The first MidSouth event (at Memphis International Raceway) is in the books. Participation is growing and we had nine racers this time and three Spec E30's. A couple of the regulars had schedule conflicts so the race field wasn't a large as it could have been.
Nine cars started the first race. What with general rustiness, first race of season car sorting, and rookie status I started third OA & 1st in class. I suck at starts and there was a wild melee in T1 as frequently occurs in T1 of the first race of the season. Chris Tuttle (my main competition who started sixth because he was late to the driver's meeting) got a much better start and got lucky in the T1 mess and got around. For most of track we are pretty even, but he had been killing me in T1 (which is a big carousel) and I was a little faster in Grant's Tomb which leads onto the front (really long) straight. I had figured out earlier that day what he was doing in T1 and pretty much took his advantage away. Got a run on him in Grant's Tomb on the first lap and passed him on the straight. Since he no longer had an advantage anywhere if I didn't screw up and I still had an advantage elsewhere I sort of ran away from him and opened a pretty decent gap.
Life was good and I was running very consistent fast laps and holding my lead over Chris when a couple of mechanical failures late in the race brought out the double yellow. My lead instantly evaporated and it was pretty obvious that it was going to be a knife fight to the finish when the race went green. Fortunately for me, and unfortunately for Chris, the race ended under double yellow. So I got a first in class and third OA. I consider that one fairly won!
The second race, also on saturday, was a non-contingency points race. What with the mechanicals and some minor car damage in the the first race we only had four starters. Starting position was finish from the first race, which put me on pole as the second place driver was only there for the first race and the first place car was being worked on. So we had two Spec E30's, an AI car and a Spec 944. Tuttle had corded two tires and was going to have to have those changed in Millington, which kept him out of the race. The AI car got by on the start (no surprise there) and led for a little bit until the engine started running hot (a frequent problem with this car) which slowed him just down enough for a pass. I led the race from there on out and ran down the 944 with three to go. I could have made a pass, but I had him a lap down and discretion is the better part of valor. Better to not take a chance on something going wrong and just take the win.
Being the race leader and lapping a car was a really new experience for me and seldom happens to a Spec E30. I was pretty blown away and probably not thinking too clearly. At Memphis race or DE session exit from the track is is about a third of the way around the track from start/finish. That makes it easier to grid up the next group. I'm right behind the 944 when I take the checker and carry on to track exit as I see the 944 continue on past track exit. The driver of the 944 is the MidSouth Race Director and all the way back to the paddock I'm thinking of how much fun I'm have ribbing him about missing track exit. Fortunately I came to my senses before I had a chance to open my mouth and prove that I'm a bigger idiot that folks already think I am. He didn't miss track exit, he had a whole nother lap to do.
The track had very little grip Sunday morning for qualifying. Saturday night had been clear, cold, and very windy. And Sunday morning had very little sun. I guess the track was just cold. What with the previous days attrition we only had six cars for the race. Three spec E30's an AI car, an ST2, and a Super Unlimited. It was a big surprise to find that I'd had the best time in qualifying and was on the pole again (That's pretty cool!). The only thing I really remember from the start is that one of the Spec E30's (driven by Richard Bratton Jr) got a better start (I said I suck at starts) and got past. The ST2 car was having some sort of brake problems (I think) and holding us up. After a couple of laps I said the heck with that, got around Richard and then around the ST2 car. I had no idea what had happened to Tuttle, only that he was somewhere well behind. It turned of that he'd had brake failure on the first lap and was out. There's a lesson to be learned there. Don't show up at a race on worn tires and make darn sure that you check the inside and outside pads. He wore through the inside pad on a front wheel.
Based on what I knew about the other Spec E30 drivers I figured that running the entire 45 minute race at 1:24.5 to 1:25.5 could take the class win and I'd have another 1.3 seconds in my back pocket if I needed it for position or lead. For the most part I was able to be in my window or a little better, which felt really good. Late in the race I could see that I'd probably catch Bratton and ran a little faster. I had no idea where the AI and SU cars were and was expecting to be lapped at any time. Sure enough the SU car came by at the speed of heat (much later than I'd expected) and then spun just a bit in front of me, got going again and then came by again. Okay, I figure I'd third OA and first in class. I'm good with that. With two to go I caught Bratton and followed him around to take the checker. At the time it didn't register on me that the white and the checker had come out after Bratton had past start/finish and just as I reached it. I was just happy to put him a lap down and even happier that my strategy had worked and that I'd been able to stay on the plan.
Turns out that the AI car and the ST2 car had both retired after 10-12 laps. The SU car had spun into a tire wall, gone to the pits to check for damage (none found) and had finished 3 laps down. His pass was just getting one of the lost laps back! So another first OA, how cool is that?
Oh, and since we had three starts for both contingency races I picked up $80 in Toyo bucks. A moderately successful weekend!
Here is video shot from Tuttle's Spec E30. It is more entertaining than mine. All mine shows is a bit of excitement at the start and then empty track in front for almost all of the racing. Then boring parade laps under double yellow to the checker.
Nine cars started the first race. What with general rustiness, first race of season car sorting, and rookie status I started third OA & 1st in class. I suck at starts and there was a wild melee in T1 as frequently occurs in T1 of the first race of the season. Chris Tuttle (my main competition who started sixth because he was late to the driver's meeting) got a much better start and got lucky in the T1 mess and got around. For most of track we are pretty even, but he had been killing me in T1 (which is a big carousel) and I was a little faster in Grant's Tomb which leads onto the front (really long) straight. I had figured out earlier that day what he was doing in T1 and pretty much took his advantage away. Got a run on him in Grant's Tomb on the first lap and passed him on the straight. Since he no longer had an advantage anywhere if I didn't screw up and I still had an advantage elsewhere I sort of ran away from him and opened a pretty decent gap.
Life was good and I was running very consistent fast laps and holding my lead over Chris when a couple of mechanical failures late in the race brought out the double yellow. My lead instantly evaporated and it was pretty obvious that it was going to be a knife fight to the finish when the race went green. Fortunately for me, and unfortunately for Chris, the race ended under double yellow. So I got a first in class and third OA. I consider that one fairly won!
The second race, also on saturday, was a non-contingency points race. What with the mechanicals and some minor car damage in the the first race we only had four starters. Starting position was finish from the first race, which put me on pole as the second place driver was only there for the first race and the first place car was being worked on. So we had two Spec E30's, an AI car and a Spec 944. Tuttle had corded two tires and was going to have to have those changed in Millington, which kept him out of the race. The AI car got by on the start (no surprise there) and led for a little bit until the engine started running hot (a frequent problem with this car) which slowed him just down enough for a pass. I led the race from there on out and ran down the 944 with three to go. I could have made a pass, but I had him a lap down and discretion is the better part of valor. Better to not take a chance on something going wrong and just take the win.
Being the race leader and lapping a car was a really new experience for me and seldom happens to a Spec E30. I was pretty blown away and probably not thinking too clearly. At Memphis race or DE session exit from the track is is about a third of the way around the track from start/finish. That makes it easier to grid up the next group. I'm right behind the 944 when I take the checker and carry on to track exit as I see the 944 continue on past track exit. The driver of the 944 is the MidSouth Race Director and all the way back to the paddock I'm thinking of how much fun I'm have ribbing him about missing track exit. Fortunately I came to my senses before I had a chance to open my mouth and prove that I'm a bigger idiot that folks already think I am. He didn't miss track exit, he had a whole nother lap to do.
The track had very little grip Sunday morning for qualifying. Saturday night had been clear, cold, and very windy. And Sunday morning had very little sun. I guess the track was just cold. What with the previous days attrition we only had six cars for the race. Three spec E30's an AI car, an ST2, and a Super Unlimited. It was a big surprise to find that I'd had the best time in qualifying and was on the pole again (That's pretty cool!). The only thing I really remember from the start is that one of the Spec E30's (driven by Richard Bratton Jr) got a better start (I said I suck at starts) and got past. The ST2 car was having some sort of brake problems (I think) and holding us up. After a couple of laps I said the heck with that, got around Richard and then around the ST2 car. I had no idea what had happened to Tuttle, only that he was somewhere well behind. It turned of that he'd had brake failure on the first lap and was out. There's a lesson to be learned there. Don't show up at a race on worn tires and make darn sure that you check the inside and outside pads. He wore through the inside pad on a front wheel.
Based on what I knew about the other Spec E30 drivers I figured that running the entire 45 minute race at 1:24.5 to 1:25.5 could take the class win and I'd have another 1.3 seconds in my back pocket if I needed it for position or lead. For the most part I was able to be in my window or a little better, which felt really good. Late in the race I could see that I'd probably catch Bratton and ran a little faster. I had no idea where the AI and SU cars were and was expecting to be lapped at any time. Sure enough the SU car came by at the speed of heat (much later than I'd expected) and then spun just a bit in front of me, got going again and then came by again. Okay, I figure I'd third OA and first in class. I'm good with that. With two to go I caught Bratton and followed him around to take the checker. At the time it didn't register on me that the white and the checker had come out after Bratton had past start/finish and just as I reached it. I was just happy to put him a lap down and even happier that my strategy had worked and that I'd been able to stay on the plan.
Turns out that the AI car and the ST2 car had both retired after 10-12 laps. The SU car had spun into a tire wall, gone to the pits to check for damage (none found) and had finished 3 laps down. His pass was just getting one of the lost laps back! So another first OA, how cool is that?
Oh, and since we had three starts for both contingency races I picked up $80 in Toyo bucks. A moderately successful weekend!
Here is video shot from Tuttle's Spec E30. It is more entertaining than mine. All mine shows is a bit of excitement at the start and then empty track in front for almost all of the racing. Then boring parade laps under double yellow to the checker.
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