Rookie of the Year
Bay Cities Racing Associaton 2008
October 4, 2008
Well the final 2 nights of back to back racing scheduled for Marysville were rained out this year. Many were disappointmented as they were hoping to make that final push to move up in the point’s standings.
This has been an exciting year in racing for Green Motorsports with Cory’s debut into mini sprint racing.
Things we have learned this year:
* Show up early to find a parking place
* Bring lots of spare parts
* Don’t miss any races
* Bring lots of spare parts
* Buy your tear offs before you get to the track
* Bring lots of spare parts
We had a great year and are very pleased with Cory and his entry into the dirt track world. It is huge difference from drag racing but every bit as exciting.
Cory finished in 4th place in the points this year and will also receive the Rookie of the Year award. Great job Cory!
We are all looking forward to the off season to catch up on some much needed rest.
Running 3 cars this year, the midget lite, the funny car and the dragster has keep us very busy this season. (Also broke!) We will be working to rebuild the motors in all three cars during the off season. The SAG Team took the funny car to
I would like to thank everyone who helped us this year to make it such a success.
From all of our friends who showed up at the track and helped out to our fellow racers who loaned us parts and helped us work on the car to get us back out there just in the nick of time, we can’t thank you enough.
It has been a pleasure to get to know all of you and our bonus to call you friends.
See you all next season!
Funny Car Well another busy weekend of racing!
Governor Cup 2008
September 19-20, 2008
Click here to see more pictures and video of the race.
This time it is back in the funny car for the annual Governor’s Cup held here in
CIFCA (California Independent Funny Car Association) lowered the index for the funny cars from 7.50 to 7.20 beginning with this race. What does that mean…it means the first one to cross the finish without going faster than 7.2 seconds in a quarter mile! It also means faster speeds and tougher competition.
Since we had been running for the last couple of years with a 7.5 second index this meant that we would have to make some changes to the car to make it run faster. Friday during testing the car ran a very fast 7.04 seconds and 195 mph. A little bit too fast but close to where we need to be. A few minor adjustment and Saturday’s second round of qualifying was better with a 7.294 second run at 191.5 mph.
After both sessions had ended Cory qualified 7th quickest which assured him lane choice for the 1st round.
First round of eliminations Cory had a great reaction time as he left the line but his foot slipped off the gas pedal and he had to make up the difference which he did, overcoming the other car as they crossed the finish line for the win with a 7.45 seconds and 190 mph.
Cory also heard a noise in the car during the round so they inspected everything and found that the converter bolts in the transmission had worked loose and the shield had shifted so they fixed both problems and prepared for round 2 of eliminations.
Round 2 of eliminations found Cory paired up with a car that had run the numbers all day. As they left the line, Cory got the starting line advantage with a quicker reaction time and it was a true drag race, side by side all the way down the track. To close to tell who won we waited for the lights and as the win light went to the other car. The times came up to show that Cory although he had crossed the finish line first had ran a too fast 7.199 to the other guys 7.202 so the other car won. 1 one thousandth of a second to fast! What a huge disappointment. But what a close race!
It doesn’t get any closer than that….1 one thousandth of a second!
Cory had done his job well... best reaction times all day, ran great races, it all comes down to 1 one thousandth of a second! That's drag racing!
The entire SAG team worked very hard this weekend and had a great showing at the race and we all had a great time. Great Job! Now get some rest!
Results for Bakersfield
September 13, 2008
Click here to watch the qualifying run and all 3 of the wrecks.
Click here to watch the qualifying run and all 3 of the wrecks!
With only 3 races left in the season this would be our first trip to Bakersfield Speedway over 266 miles and over a 4 hour drive away we headed south for the race.
This event was co-sanctioned with another race club from
After qualifying Cory found he would start in the 4th heat out of 4. Only the top 4 cars from each heat would transfer to the A main, the remainder would have to run the B main and only the top 4 from the B would then transfer to the A main.
As we watched the heat races leading up to Cory’s it became very apparent that the So Cal boys had a very aggressive style of driving and would do anything to win. As Cory took to the track for the heat race we watched with much anticipation. The racing was intense as everyone was fighting for their spot but as the checkered flag flew Cory held on to finish 4th assuring himself an A Main start! Great Job CORY!
The B main was run and the top drivers transferred so the A main event was set. Cory starting in 15th was just hoping to survive the 25 laps that were set for the race.
Right off the start on lap one a big wreck showed up in turns 3 & 4. Cory somehow managed to avoid the pileup by going high and then when a car flipped in front of him dove to the bottom and escaped once again. With less than one lap complete they lined them up for a complete restart. This time the big wreck happened between turn 1 and 2 on the first lap. With about 5 cars involved once again Cory did some amazing driving to avoid the pileup. It seemed as though this race was going to last all night if they couldn’t manage to even get in 1 lap. So once again a complete restart and Cory now found himself in the 5th starting spot as the green flag dropped. The wreck of the night showed up next as they made it almost to turn 3 when one of the So Cal drivers tried to pass Cory on the outside but instead rode up on Cory’s right rear tire and launched his car 15 feet and directly into the wall above them exploding on impact and causing Cory to spin and almost go over too. Parts from the guy’s car landed in Cory’s car as Cory was now sitting the wrong way on the track and wondered what had just happened.
The officials told Cory to go to the work area as he had some wing damage and a completely destroyed right rear tire. We raced back to the trailer and with the help of one of our fellow race crew members (Thanks Keith!) was able to get the tire changed and the wing straightened just in time to get Cory back on the track in time for the green flag. With so many accidents and time becoming an issue the track decided to shorten the race to only 15 laps. Cory now starting in the rear of the pack only had a few laps to try and get back up front but with the spare tire not the right size the car was not quite as good as before Cory managed to climb back to finished in 15th place. He survived the wrecks and held onto his lead in points for “ROOKIE of the YEAR” so he had done his job well for the night.
The next 2 races will finalize the standings for the championship. Cory now stands in 4th place overall and hopes to hold onto that so stay tuned for the final races set for 2 nights of back to back racing at Marysville for the finale.
Results for Placerville
August 30, 2008
Click Here to see more pictures of Placerville and watch the heat race
Placerville has always been Cory’s favorite track to run and things started out very well. Cory ran the quickest time the car has ever run, was quick time in his heat, and finished 2nd in the heat race.
But….(there always seems to be a but) the main event things changed.
Cory was on the front row next to the fastest car of the night. As the green flag dropped the race began and Cory was definitely ready to race as the 2 front cars left the rest of the pack behind by the 2 lap, but…lap 3 the motor let go and Cory lost power coming into turn 1. He knew something was seriously wrong and drove the car off the track back to the trailer. The 53c was finished for the night. After dismantling the motor…well…this motor is done, over, finished, wore out, DEAD! It drove the exhaust valve clear through the piston. We have rebuilt this motor several times and it has done a fine job for Cory and the 53c keeping him top 5 in the points all year. We will have a moment of gratitude as we say goodbye to the old gal… But it is definitely time for a new motor. Looks like it will be back to the stock Honda spare motor. There are 3 races left in the season and Cory is still leading the points for “Rookie of the Year” and holding on to 4th place in the race for the championship but there is no room to miss a race so I am sure we will be there in
Piston after the race...don't think this one is fixable!
Results for Petaluma
August 16, 2008
Click here to watch the heat race
Well what a week it has been. The blown head gasket proved to be a real challenge this week. Before they began there was some concern that the motor had gotten pretty hot the week before. When the guys went to change the head gasket they found the head bolts had expanded and stripped out. (1st sign the motor had gotten really hot!)
So they had to re-tapped the head. They also discovered that the temperature gage was bad. (2nd sign the motor had gotten really hot!)
After installing the new head gasket and new head bolts they also discovered that the chain has about 10 links that were bent. Cory had been fighting the chain for the last few weeks so this confirmed the problem. Chasing around on Saturday morning before the race to get parts to fix the chain took us to two different stores to find links. But finally the chain was fixed and Cory took the car around the block for a test run. He made it about half way around the block when the motor locked up and the car came to an abrupt stop…(3rd and final sign the motor had gotten really hot!)
Well it is now 12 noon and we are supposed to leave for
Well it was our last hope to make the race so Cory and Randy quickly began removing the old and preparing the new motor to be installed. Since the motor hadn’t ever been in the car yet it took some doing to make the switch. But at 2:05 pm they finished and Cory turned the ignition and IT STARTED! Cory took it for a quick test run around the block and they loaded it in the trailer. We headed for
This is a new track for Cory and running non-wing is not his preference but Cory was pretty excited after running hot laps and said he thought the motor was good. Not super fast but good enough to get him through the race. The points chase is very close for the top ten this year so missing a race would jeopardize his standings.
Cory ran a great heat race taking 3rd place. The main event found the car loose coming out of the corners but Cory held on to take a 10th place finish.
We are very happy with Cory’s performance at
Cory and Randy worked hard all week to get the car ready to race. Many times it seemed as though they wouldn’t make it but in the end it all worked out! Great job all!
Results for Placerville
August 9, 2008
Cory and his good friend Chris Glass
Well this was a good week for Cory at
The heat race was pretty uneventful as Cory started and finished in 8th place.
Cory decided after the heat to make some adjustment to the car and his calculations were correct. Starting in 15th place in the main event and finishing in 6th place we were all very happy with the outcome.
After the results of this race Cory made up some ground and is still leading the Rookie points by 69 and holding tight to his 4th place overall in point standings for the 2008 season. There are only 5 races left in the season so GO CORY!
Unfortunately the 53c again was pushing white smoke for the last few laps of the race and after further inspection after the race found it had blown out a head gasket.
So Green Motorsports was busy tearing down the motor and ordering parts as the next race is just 6 days away in
See you in
Results for Antioch
July 26, 2008
Click here for more pictures and video of the Antioch Race
It has been a rough week of racing for Cory. First the fire in the funny car last Saturday and one week later we return to Cory’s most reviled track to race…Antioch Speedway.
The heat race began with Cory starting on the outside front row and lead the heat through several laps, finally passed by 2 cars and a 3rd car bumped the 53c coming into turn 2 pushing Cory up the track allowing 3 more cars to pass on the bottom on the final lap of the heat. Cory finished in 6th place for the heat.
You could feel the tension as the mini sprints lined up for the main event. Cory again starting on the outside of row 1 the race was off to a fast start as Cory and the lead car came around the track side by side and barreling into turn 4 the 53c caught some nasty ruts and began a series of wild flips finally landing on its wheels. Cory climbed from the car and walked off the track as his car was hauled away on the tow truck.
Cory’s first complaints were to his back and buttocks. After examining the car we all knew why. The rear end had broken lose and the brake rotor had actually slammed through the bottom of the seat not only caving it in but tearing a gash in it as well. A perilous sight in a race car anytime the integrity of your car is compromised. Cory was extremely fortunate to not have been seriously hurt.
Disappointed and angry all at the same time Cory conceded that his night was finished.
We will...assess the damage..rebuild what’s broke..give Cory a couple of weeks to recover…and see you all in
Results for Funny Car Shoot Out
Redding, CA July 19, 2008
Photo byBrandi Green
Click Here to see more pictures of the Funny Car Shoot Out
While the mini’s sprints were on a break Cory and the SAG RACING team took the Funny Car to
In one of the longest days of racing CIFCA has had in awhile the events of the day started for us around 6:00 am Saturday morning as we loaded up to head to Redding Drag strip about 170 miles north of
After 2 rounds of qualifying Cory was 6th quickest of the day.
As the day wore on Cory continued to win rounds and found himself once again in the semi-finals.The day had been full of delays and it was almost midnight when Cory took to the track for the semi-final round.
Cory staged the car and we all crossed our fingers hoping for a win but when Cory got about 1000 feet out things began to go wrong. Cory said he felt something in the transmission break and pulled the chutes as he crossed the finish line but the cockpit immediately filled with smoke and he couldn’t see. Suddenly a wall of fire engulfed the cockpit and Cory. Struggling to slow the car he pulled the handle on the fire suppressant bottle under the seat. The suppressant is Halon a chemical that removes oxygen to stop a fire but also removes oxygen to breathe! The fire was quickly suppressed but Cory still could not see anything because of the smoke filled cockpit. Driving blind still trying to stop the car it began sliding sideways from the transmission fluid now covering the rear tires. Cory tried to steer into the slide and finally got the car stopped not even knowing which direction he was now facing. He quickly climbed out the hatch of the car and fell to the ground as he was in need of some oxygen himself to breathe. He pulled off his helmet and jacket just as the safety officials pulled up.
Badly shaken and out of breath Cory realized the car had finally stopped only inches from the guardrail. Cory did receive some burns to his nose and his gloves and fire suit were singed from the flames, he also had some smoke inhalation but walked away from a very scary ride at 180 miles an hour relatively unharmed.
We all feel extremely fortunate that Cory is an experienced funny car driver and knew what to do and handled the situation extremely well.
After all the events of the day and well after 1:00 am we still had to drive back to Sacramento arriving home around 4:30 in the early morning hours on Sunday.
As we all dropped into bed for some much needed rest…..I thanked the angel riding on his shoulder for looking out for my son.
Results for Placerville With the new white wing on the car and the chain and throttle problems solved Cory took to the track at
June 28, 2008
The car was running good and Cory was feeling good as he began the main event. The track was extremely slick as the weather was hot and had already dried out the surface.
Starting in 3rd place the first lap found the car in front of the 53 flip on turn 2 and he was finished for the night. This brought Cory to the outside front row for the restart. We were sure this was his night! But as Cory began lap 3 the car pushed a cloud of smoke from the exhaust as he entered the corner….Then another puff at the next corner….Sitting in the stands we knew he had motor problems. Finally on the 5th lap entering turn 2 the car stalled and a fellow driver crashed into Cory as he sat dead on the track. There was no major damage to either car as the tow truck pushed the 53c into the infield and Cory was forced to watch the rest of the race instead of participate.
The main event took its toll on the cars this weekend. 16 cars started the main and only 7 cars finished with one of those flipping after he took the green flag. Although disappointed that the motor had failed Cory still recorded the 4th quickest time of the night and was good enough to hold on to his 4th place in both owner and driver points and is still leading the chase for Rookie of the Year by 87 points.
The club has a break now until July 26th where they will begin the remainder of the season at Antioch Speedway. Hopefully this will give everyone time to put their cars back together and be ready to race. We now have 2 motors to rebuild so it will be a busy few weeks for Green Motorsports.
Results for Placerville
June 21, 2008
This was an open non-winged show and a non points race so Cory decided to have Scotty drive the car this weekend and give himself a break. The temperatures were well over 100 degrees as we headed up the hill to
Nineteen cars showed up for this race so it was going to be an exciting night.
Scotty started the heat race in 6th place and quickly began to move up but the track was already going slick and he took a spin between turns 3 and 4 and had to start from the back again. Just getting back up to speed and charging hard coming into turn 3 the throttle stuck wide open and....no brakes either. Scotty took a fast ride up over the cushion and heading for the stands. Scotty’s experience showed as he was able to kill the motor just in time and stayed upright throughout the fast ride.
The crew quickly started the work on the car to find that a rock had somehow gotten through a small opening in the engine cover and lodged in the injector keeping it open. This was extremely odd since the opening is only the size of a quarter. But they now installed a screen to prevent it from happening again. The breaks were also taken out by a rock that knocked off the fitting and the tire was covered in brake fluid. They repaired the brakes and Scotty prepared to start the main. Shortly after taking the green flag and again coming into turn 3 the 53c threw the chain off and the Scotty was pushed into the infield and the car was done for the night.
We head back to
Results for Antioch
June 14, 2008
Well they say a picture says a thousand words and these pictures sure do! Antioch Speedway has been a thorn for Cory this whole season and the omen continued on Saturday night.
Cory was leading the heat race and barreled into turn 2 when he caught a rut…and up he went. After a hard tumble the car behind him failed to stop in time and plowed into him causing him to flip over one more time. With extensive damage to the car he was towed back to the pits. The team went to work on the car. Broken front axel, brake caliper destroyed, bent straps on the Jacobs ladder, bent torsion rods, bent drag links, bent radius rods, destroyed wing…the list goes on.
It seemed impossible but they pulled it off changing all the parts in the trailer and a few borrowed parts from our fellow good sport racer’s including a wing that we had to duct tape a 53 over the borrowed numbers. The car was ready just in time for the main event.
We much anticipation the car rolled onto the track. Cory still a little stiff from the roll over started the race in 10th place and after a long 20 laps and a battle to hang in there he finished in 6th place for the evening and we all let out a welcome sigh of relief as he crossed the finish line.
At the end of the night Cory is still leading the pack for “Rookie of the Year” and improved his position from 6th to 4th place in the points standings.
I would like to say a special thanks to all those who worked extra hard and all those who donated parts so that Cory may continue his quest.
See you in
Results for Placerville
May 10, 2008
There is almost a month now before the next race but the time will not be wasted as they already have things lined up that need to be done to the car. They also ordered the parts to repair the blown up motor on the dragster that happened a couple of weeks ago when Cory got burned. There are also 3 mini sprint races and a funny car race all scheduled for June so it will be a busy month. See you at Sacramento Raceway on June 6-7 for the next funny car race and in Antioch June 14th for the next mini sprint race, the day after Cory's 30th birthday! That should be a fun weekend.
Results for Marysville Don't let the beautiful sunset fool you the track conditons were the worst we have seen this year with huge ruts and monster holes everywhere. Racing wingless is always more volatile but with terrible track conditions it makes it even more hazardous. As Cory took to the track for the heat race we held our breath as the car bounced and jumped over the track. He ran well for the conditions and finished in 5th place in the heat. They re-graded the track several times during the evening hoping to improve the conditions but with little avail. The main event found Cory again starting in 11th position at the back of the pack. We need to get that rookie flag taken off soon so he can start up where he qualifies based on his points instead of the back. Though the track was still rough the race went from green to checkered without any caution flags. Cory finished in 8th place and we celebrated! Celebrated that Cory had made it through on a very rough track without any flips, rolls or tumbles, especially because of his burns! Celebrated that he had finished 3 spots up from where he started in rough conditions! Celebrated that Cory had crew cheifed his own car and made the right decisions on the set up! Celebrated that mom and dad made it through their first night as a solo pit crew!
May 3, 2008
Things started out on a bad note for Cory as he received some 2nd and 3rd degree burns on his face from a fluke accident with propeled boiling water from a blown head gasket on his dad's dragster on Friday. Cory was in a lot of pain on Friday night but Saturday he insisted he wanted to race. So we headed back to Marysville for another wingless race. First time he put on his tight fitting helmet he tore more skin off his nose and the blood started again but he wouldn't quit. Scotty, Cory’s crew chief was also unable to come to Marysville this weekend so it meant that Cory only had Mom and Dad as pit crew to help him.
Congratulations Cory you’re tough, determined and running better every week!
Results for Marysville
April 26, 2008
This was Cory's first non-wing race of his rookie year. Everyone has told us that running non-wing is much different and cars tend to flip more easily. So we drove to Marysville with much anticipation. Cory did well in the heat race and was getting used to not having a wing. The main event was just that... an event! Cory again starting at the back of the pack found a hole a jumped ahead of 4 cars by the first turn but one of his fellow drivers didn’t see that Cory had come up beside him and drove down on him going into turn 1. Cory drove over his wheel and went up and caught some air time before landing partly on the top and side. The safety crew up righted the car and Cory quickly pulled into the work area for inspection for damage. The car had no major damage so he returned to the track in time to take the green flag restart. Again starting from the rear Cory began to move his way up through the pack. On lap 7 another car stalled on the front strip bringing out the yellow flag. Cory again took the opportunity to head to the work area for further inspection of his car as he thought he may have a flat tire as the car was handling hard. They found that one of the side bumpers had broken loose and was dragging under the car. They removed it and Cory again re-entered the track still under yellow. Before they went to green Cory was signaled by an official to leave the track. Not sure why Cory again pulled into the work area. The official thought that Cory had caused the yellow flag this time too and because of their rules that if you cause 2 yellows in a race your done for the night, Cory was not permitted to return to the track. Scotty was pleading the case with the official that Cory had not caused that yellow but they threw the green flag and the race started again. Cory was left out of the competition. Both disappointed and frustrated that the official had made a mistake that caused an early end to his race night. After the race everyone agreed that a mistake had been made but the race was over and the opportunity had passed.
So this weekend is a return to Marysville and another non-wing race. I am confident that Cory is ready, lets just hope that the officials are too.
Results for Placerville & Sacramento Raceway
April 11, 2008
Well this was a busy week of racing. Cory had his first race of the season in the funny car scheduled for April 11 and 12. The sprint race was also scheduled for Saturday the 12th and there is about 60 miles between the 2 race tracks.
Scotty took the mini sprint car and trailer up to 
Friday was qualifying and Cory qualified in 9th place for the race on Saturday. Saturday at 7:00 am we headed for Sacramento Raceway. Cory did very well all day winning each round and taking him to the semi-finals. The semi-final round was a huge disappointment as the funny car stalled twice on the starting line. Cory was able to restart it but it wouldn't idle so needless to say he had difficulty staging the car for the round. He hung in there and didn't give up but the round went to the opposing car as the funny car just wouldn't launch as the green light flashed. Later they discovered that the idle screws had come loose and caused the problem. We are all very proud of Cory and the entire SAG Racing team and sure they would have went all the way if he had not had problems with the car. Cory did win the bonus award for Quick Reaction time as he was the quickest car off the line all day long. Congratulations Cory you did a outstanding job.
Scotty finished 4th in the heat race and after a very rough track and several other cars wrecking finished in 7th place in the main event. THANKS Scotty!
Well, we raced from dawn until way after midnight on Saturday and everyone is totally exhausted now. A break in the schedule next week will be a welcome respite for everyone.
See you in Marysville on the 26th.
Results for Placerville
April 5, 2008
Congratulations Cory you looked great out there!
Results for Antioch
March 29, 2008
As a new season begins we start the year at Antioch Speedway where Cory prepares to start his 1st race in the mini sprint. Cory had a good heat race finishing in 7th place. Being a rookie he is required to start in the back of the main event. Starting on the outside of row 4 the green flag dropped as the race got underway. With a less than perfect start and all the cars on the throttle they bunched up between turns 1 and 2 with some going low and some going high, Cory went high to avoid the car in front of him and his tire caught a rut and up he went...pivoting on one wheel for a moment before flipping over. The safety crew righted the car and towed him to the work area where Scotty and Randy quickly changed 2 bent radias rods and a bent drag link and Cory re-entered the race just in time to take the restart. But the car was still having problems as Cory continued to bounce all around the track and finally threw the chain forcing the 53c out of the race. Upon further inspection they found the ladder had broken and he was done for the night.
Cory still was able to finish in 6th place so we are confident he will have the car ready to race next weekend at