183 replies to this topic

[Jim Drago]

Ron

Not sure what you are arguing? All other facts and scenarios put aside.. East coast started 30, west coast did not. Case closed isn't it? Am I missing something? 

I dont think it matters, but Preston broke and came to a stop in 16, I broke and drove in from 3, Selin sr who only ran the race to get the 30 crshed into a spinning car.. So I am sure he was glad he started

 

http://racehero.io/e...ults/1073743911

[chris haldeman]

Ron, do you think this is the way to get toyo' help with the west purse? All bringing it up on social media/web forums will do is ensure it never happens again. Random acts of kindness are just that random. All partners are able to do more if approached properly.

[Johnny D]

I think somebody's going to be counting cars when the video's up.

 

FWIW Ron, I asked Greg if I should borrow the 186 back up, but he said no.

Not sure he understood with all the stress and being protested, etc.

 

J~

[MPR22]

Anyone have any good podium photos, as bad as i was on the podium fumbling with hats and glasses and checks.... dad only shot video from a very oblique angle so it is hard to see me, but he got the model nearest him in mid frame most of the time. 

[Johnny D]

Anyone have any good podium photos, as bad as i was on the podium fumbling with hats and glasses and checks.... dad only shot video from a very oblique angle so it is hard to see me, but he got the model nearest him in mid frame most of the time. 

 

Check with Brett,

 

Brett Becker
NASA Media Director
Mobile: (805) 850-8310
E-mail:Brett@drivenasa.com

[tLinder]

Wow, where to begin?  I think I have an inkling of what those Oscar winners might feel like when they get called to the stage.  All I can think about is how many people have helped me achieve this amazing goal. 

 

Dad and I got in to this hoping we might be able to race together but a few things kept that from happening.  Although he has been unable to race he has supported me for the last 7 years, sharing my successes and failures.  Hopefully he is as thrilled as I am with our efforts.  Thank you dad.  Mom lets us both go racing and takes care of things when dads away.  Thank you, mom. 

 

December 2009, at driver school this friendly guy starts chatting me up and wants to know what I am driving.  That awesome, green, silver and hot pink Spec Miata.  He smiles and says me too, but mine is blue. Our instructors liked our first session and were bored and told us to go at it and race each other.  We spent the next two days chasing each other around and we have been ever since.  Almost always I am P2.  Chris Haldeman is the best racing buddy you could ever have.  Not because he is an awesome, mechanic, engine builder, car hauler or painter, but because he is always encouraging me to be better.  From that first day to this last weekend he has been there for me.  Thank you, Chris.

 

My wife and kids have been supportive and when I am just too rung out from work and life my wife is always the first to say, why don’t you go racing.  Wish she could have been there for the week but she has responsibilities that keep her from following me around.   As you may know our house flooded in August and our Runoffs were ended by the hurricane.  When we got a plan together on rebuilding the house and we were on the path to recovery, she once again said, why don’t you go racing.  Thank you my love.

 

Thanks to you all for the congratulations and well wishes.  It is sincerely appreciated. 

 

If anyone wants a weekend recap let me know.  I am back to work on the house and playing catch on my other responsibilities so if you want the long version it may be a few days. 

 

If you want the short version, I went to Sebring and won the biggest race of my life, what a thrill  . 

You're novels are always worth reading, but your cliff notes aren't bad  I've witnessed a fair percentage of your races, IMO you drove the best I've ever seen.  Well earned, enjoy it, soak it up!

 

(And I'll second your kudos about Chris.  No way I'd still be racing SM if it wasn't for his generous support) 

[tLinder]

Ron

Not sure what you are arguing? All other facts and scenarios put aside.. East coast started 30, west coast did not. Case closed isn't it? Am I missing something? 

I dont think it matters, but Preston broke and came to a stop in 16, I broke and drove in from 3, Selin sr who only ran the race to get the 30 crshed into a spinning car.. So I am sure he was glad he started

 

http://racehero.io/e...ults/1073743911

NASA results, West 28, East 30.

http://timingscoring..._Championships/

[-P-]

My car had minor damage, but my liver a bit more.

 

I had a great time with current and new friends. Staying at the track each night was definitely a lot more fun.

 

See everyone in Austin next year!

[TylerQuance]

Smoked a transmission Thursday, hit the T17 wall Friday, lost a wheel Sunday after the checkered, then watched my 3-legged car fall off the tow truck in neutral. Still managed to have the most fun race weekend yet with you guys, thank you.

 

Big congratulations to Michael, Selin, and Trevor... well done guys!! Also would like to read an MPR recap when you get around to it 

[Ron Alan]

Ron

Not sure what you are arguing? All other facts and scenarios put aside.. East coast started 30, west coast did not. Case closed isn't it? Am I missing something? 

I dont think it matters, but Preston broke and came to a stop in 16, I broke and drove in from 3, Selin sr who only ran the race to get the 30 crshed into a spinning car.. So I am sure he was glad he started

 

http://racehero.io/e...ults/1073743911

 

Ron, do you think this is the way to get toyo' help with the west purse? All bringing it up on social media/web forums will do is ensure it never happens again. Random acts of kindness are just that random. All partners are able to do more if approached properly.

Maybe I should have gotten the answer to the status of Preston and Selin Sr. first!   On the result sheet I assumed they didn't start because it didn't show a lap. You broke on the first lap Jim and came in I assume? But you recorded a lap? Maybe you came in on the 2nd? Regardless, I thought they didnt start which is my mistake. In Chris's interview his comment that Toyo had said they were going to take care of them regardless is what made me look at things...and ask questions. I recognize your point Chris and the wisdom is sound...but the reality is it wasn't a random act of kindness...you had 30 starters! Done! I have no complaint!

 

In the end what I thought was 2 equal situations was not! And in the end West coast guys didnt recognize they had to field one car(Johnny was ready to go as the 29th) to capitalize on double the purse...their mistake! 

[Danica Davison]

My car had minor damage, but my liver a bit more.
 
I had a great time with current and new friends. Staying at the track each night was definitely a lot more fun.
 
See everyone in Austin next year!

 

Shots?

[Jim Drago]

You broke on the first lap Jim and came in I assume? But you recorded a lap? Maybe you came in on the 2nd?

I figured out that I had second and fourth, although a bit noisy So I drove in and crossed S/F in the pit lane. Selin Sr and Preston were either towed in and came in one of the many access roads and never crossed s/f.  That why I can say I kicked Prestons ass!

[Danica Davison]

That why I can say I kicked Prestons ass!

 

And I kicked your ass by 13 laps. Sad!

[Armando Ramirez]

I figured out that I had second and fourth, although a bit noisy So I drove in and crossed S/F in the pit lane. Selin Sr and Preston were either towed in and came in one of the many access roads and never crossed s/f.  That why I can say I kicked Prestons ass!

Even if using one of your cars?    LOL

[Jim Drago]

Even if using one of your cars?    LOL

I wasn't sitting there, I wanted to get back and watch the race



 

And I kicked your ass by 13 laps. Sad!

  And no that's entirely different!

[-P-]

Shots?

Duh!

[MPR22]

ThursdayTest Day:

 

We rolled off the truck with old RRs and a setup that had quite a bit of push in rights.  Practice session 1 yielded a refresher course in which way the track went left and right and a reminder that I was slow here in January.  Session 2 made a cross change to get the car to rotate better in rights and it did but not much.  Session 3 more cross change and car was more stable but slow.  We put on first new set of tires and scrubbed them while evaluating whether or not to make another change.  The car pushed even worse with the new rubber.  We could make the car go fastish for a few laps but we would hurt the tires in the long run if we stayed put.  Put the car to neutral cross for last session and tried another set of stickers.  We went quite a bit faster but by lap 4 the tires were hurt again.  Danny was nice enough to come around and show me his line through from 7-15 which I was able to hold onto him until I got to 17 for the second time.  Test day in the book and I was within .8 and Chris was within .6.  Trevor McAllion, the fastest guy from Texas you don't know was about .7 off and had been the fastest of us off of the truck.  Having never been to the track before the 50 year old dog was able to learn the track on I-Racing.  

 

Thursday Night Drivers Meeting:   

 

Bless NASA for running a great event but having been at it all day I was tired and the drivers meeting was like 4 hours long (really 1.5?).  I was so tired midway through I was starting to dose off when they broke us into our Class meetings.  In our class meeting an astute Trevor McAllion asks, what is the policy/penalty for short cutting from 14 to 16?  The answer from the officials was, dq if you gain advantage.  Charbs asks, " don't we just get a black furled flag for the first offense?  Race Director (RD), "no, just a dq". 

 

 Charbs, (me translating for those that don't know Charbs), " I should get at least one lap where I can cheat the system like I did at the Runoffs."  RD, (again me paraphrasing) "you can drive whatever line you chose, we will adjudicate accordingly".

 

JD, the helpful one not the ball buster, walks up to me and says, I have been watching you all day and I think i can help you in turn 17.  This was like music to my ears because I was struggling to get the car to rotate and was trying every trick in my book to carry enough speed and still get the car to rotate.  He says, something like, why the F aren't you shifting to third gear and trying to do it in 4th all day.      Other than feeling like a dumb ass for doing the same thing over and over I was elated that I had magically found like .4-.5 of a second without a single change to the car.  I had to tell Chris the good news, but he just looked at me like  .  

 

Friday Warm Up.  We go out and turn a decent lap with Chris following me, i made a bobble and Chris had to lead the last two laps and on our last lap we turned our best lap so far.  We get back into the pits and my dad is shaking his head.  What's wrong, we killed it on the last lap.  He says we are P 7 and P 8.  WTF? We are scratching our heads as we were sub 2:38 and nobody was close to that yesterday.  Turns out Race Hero (please fix this Mr. Ghidinelli) showed our second fastest laps in the results section.  Our fastest laps would have had us P2 and P3 about .05 off of Danny's fast lap.  

 

Satisfied we are there we don't touch the cars this time and chill out for qualifying.  

 

Sat Qual:

 

NASA decided to grid qual based on order in which you entered the race.  So Chris and I were late entrants and that put us almost all the way at the back.  No big deal, the track is big, there are 30 something cars and we can make a big enough hole to get a good lap in.  We roll out with our little team like little ducks in a line and proceed to warm up our tires get around to 17 and start getting on the wood and make a nice easy transition into turn 1 and in my rear view mirror i see the aforementioned Charbs swooping in like a vulture to steal my spot pushing Chris.  This goes on for about 2 laps until Chris waves Charbs around and we have sucked so I know I have to get back on Chris and turn a good lap.  Lap 4 we are running clean and have our best lap going, not sure how good as my data wasn't displaying.  At turn 17, using the third gear instead of the 4th gear, i could get my car to rotate and got the power down.  The lap before I had taken a wider arc and almost brushed the wall as my closing speed on Chris was high and had to lift a little to keep from hitting him as he hadn't tracked out all the way yet.  This time i was inside of him and had no place to go as we overlapped mid corner and i couldn't get behind to push.  I drove along side of him as we crossed the checker.  On the cool down lap he bump drafted me all the way to the hairpin.  This must have meant to keep the heat in the tires so i went a little faster.  At impound he gets out to the car  and proceeds to tell me that he doesn't know who I am very animatedly. I started to understand what the bump drafting was about.  After I explained to him i was not the three people he thought i might be and that I had other circumstances that prevented me from pushing him he nodded and said "ah ok, nevermind".  JD, not the helpful one, walks over and wants to know what our strategy session was about and proceeds to explode in laughter.   Later in impound under the tent, JD proceeds to tell everyone that walks up that I popped on Chris so i could get the better qual time. I just went back to the rear bumper of my car and waited for about an hour, then was asked to remove my top half of the intake for inspection.  Something weird was going on with timing and scoring because it didn't show our last lap as our best or even close, we still haven't figured that one out yet.   So we are P5,6 and 7. MPR, CH, TM

 

More later, I actually have to work now.  

[Jim Drago]

I am going to completely change my track demeanor if Davison is going to be labelled the 'helpful" JD

And Michael, don't feel bad about the fourth vs third deal.. In 2016 I was struggling at Nola all test day couldn't figure out why I sucked so badly in one... I studied my line frame by frame, brake marker down to the foot.. Then it hit me square in the face I was taking it in fourth instead of third.

[Danica Davison]

I am going to completely change my track demeanor if Davison is going to be labelled the 'helpful" JD

 

tehehehehe

[MPR22]

I am going to completely change my track demeanor if Davison is going to be labelled the 'helpful" JD

No shit.  How bad is that the Danica is the helpful JD?  Love you both, but, damn the two of you could start more fights in bars than any two human beings i have come across.