[mscs20]

Originally Posted by Clark19 Just wondering if that was your best motor and was legal after USAC checked it why you didn't put it back together and run it the next night?

This is a quote from Jerry Shaw's fabulous recount of that evening;

Midgets started off the program with bang. Three of those heats were the best three heats I'd seen all year. Three and four wide, banzai moves with little to no room to thread the needles that they were threading, like it was nothing! I love midgets on this track! When those heats were over I had a scratchy throat from yelling and a scrape on my left elbow from leaning far enough to contact the open wooden bleacher spot beside me. The track did kind of go away as the evening progressed and that did have an effect on the racing, some. It was still a really good race, though. East led for most of the early going, but was converged upon by Clauson and Hagen (at Granite City, that's what you call your worst nightmare) and when East dropped down to protect against Hagen, Clauson got around him on the outside and just slowly checked out. A Kyle Larson blown tire with two laps left provided Hagen with a last shot. As they restarted, you heard the familiar sick sound that only a midget motor that is laying down can make coming from BC's car, opportunity knocked, Hagen answered the door and drove home unchallenged for the win. It's amazing that BC was able to hold off Zach Daum, who was on a late race rampage and the always high-flying Brad Sweet, to hold on to the second spot.

I heard the same thing as Jerry, that engine was sick, so legal or not I'm thinking it needed pulled and sent to the engine Dr. anyway and the assembly would have been irrelivant.

Steve

[Bill Gardner]

Letter sent out today by USAC...

United States Auto Club
10/10 2011
USAC pumped (engines) top 5 finishers from each A-main at Gold Crown Midget event. As all know by now we incurred a engine that pumped above accepted cubic inch for that manufacturer (big) the team in question Clauson Racing. I was person (Dave Brzozowski) that personally did all engines and the Clauson car was last to be done, the option is DQ or remove cylinder head for bore and stroke measurement for true displacement. The measurement was taken and verified graciously by Rick Long of Speedway Engine and as a witness concluded that engine was legal. I was very confused how going from one engine to the next and same brand (esslinger) this is possible. I could not stop thinking of how or what would cause an engine to pump big if it is truly within its specifications. We continued our pumping procedure for the next night with no issues. I looked and questioned all parts and procedures and on Saturday morning while looking at pump piston realized and verified how its possible besides obvious of reading numbers incorrect, mistake can be made by installing piston in pump upside down. I pumped an engine that same morning later and it was good I asked team if they minded me doing a test (piston upside down) it pumped big. I always remove piston and seal between test to clean and lube I am completely confident that I installed piston upside down (even though its marked) before pumping the Clauson car. The piston has a nipple on one side to compress relief valve at bottom of tube to relieve pressure on each stroke, not doing this pushes piston further up tube. I take complete responsibly for this mistake and apologize to Clauson Racing and USAC for any negativity this created over a great weekend of Midget Racing during the Gold Crown.

Sincerely,
Dave Brzozowski
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[Andrew S. Quinn]

Originally Posted by mscs20 I heard the same thing as Jerry, that engine was sick, so legal or not I'm thinking it needed pulled and sent to the engine Dr. anyway and the assembly would have been irrelivant. Steve

I heard a broken spark plug was the culprit for the engine sounding sick the last couple laps.

[Midget 89]

Tim Clawson says he's legal and USAC says he's legal. That would apparently be it.

[Pat O'Connor Fan]

I appreciate Dave Brzozowski stepping up to clarify the source of the confusion surrounding the engine check. Those of you who are so determined to bad-mouth BC and the team need to quit taking Viagra for a while.
So please quit

[dirtracer74]

LOL, so the piston was upside down. Now I do not feel so bad for having done that a time or two.........

And I can verify that if the piston is upside down, it will pump big. With the 360 motores I was pumping, they would come out around 16-24 ci's too big.

[Bluteam]

who can't appreciate a place where questions can be asked, issues can be raised, explanations can be heard, mistakes can be acknowledged, and we move forward.

Thank you Bill Gardner for IOW, thank you Tim Clauson for being forthright, and thank you to whomever it was that admitted the mistake and detailed explanation of why it happened. I don't know about anyone else, but I learned something today. Facts mam, just the facts.