Coming up!

Hi Everyone!

Sorry for the break in the blogs, butt we are getting ready for the first race of the season at Tremblant on  May 23-25! Below is the revised 2014 schedule for this racing year and some information about the blogs coming up!

Thank you for your support!

Murdoch Racing.

Blogs coming up:

The Fundamental Understanding of Murdoch Racing: Want to know about the team before you show up at the track? Well this blog is perfect for you. Inside, you will read all sorts of funny anecdotes and inside jokes so you can understand exactly what is going on when you are around us!

Team Blog entry: the last short biography is on its way written by none other than Duncan and Meghan.

Golf Cart blog: want to know a bit about the golf cart and its rather interesting purpose at the races? You can read all about it here. Learn about Meghan's rivalry and ill-fated experiences with the cart, the injuries it imposes and funny anecdotes about it.

May 23-24-25                   Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant                                      Mont-Tremblant, Que Jun 6-7-8                          Circuit Gilles Villeneuve                                     Montreal, Que. Jul 4-5-6                            Circuit ICAR                                                              Mirabel, Que Jul 18-19-20                     Honda Indy Toronto                                             Toronto, On   Jul 25-26-27                      Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant                                       Mont-Tremblant, Que.   Aug 8-9-10                        GP Trois-Rivieres                                                   Trois-Rivieres, Que.
Sep 26-27-28                    Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant                                      Mont-Tremblant, Que.

NEWS

Hi everyone!

We have some news! We are working on new blogs: three team member biographies and one about the golf cart (for those of you who attend the races, you know exactly what I'm talking about!). We also have the tentative race schedule which will be posted soon for those who want to attend. If you haven't seen the team member biographies, click on the team page!

Meghan.

A Salute to Big Blue!

Big Blue: Our Trusty Steed! 

If a truck enthusiast were to come with us to the races, they would undoubtedly be in heaven: Ford F150s, 350s and Dodge Rams are all around. These trucks have one purpose only: to cart around the trailers to the races. Among all these exotic, shining trucks is one very special vehicle: Big Blue. Now Big Blue wasn’t the prettiest thing to look at, with its rusty spots and faded paint, but it had its fine qualities.

As mentioned briefly in another blog, Big Blue is very special… and some of us on the team learnt this from its first trip. Jack describes, “Duncan had found a trailer and needed something to tow it with. The search was on to find something appropriate! After a drawn out search lasting no more than four hours we found out that one of Duncan’s friends had just the animal in terms of a 1993 Ford E350. The somewhat dilapidated look of the vehicle did not in any way detract from its full potential and reliability. The relationship with the vehicle took an immediate turn for the good. As Duncan was cleaning the vehicle after taking ownership, he found an envelop in the glove compartment full of money. The previous owner obviously had too much money and not enough time to spend it. In true character, Duncan returned the money to the previous owner in exchange for future considerations.”

He continues,

“The first real test was the trip to Connecticut to pick up the new trailer in May 2010. It was one of the hottest days on record for that time of year with temperatures near 100 degrees. The trip back involved long and sometimes steep climbs up the south flanks of the White Mountains (or Green), which caused the needle of the engine temperature guage to bury itself almost out of sight at the top of the hot range. True to the word of the previous owner, the vehicle did not falter and we managed to tow the trailer home to Montreal safe and sound!”

Duncan adds, “This trip was my first use of Big Blue and also my first time towing a trailer of any significant size. We did the trip down past Hartford and back in one day.  Jack had business in Montreal the next day.  Climbing those hills on our return, I really did not think we would make it….but Jack kept the faith…and Big Blue delivered.”   

This vehicle proved to be our little home away from home when we needed it. On those cold days where five layers of clothing didn’t provide enough warmth, we would duck into the van to warm up, which held the heat more than the trailer did. We would also sometimes have lunch in the van, although only the “cool kids” were invited (cool kids being me, Duncan and Corey). The van was also the perfect napping spot, where it had unbelievably comfortable seats. The best napping moments were in fact on those cold days. It was also the best conference centre. 

For one of us, the vehicle provided a secret hideout spot when he or she didn’t want to be found. Thank goodness for tinted windows. See, this team member had a specific issue… let’s call him or her… Terry. Terry found someone who was always at the racetrack to look a lot like a certain, good-looking rock star. However, when this anonymous racetrack person would try and talk to Terry, Terry would just stare, rooted on the spot and not able to speak out of shyness. Once, when Terry was spotted by this person, who was making a move to come and talk to him/her, Terry yelled to the other pit crew members, “get in the van!” and jumped in, hiding in the darkness and clutter in the back. This Terry person will remain anonymous… as will the anonymous racetrack, rock star looking person. And don’t bother asking anyone on the Murdoch Racing team. What happens at the racetrack stays at the racetrack! ;) Thank goodness for Big Blue, the getaway truck!

There were a few more memorable incidents with this truck in the early days. On arrival in Tremblant for our first race, the rear break line ruptured.. This was accompanied by a substantial amount of smoke from brake fluid burning on the exhaust., not to mention a very low brake pedal.  Duncan says, "I started to smell things. We were very close to the track and when I stopped at the gas station to see what was going on, there was break fluid pouring out. "We made it to the track on the front brakes and trailer brakes and spent the rest of the weekend scrounging parts to do the repair.  This was completed with the help of our friends from Simtec Racing and we made it home safe and sound.  Duncan notes, “Corey was on board for this trip.  It must have been traumatic for him….ever since he avoids riding in Big Blue…go figure”  

Big Blue was, however, the inflictor of injuries. Meghan nearly broke her elbow hitting it on the outside hinges. Terry jumped out of the truck once, eager to help Jim out with something, when his/her calf caught the bottom of the door and cut it. Terry howled and yelled in pain (some swear words may have been uttered). However, the anonymous racetrack, rock star looking person was right in front of Terry and saw the whole thing. How embarrassing!

 All in all, Big Blue was so good and very practical. We could put so much stuff in the back, use it as a temporary storage compartment in the winter, and during the race weekends, we could put clothes and other personal items in the truck so we weren't tripping over each others' stuff in the trailer, which can be very frustrating. Big Blue is tough…surviving our tent collapse with just a small dent on the roof in addition to Meghan’s constant attempts to add additional cosmetic damage.

Duncan notes in conclusion; "Big Blue was one of the best vehicles I ever had. I never let me down and it always started. It got us wherever we needed to go and served its purpose. We will miss it."

Murdoch Racing teaser video Tremblant

Our teaser video 

Hi everyone! 

After a few months on the down low, Murdoch Racing is getting ready for a new and exciting race season. We have released to you a video with some of last year's footage. Also, the engine is put back together, the car is all in one piece and the body work that was damaged last year is coated with fiberglass! All we need is to paint it! 

The Most Painful Grand Prix

As mentioned in another entry, the Grand Prix is the biggest and most hectic race in the season. I think I used the term "dreaded" to describe this particular event. This is because of what happened in 2010.






This event would go down in history with the members of our race team and the people that were around us during that time. It also brought us closer together.  

The trouble started on the Friday as we were towing the car to the pit prior to qualifying. Corey was on the bicycle just beside Duncan. He was on the phone. As Duncan describes it, "I looked over and thought this wasn't going to end well. Then I looked again and he wasn't there!" Corey dodged Duncan's tires and fell onto the side of the rowing basin!  Luckily, he didn't end up in the water. Although, it would have been very unbelievably entertaining!

Saturday was when most of the actions happened. During the day, Miro was trying to take a shortcut to the Johnny on the spot by ducking underneath another competitor's trailer. He bent over but smacked his head! For some reason, Duncan made up a rumor that he smacked his head trying to go to the bathroom underneath that ramp...technically correct.

The worst came next. We were all going down the false grid, hearing the Formula 1 cars drive by during their qualifying. I was quite excited to see if I could catch a glimpse of some of the racers when we got into the pits. Our cars were starting to advance as we neared the gate. Qualifying ended and all our racers were ready to drive into the pits. Duncan's car stalled. Jim, Miro, Corey and my father were pushing to bump start the car. Jim was between the front and back wheels on the left side. Duncan managed to get into gear. As the car started, the back wheel snagged Jim's shoe and he fell down between the wheels. The back wheel then drove up his leg and then spun on his hip. I remember jumping off the golf cart and running down the pit lane, yelling Jim's name. He lay on the ground for a little bit, but then he got up on his own. He got back on the golf cart and we drove into the pits. That is when things started to go downhill.

Jim didn't even get up off the golf cart. He was just lying there. I knew something was wrong so I ran up to one of the doctors who was on scene in the pits and asked him for help. Unfortunately, he had to call in and ask if he could step onto the pit lane. During all this time, Duncan was sitting on the track in his car. It was so hot outside. The race finally started. Duncan had managed to do one lap before someone crashed into him. Shortly after, Duncan returned to the pits, quite surprised at what had happened in his absence. Jim's running shoes were shredded and his toes were bleeding. The doctor came down and Jim, the doctor and I whisked off to the track hospital.

Once there, Jim was immediately put onto a bed next to a poor chap who was suffering from dehydration. He was a flagger. When we saw him in the track hospital, he had an IV in each arm and cold compresses all over his body. A few doctors were looking at Jim and I had to leave. We were all very worried about him.

That was not it for the injuries that day. As we packed up the truck to take us home, Miro told us he was going to take his bicycle over the bridge. He is quite an athletic person. He left before we did. A few minutes later, we headed out. We were going up the hill on Ile Notre Dame that leads to the Jacques-Cartier Bridge. That's when we saw Miro. He jumped into the truck with his bicycle and that is when we all noticed his right calf was bleeding. Apparently, he was behind a car going up the hill and the car stopped. He promptly fell over and his bicycle spokes stabbed him in the leg!

The next day was my turn for injury. We arrived at the track early in the morning (around 6 a.m. actually) and unpacked the trailer. Duncan had decided to buy a golf cart the week of the Grand Prix, which he calls the "World's Coolest Golf Cart." A few others and I at the track have very different titles for it. Anyway, the golf cart refused to work on Friday and barely towed Duncan to the track on Saturday. On the Sunday, it seemed to be working well. I decided I should learn how to drive the thing.

Very bad idea.

As I was backing into our spot, underneath the tent, the gas pedal decided to stick. My left foot was hanging off the side. As I was propelled backwards, my foot got stuck between the pole and the pole and, as a result, I tore a few tendons in my foot. It didn't really hurt much at first. Right after this accident, the team (minus Jim) towed Duncan to the race at eight o'clock in the morning. It was in the pits that my foot started to swell. My ankle was so swollen! I decided to go see the paramedics after the race just to make sure I didn't break anything or sprain my ankle.

So in conclusion, our first Grand Prix was a disaster. Corey fell in the basin, Duncan crashed, Miro bashed his head and nearly impaled himself and I stupidly tore the tendons in my foot. Oh, and as for Jim, he had broken a few toes and his foot in two places! The driver was unscathed... it appears the safest place is in the cockpit of the car.

New Racing Calendar

January marks a new year and that means the beginning of a new race year. The Formula 1600 teams have been on "summer break" since the end of September. However, the break entails some very hard work. Racers rebuilt their engines and cars from the ground up to make sure they are the best they can be for the new season that starts at the end of May. The end of the Formula 1600 season officially ends when Formula 1 does. It's official that there is no more racing and the rebuilding has to start. 

 This year definitely promises a lot of change. We got rid of Big Blue, that big blue van you have clearly seen in the pictures. It served us well: trailing our stuff to and from the race tracks, providing warmth on those cold race days and even providing some secret hiding places for one particular team member. There will most likely be a blog post about Big Blue and insider knowledge of what happened with that van. 

We have a new blog space, we are going to set up Twitter (I know we said we would do that last year, but this year we really mean it) and we will have more information coming to you live from the races! 

A Pit Girl's Role

Everyone has a role in pit crew. Some are specific, while others overlap. My role in the crew is a bit all over the place. To set the record straight, I do not wear those super tight dresses and walk around the pit lane in high heels. I do not wear low cut tops and booty shorts either. In the pits, I wear long pants and a t-shirt, just like everyone else. When working on the car, I wear the same thing, unless it's very warm outside and I decide to wear modest shorts. Wearing those tight clothes during the races and when working on the car would be counterproductive. You can burn your legs on hot parts of the car or hot oil.

 I do all sorts of things in the team. When we are getting ready for a race, we usually tow the car with the golf-cart (It's the world's coolest and fastest golf-cart). I sit on the end of the cart with my leg wrapped around a tow strap that Duncan holds onto from his rollbar. I do this to keep tension on the tow strap so it doesn't get caught around the mirrors or the suspension arms. If it did, we would have a lot extra and expensive maintenance to do. When he is waiting in the false lane, I hold an umbrella over him to keep him cool. During the races, I take the lap times, write down the time pressures and note all sorts of information I think is important. I usually stand on the other side of the pit lane. When I was in charge of the pit board, I would go stand at the pit wall. That job is now someone else's. When the race is over, I sometimes get in the cockpit and steer the car back when it's being towed. I bring Duncan his water and other things he needs. 

 After the races, I usually pick up the time sheets and fix the car. I bleed the brakes with Jim and Corey, replace the brake pads and fix the corner of the car if there's been an accident. I also do the dirty jobs that no one else really wants to do, besides Duncan. As far as the dirty jobs go, I sometimes have to deal with the dreaded gearbox oil. This oil is a dirty, olive green and is thick. During the Grand Prix of Trois Rivieres, I had to pour the used gearbox oil into two empty plastic bottles and find the proper location for waste oil disposal. I also had to clean the pans. That stuff smells horrible! During the Grand Prix of Montreal, I had to clean off the fire extinguisher powder, which had stuck to the hot exhaust pipes. We took the pipes off and I tried everything to get this material off. I doused them in Varsol, water, and brake cleaner. I scrubbed the stuff off with metal brushes, scouring pads and a lot of paper towels. After two hours, I finally managed to get everything off. It was not a pretty job.

 I have also become a kind of medic to our team. I finally bought a first aid kit just in case something happens. I also have an epi-pen handy at all times. When Jim was run over by Duncan at the Montreal Grand Prix a couple of years ago, I was trying hard to get doctors to get off the pit wall and help him. I stayed with him in the track hospital. I also drove Corey all around St-Jovite at the Tremblant summer race so he could seek medical attention for his foot, which had been, coincidentally, run over by Jim. Now, I am hell-bent on making sure no accidents or injuries happen during the race weekends. It's more fun when everyone is at their best!