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Brainerd Rage on the Stage IV - Saturday 7hr


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40+ cars registered for our fourth visit to Brainerd International Raceway. Twice in the past the combined weight of many Chumps standing on the stage has caused a slow collapse of said stage. No injuries, just a few lowered expectations.

That many cars means the teams have to share pits stalls. With less than an hour to green flag, the cars are parked double wide in the pits as teams are adding fuel, checking tire pressures and fluids, and torquing lug nuts.

Yr hmbl reporter will also be driving this weekend, so it's double duty once again for Wink.

Forecast highs are in the low 80s, quite warm for Central Minnesota, with a 20% chance of rain.

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The green flag dropped at 9am and racing is underway. Several cars having trouble already.

#12 Brain Nerds, Babe, Porsche 944, which did well here a couple of years ago, in and out of the pits a few times.

#25 North Loop BMW, Also in the pits several times, apparently for a tire/suspension issue.

#27 VW, a rookie team, spun coming into the pits!

Some highly anticipated entries turned out to be no-shows. No Toyota Supras, no Plymouth Dusters, no Danish Flash Mustang. There is one Mustang entered, the #01 My Little Pony, with a 3.8 V6.

One team to watch here is the Chevy Beretta of Nienow Racing. They have a long history with similar machinery in ice racing and have done quite well in that racing venue.

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Great racing already!! Three wide coming into Turn 12.

Bear Patrol getting squirrelly coming out of Turn 11 passing a car on the front pit row straight. Great show for all the teams!

Slugworks locking up their brakes coming into Turn 12... Endurance racing??? It's a 7 hour sprint race!

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Tubby is correct, some very good racing. MOVs and any other penalties have been applied now so we have a clearer idea of the front runners.

1. #99 Cheap Shot Racing BMW - 38 laps

2. #20 North Loop BMW - 38

3. #83 Mayhem Racing Honda - 37

4. #9 Johnson Autosport BMW - 37

5. #88 JAB Motorsport VW Golf - 37

6. #70 Speed Doctors BMW

7. #13 Brain Nerds Porsche 944

8. #85 Nienow Racing Chev

9. #81 Team Party Cat Miata

10. #33 Tubby Butterman BMW

39 cars took the green flag.

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#95 has been in the pits several times.

#70 Speed Doctors BMW tangled with #81 Team Party Cat Miata & both suffered damage. #81 cut down a LR tire. while #70 is in the pits still trying to repair damage to the RF. Report is the BMW has a bent A-arm.

#24 Bear Patrol Lexus is out for the weekend with a blown head gasket.

#21 & #25 North Loop BMWs both in the paddock getting attention. #25 suffered a shifter linkage failure and it is being repaired. #21 blew a coolant hose.

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Two hours into the race and here are the standings:

1. #20 North Loop Motorsports BMW - 55 laps

2. #99 Cheap Shot BMW - 55

3. #09 Johnson Autosport BMW - 54

4.#88 JAB Motorsport VW - 54

5. #83 Mayhem Racing Honda - 54

6. #85 Nienow Racing Chevy - 54

7. #33 Tubby Butterman BMW - 54

8. #36 Ambitious but Rubbish BMW - 54

9. #35 Shake and Bake Toyota MR2 - 52

10. #01 My Little Pony Mustang - 52

And just after recording these standings, #99 BMW passed for the lead.

6.

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The heat is keeping the track greasy. Fine Sausage racing went off backwards at the entrance of the carousel into the swamp.

The Chevette moved over while I was out there in Turn 4 and dropped two wheels off, then spun off the track. They were ripping their rear subframe or equivalent out and the off track trip finished the job. They tore their brake lines out and they are repairing now. We'll see them back. Second team to borrow our welder.

Team Shake and Bake are battling a fuel problem. They are back out there now.

First Gear Garage is overheating and they have the radiator out. It's an e30 can be tricky to get all the air out.

North Loop #21 is parked and I don't see anyone working on it. It may be waiting for parts or done for the weekend.

I came through Turn 2 and passed JAB motorsport and their Golf pulling onto the grass without a left rearwheel.

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What? Nobody missed me for the past several hours? I was behind the wheel, which includes getting suited up waiting for the previous driver to come in, run a bunch of laps, came back in after an hour or so (I'm the old guy, I can pick my track time), then take about a half hour to relax, swap clothes, and cool down.

It took a few laps to get used to the car, but after a half hour or so my lap times were in the 2:04s, only a few seconds slower than a much younger driver who has raced in this car before. I came in a little early after spinning in turn 8, concerned that I might have a flat tire.

There are two hours to go, so time for an update:

1. #99 Cheap Shot Racing BMW - 143 laps

2. #33 - 142

3. #09 - 138

4. #51 - 137

5. #83 - 137

6. #36 - 136

7. #49 - 135

8. #66 - 135

9. #4 - 132

10. #63 - 131

14 - #01 Mustang - 119 laps

#20 North Loop BMW out for the day with a blown head gasket. The car was parked midway between the corner stations at turn 13 and turn 2, so could not be seen by race workers. It was there for over three laps before being rescued.

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This is exhausting work!

#36 Ambitious But Rubbish BMW and #99 Cheap Shot Racing BMW both have exhaust issues. It appears that a hanger or hangers have come off and the exhaust looks like there is nothing holding it on but the nuts at the exhaust manifold. With less than two hours to go, both teams have made their way to the pits for a final stop to change drivers, top off the fuel and make repairs.

#17 Chevette/Mitsubishi has been in several times with rear end problems.

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Just got out of the car. As tubby said track is greasy. Lots of fluid on windsheild from other cars.

I was black flagged, but was car behind me. Was feeling slight vibration in car on T12 and thought they seen something. Not the case went back on track and blew heal and toe going into T3 and went straight off in the sand with 2 ft in and back on track. Lots. Of cars going off 2 and 4 wheels. To many cars in cold pits getting worked on already.

Great time on the home track.

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Cats out of the bag. Drivers side rear wheel bearing is loose.

See how it goes.

And flipping Hyundia is fast. He dive bombed me in T12 and I passed him back 5 or 6 laps later. Wached his line to see if he was getting better bite than I was and where.

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One hour to go and Team Tubby Butterman has worked their way up to 1st place.

1. #33 Tubby Butterman BMW - 168 laps

2. #99 Cheap Shot Racing BMW - 166

3. #09 Johnson Autosport BMW - 163

4. #51 BAR BMW - 162

5. #83 Mayhem Racing Honda - 162

6. #49 Team Slugworks Honda - 160

7. #36 ABR BMW - 160

8. #81 Team Party Cat Miata - 155

9. #55 Binford More Power Chev - 154

10. #4 Nile Racing VW - 153

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More late race drama... #99 (2nd place) stopped into the pits for minor repairs to the exhaust. They did not lose a place.

#09 lost front brakes! Pads worn to the metal, caliper has popped and brake fluid leaking.

Late race yellow between turns 2 & 3.

Corner worker: There's a turtle on the track

Control: You say a car went turtle? Which number?

Corner worker: No, there is a large turtle trying to cross the track.

It was right where cars started braking for turn 3.

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  • Technical Advisory Committee

A three legged turtle?

On Saturday going around turn 2, a 4 legged dear ran strait at me and got all the way up to the track surface before darting back to the woods. The dear won the battle as I lifted first, the car got sideways doing about 90mph..... only a short time later the 3 legged turtle appeared on the entrance to turn 3.

On Sunday the knocking sounds spewing from our broken headers kept all wildlife at bay.

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