158 replies to this topic

[Bench Racer]

STL

A bit quicker by both. Same rules as Spec Miata, I presume.

Sandlin 2:44.518

Drago 2:44.525

[Keith Andrews]

1.6, 99, 01 Good Luck to all!

[Danny Steyn]

Thanks Keith

Qualifying session 1 is done and it has set the qualifying spots for Q2 tomorrow. Times were almost a second slower than the best times yesterday due to the heat and a bit of a headwind on the main straight. Lots of crazy desperate driving to get the times in early before the tires went off.

I will tell you here that I have absolutely NOTHING for Todd Buras’s rocket ship 1.6 in a straight line, and it makes no difference if we are climbing the main straight from T14, or running from T3 to T5 or T8 to T12. That car of his is insanely fast. Todd showed up today and has never run a Spec Miata at Road America, did not do test day, bought my throw-off tires and put it in 4^th place on the grid. Yes tomorrow is another day, but I think that Todd has shown that a well prepared 1.6 in the hands of a top driver is going to be a serious threat for the Runoffs.

On another topic, I am still so disappointed that the Race organizers have grouped us with SSB, SSC and T3. Spec Miata makes up the largest fields in all of National racing, yet we cannot get our own run group. Nothing against the SSB, SSC and T3 drivers but they make their speed very differently, with decent speed in the straights and often parking it in the turns.

After being split apart from the front draft by another out-of-class car, Voytek and I had a great run going all the way into Canada corner, only to get royally screwed by a black Mustang that could not ever do the same corner the same way twice.

I know we will have a split start and that will be fine for a while, and then we will run into the back markers and the top Spec Miata drivers in the country will be held up by an-out-of-class driver who only has 3 drivers in his class. And of course if we end up with a FCY and a restart, well then everything goes out the window and the insanity will prevail. I really feel that we should make our voices heard at the national level. I would honestly prefer to run with the 40 SRF drivers in our class than the ten odd SSB, SSC and T3 cars .

[Bench Racer]

Thanks for the update Danny.

[Strongbad]

A.M. qualifying this morning via RAce Monitor looked exciting! The 01' of Tisseront had pole (2:43:637) for a little while until the East Street Gang of Sandlin and Drago put together some fast laps and pushed him back. Also, looks like local shoe Burdzy put in a flyer as well.
Unofficial:
Sandlin 43.463 (99)
Burdzy 43.608 (99)
Drago 43.614 (99)
Tisseront 43.637 (01)
Buras 43.780 (1.6)

[Mike Asselta]

Ron, what is your consideration for a Pro driver?

Tom Long is a pro. He manages the Freedom Autosport team in GrandAm. Running GrandAm doesn't make him a "pro" but his skills, coaching ability and speed on the track make Tom a pro in my book. I had the privilege of racing with him on the team once, and he is a fine person as well as one of the fastest drivers out there.

Some old timey spec miata guys will remember Tom from when we had a Pro Spec Miata series.

RA isn't a particularly technical track...more of a dyno, but I hope Tom gets a chance to showcase his skillz.

[Andrew Charbonneau]

Tom Long is a pro. He manages the Freedom Autosport team in GrandAm. Running GrandAm doesn't make him a "pro" but his skills, coaching ability and speed on the track make Tom a pro in my book. I had the privilege of racing with him on the team once, and he is a fine person as well as one of the fastest drivers out there.

Some old timey spec miata guys will remember Tom from when we had a Pro Spec Miata series.

RA isn't a particularly technical track...more of a dyno, but I hope Tom gets a chance to showcase his skillz.

i FOR ONE KNOW toms ability the boy can drive not as good as me but hes close for the top three guys they can drive allittle also but 3hp advantage helps also

same motor plan
as for danny sorry you have a seventh place car watch out for votec hes a crazy mfo . and time to make the donuts need to split the three amigos for chance to win

the frenchman does not have mirrors will be a factor in the first wreck
and burdzy
hsa a harry mannibg set up not sure about that one

i have spoken

[Caveman-kwebb99]

lol

[MPR22]

Thanks for the insight Charbs, you sounded like you where channeling Guest Driver.

[Danny Steyn]

What an amazing Q2 session. Berry, who had been fast all week, got the setup or tires wrong and dropped to 9th. Breakout performance was Stefan Tisseront who hooked up with Tom Long to nail a stellar first time performance for 4th place on the grid and in an 01 too.

Top 7 within 0.5 secs. Shows the reality of pack racing. Times without drafts are well over a second slower.

The east Street gang are solid, Drago doesnt quite have the motor that Sandlin and Berry have, but he will be there. Berry will come from the back on a charge. Voytek will be a factor for sure, steady all weekend, but broke a ball joint before the end of the session. Buras is the unknown factor in the mix. Todd obviously has the speed, and I expect to see him up front.

Other serious contenders in the traffic will be Whitis, Long, Carbonnel and Sager and a few other dark horses that might have been held up in the chaotic mixed class traffic.

Will be an amazing race, just hoping we can stay under green for the duration.

[pat slattery]

Would be nice if the SM boys had there race by themself. I think Voytek has a shot, he has picked up his game in the last year and driving more under control.

Good luck to all, wish we were there.

Pat

[Glenn]

i FOR ONE KNOW toms ability the boy can drive not as good as me but hes close for the top three guys they can drive allittle also but 3hp advantage helps also

same motor plan
as for danny sorry you have a seventh place car watch out for votec hes a crazy mfo . and time to make the donuts need to split the three amigos for chance to win

the frenchman does not have mirrors will be a factor in the first wreck
and burdzy
hsa a harry mannibg set up not sure about that one

i have spoken

Andrew you are the man behind the wheel, but Tom Long is the MASTER!

[MPR22]

Any of you guys that like to pick on my a$$ like to make a wager if I know or don't know what's under the locked hood? No one under the tent told me what if anything is under the locked hood.

By the way, the profile name is some of drago's cute work. Tho there may be some correctness in the profile name.

Poor Dewhurst, thinks people are picking on him by asking hm a simple question. "Why do YOU care if 1.6 can win the Runoffs".

As for what's under Burras' hood. I suspect he has 1.6 L mazda engine with a very well devleoped "Pro head" adjustable fuel pressure regulator, tricked out AFM, hand picked intake and exhaust manifolds. Not sure about the air intake, may have gone away from the standard SP Induction, that actually would be interesting to see. What ever the combinations are the smart money says he has spent enough dyno time to break in a dozen engines. In short he has as much money or more into his 1.6 as any of the top 99 entries. He certainly could afford a top 99 so he must think he is faster in 1.6. Thats what matters to him.

[Ron Alan]

Tom Long is a pro. He manages the Freedom Autosport team in GrandAm. Running GrandAm doesn't make him a "pro" but his skills, coaching ability and speed on the track make Tom a pro in my book. I had the privilege of racing with him on the team once, and he is a fine person as well as one of the fastest drivers out there.

Some old timey spec miata guys will remember Tom from when we had a Pro Spec Miata series.

RA isn't a particularly technical track...more of a dyno, but I hope Tom gets a chance to showcase his skillz.

Thanks Mike(and AC) for clarifiying this for DD. Its long been a chuckle when someone tries to use the word "Pro" to justify or assume a driver is fast. SM year after year proves to have some of the most talented drivers in the country...mostly with the "Amateur" status which really only distinguishes the difference of a plaque or a check(in my eyes)

BTW...no disrespect towards Tom Long in any way. I've met the man and he was a complete gentleman and a heck of a driver on the day I watched him at Laguna. I wish him and all his amateur brothers the best of luck tomorrow. For some odd reason I'd like to see Todd B finish on top

[wheel]

The race is scheduled for 2:30 this afternoon.

[Ron Alan]

Oops...was still on Friday time...Tequilla

[Astro]

Anyone have the full starting grid?

[Keith Andrews]

http://junesprints.com/live-timing/

[Mike Asselta]

Lap 3 has Todd Buras in the 1.6 laying down the fast lap by 4/10 over Berry and more than a second over everyone else.

[Glenn]

Long back in P2