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VALDOSTA, Ga. - Even the most seasoned professional baseball players take a few swings in spring training. IHRA Pro Stock world champion Robert Patrick admits the same principle applies to the high horsepower world of the drag racer.
Patrick is one of at least 130 professional and sportsman drivers expected to converge on South Georgia Motorsports Park, March 6 - 8, for the 9th annual CSR Eastern Spring Test Nationals presented by Torco's CompetitionPlus.com.
This traditional organized test session tannually brings together the top teams of both the National Hot Rod Association and International Hot Rod Association sanctions. Many of these professional teams use this crucial test session as a springboard to secure championships.
Patrick was present at the 2007 ESTN event and paced the IHRA's mountain motor Pro Stock format for much of the weekend.
"I think it's a great event for me and all the fellow racers in every category that's going to be there," said Patrick. "SGMP has a first class track to test on where you can make a change in the car.
"If you want to try a set of carburetors -- if you want to try a different style header or try a different gear combination, you have that opportunity. Most of the time the track is consistent enough to where you can see the results and you're not fighting the track just to get down it. Also there's other guys in the class that are testing for the first race and their running at legal weight so you can kind of compare off what you're doing. I think ESTN is essential to all the teams to have a good test session to where you can go out and learn something."
The 2007 ESTN provided a "second-chance" of sorts for Patrick when he destroyed an engine prior to the IHRA season opener in San Antonio, Texas. He was able to bring a "beater" engine in and make some laps that proved crucial to establishing a baseline when the season began later in March 2007.
Patrick admitted this first test opportunity provides the first opportunity for the IHRA competitors, whose season begins a month later in San Antonio, Texas, to gauge their off-season progress.
"We had to put a motor together that was our worst block and our worst set of cylinder heads and we went down there and made some runs," Patrick recalled. "I was kind of looking around I'm sure some people read on the Internet and drew their conclusion some cars had closed the performance advantage we had. We knew what we had in the car as far as our block and cylinder head. We were able to run some intakes and some carburetors and run some gear ratios.
"That all applied until San Antonio and we put one of our race motors in and we basically just had a test motor in. That's what we went down there and did. There were some cars that out run us. We applied what we learned at the test session at San Antonio. If you look at the qualifying sheet we were number one qualifier by 2 hundredths. That's what I think a lot of people get caught up in is that they go to these test sessions and they just want to light the scoreboard up for an ego trip and be the fastest instead of going down there and sticking to a game plan."
Patrick contends there will be little time for "hero" runs during the three days of testing for his team.
"We'll have two pages of stuff that we're going to try as far as testing there," Patrick admitted. "I don't really care if Pete Berner or whoever goes out and runs a 6.25 and I'm running a 6.31, I'm going to stick to what I came down there to test as far as intakes, carburetors, headers and what I'm going to do. I'm going to try to learn from that so that I can apply that to my combination going into the first race."
The 2008 CSR ESTN presented by Torco's CompetitionPlus.com event kicks off on Thursday, March 6, 2008 with open testing. Friday's marathon test day will feature 12 hours of testing and conclude under the lights. Saturday's action will conclude the event with three sessions of A "Chicago Style" format.
The popular Fast News Network will chronicle the weekend's runs and post on DRAG RACE CENTRAL.
To see the complete pre-entry list and news about the event - visit Torco's CompetitionPlus.com - ESTN Event Page
The official SGMP website is SOUTH GEORGIA MOTORSPORTS PARK.
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TICKET PRICES
Ticket Prices
FRIDAY ADULT - $10
Children 8 - 15 - $5
SATURDAY ADULT - $20
Children 8 - 15 - $10
TWO DAY PASS
ADULT - $25
CHILD - $10
TESTING FEES (where applicable)
If a team makes three runs on Saturday - Thursday, Friday and Saturday testing is free.
Testing is $300 per day during ESTN, (racers not participating on Saturday)
Sunday - Wednesday testing.
$200 per day, if a team participates in ESTN Chicago Style event.
Related Websites
Torco's CompetitionPlus.com CSR Performance Products
Track Facts Need to order fuel?
South Georgia Motorsports Park
CSR Performance Products
IHRA PRO STOCK CHAMPION LOOKING FOR STRONG TIMES WITH SPRING TUNE-UP
VALDOSTA, Ga. - Even the most seasoned professional baseball players take a few swings in spring training. IHRA Pro Stock world champion Robert Patrick admits the same principle applies to the high horsepower world of the drag racer.
Patrick is one of at least 130 professional and sportsman drivers expected to converge on South Georgia Motorsports Park, March 6 - 8, for the 9th annual CSR Eastern Spring Test Nationals presented by Torco's CompetitionPlus.com.
This traditional organized test session tannually brings together the top teams of both the National Hot Rod Association and International Hot Rod Association sanctions. Many of these professional teams use this crucial test session as a springboard to secure championships.
Patrick was present at the 2007 ESTN event and paced the IHRA's mountain motor Pro Stock format for much of the weekend.
"I think it's a great event for me and all the fellow racers in every category that's going to be there," said Patrick. "SGMP has a first class track to test on where you can make a change in the car.
"If you want to try a set of carburetors -- if you want to try a different style header or try a different gear combination, you have that opportunity. Most of the time the track is consistent enough to where you can see the results and you're not fighting the track just to get down it. Also there's other guys in the class that are testing for the first race and their running at legal weight so you can kind of compare off what you're doing. I think ESTN is essential to all the teams to have a good test session to where you can go out and learn something."
The 2007 ESTN provided a "second-chance" of sorts for Patrick when he destroyed an engine prior to the IHRA season opener in San Antonio, Texas. He was able to bring a "beater" engine in and make some laps that proved crucial to establishing a baseline when the season began later in March 2007.
Patrick admitted this first test opportunity provides the first opportunity for the IHRA competitors, whose season begins a month later in San Antonio, Texas, to gauge their off-season progress.
"We had to put a motor together that was our worst block and our worst set of cylinder heads and we went down there and made some runs," Patrick recalled. "I was kind of looking around I'm sure some people read on the Internet and drew their conclusion some cars had closed the performance advantage we had. We knew what we had in the car as far as our block and cylinder head. We were able to run some intakes and some carburetors and run some gear ratios.
"That all applied until San Antonio and we put one of our race motors in and we basically just had a test motor in. That's what we went down there and did. There were some cars that out run us. We applied what we learned at the test session at San Antonio. If you look at the qualifying sheet we were number one qualifier by 2 hundredths. That's what I think a lot of people get caught up in is that they go to these test sessions and they just want to light the scoreboard up for an ego trip and be the fastest instead of going down there and sticking to a game plan."
Patrick contends there will be little time for "hero" runs during the three days of testing for his team.
"We'll have two pages of stuff that we're going to try as far as testing there," Patrick admitted. "I don't really care if Pete Berner or whoever goes out and runs a 6.25 and I'm running a 6.31, I'm going to stick to what I came down there to test as far as intakes, carburetors, headers and what I'm going to do. I'm going to try to learn from that so that I can apply that to my combination going into the first race."
The 2008 CSR ESTN presented by Torco's CompetitionPlus.com event kicks off on Thursday, March 6, 2008 with open testing. Friday's marathon test day will feature 12 hours of testing and conclude under the lights. Saturday's action will conclude the event with three sessions of A "Chicago Style" format.
The popular Fast News Network will chronicle the weekend's runs and post on DRAG RACE CENTRAL.
To see the complete pre-entry list and news about the event - visit Torco's CompetitionPlus.com - ESTN Event Page
The official SGMP website is SOUTH GEORGIA MOTORSPORTS PARK.
#######################################
TICKET PRICES
Ticket Prices
FRIDAY ADULT - $10
Children 8 - 15 - $5
SATURDAY ADULT - $20
Children 8 - 15 - $10
TWO DAY PASS
ADULT - $25
CHILD - $10
TESTING FEES (where applicable)
If a team makes three runs on Saturday - Thursday, Friday and Saturday testing is free.
Testing is $300 per day during ESTN, (racers not participating on Saturday)
Sunday - Wednesday testing.
$200 per day, if a team participates in ESTN Chicago Style event.
Related Websites
Torco's CompetitionPlus.com CSR Performance Products
Track Facts Need to order fuel?
South Georgia Motorsports Park
CSR Performance Products
