BIG BEAR CITY, California – Jim Conklin didn’t ask for a six-week break in the racing schedule, but it comes at an opportune time for the Conklin Racing team.
Three races into the California Speed Jams 2011 season at San Bernardino’s historic Orange Show Speedway, both Jim and younger brother Cliff Conklin have had varied results.
Cliff, the 2007 Street Stock champion, has had a fifth and a first in the renamed Super Stock class, which does not race again until July 2. Jim, who won the Street Stock title in 1998 and back-to-back Late Model crowns in 2006-2007, has had two sevenths and a fourth in the Late Model division, which will be back in action June 18.
That’s not the kind of start Jim wanted, however, especially considering that he has led two of the three races. On opening night, April 9, Conklin set the pace until eventual winner Brandon Loverock bumped him out of the lead with 4 of the 40-laps remaining. In the most recent outing May 7, Conklin led again, until Loverock passed him 15 laps into the 40-lap event.
In his other race, April 23, Jim Conklin was able to make only 1 lap, in Cliff’s car, after the camshaft in his own MyIrishPride.com/Alpine Slide Chevrolet Monte Carlo broke during the warm-up laps. That mishap resulted in Jim racing May 7 with a spare, underpowered motor while he continued to battle handling issues created by faulty suspension geometry on the right front axle.
“When they put the front clip (framework) on the car they put the right front tire in the wrong location,” Jim said. “It’s 3/8 (of an inch) out of position. That makes the car work harder (to turn) on the right front and it’s always produced a push late in the race.
“I had ‘em covered Saturday night for the first 10 laps or so, then the push showed up again. We made an air (pressure) change on the right front tire and that helped a little. All we can do is keep working on it. It’s either that or cut the front end off and redo it all.”
Conklin, who has struggled to remain competitive while driving one of the oldest cars in the Late Model class, said he was told at the last race that California Event Management officials are going to make a change in the weight distribution rule that should help him and others in the same situation. He’s hopeful that with the weight change, improved handling and suspension geometry and having the primary engine back in the car, his results will improve once racing resumes.
“I’m just going to work on the car” during the six-week break, Conklin said. “The season is over at Havasu (95 Speedway), so we’re probably not going to race anywhere else. I’m supposed to get the engine back this week. Then we’re going to change a few things and go test.”
