Region: MIDIV-STL
Car #: 28
Year : 1990 Posts: 592
Status: Offline
posted
Yep. We're in. It will be our first time racing at RA so we were hoping for a track day on Friday. But I can't find any indication that there will be one.
I wrote Gary Weis an email asking if SM or ITA could be moved so that they were not back-to-back (currently groups 1 and 6). I think there are usually 5-6 SMs that double up and run ITA. Gary said he would consider if it is possible to make a change.
Region: Milwaukee/Midwestern Council
Car #: 23
Year : 1999 Posts: 480
Status: Offline
posted
Unless things change MC has never done a track day before at RA. It is just too expensive for the club and the individuals since MC tends not to get too many for track days before a race weekend.
There maybe a marque club you can run with, but I wouldn't even know where to look. Maybe just check the usual suspect BMWCCA, PCA, Alfa club, etc...
Region: MidDiv / SOWDIV
Car #: #39
Year : 99 LS1 Miata Posts: 1756
Status: Offline
posted
Dave, I have had some health issues crop up that I have to work on that week when I was going to be in Elkhart Lake. Two weekends at RAmerica back to back with golf in Kohler inbetween was my dream summer vacation. Hopefully I get this health deal fixed up and make it next year. Mac
-------------------- Mac Spikes IPRESS Racing MER East Street Auto SAFERACER Hoosier Carbotech MotorSport Ranch Cresson, Texas "To hell with you Gen. Sheridan...I 'll take Texas!"
The Steve and Tom show. The boys continue to improve, and Steve took the race both days. I told them that RA is the best, and Steve actually used the word "Fun" once this weekend. He'll deny it now though.
In case anyone wonders, these two cars are pooches. Steve's motor is pieces from three wornout ones. He weeps at the phrase "how'd it do on the dyno?"
The results have been earned with careful (tedious and frustrating) attention to setup, and with smooth driving. Tom has always been smooth and Steve has learned the mantra - feeling fast isn't the same as being fast. And while HP is great to have, there is more potential in the driver and the handling, EVEN at a place like RA. (A little brotherly drafting doesn't hurt!)
Region: STL
Car #: 82
Year : 1991 Posts: 2136
Status: Offline
posted
A fun weekend, but man was it hot. For the record, I’ve never said that I don’t have fun racing, only that having “fun” is not the motivation. Anyway, having been a spectator and sometimes crew at Road America many times when I was young, it was a great deal of fun just to be on the track where I saw some great races and incredible cars.
The start of Saturday’s race was a mess and I feel bad for the half of the field that got left behind. Someone should have announced that the pace laps would be extra fast to make up time. The Sunday start also had issues and some suggested I was at fault, but the video confirms that if I had pulled up to the car ahead of me sooner, I would have been adjacent to the wrong car on my left, so I would have looked out of position either way. Not sure what the right move was, but in retrospect I think it’s better to stay with the car immediately in front rather than worrying about the one to the side. So maybe it was my fault. Tom was the faster driver Sunday. Following the bad start and falling far behind in traffic he hunted down first Mark and then me, but after swapping the lead a few times in the last two laps I ended up with the checker.
I'd thank DJ and Pat for all their help again this weekend, but I think I've been insulted.
Great to race with you again Dave C. It sounds like you could use a little tuning or a complete refresh, especially for that track. Come down for Gateway in a couple weeks and I’ll get you on the dyno we use. Who said we don’t have pro motors? You think I work for free? Actually, our engines are better than Dave J. makes it sound and I don’t think we were at a power disadvantage to anyone we ran against this weekend, but nor are they any better than a decent crate according to repeated dyno results. In fact we had them back on the dyno last Wednesday for a general pre-race checkup and got between 102 and 103.3 (SAE corrected) for both of them. That is very close to what we’ve seen on each of several prior occasions under various conditions, and equal to or slightly lower than crates and home-brews tested on the same dyno, sometimes on the same day. Having run rental cars against Tom earlier this year, one with a fairly fresh crate and one with its original engine, I can say that his car is little if any faster in a straight line than those were. In other words, we have about what anyone could have with a decent rebuild or crate, as it should be. When we run the occasional SCCA national event it would be nice to think that everyone else has similar equipment, but of course that’s unlikely. In search of parity with that field I did attempt to upgrade this spring, but that backfired and left me renting for awhile, so I’m back to the basics and hoping that better rules will eventually move things back in the right direction. Perhaps then we’ll build to those rules and get back in the game so we can see just where we stand, even if it’s only mid-pack.
Overall, it was a good weekend for me as well. Although the start on Saturday was bad, I am fairly certain that few, if any of the second pack would have had anything for you guys. When I came out of 14 on the pace lap, I couldn't see any cars at the top of the hill.
Nevertheless, Steve Holman (Smoothie) and I had a good race and were able to pass two or three cars working together.
On Sunday, I knew something was wrong when I saw Tom right pretty close in front of me coming out of 6. Needless to say, I never saw him again.
It doesn't sound like much to the rest of you, but I was happy with taking 4 seconds off my personal best at RA, with a little coaching from Greenisen. His tutoring was especially effective in Saturday qualifying when he locked them up passing me coming into Canada corner and was close to punting an MG into the gravel, but saved it. Yeah Mark, I want to be fast like you
Congrats to Tom and Steve on a couple of nice runs!
I think I'll track down the driver and send him a copy. Hopefully he has an in-car version.
I had to take it down. Our site was approaching the monthly bandwidth limit and this is only the 3rd. Stats show hits from 30 countries, and links from dozens of sites already. Damn, should have put some advertising on that thing!
I'll have it hosted somewhere else when I have the time.
[ 08-03-2006, 06:26 PM: Message edited by: Steve Scheifler ]
Region: MIDIV-STL
Car #: 28
Year : 1990 Posts: 592
Status: Offline
posted
Dave C, good to meet ya.
JimBob, always a pleasure but you checked out of Siebkens before Steve could buy the first round.
VanB, sorry we missed you this weekend. Glad to you were able to make good progress. Listen to Mark, he can drive. My rear bumper proves that he can drive faster than me through turn 5.
Thanks to all the workers and staff that made the event possible -- particularly after the storm rolled through Sunday morning. Hope it stayed dry for all races Sunday.
The ribs Saturday night were outstanding!
The SM races were a blast. On Sunday, I caught Steve with a couple laps to go and passed him through the Kettle Bottoms on the second-to-last lap. He took an inside line in T14 but I led by a car length at start/finish of the last lap. Steve then passed me in T1 but I got a run on him down to T5, took the inside line and we were side-by-side up to T6 where he took the lead again. I took the lead at the exit of T8 as Steve put two wheels off on the outside at the exit (big mud splash). I thought that sealed the win for me but with rain drops falling, Steve was fearless through the Carousel and passed me on the inside just before the kink! I made one last effort to go inside at Canada Corner but could not gain ground as Steve finished the last three turns perfectly for the win.
Congrats to Steve (who also won the SM race on Saturday).
And thanks to Dave Jones and step-son Patrick for crewing all weekend. Their helping hands and advice elevate our results and enjoyment.
[ 08-01-2006, 11:16 AM: Message edited by: Tom Scheifler ]
Hopefully no one was offended by my earlier post. The intention was to make the comment that HP is equal when off the gas. It has been interesting the number of people who have commented about our HP this season, when by comparison, ours is mid-pack SCCA power at best. It is all relative, and as we've accomplished through lots of laps and hard work, the greatest lap time improver is being on the gas sooner and longer than the other guy - more HP created per lap. Steve and Tom's results have been the result of better driving, not more HP. But we all know where we would have finished at the June Sprints...
Having raced in SCCA for many years (Saturday was my 51st BD - Steve gave me a trip to Wisconsin for a gift!), I want to comment about the great friendships and fraternity amoungst the MC drivers. This is racing as it should be, and you guys should do everything possible to maintain this friendly competition. THIS is what racing is supposed to be. You beat me this race, I will get you next time, and we help each other move up the ladder. It has been a great education for my son Pat. Great job everyone!
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