Hey, Crash, Burn.. you guys going to make it?

Rig's loaded up and ready to go.

The Gryphin Racing Team should be in Powell by noon today..

Directions - go from Powell north towards Beaver (away from Cody).. about 5 miles out you'll see a sign for the race, turn left.. go 3/4 mile on dirt road to next sign.. watch for dust and lots of 4x4s. :D

For the rest of you - :bounce: - I'm gonna go play. :D

Keep the rig in one piece this time:flipoff2:

Originally posted by jdjanda
Keep the rig in one piece this time:flipoff2:

Well, that's the goal!

Not sure where the next weak point is going to be.

Got the new pitman arm installed last night, just need to mount up the TRE to the passenger knuckle now.. tho' I'm also getting a longer center-sleeve when I get to Powell, WY - the one I have is a bit short.

That should eliminate the steering-box-as-bump-stop problem.

Front end was upgraded to 3/8" center pins and the front axle is trussed.

Didn't gusset the end-yokes ("C"s) though..

New axle U-joints, new driveshaft U-joints.. everything's been greased.. the RS spring hangers survived the destruction of the front axle, so they seem to be good to go. :D

I think the hardlines from the m/c to the prop valve are the next upgrade to do.. I still haven't ordered the right fittings and hoses from Earls to make that flexible.

Reminds me I was going to space the prop valve out a little more - the Billsteins might hit it at full stuff.

In any case, I'm hoping to give it a work out this weekend.. and if it stays together well, it might get VERY interesting in Billings next month with some more confidence. :D

Show em what a real plow can do!!! ;)

Originally posted by jdjanda
Keep the rig in one piece this time:flipoff2:

You jinxed me! :flipoff2:

Tow down was uneventful thanks to the Travelette. Managed to roll into the race site around 10:30pm Friday night.. unloaded the racer, unhitched, BSed at the campfire for a few, then headed into Powell to find a hotel room. :)

Saturday - I lost every one of my drag races. Of course, I was running a few higher brackets than I should've been in.. not that it mattered.

Several 7.0x second 100-yard times. Just can't get under 7.. yet. Might be time to try some 33s for a little more top end.

Michelle took 1st place in her bracket - and the women ran first. She didn't want to try drag racing, we had to push a bit to get her to finally agree to try it out.. but only one bracket..

After her two passes (and two wins) she came back with a big grin and said, "That was *FUN*!!" and wanted to go again. :-)

http://tigger.tmcom.com/~tsm1/scout/jpg/racing/5_27_2002/michelle_returning_from_drags.jpg

Gryphin Racing made the trip up from Denver with both Gryphin and Banshee.

Jenn and Pansy ran Gryphin in the drags and did well enough to earn themselves trophies (everyone in our group but me managed to get a trophy.. hmmm...), Mr.C ran Banshee in the drags, but the Demon wouldn't idle and kept giving him fits.

Kathy K. ran Pits in the drags to a second place finish - then broke the shifter cable so Makkat had to run stuck in 2nd gear. ;)

Fortunately, I had a spare for them.

Banshee ended up snapping the throttle cable - then we found a junkyard just down the road and bought two spares (since NAPA closed at 4pm.. and they got there at 4:10.)

Blair was trying out his new 300-6/4spd combo in his Bronco.. smoked his brand new (installed the night before) Tom Wood's driveshaft when the pinion yoke let loose. He found the junkyard before us. :-)

I didn't break anything on Saturday.

Sunday was the Obstacle and Baja. MUDDY obstacle course.

First 4 or 5 rigs on the course didn't make it out - didn't even make it 1/3 of the way. It was looking pretty dismal when Jennifer Comer took Banshee for a ride. First time Jen had driven Banshee, and Banshee was built for straight line mud racing, not obstacle.. stock suspension with a RS, 400SBC, 35" Claws, and lockers.

Seemed to be the right combo. She was the first to make it through. The long soupy muddy stretch just required a liberal application of the loud pedal and enough motor to make it work. She was the first person through.. and Mr.C followed that up by being only the second man to in Sportsman to finish the course, netting him 2nd place - third went to the guy that got stuck the farthest down the course.

Mr.C - more right foot..

http://tigger.tmcom.com/~tsm1/scout/jpg/racing/5_27_2002/mrc_obst_2.jpg
http://tigger.tmcom.com/~tsm1/scout/jpg/racing/5_27_2002/mrc_obst_4.jpg




Me? I fell into the same hole everyone else did. I tried to go wide around the deepest part, but I guess I didn't go wide enough. I remember dropping into a couple holes and thinking "uh oh".. but more right foot and I bounced out of it and pulled ahead to fall into another.. and another.. until I found one that was too deep for 31s and I'd lost enough momentum to just banzai through.
http://tigger.tmcom.com/~tsm1/scout/jpg/racing/5_27_2002/tom_obst_start.jpg
http://tigger.tmcom.com/~tsm1/scout/jpg/racing/5_27_2002/tom_obst_2.jpg


http://tigger.tmcom.com/~tsm1/scout/jpg/racing/5_27_2002/tom_obst_mud_4.jpg


When forward motion stopped, I thought I'd give backwards a try.. just seconds later I realized the error in my ways as a wall of mud covered both Michelle and me. Being a slow learner, I tried a forward gear again.. and since we were already covered, let's try reverse and see-saw the wheel some..

Nope, that's not gonna work. Let's call the tractor..

http://tigger.tmcom.com/~tsm1/scout/jpg/racing/5_27_2002/tom_obst_mud_5.jpg

Too deep for 31s, and open diffs probably hurt me there, too.

Since I didn't get to play too much, I signed up for the 30min Baja race - along with Mr.C in Banshee and Mark in Pits. Three Scout IIs, plus two 80s Broncos.

I took Jenn Comer for a ride.. she later indicated she was a little concerned about going turtle on a few of the corners. :D

We made one lap. I hit the brakes to slow down on a particularly rough corner, and bottomed the front suspension as I fell into a hole and felt a THUD.. shortly after that, the t'case started making noises and it wasn't much farther that I was trying to hold the transfer case against the transmission and limp back to the pits.. and didn't make it.

Finally, I think my driveshaft is just a bit too long at full stuff. You'd think I'd have learned this by now.. but every other time I've pop'd the t'case apart it was been in conjunction with something else - front springs breaking, front axle housing breaking.. this time, everything but the t'case and adapter are fine.

Stopped at the junkyard again on my way home and bought another Dana 20. :D

The other Scouts fared much better. Banshee tore away from the starting line and smoked everyone from the get-go, but gave up first position around 1/2 lap in.

Both Broncos broke. One got back in the game a few laps down.

Mr.C had to pit and refeul (4gal fuel cell) and lost a lap to Mark in Pits.. but passed him with 1/4 lap to go and took 1st, with Mark taking 2nd place, and Mike Nunn's Bronco in 3rd. I took dead last, yet again.

Still.. it was fun. :D

Three weeks to change out the t'case and adapter, have the driveshaft shortened, and make some better rear shock mounts and/or stop using the shocks as limiting straps...

Videos available here (http://tigger.tmcom.com/~tsm1/scout/jpg/racing/5_27_2002/)

Hey there, sorry to bring up an OLD OLD thread but was doing some searching and found Powell. I am from Powell and am currently the club president. Still play alot out at the track but the club has really dwindled and not a whole lot of interest in the track. Are any of ya'll from around this neck of the woods?

Hey there, sorry to bring up an OLD OLD thread but was doing some searching and found Powell. I am from Powell and am currently the club president. Still play alot out at the track but the club has really dwindled and not a whole lot of interest in the track. Are any of ya'll from around this neck of the woods?

I'm from Helena, and President of the Frontier 4-Wheelers of Helena, and now Pres of the M4x4A as well... and I'd REALLY like a chance to come race in Powell again. :D

But even more than that, let me know if you ever have to sell it.. that's a long way to go, but a fun place to play... and worth the drive. :D

Only about a year since I've been down to Powell.. we went to a wedding outside Cody last year.

-Tom Mandera

We are trying to hold on as long as we can. We have had a couple new members in the last couple months which is really good. If you ever want to come down give me an e-mail and can see what we can do