PBIR Double National - Chip is Baaaaaaaaaaack!!!!!
#1
Posted 01-13-2013 01:12 PM
- Chris Fulton, JBlaisdell and chris haldeman like this
Danny
Danny Steyn Racing | DSR YouTube Channel
Danny Steyn Photography | Adept Studios | Ocean Machinery | OPM Autosports | Rossini Racing Engines | G-Loc Brakes |
2 x SCCA Runoffs Champ | 1 x NASA National Champ | 6 x June Sprints Champ | 10 x ARRC Champ
1 x SCCA Super Sweep | 2 x Triple Crown | 4 x Hoosier Super Tour Points Champ | 6 x Majors Points Champ | 5 x SEDiv Driver of the Year
#2
Posted 01-13-2013 02:59 PM
#3
Posted 01-13-2013 03:16 PM
Jim
East Street Auto Parts
Jim@Eaststreet.com
800 700 9080
#4
Posted 01-13-2013 05:09 PM
- Chris Fulton, Armando Ramirez and Kevin B like this
#5
Posted 01-13-2013 05:37 PM
#6
Posted 01-14-2013 09:00 AM
#7
Posted 01-14-2013 10:28 AM
- David Johnson likes this
Alex Bolanos - #57
Sponsored by Autotechnik, Momo USA, Apex Alignment, and Amazon.com
#8
Posted 01-14-2013 04:00 PM
PBIR RACE REPORT
I really didn’t want to race at PBIR. It’s a Mickey Mouse track in my opinion, it eats tires, it requires extreme patience and there is zero spectator view. NOTHING. Not my favorite place, but Chip coerced me and I signed up.
Saturday Race 1
In Q3 I got lucky and ran a decent lap that held up for pole. Grid for Race 1 was Steyn, Rollan, Chip, Carbonnel, Leverone, Charbonneau, Bolanos, Tucker.
In Saturday’s Race 1 at the start Chip cleared us into T1 but Selin made the dive under both of us into T4, Chip got by Selin into T6, and Selin and I got back under Chip going into T10. Four lead changes on the first lap. OF course this meant that we were all bunched up with Andrew Carbonnel, and Andrew Charbonneau in close contention. Chip pushed me back up to Selins bumper.
On Lap 3 Cahrbonneau, Tucker and Labounty got passed Carbonnel, with Nick Leverone on Carbonnels bumper. For the next few laps the order remained the same, Selin, Steyn, Chip, Charbonneau.
With the help of a puch by Chip, I took the lead from Selin and I could tell Chip was on a mission. Chip passed Selin too and Charbonneau was wearing out Selin’s bumper. The draft on the back straight is so important at PBIR, and if you are the lead car and you don’t have a team mate, you are a sitting duck. My strategy was to gain as much time in the infield as possible to gain a buffer going onto the back straight.
Every lap the guys behind would close on me and first four cars would cross the start line bumper to bumper every lap.
Chip was getting a great run out of T8 onto the back straight and often would be on my bumper and push me, but on lap 12 Chip made the move past me into T10 and Andrew past me into T1 and we ran two wide through T2, T3 and T4. Selin got us both in T4 and I managed to clear Charbonneau in the Carousel T5. The order was not Chip, Selin, me Andrew and Bolanos was some distance behind us with Leverone on his tail.
Selin made another dive in T4, forcing Chip wide allowing me back to 2nd place. No matter how much the leader gapped the group everyone would be back together going to the start finish line. Around lap 14 Chip pushed me past Selin in Selins favorite corner T4. Charbonneau was now glued to Selin’s bumper in 3rd place. We had already had 6 or 7 lead changes. The next lap Charbonneau cleared Selin going into T and started chasing me down.
Andrew as closing the gap when the track went FCY for a car in the tire wall in the Carousel. The pace car came out and picked up the wrong guys, and it took them another lap to get the cars past and for us to form up behind the pace car.
BSI crew Chief Rob came over the radio and said they were going to have one lap - a green white checker. Clearing the pack onto the back straight was the goal. I timed the start well and opened up a gap. Andrew had his mirrors full of Chip and Selin and that allowed me to open the gap and have some breathing room onto the back straight. Andrew had a severe push entering the back straight and that allowed Chip to pass him there. Selin tried the outside line past Andrew into T10, giving him the inside line in T11 and it stuck giving the top three spots to cars under the BSI tent!
Really thrilled for Mike Rossini. It’s been two almost two years since Chip and I have had Rossini engines on the top 2 steps of the podium. Congrats Mike. Your engines are stellar and everyone has noticed.
Congrats to Andrew Charbonneau who set a new lap record of 1:34.006.
Sunday Race 2
In Q4, Chip van Vurst had an awesome lap going and picked up the perfect draft to run a 1:32.8, well under the track record. Grid for Race 2 was Chip, Steyn, Bolanos, Rolan, Leverone, Carbonnel.
On the first lap Selin got a great shove down the back straight and passed me. Alex and I went side by side through T1 and T2 and that allowed Carbonnel to get under him. Carbonnel and Bolanos diced it out and allowed Chip, Rolan and I to open a sizeable lead. But Alex was on a charge and was chasing us down. Bolanos first got past me, and then started dicing with Selin. This held us all up, Chip gapped us all and Carbonnel and Leverone closed onto my bumper, running in 5th and 6th. Alex got past Selin a lap later and I could see Selin was having problems staying with them, and two laps later I took the opportunity to pass Selin.
For the next 5 laps Chip held a 1 second gap to Alex, and I was about 2 seconds behind Alex out of the draft and Selin a couple of seconds behind me with Andrew Carbonnel in 5th and Nick Leverone in 6th.
Then Alex started to gain on Chip and was all over Chip’s bumper. As we came up on lapped traffic there were ZERO blue fags waived, so Alex and Chip got the worst of it, often having to slow for lapped traffic. On lap 16, Alex made the move on Chip in T4 and pulled ahead. The next lap Chip went for the outside pass at the end of the straight in T10 but couldn’t make it stick. But he made the pass in T1. All this two wide racing had allowed me to catch up to their bumpers and get back in the draft.
I was having a terrible time with my tires that had called it quits and I just could not get it to stick coming out of T8 onto the back straight. But I was able to pressure Alex and he had to start driving in his rear view mirrors as well as looking at Chip ahead.
Traffic really became an issue in the last few laps. Chip was able to gap Alex and I was all over Alex’s bumper. On the 2nd last lap I got a great run out onto the back straight, passed Alex on the outside and we went through Turn 10, T11, T1, T2 and T3 side by side (5 turns!!!). Alex had a bit of a push in T2 and bumped my passenger door giving me a sideways scare but I held it and I Alex gave it up going into T4.
Chip was long gone. Exiting onto the back straight for the last time I hugged the right side, and it was Alex’s time to try the outside pass. We went through T10 and 11 side by side again, and like a prize idiot I missed the shift to 4th (DOH!) and Alex beat me by 4/100ths. All this side by side racing allowed Nick and Selin to close up the gap at the end. Charbonneau finished 7th
NOW here's the KICKER - The Top 7 drivers all ran times within 3/10ths of a second!!!!
All props to Chip for a phenomenal weekend. His qualifying lap as well as his race was picture perfect.
Congrats to Alex for the track record. And Alex, I had a blast running two wide with you - so much fun!
Also watch out for Selin Rolan. This kid has the skills. When his race craft and strategy start coming together he is going to be difficult to beat.
Had a good time working with Alex Acosta on data this weekend. Really impressive to see a driver make a 7 second improvement over the course of a weekend. Also great to have Indy lights driver Victor Carbone under the BSI tent.
I ran PBIR with Stu at BSI this weekend as Tom Fowler had to undergo appendix surgery this week. Tom is on the mend and will be at the track real soon. Thanks to Stu, Dina, Rob and the team at BSI for taking such good care of me and my car. BSI had bog group of drivers under the tent that included Chip van V, myself, Selin Rolan, Andrew Carbonnel, Matt van Vurst, Victor Carbone, Alex Acosta, Thomas Ellis and Brad Klein.
And finally - much appreciation to Mike Rossini. Mike, you are the man. Your engines are really stellar. Chip and I shared the poles and the wins, and went one-two in Race 1, and one-three in Race 2. Thanks Mike!
- JBlaisdell likes this
Danny
Danny Steyn Racing | DSR YouTube Channel
Danny Steyn Photography | Adept Studios | Ocean Machinery | OPM Autosports | Rossini Racing Engines | G-Loc Brakes |
2 x SCCA Runoffs Champ | 1 x NASA National Champ | 6 x June Sprints Champ | 10 x ARRC Champ
1 x SCCA Super Sweep | 2 x Triple Crown | 4 x Hoosier Super Tour Points Champ | 6 x Majors Points Champ | 5 x SEDiv Driver of the Year
#9
Posted 01-14-2013 07:06 PM
#10
Posted 01-15-2013 08:11 AM
#11
Posted 01-15-2013 08:39 AM
Little man crush Danny?
Sounds like a heck of a race! Good Job everyone....
Danny's got a thing for blonde hair and blue eyes... haven't you ever browsed the photos on his website??
- Jim Drago likes this
Alex Bolanos - #57
Sponsored by Autotechnik, Momo USA, Apex Alignment, and Amazon.com
#12
Posted 01-15-2013 08:53 AM
East Street Auto Parts
Jim@Eaststreet.com
800 700 9080
#13
Posted 01-15-2013 10:46 AM
Yes, I will be the first to admit that I have developed a really BIG man crush, but its not on Chip!!! Its on my man Mike Rossini, who built the engines for Chip and I to grab the wins this weekend and last.
And yes, as a cancer survivor myself, I take my hat off to Chip for what he did, and how he handled it. No one, especially me would have ever predicted that Chip would be back, and if he came back, well not at this level.
And finally I will admit that I was totally sweet on Chip this weekend. That gorgeous hair of his and the fact that he damn well pushed me to the win on Saturday! But after the humiliation I suffered at his hands on Sunday, well F him. Where was he when I needed him. Hes on his own!!!!!
- Jim Drago likes this
Danny
Danny Steyn Racing | DSR YouTube Channel
Danny Steyn Photography | Adept Studios | Ocean Machinery | OPM Autosports | Rossini Racing Engines | G-Loc Brakes |
2 x SCCA Runoffs Champ | 1 x NASA National Champ | 6 x June Sprints Champ | 10 x ARRC Champ
1 x SCCA Super Sweep | 2 x Triple Crown | 4 x Hoosier Super Tour Points Champ | 6 x Majors Points Champ | 5 x SEDiv Driver of the Year
1 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users