May 22nd at RA

[zukitek]

So who all is running the 22nd at road atlanta? I got the trailer hitch on the s10 and have secured a trailer so Im in as soon as I send my entry in .

[JohnW8]

Still no engine so I'll miss that event. @#$@!

[farrout]

Family wedding to attend that weekend so no RA for me. Plan is to do the Double SARRC at Kershaw.

[jatow]

Unable. Crazy at work, turbo issues and still haven't swapped the tranny. Stinks 'cause I really want to play at RA. And beat Pat again...

[Welacey]

Just got my studs today and still waiting for my brakes and rotors, and that pesky little intake hose. Too busy to work on it yet.

[zukitek]

bump,online registration closes tomorrow at noon . So far I see me and Susan and Joe Clayburn and Alan Branch are going .Anybody else ?

[zukitek]

woot!!!!!!!!!!

My junk is as ready as it ever will be . I wil see ya at RA

[Welacey]

Sooo, Rick and Alan how did ya'll do, and what happened? Sure would have loved to been there.

[AlanB]

We had a blast, hate you missed it. Ricky did great and worked his times down in each session. Not sure where he finished in class as I cut out early. I did ok, after my last session I felt like like I drove well.... but got pretty much owned in CSP (3rd). Couldnt believe I was at 6K+ in fifth gear, didn't remember doing that in SpecMiata. the place is serious business fast and it took a couple session to get 'your mind right'. Lots of fun!

More detailed report and incar video later.

[bamajason]

can't wait to see the in car video!

[Welacey]

3rd place in CSP on those street tires. We all want to drive like Alan Branch. Way to go Alan, and with a street car that you got ready for TT a week and a half before Talladega, that is not fully prepped. Who got 1st and 2nd? Rick let us hear about your runs.

[zukitek]

I ended up running the Hankook RSS tires alan ran year before last at TGPR and started the day with a 1:58 and worked it down to a 1:56.I was the only DSP car but I was pretty OK with my times . Im sure there is room for much improvement though. I look forward to next year. They said it will most likely be in March next time .

RR

[AlanB]

Bah! Thanks Wally, but I had semi-serious rubber, Toyo RA-1s in 225/45/50 15. I coulda been in the hunt on Hoosiers, which is what the other CSP cars were running, of course. No budget for that though- we need all the help/resources we can get for the Blytheville Tour this coming weekend.

Anyway,like Ricky said we're looking forward to next year. The event was well run from registration to trophies, and we caught a break on weather. It tried to rain but never really got started. Eventually the fog/mist burned off and it got really hot.

My notes:

Friday:

1) Met Ricky @ Leeds exit 144 for the caravan over. The storm knocks out satellite at the Chevron, debit/credit cards not working at the pump. Go inside, cash only. No problem... go back out and put gas in truck and can. Haven't paid cash for gas in years, so drive away out of habit. Raining HARD, on I-20, remember I didn't pay for the gas. turn around and go back. Raining HARDER. Return to Chevron to a group of very upset people, the owner, the clerk, and her parents?? Paid the bill. they couldn't believe I came back. How hard to ID a truck/trailer with a weird colored Miata?? I wasn't going to chance it.

2) Re-meet Ricky in GA, Waco road exit.

3) towing through ATL never gets better than the last time you towed through ATL.

4) arrive at track, sign waivers, unpack. All good No registration until 6:30pm. Hang out.

5) a guy wanders over to Ricky and I in the paddock, wants to know if his buddy,a total noob, will be allowed to drive the TT as he has no license.
We said "maybe, go see Butch" The guy goes back over to his driver and they get him out on track to practice (Friday test day).......15 minutes later the rollback comes in with their (very new) race-prepped Corvette destroyed. Both driver side corners were gone, the rear wheel and suspension gone, and the whole car was bent 10* at the firewall. I never got much info but supposedly he lost it at the bridge and went down the hill all wrong. Maybe Chuck can verify this- he was working the bridge station on staurday but may have been out there Friday.


Saturday, 1st session

1) Exit pit lane, Remembering that DAYUM this place is fast!!

2) don't touch the curbs!! they are wet!!

3) Lap two, first green lap, the (different) Corvette directly in front of me looses all recollection of the course and turns (at full speed) onto the escape chute in turn four instead of following the track; We are in a train of three or four cars and he was the first one. I am watching this guy drive off the track at speed and it is clear that he will be coming back on the track (backwards) near the middle of the esses. I am praying the two cars behind can react and check up- and they do. Having spun, he comes to rest 90* to traffic and covering 75% of the road. We parade around him having slowed to about 30 or so mph. whew!

4) Car feels ok, tires are lacking but feels like it can be trusted for 12 and 1.

5) rinse and repeat. DAYUM this place is fast!!

6) ugh. Results are not pretty. Felt like 95%, results look like 80%. where are those Hoosiers??


Session 2

1) drier track than first session, using curbing now

2) dropped tire pressures, car feels a little better. Let the Porsche by. Got held up, the ITA car closes the gap. Got away.

3) running flat now from 10a until braking for 1.

4) tires getting more predictable, but LOTS of tread squirm under braking. Like, enough to mess your pants into T1

5) Nailing 3 feels GOODE GOODE GOODE

6) Bah. picked up 2 seconds, but so did eveybody else. Where are those Hoosiers?\


Session 3

1) See session 2

2) the ITA car and I are the same speed. Getting pulled on the back straight, but I get back to him the rest of the way. We were set up for a good session when he almost got off the curb in 12 and almost lost it. According to him the vibration/impact moved the brake pads off the rotor, which he didn't discover until T1 and had no pedal. He got'em pumped back up but it freaked him out and he bailed on the session. that gave me clear track (yea!) but no draft (boo.). I drove for all I had, took a couple crazy chances, and netted .10 for the effort.

Session 4

1) pack car and stuff. Nothing left to gain except hurt. Beatdown or not, had a blast, no regrets at all!


Post event notes:

1:50 is the same thing we turned in Steve Patterson's SpecMiata in '04
500/300 setup is far too soft


Incar video of session 3 HERE:

http://www.vimeo.com/11975974

Warning, video content includes:
missed shifts
missed apexes
tread squirm
and general jackassery!!

[JohnW8]

Time trialers are so nice. Waving to each other. They're so kind.
looks like a fun Alan. Wish I woulda been there. Dave Rensel drives the ITA Sentra.
He's a good guy to drive a track with.

[Welacey]

Man I'm pumped and tired after the vid. Gotta get there next year.Thanks for the preview and rundown.