For some of us, THIS is Gold Cup week!

The Chief gave me a pass this week. It was a trade actually: “two days next week, for one day this week.” I took the deal- I had no choice. this is Gold Cup week and I have a long ways to go before my program is race ready and competitive.

A week and a half ago, I got the silly idea that I would actually go racing in the second connie of our last race and, as fate would have it, I got crunched- and crunched good as payment for my folly. These cowlings are carefully designed to pop off of an eighth scale R/C hydroplane when they roll, and this usually keeps them safe from major damage. But this time, for some inexplicable reason, the anchor bar in the bow block got stuck and the entire front end of the carbon fiber cockpit was wrenched into confetti. I had a major repair on my hands- with two weeks remaining until the R/CU Gold Cup!

Time for some patented Jim Harvey style all nighters with the volunteer crew (me).

First, I cut away the entire front end of the cowling, after carefully removing ‘Chip’ for facial reconstructive surgery. Next, I fabricated an entire front section, laying up the part in my Atlas cowling mold (just like the real thing, you gotta have those crucial molds handy!) Two long nights of work later and it was rough fitted to the existing part and the first layer of bondo went on. Then the cowling was mated to the deck line as the new hold down bar was epoxied into place.

Tonight, the white and two blues went on the front of the cowling. Tomorrow, the clear coat goes on and race program prep initiation sequence begins. Friday is a testing day on the cruel waters of Irene Reiinhart Park, in Ellensburg, Washington. That is the site of the big show- the 2012 R/CU Gold Cup!

Team ‘82 Atlas will be ready to roll, looking good, and representin’.

Marc Connelly