199 replies to this topic

[Philip Springer]

Haven't found any discussion about it yet. How did it go? I was scheduled to go after a trade show and be there on Sunday, but our trip got cancelled.

[Mitch Reading]

Results are on mylaps... looks like Blake, Danny and others had a great weekend. Deep field, looked like a few DNFs. Hope that Drago, Danny, etc give us some feedback. Does Atterbury's record still stand?

[Alex Bolanos]

Results are on mylaps... looks like Blake, Danny and others had a great weekend. Deep field, looked like a few DNFs. Hope that Drago, Danny, etc give us some feedback. Does Atterbury's record still stand?

Yes, not sure that one will ever be beat. Our (Clements/Pombo and Pombo/Bolanos) fastest laps bumping were a second off.

[Jim Drago]

That's what I thought.

I'm going to try and stick to the good and drama free, which wont be easy


First congratulations to Blake and Cliff Brown on the wins. There was a lot of talent there, lots of great guys. Cliff is always fast there. Blake absolutely drove the wheels off the car all weekend, he is a real talent. He may not look the part, but that kid can really drive a race car.

My weekend was not all that great, chased my tail most of the weekend with handling problems, so bad I was convinced I totally forgot how to drive. ( I may have) it ended up that my front sub frame cracked where the lower control mounts to it. So the mount would flex in and out changing toe when loading and unloading. However, when we checked it in the pits it would go back to the appropriate number. It was a handful. It culminated lap one of the first national race... It finally broke. I think Balanos has video of it, he can post if he likes, I haven't even seen. Thankfully I already knew I had a problem and had slowed down.
I will try and paste some pictures below




Got subframe swapped , car handling and driver driving... but managed only 8th place with lots of carnage Car handled well on one setup attempt, so that felt like a moral victory The race at the front was great one with Blake and Hermanos Pombo fighting for the win. Blake passed marked on the outside of 10b on the last lap. Atlanta is the best "race" track in the country IMO.



The most fun of the weekend was while sitting around bullshitting, Andrew and i started talking about going over to Lanier and running our Miatas on the oval Saturday night. I have heartedly meant it, but Andrew got in his car and went over there and arranged the deal. Somehow he managed to negotiate a deal for $2500 for a few hours at a track that rents for $500 a day, but it was well worth the $125 a head we spent. it was a blast! very little carnage, two small brushes with the wall out of all of us. Not sure who had more fun the Miata drivers or the the people from the track. they were amazed a bunch of SCCA guys could run as close as we did with no oval experience etc. It was really fun. We ran four 15 lap races and inverted the field after each. Andrew won heat one, Corey ( Jeff labountys crew chief won teh next two as he actually races in late models and it showed and BFC won the last one. I think this may become a official event for us from now on, we all had a blast. I only ran two races as I wanted to preserve my subframe that was installed a few minutes before getting there, I was happy with p8 and p6. I think we all have a new respect for those guys, it was far more difficult physically and mentally than Road racing IMO.

[Kyle Burkhardt]

I was wondering where this came from:

Looks like a f'ing blast!

[Jim Drago]

It was definitely fun! The rules were Road Atlanta setup and no pulling plates or weight! I am already looking forward to the next trip and so is the speedway

[Kyle Burkhardt]

The rules were Road Atlanta setup and no pulling plates or weight!

There were rules? So then everybody got DQ'd in the tech shed, he?

[Tom Sager]

Jim, that subframe is ugly.

Start working on your circle track setup.

[Jay Stroud]

Does anyone know if the guy that hit the bridge in Saturday's sprint race is OK?

[Butch Kummer]

Does anyone know if the guy that hit the bridge in Saturday's sprint race is OK?

Word is he was unresponsive and having trouble breathing when they got to him (which is why they called Life Flite) but was awake and responding when they loaded him into the helicopter. Last we heard he was going to be released from the hospital and allowed to return to Massachusetts today.

[Jim Drago]

Word is he was unresponsive and having trouble breathing when they got to him (which is why they called Life Flite) but was awake and responding when they loaded him into the helicopter. Last we heard he was going to be released from the hospital and allowed to return to Massachusetts today.

Any word on the people from the 4 wheeler accident?
Jim

[Butch Kummer]

Any word on the people from the 4 wheeler accident?
Jim

Nothing official, but apparently not life-threatening.

[davew]

Driver is fine, I have nothing more to say

[Danny Steyn]

Fellow Racers

I want to say here on this forum that I am VERY distrubed, not only by the events at Race 2 this past weekend, but also especially by the fact that none of you here are talking about it.

If all we are going to discuss on this forum is the difference between NASA and SCCA, between 1.6 and 99, and we are continually going to avoid discussing the disturbing behaviour of us, the very drivers racing in this class, then when that tragic time arrives, we will no-one but ourselves to blame.

Dave Wheeler, speak your mind - you owe it to the community. So too should all the drivers that were affected directly and indirectly by this event. So much whispering behind each others backs about what was right and what was wrong, so many emails and IM's, but no discussion. Lets get this out in the open and discuss it, that way we can see everyones opinions and we can have a healthy discussion.

Guys, we need to talk about this and clear the air.

[Johnny D]

Fellow Racers

I want to say here on this forum that I am VERY distrubed, not only by the events at Race 2 this past weekend, but also especially by the fact that none of you here are talking about it.

If all we are going to discuss on this forum is the difference between NASA and SCCA, between 1.6 and 99, and we are continually going to avoid discussing the disturbing behaviour of us, the very drivers racing in this class, then when that tragic time arrives, we will no-one but ourselves to blame.

Dave Wheeler, speak your mind - you owe it to the community. So too should all the drivers that were affected directly and indirectly by this event. So much whispering behind each others backs about what was right and what was wrong, so many emails and IM's, but no discussion. Lets get this out in the open and discuss it, that way we can see everyones opinions and we can have a healthy discussion.

Guys, we need to talk about this and clear the air.

I think if we had more details on what happened we could discuss it.

Guy hit bridge, was out, came to, helicoptered out, is going home.
What else?
I'm not making light of this.

J~

[Scottie]

That is a rough hit. I was not there, but I think the problem is how he got into the bridge...

[Jim Drago]

Fellow Racers

I want to say here on this forum that I am VERY distrubed, not only by the events at Race 2 this past weekend, but also especially by the fact that none of you here are talking about it.

If all we are going to discuss on this forum is the difference between NASA and SCCA, between 1.6 and 99, and we are continually going to avoid discussing the disturbing behaviour of us, the very drivers racing in this class, then when that tragic time arrives, we will no-one but ourselves to blame.

Dave Wheeler, speak your mind - you owe it to the community. So too should all the drivers that were affected directly and indirectly by this event. So much whispering behind each others backs about what was right and what was wrong, so many emails and IM's, but no discussion. Lets get this out in the open and discuss it, that way we can see everyones opinions and we can have a healthy discussion.

Guys, we need to talk about this and clear the air.

Danny
You didn't say anything of substance either:)

Long story short... Voyteks car is destroyed, several others are damaged from some over the top aggressive driving by a few people. From what I have seen, Voytek tends to block far more than most of us and drives pretty aggressively. The lap the crash happened, Jeff Labounty was being pushed down the back straight by Chip Vanvurst, they were attempting to overtake Voytek. Voytek swerved left to block, then all the way right and then all the way back to the left. At that point Chip and Labounty were committed as Chip was locked on Labounty's bumper. At that point, all hell broke loose and Voytek spun off into the wall, Jeff spun across the track collecting Nathaniel Sparks. I am friendly with all involved, so I am just stating facts and had a pretty good view as I was right behind Chip. I hate that Voyteks car was destroyed and glad he is OK along with all others. It could have been a lot worse.

You get one move... When you make three on the same straight after making several blocks earlier in the race, including two on me, it tends to get the tempers and red mist flying. Voytek comes from European style of racing where blocking is much more readily "accepted" and probably expected. It is not here accepted in the states, apparently not tolerated at all in CFL region. Blocking last year cost me about $5000 and a concussion, where I was a complete innocent bystander, leading a race and two cars came together and speared into my brand new car as I made the turn at Canada corner. MOVE ONE TIME, take your line and defend the hell out of it, but zig zagging down the back straight to defend your position is never acceptable and often very dangerous. Personally, I'll give anyone one block... If your a friend, maybe even two. You get one move in front of me, I'll even give one block, maybe two. That goes for friends, teammates or anyone else. I would expect the same.


Jim

[Mr.Pink]

Danny
You didn't say anything of substance either:)

Long story short... Voyteks car is destroyed, several others are damaged from some over the top aggressive driving by a few people. From what I have seen, Voytek tends to block far more than most of us and drives pretty aggressively. The lap the crash happened, Voytek swerved left to block, than all the way right and then all the way back to the left. At that point Chip and Labounty were committed as Chip was locked on Labounty's bumper. At that point, all hell broke loose. I am friends with all involved, so I am just stating facts and had a pretty good view as I was right behind Chip. I hate that Voyteks car was destroyed and glad he is OK along with all others.

You get one move... When you make three on the same straight after making several blocks earlier in the race, including two on me, it tends to get the tempers and red mist flying. Voytek comes from European style of racing where blocking is much more readily "accepted" and probably expected. It is not here accepted in the states, apparently not tolerated at all in CFL region. Blocking last year cost me about $5000 and a concussion, where I was a complete innocent bystander, leading a race and two cars came together and speared into my brand new car as I made the turn at Canada corner. MOVE ONE TIME, take your line and defend the hell out of it, but zig zagging down the back straight to defend your position is never acceptable and often very dangerous. Personally, I'll give anyone one block... If your a friend, maybe even two. Had I gotten to Voytek ( who I consider a friend) and he blocked me again, he was going around, albeit in a much safer place then the back straight. You get one move in front of me, I'll even give one block, maybe two, after that, expect to be nudged or turned some where. That goes for friends, teammates or anyone else. I would expect the same.


Jim

Any video from Jeffy,Chipper or Drago ??

[Mr.Pink]

When did the other incident with Sparks,Cliffy Happen??

[Tom OPM]

Knuckle head driving = bad for SM class. Too much talent and great people in this class for the few to screw it up. Pull your heads out people.