Sorry for the long winded, self centered report.
I’d like to share my view of the FP Runoffs race and acknowledge some of the people that helped our team have another terrific season in 2012.
Crew Chief Matt Longpine and I spent plenty of hours in the shop. My wife Jennifer was understanding of our effort. Our new in 2011 engine was still running fine. It was short of our power goals on the dyno, but it did have a wider power curve. At the Runoffs, I was located in the East Street Auto/Springfield Dyno tent which was located near champion row. I had teammates for the week: SM Pole and race winner Jim, second place team mate Craig, Pat who ran up front with his team mates for most of the race, and Charlie (3rd SSC) and Mike from Saferacer. Tent atmosphere was perfect. Mike (different Mike) from Sports Car has recognized our season effort and we got a couple of mentions in the “Who will win” issue. It’s always fun to see your name in print, and Mike forecasted a deep FP field.
Q1 was a total mess for me. I started 4th due to national points. I was hoping the top 4-6 of us could line up and knock out some quick laps. Well, that didn’t work for several reasons. I was frustrated. Add in only three “warm” laps (not worthy of being hot) and it wasn’t a good session. Rick reminds me it could be worse.
Q2 was better, but I struggled with good laps, then the traffic kicked in. I finally called it quits after several laps of traffic followed by getting pushed into the grass by the nice bike guy driving the red prius/yaris thing. No hard feelings, but it was icing on the cake to another bad session. Somehow I stayed in P6. I did hit the wrong gear as well. That’s two times in the last year, so I’m hoping I don’t “Harris” a rod. I will rebuild over winter.
Q3 was the lucky one for me. I figured with the rain and very cold temps, that the track wouldn’t hold any speed. I almost didn’t go out. I finally went out when I saw some of the fast guys going to grid. I figured I’d go scuff some tires anyway. The track was covered with oil dry from 12 to 14. I was again disappointed. I kept hitting traffic too. I did get to follow the black HP VW for a while. Seemed like nice speed for an HP car. I should send him the video. Eventually I tried for a few hot laps and I got lucky. I caught cars are decent spots and was able to get 3 fairly clean laps (after about 4-5 crowded laps). I was lucky I didn’t run out of gas. I was only planning on doing 3-4 laps total. A 2:34.0 put us 4th on the grid and I finally got to smile until I realized fast guys Kevin and Ken were right behind me!
Now for the Race, as luck has it my crew chief Matt is feeling really sick. In fact, He decides to turn the radios over to long time prod racer Curtis Wood. The start of the race was very clean for the top 3 rows. We were still lined up 2X2X2 entering braking for T1. Still clean through T3 and I get a run and draft on Charlie to move into P3. I defend into T5 and I’m surprised to have a run on Saris coming out of T5. So I go ahead and get inside of him into T6. I should have been nervous about being in P2, but I found myself in a familiar comfortable environment right on Prill’s bumper. I give the red car a couple of let’s go pushes out of T8 IIRC. I enjoy racing with Prill. Our styles are similar and we have yet to have any unintentional contact. I also notice some oil smoke from his car. Enough that I was worried it wouldn’t last. I wonder if it was related to brake fluid?
As we start lap 2, Charlie Campbell is giving me a monster push up the hill. In fact, we are going so fast I’m forced to get out of line for fear of crashing Prill because of the closure rate Charlie and I had on him. On the TV, it looks like I abandoned the Mazda’s to get with Steve, but it was only to keep from knocking the bumpers off of mine and prill’s car. After years in SM, I know how hard is too hard. Thanks to Charlie’s push, I end up leading the race. All is right in my own little world. A couple corners later, the pack lines up and Steve powers by me with all kinds of time to spare down into T5.
Ken and Campbell bump draft past next lap. Prill drops in behind me and he is pushing me while Ken and Campbell are pushing. The four miatas are bumper to bumper while Steve leads us all. Prill rockets through 6/7 and passes me into 8. So I’ve gone from 4th to the lead and back to 5th in less than 3 laps! Well the good thing about being in the back of a pack is that you don’t have to worry about what’s behind you. Unless, there is some hundred year old white Datsun catching you. Geez, I thought Bill was fixing a head gasket or something. I draft past Charlie which is kind of sad, because it’s a hoot to watch him slide that car around. I’m 100% sure that he doesn’t lift just because he’s 4 off! Bill must have marched past Charlie, because that Datsun is in my mirrors soon. Then he drafts past (easily). I’m wondering if there is some rule that allows old cars to get an extra 20 HP; because I’m convinced the two fastest cars are Steve and Bill down the straights except maybe that Acura. Speaking of Ruck, now I’m starting to see him in the mirror behind Charlie. I do all I can to stay in Bill’s draft and Charlie and Ruck fade from my mirror.
I spend several laps just following Bill. We dip into the high 2:32's. Easily the fastest laps I've ever turned there! I poke out every now and then just to test some waters, but for the most part I’m in line. Ken broke a few laps ago (3 years in a row), so that puts me and Bill fighting over the last podium spot. I notice we are not losing ground to Prill/Saris and may even be catching them some. Eventually, Bill starts sliding more and more and I’m able to stay in the draft better as the difference in cornering speeds work to my advantage. Around lap 10 Bill and I go deep into T5. I mess up the corner pretty good and miss my marks, but Bill has really “got lost in the box.” That lets me get inside of him in T6 for the pass into P3. I really put my head down to break the draft before we get to the kink. It works! I focus on laps and I’m able to keep Bill from re-passing. It’s not long until I go past T12 and see a big dust cloud. I can’t see what’s in it, but soon realize that there is only a spitfire in front of me. I hate it for Eric. He did everything right this year, and just had some bad luck. Lappers gave me a few scares and so did the oiled down T13/T14 on the last lap.
Overall, I’m thrilled with P2! I don’t know how to top it. I know I had a few gifts to get to second, but that may be the norm in Prod. Thanks to Mazda, Goodyear, Springfield Dyno, Saferacer, Electromotive, East Street, and all who have helped. Sorry about the long winded report.
