MDR News

Sept 8, 2009 “MDR: Go . . . No Go. ” First I want to say Thank You to any and all who came out to finally see the MDR Motorsports Impala hit the racetrack on Friday September 4th. And I will also say I am sorry it still didn’t. Kind of. It is a long story yet I am not surprised. The motor that is in the car now was actually built three years ago. It had little run time and no track time at all. I did not re-build it before I went to the track this year. When I was at practice Thursday August 20, 2009 I over heated the car and blew the head gaskets. I guess the damage was worse then I thought. It ran fine after the repairs but was actually still hurt. When we went to the track on the 4th, the car looked good, was all set up and ready to go. We even made it through tech with flying colours. Everything looked good to go. But, when I went out for the first practice, I made only seven laps before I lost total oil pressure. I had to stop before I killed the motor completely. So I made the decision my night was done before it actually started. Disappointment was felt by all in the MDR trailer. But it was what it was. And we all knew it.  “MDR Motorsports Plans.” Because there were so many challenges trying to get out for this season, and the support from my friends, family, and sponsors was great, and for some has covered a couple of years, I want to make good on the exposure my sponsors should have had this season. So now that the car is ready and good to go. I will build new motors and be ready from the start next season. I will leave all sponsorship programs in place for next season. Team marketing and sponsor exposure will be up a lot for next season because I will have more time to work on those programs. We will be able to compete in the season completely. There is new equipment and preparations all ready happening as I write this to make next season what it should be. I will contact each of you as my season starts to build again. Thank you again for all your support and look forward to next season. It will be funner then you think. Cheers… Sept 3, 2009  “MDR: It’s A Go . . . . ” The car is all fixed, set up, and ready for the trailer. I will be at the track tomorrow for sure. The car will be loaded and we are leaving the shop around 2:30 or so. I hope to see you all there. Thanks all for your patience and support. See you at the track . . . . . Cheers.       Sept 1, 2009 “MDR: Stuff. Un-Fricken-Real.”  So. As I had written in my last newsletter we were good to go and wouldn’t miss Fridays race on the 28th. After the practice on Thursday August 20th, some problems did come up and some stuff did let go during the shake down. I did fix all of those problems and was ready to go. In fact we were loading the car when the head gaskets let go and the car started to pump all it’s water out of the exhaust. I couldn’t believe it. The car was set. The trailer was loaded and ready. But I guess I did more damage then at first thought during the over heating at the practice. The car was hurt even while leaving the shop. I didn’t want to blow the motor completely, so I parked it.   On Monday August 31 I started the tear down. I was right and the head gaskets did let go. It is again fixed, and ready to go. I have to type “LOL” here. I just can’t help myself. Bad luck is all here. But I still want to race as much as I can this season no matter how many races are left. I have to apologize to all my family and friends and supporters that went to the track on the 28th to see the car go. I had no way to let every one know at 3:00 pm. So I guess it was what it was.   So now I intend to go to this coming Friday Sept 4. I guess we will see what happens. But I do know we will have all of these problems worked out for next season. We’ll be ready right from the start and compete for the points. I so look forward to that. Thanks again to all for your support and watch for the up dates to see what the last three races bring.  . . . . . . Cheers.    August 21, 2009 “MDR: Stuff.” So it has been a while again since my last up date. It is time. Here’s what’s new.     “The Long- Haul . . . Over. . . ”  So, the car is actually done and track ready. I was able to use the track on Thursday August 20, thanks so much to Derek Lynch, for some break in and some practice. It was a good day. The car did really well for the first time on the track, and so did I. My first time in the car again in almost seven years, it was really firkin cool. We were able to come to with in a second and a half of the quickest late model with only about 40 laps of practice. But there were some issues.  “The First Time” First I want to say thank you so much to Derek Lynch for allowing MDR Motorsports to use the track on Thursday. It was really cool and productive for the team. I had a lot of help from my wife Kim and my good friends Billy Armstrong and Randy Sovey plus two of my kids. Cass and Cory. Everyone did what was possible to make my time more productive while at the track. It was all really cool. Even after seven years and the first time on the track for this car I was within a second and a bit from the times of the quickest guy in the late models. So all is good. After some changes I am going to be at the race on Friday August 28. “IT IS A GO.”  With all the rain we really have only missed about seven races so far this year. But I do intend to make each of the last races of this season and compete for the full season next year now that the car is done. It is my intention to take all of my present sponsors with me into next season. It should be cool. Thanks again for all of the support and patience from my team, sponsors, and family. It has been a while. But it is all in preparation for next season. Let’s call it . . . . . . “The Big Show.” Next year is about points and competition. Thanks again everyone. I hope to see everyone next Friday night.  . . . . . Cheers. PS:  Click here for new pictures! July 27, 2009 “MDR: Completion is near”  O.K. It has been a while. I thought it was a good time to bring everyone up to speed as to where things are at now, and what’s all going on. So, here goes . . .        “The Long- Haul . . . ” So I knew this was going to be a challenge. And I was right. And I am up for it. Though I have to admit that I seriously under estimated the work needed for my present car to be legal at Kawartha, and I seriously over estimated the time I would have to get the car ready. Even my guys that help out have been on call, out of town, or other wise busy. So it has not been easy. A lot of late nights but I also have to admit I have had a lot of good nights and it has paid off. The car is very close to being ready. The drive train is in and running, the body is almost completed and there is a little vinyl yet to come. But otherwise very few details left. Things are looking good. “Final Stages.”  I want to thank all involved for their help, support, and patience thus far. I couldn’t do it without your help. And. I do have a new plan. It would appear to me that the car is going to be ready for a free practice day on August 5th. As long as Derek can let me do it then, after shaking the car down and running it in, and lots of pictures, we should make our first race on August 7th. A little better then half the season is gone, but almost half of it is also left. It should be a good show and I only like to do things one way. They’ll know we are there just the same. We will learn a lot and be ready for next season right from the get go. I will be in for the points and hope to take all my present sponsors with me next season as well. The count down begins . . . . 11 days and counting.  . . . . . Cheers..   June 22, 2009 More MDR Stuff at The Shop. Hello everyone. I hope all is well. It is time for the latest from the shop of MDR Motorsports.  I would like to start this newsletter by announcing the latest member of the MDR Motorsports sponsorship team. Tom Elliot and the guys at Kawartha Metals Corp have agreed to supply the team with quality metal products needed to finish the car now, and through out this coming season. Though I do have to say I hope we don’t really have that much need for new material too often once we do get going. No wreck is a good wreck. Rubbing is racing.  Thanks for the support Tom. “Where are we now?” Things are still progressing but there have been a couple of set backs that come as a result of making the decision to go racing so close to the start of the season. But we are up for the challenges and are still moving ahead. All is actually going according to plan for the most part. So I have no complaints. How ever as I had mentioned in an earlier newsletter my original intentions were to have my first open practice to run the car in on Wednesday, June 17, 2009, before going to our first race on June 19th. Obviously didn’t happen. At this point I want to let every one know we are getting ever closer and all is well. I will refrain from setting a new date until we clear our most recent set back. Though there was a problem with the chassis that meant the body had to come back off, all was finished up and all the body panels have now been painted and are ready to go back on the chassis. All the lettering is to be completed and dropped off Monday June 22. I will have some more pictures after the body has been re-installed. Now the waiting starts for some of the parts that are required to be legal at the track. This is what can change our dates quite easily. I hate waiting. The most important parts are the carb and the intake adapter. Which appear to have gone on back order. But I will keep you all up to date as things come available. We will keep working on the rest of the car. A new date will be announced soon. Thanks to all and check the web site for the latest info. Cheers . . . . .     June 12, 2009 Things are moving ahead quite well at the MDR Motorsports shop. More pictures of the build in the gallery.  To say things have been busy lately would be an understatement. Things were moving ahead really well until I discovered a problem with a part of my chassis that was going to affect how the body would mount up to it. It was not a good thing. So even though most of the body was all ready mounted, we had to take a lot of steps back so we could take even more steps forward. So even though it did add a lot of time to the work schedule, it has been dealt with and the car is now almost ready for paint and vinyl.  My plan is to have the body ready for paint at the beginning of this week. The vinyl isn’t ready yet but it too should be ready soon. So the last part of the clean up of the chassis changes should time out well while the body is back off for paint. I look forward to it being done and getting out on the track. Watch the MDR site, and newsletters, for the coming up dates. Count down is 7 days and counting to open practice Wednesday June 17, On another note, a great company has joined our team of sponsors. Wayne and the guys down at Vision Glass have agreed to supply MDR Motorsports with the Lexan that is going to be needed for the windows in the car. To learn more about Vision Glass, check the up dated sponsors page on the MDR site. It will be up dated soon. May 27, 2009  The next phase is in progress at the MDR garage. So as it was last sent out to every one, things are really starting to happen around the MDR Motorsports shop. Last Friday May 22 was the first open practice at Kawartha Speedway. A couple of the guys and myself attended so we could see the facilities and some of the competitors. It was a good show and the competition should be good. Can’t wait to get there. The build up of the new car is going very well. We have been spending as much time as possible getting the car ready. The body is almost ready to be removed from the car to be finish painted. The chassis changes are done and there is only some tin- work left to be done before the finish clean up on the chassis is also completed. Though there is still much to do, our intention is to finish and then go and run the car in during the week at a date before our first race. There may be some small changes to be made after that date but they should be minimal by that time. It is a shame I decided so late in the season to go race at Kawartha. I am afraid we will miss the first two actual events starting on May 29, but we should be ready for the race on June 19. It will be time to re-learn the car and set up information and get back up to speed. Hopefully the learning curve is a short one as it all comes back to me after each event. It sounds like a good plan.  Also, there are new pictures on the MDR Motorsports web site of the state of the car as it is now during the build up. Please go and check it out and see any more up dates and feel free to stop by Clark’s Automotive to say hi and check out the car. See you at the track soon! Cheers.       May 18, 2009 The next phase is about to start at the MDR garage.  More progress for the MDR crew. The new car body arrived and Dave and I drove to Hamilton on Saturday to pick it up. It is now at the shop and we are ready to start to free hang the body on the car so we can make the new body mounts. Soon after that will be the paint and vinyl. Progress in that area should happen more quickly now and there will be pictures as the car progresses.    Also I have to make a correction, and an announcement. On the past emails and MDR News Up Dates there was a web address for MDR Motorsports. This address was incorrect. That is an old address and doesn’t lead anywhere at present. Sorry for any confusion if you had tried to navigate there. Now the announcement part of this message is that the “Official” MDR Motorsports web site is up and operating again. The new address is www.MDRMOTORSPORTSRACING.COM. We are slowly starting to bring that site up to date but there is still some work to do. So please bare with us as it is a work in progress. But feel free to go and look around and get all up to date info for the team, our race results, pictures from the event, and special events announcements. Look for more news and up dates soon. Later . . . . .     May 14, 2009 So there is more news and progress from the MDR garage. First I want to take this opportunity to announce the two newest members to the MDR Motorsports team. Randy Sovey and Dave Clark. Both of which have been great customers of Clark’s Automotive and Performance, and really good friends for several years now. Both are aware of my past in racing and my wishes to go again ASAP, and when asked, both agreed to come on board and help. As we all know, it takes a team and lots of support to go do this, and with the help of Randy and Dave, it will be easier to be more competitive at each event. The learning curve for all should show more success more quickly. I look forward to working with Dave and Randy for this season, and many more to come.         As with many other sports it takes more then a car and a team to make the car fast. It also takes sponsors. And I want to take this opportunity to announce this coming season’s sponsor line up to date. Some of which have been with MDR motorsports on many levels as I raced in the past. Either way it has to be said that their support is an asset to the MDR Motorsports team now, in the past, and in the future. MDR Motorsports is proud to be associated with all these great companies. We want to welcome back, and welcome the new . . . . Welcome back . . . .  #1. Clark’s Automotive and Performance. #2. Goodwin Metals. #3. Zeebon’s Silkscreen and Signage. #4. Anderson Machine.    And Welcome to . . .  #1. Unlikely Source #2. Barry Twomey Floor Care #3. Mike Monahan Paints. #4. LeanandHealthy.ca   #5.  Vision Glass Another big step in the plans and progress at MDR Motorsports also took place today. Derek Lynch, head- race director at Kawartha Downs, was kind enough to take time from his busy schedule to come and meet with me today at the shop to discuss any required changes to our chassis to be legal at the track. As it is now because the chassis is a certified CASCAR chassis it is legal for the track here. The body is all ready off the chassis now, and we are good to start to go in the other direction now of putting it together in race trim. So this is good news for the team in saved work and time. Last bit. We are going to pick up our new car body this Saturday and then the real work begins. Watch for pictures and check the web site often for up dates and so on. Racing . . . . here we come . . . .  May 7, 2009 “ The New News for MDR Motorsports” And so it begins . . . . Hello everyone. As many of my friends and clients may or may not have known I used to race in a series known as “The CASCAR Super Series.” I started racing in that series in 1995 and ran several seasons of limited schedules as time and money would allow. Clark’s Automotive was the primary sponsor. As the series grew more serious, it became more and more difficult to stay there. At the same time both my business, and my family, were growing. So I decided to stop racing after the second race of the 2002 season and I haven’t been since. So now the news. I have managed to keep almost all of my racing equipment and I have decided I can’t stay away any longer. I am excited to announce that my race team, MDR Motorsports, is back in business and itching to go racing. Though it has only just begun, I have decided to convert my old CASCAR chassis to conform to the latest rules at Kawartha Speedway. With the help of several sponsors, friends, and my family, we intend to run the car every Friday night. There is also a new website being developed and there will be newsletters and info here as things do come around. So come by often and watch for the news as it happens. Later!!!