We Be Qualified

Thursday was the day for qualifying, this was to get a starting order for the race and for your own class. Qualifying is not mandatory, you would just start at the back of the pack if you decided not to do it. A few of the cars had mechanical problems and some were still trying to get through tech inspection, but it looked like a pretty good crowd was going to make it. Qualifying was scheduled to start about 3pm, so again, the morning was spent at the ballpark. Now is where you started to find out about the little things in the race, like giving out the starting times for qualifying and the time cards. This process started about 10 am and was put off, delayed, and postponed through the early afternoon.

As chasing the time card was what I was doing, Rick was busy helping in removing the engine from the other Chevelle that was in the race. The guy loves working on cars, any car.

Our start time was about 3:30, we got changed at the stadium and started out at 2 pm to find our spot, with Scott taking off with the Sayther BMW crew. The drive out was the same way we came into the city and took us to a toll road where everyone was making some good time at high speeds. On the last downhill, before getting off, going about 100 mph, we got on the brakes pretty good, and whatduya know, the oil pressure light comes on, never ever a good sign. We stopped to see what's the problem, if we have an oil leak or what. We decide that it was from hard braking, going downhill, and maybe not enough oil in the car. Who knew it took 9 quarts!?

Everyone seemed to be there a little early, so we chatty chitted with who ever was parked next to us till things started to move forward. It finally got to be our turn to start, and we had taken the words at an earlier drivers meeting to heart,"

DON'T CRASH DURING QUALIFYING", which meant, we were going to take this real easy. Which we did. Easy enough to get caught by the Bill Shanahan Corvette with about three turns left. Rick let them by as he could, but when we got to the turn around, Shanahan made mention that he thought we were "blocking him". Now that's a good one, since we got over as soon as he came up behind us. He realized after talking with us that he was a bit anxious and all was well. The drive back to Oaxaca was less eventful than the drive out, and that night at a government building we were wined and dined. This was the first of many nights of speeches by race and state officials, as we waited to get the piece of paper...... the one with the results and the next days starting order. Number 377 would be starting 30th. As that only became available at the end of each meeting, we were in for some late nights. But so it goes, outside afterwards was a fiesta showing off traditional Oaxican dance and dress, very cool, and that's what makes Mexico so great.

Next Time: Dia 1: Oaxaca - Tehuacan