103 replies to this topic

[Parity]

Man that was scary. Todd, great vision as that seems hard to foresee even under replay.

[Craig Berry]

Road Atl! What a great experience. Even though my finish does not show it, after getting to learn the track, I think it now ranks up there with Sebring as my favorite. What a learning curve!, especially with such an incredible field. I had more offs, and even a full 360 in the Sat race, this weekend than I have had in 2 years combined. I do have to give a Big Shout Out and Thank You to Drago who helped me get up to speed (he is so fast there, even when you know what he is doing its hard to mimic) and Todd Lamb.....this guy is an incredible coach, even if you are already very experienced he is a big help. Todd had some really amazing insights that helped me. I wish we were doing this again this weekend. For me it was one of those "wish I knew then what I know now"

I really want to CONGRATULATE the guys at the front, what an accomplishment! The race weekend was basically a runoffs race. Alex and Jim both had amazing weekends and deserved the hard fought wins.

Lastly, I want to thank Jim, Robert and the East Street team and crew. My car was amazing all weekend, and plenty capable, just needed a real race weekend at RA to be able to compete at the front.

[Ron Alan]

Tough break Todd. It always seems  the 2nd or 3rd car that gets collected or does the collecting! Great heads up vision and gut instinct on the P car incident. The Z car was definitely fixated on the car in front headed up the hill. Good lesson for all when you know something is wrong and the car is going to stop...drive it or let it roll OFF the track!

 

Yiannis had to have one of those "Rut row!!!" moments...that has to be the scariest moment just waiting for the charging herd 

[zoomzoom22]

350z driver video from bumper.

His name is Richard Baldwin/Zorro Racing.

Not sure if you can view it if you are logged into facebook unless you are a friend?  Pretty scary.

 

 

https://www.facebook...152270158018704

[LarryKing]

 

Not sure if you can view it if you are logged into facebook unless you are a friend?

Ummm, that would be no.

[Jim Drago]

I think Danny touched on it after Sebring.  It amazing the new young talented guys that are coming in to Spec Miata. As many my age or close can attest to, we don't think we are old. I am finding out we are. I am starting to realize I am nearly twice the age of some of these guys now  Dillon, Sellin, the Landy's. All of these guys can really drive and are VERY young.  Hell Blake informed me he was born in 84,I graduated high school in 85  

 

I had a really good weekend, from start to finish.  Test day went well, never made a toe or suspension adjustment all weekend. Just replaced a broken lower control arm from where the stabilizer mount snapped( probably jumping curb at three). Never put a wheel off and the car was as fast or faster than ever before. If the car stayed that good, I would race every weekend  

 

This race started the same as Saturdays.. I got behind my new part time and most unlikely team mate Alex and went to work trying to get away again.  We put in some really fast and consistent times, but Dillon was still able to reel us in and join the team. We continued opening up the gap on p4. With about 5 to go, I decided I was going to win or lose today from the front and Dillon came with me. We ran around like that for awhile, I started really pushing the corners I felt I had a little on Dillon and tried to get away a little, but didn't get far. I was able to stay just out of reach.  

 

I have to congratulate all that I raced around, I have NEVER raced as hard and no one put a nick on my car, nor me on theirs.  To think that we raced as hard as we did and had nothing is very impressive. I will be the first to admit that Alex and I often don't agree on much,  there is no doubting his ability, he is a real talent and is having one hell of a start to the season.  I don't know Dillon at all, but from what I have seen on track, he is also a real talent and not sure how we will manage to stay ahead of these young guys.  

 

Also a sincere congrats to all the competitors/ shops in this class. All chipped in this weekend wherever and with whomever needed and all bonded when we thought our drivers were in trouble with the carnage.  We often complain and we take a lot for granted, but I can say without a doubt, what we have in SM is VERY special and the racing is as good and as close it gets ANYWHERE! It you are sitting on the sidelines watching the parade go by,  you are making a huge mistake! This is "the good old days " we will be talking about in ten years, it is NOW! Get involved!  13 cars qualified within .45 of a second. Just insane and it does not get any better!!!

 

As always I need to thank my friends Craig,Erik and Pat, without those guys, I would probably not race. My "fun" factor is far better off track than on, racing is just the tie that binds us all.  Parking with Novak and the Caveman added to the weekend.( in more ways than one )  Then throw in Drennan and Lamb around the corner and the OPM and Advanced ladies just up the hill to steal food,parts and supplies from, it just doesn't get any better  It was a very fun weekend, on and off the track. My favorite track, win or lose. 

Jim

[zoomzoom22]

Ummm, that would be no.

Try this one.  Looks like you have to be logged into facebook....

 

 

https://www.facebook...152270158018704

[Panic Motorsports]

You don't happen to have the video from that other incident, do you Todd? The one on the back straight?

[Danny Steyn]

Congrats to all the winners and podium finishers at Road Atlanta this past weekend. You all deserve our respect, as this was one of the deepest SM fields assembled at this track in a long time. I was not up to the task this weekend and I was never a factor. It happens to all of us. Strange to see Cliff Brown struggle as well. And as Jim said above, it is really pleasing to see the new wave of young Spec Miata drivers making their mark in this class. Young drivers will make us look cool!!! And PS Jim, you graduated high school 10 years after me!!!

 

In the 2^nd race I was just pushing too hard and with two laps to go was closing in on 4^th place and over drove the exit of turn 5 and put my right front wheel in the hollowed out gravel trap, and it sent me into the air head first at 78 MPH into the tire wall in T5. I fortunately released the wheel at impact otherwise I would have broken both my thumbs as the wheel spun violently as I did a full pirouette in the air and came to rest exactly where the Porsche was struck in Saturday’s horrific wreck.

 

It’s amazing the thoughts that go through your mind when you are exposed like that. My first thought, at the instant of impact, was that I knew I that I had totaled my car, and that I would not be making the trip to VIR. I also knew I was a sitting duck in the impact zone and it was just matter of seconds before I would be T-boned by the pack. The Saturday’s wreck was firmly imprinted in my mind and I for the first time in my life I was REALLY fearful of being hit by someone else. Until that moment it had never worried me.

 

For what seemed like an eternity, but was actually just a few seconds, I was sitting there in the impact zone absolutely fearful screaming at the marshals to stop the cars from T-boning me, and then I looked down at the dash realized my car was still running, and miraculously I drove it out of the impact zone, and all the way to the pits.

 

When you see the impact below. You will NEVER believe that this is how little damage my car suffered. Tire walls – I LOVE YOU – not in a million years did I think I would have had this kind of damage after that kind of hit. In fact there was nothing preventing me from completing the race, no tire rub, no broken radiator, nothing other than I was completely unaware of the lack of damage to the car.

 

Thanks to Tom for building a strong car, but I know I got lucky this time. Thanks to all my sponsors and supporters, and sorry to disappoint you this weekend.  OPM Autosports, Rossini Racing Engines, Traqmate Data, Carbotech brakes and Adept Photo Studios. 

 

 

[Jim Drago]

It’s amazing the thoughts that go through your mind when you are exposed like that. My first thought, at the instant of impact, was that I knew I that I had totaled my car, and that I would not be making the trip to VIR.

I really did laugh out loud reading that.. I have very similar and strangely inappropriate thoughts in similar situations Glad you didn't get hurt or damage the car too badly. As I said On FB.. It seemed like T5 had a devilish quota of cars that it felt it needed to fulfill this weekend. It is my favorite turn in all of racing, but it can really bite you!
Jim

[suck fumes]

Holy moly! Is there a big rut there that launched your car?

[Ron Alan]

Oh man Danny...besides you that corner worker was checking his shorts to!

[Danny Steyn]

Holy moly! Is there a big rut there that launched your car?

Aaron, there is a little rut between the two paved areas that is filled with gravel. As the weekend goes on it gets a bit deeper. We normally just graze it as the two pavments converge into a V and run over the converged area. This time I was just a bit too ambitious on entry, entered at 78mph on the rev limiter when I normally come in at around 75-76mph, had to add a bit of counter steer as the rear end got loose and entered the V about 10 foot too early and it launched me. I now realize that no matter how much steering input you add while you are in the air, the car will not turn!!!!

 

The really dumbass thing about this is that in the STL race earlier that morning, Voytek DID EXACTLY THE SAME THING in my rear view mirror, chasing too hard in the attempt to make up one spot in the last few laps. His car is a lot worse. As Mark Pombo says, you have never really mastered Road Atlanta until you have had intimate contact with the Turn 5 wall. Like Jim, this is my favorite turn in all of racing.

[mellen]

Finally back from Atlanta and just wanted to post a note from a mid-packer. I could not agree more with Jim and his comments about the SM community. The help going back and forth, the exchange of ideas is great. You truly do not know what your missing if you do not attend one of these great Majors races. A shout out to Joe Catania and Mark Gibbons for some of the cleanest , greatest racing i have ever done.  Great to know you can have great intense and clean racing when you are racing for 30th just like the guys racing for 1st.

[Brian Ghidinelli]

Holy moly! Is there a big rut there that launched your car?

 

I walked the track Friday night and looked at 5 in detail.  Beyond the exit curbing, there is not just a rut but the gravel trap then angles upwards pretty significantly.  Then it flattens out at the connector road which is where you go airborne if you more than just drop a wheel.  As Danny says, it doesn't turn so well at that point.

Attached Files

•  1-t5-atlanta.JPG   155.35KB   13 downloads

[Tom OPM]

As a experienced turn 5 wall smacker I can tell you once you get to that gravel you usually do not get a free pass.

[suck fumes]

I'll keep that in mind in August. Although my mustang may not go as high as a Miata cause it weighs a 1000 pds more.

[Danny Steyn]

I walked the track Friday night and looked at 5 in detail.  Beyond the exit curbing, there is not just a rut but the gravel trap then angles upwards pretty significantly.  Then it flattens out at the connector road which is where you go airborne if you more than just drop a wheel.  As Danny says, it doesn't turn so well at that point.

 

Brian, thanks for that photo. Next time I go to Road Atlanta, I am going to walk the track and piss all over that V!!!!

[Todd Lamb]

Wondering if the SCCA has any pull to get that filled in with concrete?

[wheel]

I think every SM driver who races that track should kick in $20 and just fill that sucker in by themselves.