During the race season, Craig "Big Daddy" Ramich will chronicle the year's events and other important news.  Check back often, as we'll update this all year long.  For previous year's top stories: 2006 - click here; 2005 - click here; or 2004 - click here!  

Race 11 - September 23, 2006 - VMS "Keeping Your Nose Clean"

Feature (37th Annual Fall Classic) - Learning from some recent mistakes I decide not to change the setup on the car and leave the "loose" setup underneath me.  I start in 10th and try to slowly make my way forward for this 30 lap event.  I pass two cars early on and stay around 8th place, then get passed on a restart and fall back to 9th.  The track rewetted the surface again, so there is mud everywhere.  I put on six tear-offs but that's not going to be enough.  I go through three in the first few laps.  It is extremely difficult to see, and it is definitely no fun trying to drive at 100+ mph with no visibility.

After the second place car makes a mistake and drifts high, and the first place car breaks, I end up in 6th spot with only a few laps to go.  On the next restart, I dive beneath two cars and take over 4th spot only to have the caution fly.  I am unable to repeat the move and finish the final two laps stuck in 6th.  All in all, not a back finish.

Race 10 - September 22, 2006 - VMS "Finally, the Heats Are On"

Hot Lap Time Trials - This weekend marks the 37th Annual Fall Classic and the track decides to split up the show into two days.  I am not too thrilled with this situation, which doubles the amount of traveling for me.  To keep the track fresh, they have "killed it" with water and hot laps are like driving in a mud bog.  I time at 12th, which isn't as bad as it could have been.  I line up fifth in my heat.

Heat 1 - Racing against only half the field, I hope to make a charge to the front.  I make my way up to 4th in a few laps, then the 12 decides to bonsai into turn 3 and takes out himself and the 50.  I make it past and restart in third.  I hold my position a few laps but then make a mistake in turn 2 and the 37 and 50 get by.  I continue to work the 50 inside and outside, finally passing Eric (50) with two laps to go.  I hold on to finish 4th.

Race 9 - August 19, 2006 - VMS "Dialing Yourself Out"

Hot Lap Time Trials - I never really get comfortable in the car after another long break and I qualify 12th.  I will start outside row 6, fairly far back in the field.  I hope not to get caught up in "the Big One".

Feature - Assuming we will be running later in the evening, I change the car over to the "tight" setup for a slicker track.  We end up going out third and the track has held up really well.  This is not good for my setup, and the car is too tight for the entire race.  I adjust the break bias to the rear to get the car to turn and I am stuck in 8th place for the majority of the race.  I spin out with a handful of laps to go while trying to find a faster line around the track. I end up with a 10th place finish, disappointing but it was my own fault for "dialing myself out".

Race 8 - July 29, 2006 - VMS "Step in the Right Direction"

Hot Lap Time Trials - With a new set-up in the car, I am curious and excited to try my luck at my home track.  We actually get a true "hot lap" session before qualifying.  Even though the track is sloppy, it's a good opportunity for me to get comfortable in the car.  The new set-up is working well, as the car now will turn in the center of the corner, something it's never done well before.  I lead of the second pack of cars for time trials and put down the 8th fastest time.  With Brian Dobie picking an 8 pill, I start on the pole for the feature.

Feature - With very little time in between our time trials and feature, I am only able to change tire pressures and add fuel to the car before we are called to line up.  I really needed to put new tires on the car, as this set is four races old, but no time.

No wanting to ruin any of the point contenders day, I run into Turn 1 cautiously on the start.  James Snead (13) out drags me out of Turn 2 with Bret Hamilton in tow on the outside, so by lap 2 I'm in third.  A few more laps later and Brent Bordeaux and Brian Dobie get by on the inside entering into Turn 1.  It seems I am really leaving the bottom open there and not driving in hard enough, as that is where I am getting passed each time.  With only a handful of cautions along the way I settle down into 6th and 7th place over the remainder of the race.  It was alot of fun mixing it up with the front runners, and with a few more laps with this new set up I should be able to hold my own with these guys.  I end up finishing 6th overall, just beating Brent to the line at the checkers.  The car is in one piece, I learned alot, the setup is much closer and very driveable, and I had fun.  Can you ask for much more than that...I also get Rookie of the Race award for the fourth time in my career.

Race 7 - July 22, 2006 - VMS "The Black Clouds are Following..."

After a week of gorgeous weather, the rain clouds make their way up the coast again and rain out VMS this weekend.  Fortunately, next week the modifieds are running and a rare open weekend will allow me to run. 

Race 6 - July 2, 2006 - Tri-City Speedway "I Can't Get No..."

Racing on a limited schedule rarely allows for a back-to-back racing weekend.  This was to be the first time I have ever done this (Sharon to Tri-City), but mid-afternoon showers for the speedway to cancel racing this Sunday.  That makes it about 630+ miles of towing for about 20 laps of racing...

Race 5 - July 1, 2006 - Sharon Speedway "The Great NW Experiment"

After visiting Sharon Speedway in 2004, we attempt to race this tight 3/8-mile high-banked track located in Hartford, OH.  The last time we were here the racing looked "rough and tumble", and we are hoping to keep the car in one piece so we can race Sunday night at Tri-City Speedway in Franklin, PA.  With the 4-barrel carb and mufflers bolted on, we try our luck this 4th of July weekend.

Heat #1 - On this night, the E-Mods (as they are called in this neck of the woods) do not have hot laps so I asked to be placed to the rear of my heat to get familiar with the surface.  The track is unusually wet, and entering turn 1 it seems like the entire track surface is thrust onto my face shield.  I barely have enough time to rip the tear-off to see where I'm going into turn 1.  After a lap or so, I approach the car ahead of me to pass.  As we enter turn 3, the 56 pushes up and I duck underneath, only to get body-slammed on the passenger side.  I pulled off into the infield as the steering wheel just feels wrong.  Since there are only 22 cars this evening, I do not need to finish the heat to make the feature...I place last.

When I get to the pits, it seems that the contact has broken the upper A-arm mount and bent the shock.  Fortunately I have a spare set and replace it for the feature, which I will start dead last.  I don't even want to think of what would have happened if I wouldn't have pulled off, likely the right front would have folded under and I would have been in a world of hurt.

Feature - The track has slicked up considerably since my heat, which this car seems to like.  I am cautious on the start, and stay in touch with the rear of the field.  By lap 2, I have passed two cars.  A few laps later, a wreck in turn 4 takes out three or four cars, and I barely miss the wreck by shooting up high in turn 4.

On the double-file restart, I am actually up to 10th or so, but my inexperience at this track has me running too high and I get passed by two or three cars.  I end up running in 12th by myself for several laps.  By lap 12 (of 15 total), I am trying different lines and braking and end up spinning by myself.  I restart 15th, and pass a car on the last turn at the checkers.  All in all, not a horrible night of racing, and the car is intact for tomorrow's race. 

Race 4 - June 10, 2006 - VMS "Back to the Drawing Board"

Hot Lap Time Trials - Again, I am struggling in hot laps.  The car is tight and I can't drive from the middle off.  I qualify 12th out of 20 cars.  Another long night of passing cars again. After changing out the radiator and cap, it seems like we've got the overheating licked as the car stays around 190F during hot laps.

Feature - The track appears to have slicked up, which this car seems to like better than a tacky surface.  Heading into turn 1, I pass two cars on the first lap, then over the next few pick off two more.  By now I'm up to 8th after the first caution.  I pass another car and another takes a spin, and I'm up to 6th by lap 10.  Now I'm running up with the lead pack, and cars are dancing around like bees around the hive.  The 50 car (Eric Erwin) seems to keep from plowing into the wall on every lap, but every time he catches it and keeps going.  Brian Dobie (10) is giving me alot of pressure on the inside and almost makes the pass two or three times, but I hold him off (Thanks for racing me clean, Brian!).

On the next caution I check the temperature gauge, which is climbing to 220F and above.  I'm really bummed as it looks like we didn't get the problem after all.  A few more laps and I'm nearly under Paige Harrison (71) for 5th, but the temperature gauge is now at 250F and I pull off to save the motor.  We have to get this fixed before our next race, as I am now running back up in the lead pack and can't keep pulling off when a top 5, or even top 3 is in sight. [Note: we determined this was simply a worn fan belt, and all appears to be well.]

Promo Event 1  - June 8, 2006 - Telelink Communications, Herndon, VA

Our good friends at Telelink Communications celebrated their 20th year anniversary and recent move to more spacious offices in Herndon, VA, with a wonderful party and gathering of friends, clients, and well wishers.  The Positive Image modified appeared at the event with Telelink logos adorning the hood and rear quarter panels.  Most in attendance had never seen a dirt race car in person before, and many were surprised (uh, scared) by how loud the car is.  Two Herndon police captains in attendance gave the "thumbs up" to starting the car...the Herndon Police station is headquartered next door to Telelink.  For office communication solutions, your one-stop shop is Telelink Communications!  Thanks to Cheryl and Russ Corser for the invite!

Race 3 - May 27, 2006 - VMS "Hot, Hot, Hot"

Hot Lap Time Trials - After 2 months away from the track, we are excited about starting the 2006 season.  We make only a few changes to the car, and I pick the #1 pill for hot lap qualifying.  This means I am on the pole for hot laps.  Unfortunately, I just can't get comfortable and end up qualifying 16th, the worst I have ever done at the track.

Feature - Starting further back in the field, I am cautious at the start to avoid any big wrecks.  Before a lap is in the record books, three cars get together ahead of me (no major damage to any of them), and I move up to 13th.  The car started overheating at this year's first practice, and was doing it again in hot laps.  Now run full bore in the feature, the water temperature keeps rising.  I keep an eye on the temperature gauge as much as I can.

After passing three more cars under the next green flag racing, I am up to 10th and working on the 9th place car.  A caution comes out and I check the temperature - its at 230 and rising.  I give the car one more shot with two more laps under green, but pull off at lap 13 to prevent killing the motor.  Mostly a disappointing night, I finish 17th.  We think the overheating is a combination of a loose fan belt and beat-up radiator, so we are fixing all of this and hoping that it corrects the overheating (which we have never had a problem).

Race 2 - April 22, 2006 - VMS "The Frustration Continues..."

Again, the week before this race, the weather is beautiful.  However, downpours cancel this weekend early again.  With an off week for the Cup race in Richmond, followed by our family vacation, our season will now not start until Memorial Day Weekend (May 27).

Race 1 - March 24, 2007 - VMS "27th to 6th to Last"

Hot Lap Time Trials - Having spent the week trying to figure out what electrical problem we had, we were looking forward to getting some hot laps on the car with the new setup. Again, we suffered an electrical problem - this time the distributor rotor dislodged and disintegrated in the cap before I got in one lap.  As a result, I would start 27th in the 30 car field.

Feature - With no hot laps on the car and still unsure of the motor, I race very cautiously for the first few laps and pick off a few cars.  Numerous cautions help me improve my position, and the car likes running the high side with this setup.  About halfway through the race I am up to 10th place, then with 5 to go up to 6th.  I have a great battle with Paige Harrison (71), and can't get by him to settle for 6th at the checkers.  After the race we cross the scales and weigh in at 2,446 lbs, with the minimum being 2,450 lbs.  All of the caution laps burned off more fuel than I expected, and we were basically 1/2 gallon of gas light.  Officially, I am posted as finishing 29th.

Practice - March 17, 2007 - VMS "New Kinds of Problems"

After switching over to a new setup for this year, we were optimistic that the car would perform better.  Unfortunately, during the first practice session the upper ball joint of the right front sheared off and we missed the second practice session fixing it.  Going out for the third practice the car was missing badly, which we later discovered was water in the distributor.

Home    Sponsors     Bio    Equipment    Photos    Results-2006    Schedule/Results   Merchandise    News       Ride/Tag-A-Long   About Positive Image Racing