Sunburn Grand Prix

[IPRESS]

SCCA SUNBURN GRAND PRIX May 6,7,8 Texas Motor Speedway
I know some of you guys will be AutoXing this weekend, but I thought I would post an invite to all MME folks to come see some wild miata activities Friday and Saturday of the first weekend in May. There will be some SSBers on Sunday too. MAZDASPEED is sponsoring and putting up some money for the MAZDA classes. There should be 40+ SMs doing battle Friday in a 45 minute race and again on Saturday in a 30 minute race. SRX7s, Improved Touring Mazdas, Formula Mazdas, and Pro Mazdas all should be blasting around the oval and sliding through the infield course for two days.
It is a great place to get close to all the cars and drivers as TMS has nice garages. Look for the black & neon green, East Street Auto Parts / Northern Texas PGA #13. (Actually look midpack in the race because that is where I reside!) Evil Speeder might be there also in one of the WHEELS AMERICA SMs (also black with neon orange and green). Many other miata guys will be there so come out if you can. Tickets are $10 for a three day pass. (I have a few promotional tickets if you are interested but hurry and contact me, as the sponsors are getting most all of them.)
I along with Merv (we are the old guys in SM - he is the fast one & I am the slow one) have raced in the class since the first SM event was held, and it is something to see 40 & 50 car fields. If you can show up at TMS and get your race fix up close.

Mac

[altiain]

Sweet! I'm planning on going this year to see the SM and ITS races. I'll take a couple of those promo tix if you're giving them away.

Has an actual event schedule (like who runs when) been released yet?

[IPRESS]

I will have some tickets and I will try to get them to you in plenty of time.
the best I could do on the schedule: http://www.sowdivscca.org/entryforms/Sunburn2005.pdf

[MadMerv]

If Merv had a car ready, he would be there, too....

[IPRESS]

I still have a ticket or two or more. Lot going on that weekend, but the 45 minute Friday SM Challenge race should be a dandy.
BTW, SCCA legalized "tuning" the spring in the AFM for 1.6s in SM. There could be some new guys running faster at TMS. Sorry old #13 is not one of them lucky 1.6s, it is a heavy arse 1.8. (Actully it won't be legal until December, but now everybody knows it is being done.)

Mac

[Titus]

BTW, SCCA legalized "tuning" the spring in the AFM for 1.6s in SM.

I believe that Applied Racing Technology has been offering an AFM "Bench Tuning" service for a while now! Nice to see the rules catch up to the cars!

[altiain]

Any idea what time the SM race is on Friday? I should be free that Friday during the day, so I'm planning on stopping by.

Oh, and thanks for the tickets, Mac!

[IPRESS]

Yeah that "bench tuning" has been going on for a good while. Karl is the only one that advertised doing it as far as I know, but it is pretty simple to pull off. There is debate on how much it helps, but on these high HP monsters every HP/T gain helps. Actually every minute of track time helps ten times more to a point. But the combination of track time and HP/T gain is the answer. It will be interesting to see if some of the 1.6 guys seem faster. I know I will suspect all of them!

Mac

[MadMerv]

Yeah that "bench tuning" has been going on for a good while. Karl is the only one that advertised doing it as far as I know, but it is pretty simple to pull off. There is debate on how much it helps, but on these high HP monsters every HP/T gain helps. Actually every minute of track time helps ten times more to a point. But the combination of track time and HP/T gain is the answer. It will be interesting to see if some of the 1.6 guys seem faster. I know I will suspect all of them!

Mac

Well, you know Mac that Brad picked up an engine from Ara on Saturday...... I quizzed Ara a bit to get an idea what they're doing, but he didn't say much other than they are all dyno'ing at 115HP+. Speedie only had 113.8 WITHOUT the restrictor plate

[IPRESS]

This won't be that accurate as I left the offical results in the trailer at MSR.

Towed out Thursday around 5 PM and dropped the trailer in the south lot at the end of the row. (Close to the track on gate for our area, Bathrooms, and Concession stand, you know the important stuff.) Went back to Fort Knox and helped out with Registration. I was pleased that it actually went pretty fast for the limited space that the workers have. I mainly served as the "maitre di" directing people to the registration lines and taking info for changes to the "change ladies". The whole crew did a good job and the wait for most was very short (especially for the SCCA events I have seen (and or lines I have waited in for sign up.)
Friday AM I was crewing for my self the first session so I didn't expect much that guy (myself) is not a very good crew chief so getting the wheels torqued and pressures set was all you could expect. As would have it the car would not start and I had to get my paddock buddies to push me. It still wouldn't start so we put a charger on it. I got enough juice to make grid and decided to forget about the battery. I did have some good thoughts on the car as Todd Opperman (the best cage maker / fab man around) from MSR had done a setup on it that I think he stole from his days helping John Phillips III. He "Gaayronteed" me a better car then I had run with back in March at Hallett. So out I went for the practice qualify session. Car felt good, new Toyos seemed to hold in NASCAR T1 & T2 (always a good thing) and the car had lots of go. After about 5 or 6 laps the engine seemed to loose a little UMPH. So thinking I had my best lap already that I was going to get I just worked on getting faster through the infield turns until the short session was over. I think my time was 1:44 or 1:45 something which ended up 17th on the grid. My real Crew Cief Scott Means from Georgetown showed up after his 3 hour (probably closer to two as he drives a 96 FMII.) drive. The car got the once over and we went for lunch.
Friday PM the 45 minute SM race started a little after 1PM. I got a very nice start squeezing through the Tire Chicane at the end of the S/F straight on the inside and holding the inside all the way around NASCAR T1 & T2 (SCCA keeps cars on the apron in these turns) passing several cars. I got some space for a nice turn into the infield and was able to pull off a pass on the outside of T4 (the first right hander in the infield) which put me behind the lead pack of 12 or 13 SMs. My car really felt strong and I seemed to be just eating up the other cars when we got on the oval again. I was carrying so much speed that my first couple of times back through T1 & T2 I had to ease back a little to keep the car from getting loose. Scott was keeping me up to date with the action ahead and behind as we got to about the first half of the race. At that point I checked my gauges and realized I was running HOT!!!! I am talking 220 - 225 Hot! I decided to start short shifting and running the heater. It did get somewhat better, but my power had dropped a bunch. With the temp problem on my mind I had a Brain fade (or Senior Moment, and went into the Infield turn in too hot and spun the car across the track to the inside of the turn. (BAD BAD SPOT TO PARK) NO POWER - NO START! The corner workers pushed me off the track and out of BIGTIME T-Bone danger. Thanks. I got to see a very good race from T3 flagstand, which other then being mad about spinning was fun to watch. J. Phillips dueled with Aaron McSpadden to win and Craig Berry from Tyler ran third. As is the great thing about SM, the guys in 20th thru 26th were having a bumper to bumper great (clean) race just like the leaders. At T3 I got to see it all.
After being towed in we went to work looking for the cure to the heat & power problems. We determined that either my battery was bad or my alternator or both. It was the battery. Next we checked timing and WHAT DO YOU KNOW, it had been advanced so much that it is a wonder I didn't lean it out and grenade the thing. So after setting the timing back to 12 degrees and getting a new battery we were back in business.
Saturday AM we had the first practice / qualify session so we got to the track early and got the timing set with the fresh battery installed. I went out and felt pretty good with some open space on a few laps and ran a 1:43 but everybody else ran faster and I was gridded one spot back at 18th. As we waited to race I visited with some of the SCCA folks. One of them asked me about golf and my racing, and I told him in a golf tournament I try to win the whole thong, but here at the track a win for me would be a top ten finish. The race had a very bunched start and with my postion being on the outside I decided to not try to bull my way to the inside, rather go the opposite and go high nxt to the wall. I was lucky as Scott gave me a good radio call and I got a good bit of acceleration and passed a couple of cars and just got by the TIRE CHICANE. I worked my way around a car or two on the outside of T3 which left me on the inside of T4 and from there I was able to pass another car before the end of the short shut in the infield. I had worked my way from 18 to about 13 by the end of the first lap so I felt pretty good. I was within a few places of the lead pack and my car felt good. I pretty much held my own behind two other cars drafting on the oval and running clean in the corners. By the halfway point we had moved up two spots and I was within one spot of my Dave Letterman goal. The three of us went into T2 very fast and the lead car of the three got loose and I went high as the middle car went low. High was lucky as I got past and had a great turn into the infield. My two running buddies were not lucky and spun. Suddenly I was in 9th and the fast guys were not that far ahead. Old #13 was doing a nice job and I only needed to hold off a couple of fast guys that had been working their way towards me. One guy would close on me in the corners, but he was overdriving the car to do it and I would leave him with better exit speed. With three laps to go a caution flag at the end of the infield allowed him to get a run on me going past start finish (he was about two ot three car lengths behind.) I had been using a inside line all race through the Tire Chicane that put me out on the edge of the apron going thru T1 into T2. I douse that line to avoid most of the bump crossing the undergrounf tunnel under the track. At 120 or so that bump makes #13 a scary SOB! So as I went past the Tire Chicane the trailing car, (who I found out later had gotten it's nose to my back right wheel) hits me knocking my car to the inside and pointing me up the bank towards the wall. This is all happening at 100 + and tires are going everywhere as he bounced off me into the right side of the Tire Chicane. I was able to catch the car and keep going. T3 was negotiated without a wheel falling off so I just kept it on the floor through the infield turns. As we approached the turn back on to the oval the Double Flag was posted and I backed down before turning the corner. The guy behind me didn't see the flags and slipped inside and passed me. (It happens to me again! ) The pace car comes out and we parade to the checker. Ara Malkassian won. I turned a 1:42 something during the race.
NO, the flaggers didn't see the guy pass me as they were watching the cars yet to pass them (it is a tough corner to work as most all are at TMS.) The driver never saw the flag either, but was nice enough to admit he probably missed it.
Yes, my right rear panel will need some body work.
No, I didn't cause the incident, at least the F&C guys told me it was not my fault.
Yes, I finished top ten (really 9th.)
And Yes, Road Racing is really really a blast!

[OzCop]

Great recap! I was watching that race, but mostly watching the 3/4 cars running up front. What a battle they were having! I am going cover the race from my perspective in SportsCar SW Div. Column, and with your permission, would like to embelish on some of the stuff you wrote. PM me, and if you have anything to add, let me know. Give me any details you want, including your real name, etc...Again, great recap from a driver's perspective.

[IPRESS]

Phil,
Use and embellish whatever you need! I (Mac Spikes) enjoy finishing top ten more then JPIII or Ara did winning their races! I will try to remember any good facts I have forgotten as I go down to San Marcos to move my two daughters home from college. I will send you whatever I come up with tomorrow night. (Don't expect much, my Senior Memory works when it wants to.)
Mac

[OzCop]

If your senior memory is like mine, we are both lost and need someone to remind what we were takling about...

Thanks, and any info appreciated...