507 replies to this topic

[pitbull113]

2/44 did mix it up for a bit but it did not decide the race and was perfectly legal, PERIOD!!

Just poor sportsmanship

[Caveman-kwebb99]

Just poor sportsmanship

In my book poor sportsmanship=blocking people in quali, physically threathning them, turning someone on the first lap of a championship race, calling another competitor a cheat when you are the one cheating!

So what f#cking defintion of poor sportsmanship are you using? Get real!

[pitbull113]

In my book poor sportsmanship=blocking people in quali, physically threathning them, turning someone on the first lap of a championship race, calling another competitor a cheat when you are the one cheating!

So what fudge defintion of poor sportsmanship are you using? Get real!

all those are also poor sportsmanship but two wrongs don't make a right. Also from the view i had it looked like Jim was blocking and gorilla didn't give an inch. both equally at fault.

[Caveman-kwebb99]

all those are also poor sportsmanship but two wrongs don't make a right. Also from the view i had it looked like Jim was blocking and gorilla didn't give an inch. both equally at fault.

two wrongs never make a right! but there are times that a second wrong sets it right! The lead driver not moving over is not the lead drivers responsibility! there was plenty of room for the other driver, contact was not neccesary period no matter where you were sitting!

[pat slattery]

Does that mean we have the Gorrilla to contend with in NASA? for 2012.

[pitbull113]

Does that mean we have the Gorrilla to contend with in NASA? for 2012.

I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

[pat slattery]

Wanted to give a big thanks and Congrats to Ademir, and Evan, for there win. We pitted next to them, first time we had met them and got a long quite well. They helped us with getting our car set up for the final qualifier and it really helped. Great group of guys. Couldn't be happier for them.

Pat and Shawn Slattery

[Danny Steyn]

I just wanted to send in a few thoughts before I board my flight to South Africa where I will be on business for 2 weeks. No doubt I will be checking in here as often as internet connections permit.

The Race and the Racers

This is an event that all racers should do at least once. It’s a big deal and a great pageant. The man-drama is turned up to 11! But despite that there is still so much camaraderie among drivers in our class that it makes it all worthwhile.

I finally met Brian Ghidinelli, Tom Sager and Elivan Goulart. Great to meet you guys and to run with you. I also want to say what a class act Chris Haldeman is. In the Q4 session he saw I had a flyer and moved over to let me have my run, and it was the lap that moved me up the grid. Thanks Chris – sorry about the way your race finished.

Regarding the drama, it started long before the race. Depending on your viewpoint there were antagonists and there were reactionaries. But I suspect that no one was completely innocent. When provoked you can stand back and let it roll, or you can step forward and raise the level. It’s all a choice and we live with our choices. I have no dog in this hunt, but from my perspective there were at least two sides to this story as well as several others the entire weekend.

I love racing this class, I respect most of the drivers and I try to have friendships with most. This is not life or death for me and I suspect that I will never be as good as those that see it that way, but I certainly don’t want to be embroiled in all this stress for weeks or months when I need to focus on my business, my family and my life. I do this for enjoyment and to de-stress from my work life, and Fowler always reminds me to have fun as we head out on the pace lap.

The Race

On the outlap we were warned that the track was slimy from T12-T13 – they forgot to mention it was sopping wet from the kink to T13!!!

There was lots of banter before the race and several told me that I would be in the lead on lap 1 when they all took each other out. Guess what, it happened. Sorry to see the contact in front of me as I want to race everyone at their best. Drago was fast all week and would have been tough to beat.

I got past the incident in turn 8 and into the lead and wailed flat out through the carousel and came into the kink flat out, thinking that our slow exit out of T8 would be all that I needed to offset the wet conditions in the kink. Well I was wrong. I had the biggest scare of my life and the best save of my life in the kink. I will post video of it. Unfortunately my sphincter was puckered for the next 6 laps and it was only by lap 7 that I stopped losing time in the kink.

I had a great race with Elivan, Steve and Andrew and ran in the top 3 or 4 until lap 11. Steve and Elivan had a good clean race upfront except for a minor scrape in T5 when Elivan, moving from the outside to the inside, brushed the back of Steve’s car upsetting the car in the braking zone. The rest of the time I was behind them I saw both of them respectfully give each other room. Andrews’s car was pushing really badly and he was losing considerable mid corner and exit speed. Andrew and I pushed each other at different parts of the track and maintained contact while Steve and Elivan diced it out.

I pushed Andrew for two laps down to T5 to close the gap but I eventually got impatient on lap 11 and made a move to the inside going into T5. Andrew moved over to defend his line going into T5, as was his right, so I moved over to pass on the outside, but I misjudged it and nudged his rear bumper and upset his car. I immediately lifted and raised my hand in apology down in to T5 and out from T5-T6. It was 100% my fault and not intentional and I am thankful that I didn’t turn Andrew but you can see how fast it can happen.

Coming out of T6, I was a bit distressed by my move and the resultant contact, missed the apex and drove into the grass, came back on immdiately but lost momentum. Sammy was coming on strong but he lifted to let me through T8 and that led Voytek have a run on me coming into T8. Voytek thought he might make it but he didn’t have the pass and locked up all 4 tires while I was already in the turn and his front bumper hit my rear wheel and turned me, spinning me out. I know he didn’t mean it but it was really disappointing to get taken out this way, as I felt I still had a decent shot to podium. I restarted in 9^th but got past Berry and Bolanos to finish 7^th on track behind Chip van Vurst.

I am just ecstatic to have been able to run at or near the front and to have such a great fun race. Thanks to those that lent their bumper to mine to move me forward when I needed it, Shawn, Andrew, Chris and others. This class, at this track especially, is so much about who works with you and who doesn’t.

Thanks

Thanks to all the SCCA officials and tech inspectors that put their time into making this a great event. Thanks to Tom, Ryan and Tim from OPM for building me a great car and the great track support, and to Tom for running bumper to bumper for 5 days of testing and qualifying - what fun we had.

Photo Credit – Doug Morrissey

Thanks to Tracy for the great catering – what a difference to the old days!!!! Thanks also to Glenn at Traqmate for his support, the Puskars at Carbotech for the brakes and to my long suffering wife Kim who says that the man-drama at the runoffs is way too far off the scale.

And now for the final story

Tom and I had really great engines running through test day and qualifying , and we were running below the track record, but we were still a hair down on a few really strong motors that were showing their stuff. So my wonderful engine builder and all time great guy, Mike Rossini, put a new engine together on Monday, installed it in a car and dyno’ed it at his shop in NC, pulled it out and put it in the trunk of his street Miata, and his right hand man, Mike Johnson drove it through the night nonstop for 16 hours, riding on the bump-stops, blinding the traffic ahead of him who repeatedly flashed their hi-beams at him the entire night.

With no sleep for over 30 hours, he and Ryan Downtown pulled out the “old” Rossini and put in the “new” Rossini.

We put it on the Dyno Wednesday and we had what we needed. And then he lent an Engine to Drago when he needed one.

You just have to respect the commitment and class of a small operation like Rossini. I am honored to be part of the Rossini team, which finished 6^th, 7^th and 8^th. A great drive by Chip in his condition to drive from the back of the grid to 6^th place.

As it turns out it looks as though the Rossini team moves up to 4^th, 5^th and 6^th. Not a bad showing at all!!! Thanks Mike

[suck fumes]

I guess justice is served now. Way to go Tech guys!!!

[Jim Daniels - FIG]

all those are also poor sportsmanship but two wrongs don't make a right. Also from the view i had it looked like Jim was blocking and gorilla didn't give an inch. both equally at fault.

Sir, what is a block? Last I looked you get one move and when you are out front the trailing car has to move with you or yield. If I'm wrong then have them reinstate my win from 04.

Two wrongs suggest equal events, like saying 9 minus one is zero.

[Jim Daniels - FIG]

I guess justice is served now. Way to go Tech guys!!!

Right on but don't forget it was two part. On track including the 2 spin in race was deemed at fault as well as tech shed infractions.

[38bfast]

Right on but don't forget it was two part. On track including the 2 spin in race was deemed at fault as well as tech shed infractions.

Well in that case is one year enough?

[Mitch Reading]

Jim, do you know who does Goulart's motor work?

[Blake Thompson]

Thanks for the write-up Danny, I enjoyed reading it. Mike is hard-core!

[pitbull113]

Sir, what is a block? Last I looked you get one move and when you are out front the trailing car has to move with you or yield. If I'm wrong then have them reinstate my win from 04.

Two wrongs suggest equal events, like saying 9 minus one is zero.

The problem here is everyone's judgement is clouded by the fact that we all like Jim D. and he was the favorite to win. I'm not defending anything Gorilla did on or off the track, I don't know him but from what I've heard he's a complete douche. I like Jim D. but after he got spun I feel it was in poor sportsmanship to go back out and get in the middle of other peoples race. Would I have done the same thing maybe, maybe not depending on whether or not I cooled down by the time I had caught up to my target. As far as a "block" goes I see nothing in the GCR about"one move". If i'm at your quarter panel and you move over on me I'm not going in the wet to avoid contact.Period. I feel bad for Jim as I like him and he's a great guy but from the view i had watching it on-line it looked like he was blocking and knowing gorilla is a douche on and off the track you had to know it was coming.

[Blake Thompson]

Can i change my logon to Gorilla Douche?

[Caveman-kwebb99]

I am curious about the whole cheating aspect. How many times can you be caught cheating and not be suspended or bannned? Just a serious question, as it seems this is not the first time for some of the dq'd drivers.

[Marc Cefalo]

Jim, do you know who does Goulart's motor work?

His father father does them. Not sure if he subcontracts the machining out to another shop...

[Gorilla Douche]

Can i change my logon to Gorilla Douche?

Sorry bubba taken

[James York]

I am curious about the whole cheating aspect. How many times can you be caught cheating and not be suspended or bannned? Just a serious question, as it seems this is not the first time for some of the dq'd drivers.

+1. There is some history here.