read the schedule once in a while; I didn’t realize that it was the St. Lawrence Seaway Series race for the Sportsman class. Yes, that’s means us, it was a 40 lap race with many cars from other tracks. Over 35 cars showed up and only 30 spots available for the Feature. Bruce was about the only one that knew it was going to be a series race night (thanks for sharing, Hun!).
Due to it being a Series race, there were different rules and officials officiating the race. One major change we didn’t care for was no Hot laps. As you may recall, last week the car had a bit of a tire issue (front left broke). Well, Hot laps would have been nice to see if anything needed changing before having to race. Instead the Hot laps were the time trials. So, the guys had to figure out what was good and bad with the car as Bruce is trying to qualify in time trials. His times were in the middle, not what we were hoping for.
As for the Heat race, it didn’t start off too well but had a happy ending. Bruce started 8th out of 9 cars, as the green dropped, on the first turn the person beside him decided he wanted to go up the track right into Bruce’s front left tire (sound familiar??), shredding the tire and sending Bruce over the top of turns 1 and 2. Then as Bruce was trying to make his way to the pit area (please note the caution flag had come out), someone in turn 4 hit the wall and flipped (I still can’t understand how this could happen when it’s supposed to be a caution). Then the red flag came out and Bruce was stopped at the pit gates. I’m sure Bruce was a bit red at this time, during a red flag you can’t move the car or work on it, so here he sits with a shredded tire and can’t get if fixed. But some teams and competitors are Polite, and yes I mean their last name is Polite and they are polite people too. The Polite team arranged to have Bruce stop at their pit area to change the tire. Their pit area is just inside the track gate so it was an easy glide for Bruce once the flag went back to yellow. Bobby yelled to Steve to bring the tire to the Polite pit area and they provided the necessary tools to change the tire in record time. Then Bruce got back on the track before the green was dropped. Bruce was now at the back in 8th. He needed to finish at least 5th in order to qualify for the big show. Well, Bruce had a bit of steam behind him and once he was able to get around a slower car he was able to fight his way up and just finish 5th at the checkered flag. It was an exciting Heat race for sure.
And again because of the different rules….no Hot laps once again. Bobby and Bruce had to go on the performance of the car during the Heat race to figure out the set up for the Feature. Maybe it was a good thing, maybe they over think sometimes when they have too many practise laps….just sayin’ all.
Now for the feature; with all the results of the time trials and the 5th place finish in his Heat race, Bruce qualified 18th out of 30 cars. This is not usually a desirable position to be in, it’s best to be up front or further back because mid pack is always where all the “action” happens. Well, Bruce did his usual amazing job of keeping out of trouble and he slowly but surely fought his way forward to finish 9th. And I almost (please note I said "almost") wish it was a 50 lap race because his car just kept getting better. It was great to see him in the final 4 laps or so, it was like the car was slingshot off the corners. Bruce was starting to put distance between him and the pack of cars behind him. It was a pretty sight, but with only a couple of laps left there wasn’t time for him to catch the lead pack.
So, to sum it all up, the night started a little rough but we were quite pleased with the outcome. In spite of having to fight for all he got Saturday night, Bruce took control of the Heat race and Feature and did a great job. This is a night you should have been there!
This coming week is a regular race weekend but I believe June 1st is another Sportsman 40 lap race.
Have a great week and hope to see you there!
Lynda
P.S.
Again, a special thank you to the Sportsman #7 Polite team for your hospitality. Much appreciated :)
This past Saturday night was an action packed one and an unexpected one. The unexpected part is…well, I really should read the schedule once in a while; I didn’t realize that it was the St. Lawrence Seaway Series race for the Sportsman class. Yes, that’s means us, it was a 40 lap race with many cars from other tracks. Over 35 cars showed up and only 30 spots available for the Feature. Bruce was about the only one that knew it was going to be a series race night (thanks for sharing, Hun!).
Due to it being a Series race, there were different rules and officials officiating the race. One major change we didn’t care for was no Hot laps. As you may recall, last week the car had a bit of a tire issue (front left broke). Well, Hot laps would have been nice to see if anything needed changing before having to race. Instead the Hot laps were the time trials. So, the guys had to figure out what was good and bad with the car as Bruce is trying to qualify in time trials. His times were in the middle, not what we were hoping for.
As for the Heat race, it didn’t start off too well but had a happy ending. Bruce started 8th out of 9 cars, as the green dropped, on the first turn the person beside him decided he wanted to go up the track right into Bruce’s front left tire (sound familiar??), shredding the tire and sending Bruce over the top of turns 1 and 2. Then as Bruce was trying to make his way to the pit area (please note the caution flag had come out), someone in turn 4 hit the wall and flipped (I still can’t understand how this could happen when it’s supposed to be a caution). Then the red flag came out and Bruce was stopped at the pit gates. I’m sure Bruce was a bit red at this time, during a red flag you can’t move the car or work on it, so here he sits with a shredded tire and can’t get if fixed. But some teams and competitors are Polite, and yes I mean their last name is Polite and they are polite people too. The Polite team arranged to have Bruce stop at their pit area to change the tire. Their pit area is just inside the track gate so it was an easy glide for Bruce once the flag went back to yellow. Bobby yelled to Steve to bring the tire to the Polite pit area and they provided the necessary tools to change the tire in record time. Then Bruce got back on the track before the green was dropped. Bruce was now at the back in 8th. He needed to finish at least 5th in order to qualify for the big show. Well, Bruce had a bit of steam behind him and once he was able to get around a slower car he was able to fight his way up and just finish 5th at the checkered flag. It was an exciting Heat race for sure.
And again because of the different rules….no Hot laps once again. Bobby and Bruce had to go on the performance of the car during the Heat race to figure out the set up for the Feature. Maybe it was a good thing, maybe they over think sometimes when they have too many practise laps….just sayin’ all.
Now for the feature; with all the results of the time trials and the 5th place finish in his Heat race, Bruce qualified 18th out of 30 cars. This is not usually a desirable position to be in, it’s best to be up front or further back because mid pack is always where all the “action” happens. Well, Bruce did his usual amazing job of keeping out of trouble and he slowly but surely fought his way forward to finish 9th. And I almost (please note I said "almost") wish it was a 50 lap race because his car just kept getting better. It was great to see him in the final 4 laps or so, it was like the car was slingshot off the corners. Bruce was starting to put distance between him and the pack of cars behind him. It was a pretty sight, but with only a couple of laps left there wasn’t time for him to catch the lead pack.
So, to sum it all up, the night started a little rough but we were quite pleased with the outcome. In spite of having to fight for all he got Saturday night, Bruce took control of the Heat race and Feature and did a great job. This is a night you should have been there!
This coming week is a regular race weekend but I believe June 1st is another Sportsman 40 lap race.
Have a great week and hope to see you there!
Lynda
P.S.
Again, a special thank you to the Sportsman #7 Polite team for your hospitality. Much appreciated :)
May 11, 2013
Good Morning Everybody,
Here’s your race update for the 1st race of the season…it sucked!!
The weather was very cold and damp; thank goodness I’m an experienced Canadian and know the secret of layering. By the end of the night I was up to 6 layers but I didn’t really need it at that point, funny how sudden activity will warm you up.
To start at the beginning, the Heat race was good, Bruce lead most of it only to be passed on the second last lap to finish 2nd. That put him in a good starting position for the Feature race. He was starting 7th (lucky 7…so you would think). Due to the cold, the track was not too dusty and not too sticky; Bruce was going from 6th to 10th, so he was bouncing around the top 10. Then a caution turned quickly to a red flag as a car rolled over on turn one. (Nothing severe, just a gentle tip over, driver was ok). As the red came out I noticed Bruce on turn 4 coast into the in-field. I took my camera out so I could zoom in to see what the problem may be only to see the tow truck put him on the hook. What the!?!?? We were all confused as none of us saw any contact or signs of trouble. Bruce later reported that he did get a knock by one driver a few laps earlier and the previous lap he heard a thud and then lost steering. The caution came out at just the right time; it kept Bruce from becoming the cause of the yellow flag.
When the car arrived in the pit area we were all surprised to see the front left tire not pointing in the right direction. Now, I never got an easy explanation as to what happened but my woman’s version is a metal thingy was broke (at least that’s what I saw). So, our race was done for the night. Bruce finished 26th.
This wasn’t the start of the season we were looking for but we are still thankful; Bruce didn’t get hurt, no major damage to the car and come on....last year we had no major mishaps at all! We may have started at the bottom this year but there’s only one direction to go and that’s up!
So, bottom line everybody….keep the faith!! We still feel good about this year and now that we got the silly stuff over with we feel even better about it.
Have a great week everybody and hope to see you at the races,
Lynda
P.S. Thank you to our great sponsors, without your support we wouldn’t be able to repair the broken parts. :)
And a thank you to Kevan Bennett (team # 08) for the awesome sausages!!
Here’s your race update for the 1st race of the season…it sucked!!
The weather was very cold and damp; thank goodness I’m an experienced Canadian and know the secret of layering. By the end of the night I was up to 6 layers but I didn’t really need it at that point, funny how sudden activity will warm you up.
To start at the beginning, the Heat race was good, Bruce lead most of it only to be passed on the second last lap to finish 2nd. That put him in a good starting position for the Feature race. He was starting 7th (lucky 7…so you would think). Due to the cold, the track was not too dusty and not too sticky; Bruce was going from 6th to 10th, so he was bouncing around the top 10. Then a caution turned quickly to a red flag as a car rolled over on turn one. (Nothing severe, just a gentle tip over, driver was ok). As the red came out I noticed Bruce on turn 4 coast into the in-field. I took my camera out so I could zoom in to see what the problem may be only to see the tow truck put him on the hook. What the!?!?? We were all confused as none of us saw any contact or signs of trouble. Bruce later reported that he did get a knock by one driver a few laps earlier and the previous lap he heard a thud and then lost steering. The caution came out at just the right time; it kept Bruce from becoming the cause of the yellow flag.
When the car arrived in the pit area we were all surprised to see the front left tire not pointing in the right direction. Now, I never got an easy explanation as to what happened but my woman’s version is a metal thingy was broke (at least that’s what I saw). So, our race was done for the night. Bruce finished 26th.
This wasn’t the start of the season we were looking for but we are still thankful; Bruce didn’t get hurt, no major damage to the car and come on....last year we had no major mishaps at all! We may have started at the bottom this year but there’s only one direction to go and that’s up!
So, bottom line everybody….keep the faith!! We still feel good about this year and now that we got the silly stuff over with we feel even better about it.
Have a great week everybody and hope to see you at the races,
Lynda
P.S. Thank you to our great sponsors, without your support we wouldn’t be able to repair the broken parts. :)
And a thank you to Kevan Bennett (team # 08) for the awesome sausages!!
May 6, 2013
Hi Everybody,
This past weekend was practice. And what a beautiful day to be at the track, the sun was shining, the track was dry and the dust was billowing. The car looked great and Bruce didn’t show much signs of cobwebs. We’re all pretty excited about this weekend’s opener. So, if you’re looking for something to do this coming Saturday, BOS opener starts at 7 PM. The weather will be a bit cooler so remember to bring some cool weather woollies. BOS during the day can be warm but the nights can be chilly and damp.
Hope to see you there!
Lynda
This past weekend was practice. And what a beautiful day to be at the track, the sun was shining, the track was dry and the dust was billowing. The car looked great and Bruce didn’t show much signs of cobwebs. We’re all pretty excited about this weekend’s opener. So, if you’re looking for something to do this coming Saturday, BOS opener starts at 7 PM. The weather will be a bit cooler so remember to bring some cool weather woollies. BOS during the day can be warm but the nights can be chilly and damp.
Hope to see you there!
Lynda
April 19, 2013
Hi Everybody,
Well, it’s almost that time. May 4th is practice and May 11th is the season opener. Let’s hope that the weather continues to improve so we’re not cold and wet for the start of the season.
Last Saturday we were at the BOS Fan Fair at the Wal-Mart in Brockville. There was a good turnout of cars and fans but boy was it cold. Thank goodness we were at Wal-Mart, I was able to sneak in and get a $10 sweatshirt to add another layer for warmth. Our car wasn’t there because it seems to be a Makinson thing that we work better under pressure…so saying that, the car is still in many pieces in the garage, the motor is in but not yet started. Rumour has it it will be started this weekend.
Bruce and I are moving forward with heavy hearts right now. The love of our life has been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. He’s doing well right now, he’s eating again and is looking good but we don’t know when all that will change. If you know us well, you know I’m talking about our beloved cat, Norman. Please pray to St. Francis for Norman to return to good health and strength. Miracles do happen, why not for my boy.
Well, back to racing! Two weeks practice, Three weeks racin’.
Stay tuned to “my” page for updates and pictures.
Happy Friday Everyone,
Lynda
Well, it’s almost that time. May 4th is practice and May 11th is the season opener. Let’s hope that the weather continues to improve so we’re not cold and wet for the start of the season.
Last Saturday we were at the BOS Fan Fair at the Wal-Mart in Brockville. There was a good turnout of cars and fans but boy was it cold. Thank goodness we were at Wal-Mart, I was able to sneak in and get a $10 sweatshirt to add another layer for warmth. Our car wasn’t there because it seems to be a Makinson thing that we work better under pressure…so saying that, the car is still in many pieces in the garage, the motor is in but not yet started. Rumour has it it will be started this weekend.
Bruce and I are moving forward with heavy hearts right now. The love of our life has been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. He’s doing well right now, he’s eating again and is looking good but we don’t know when all that will change. If you know us well, you know I’m talking about our beloved cat, Norman. Please pray to St. Francis for Norman to return to good health and strength. Miracles do happen, why not for my boy.
Well, back to racing! Two weeks practice, Three weeks racin’.
Stay tuned to “my” page for updates and pictures.
Happy Friday Everyone,
Lynda