118 replies to this topic

[High Chair]

t Dan is building an incredible 01 so congrats to him.

I am wondering from afar what has cliff,Jamie and charbs so far off on lap times?

Not sure why our lap times were slower for the whole weekend. I do know why I finished the race where I did. I probably should not have turned in early in 10A and knocked my toe out. As far as the lap times go at the ARRC I don't really think you can compare any of the cars as many where still not compliant and only had their compression ratios fixed (that came directly from the cars owners/drivers). I certainly don't blame those drivers as they fixed what they could (compression ratio) and were waiting for the new rules like the rest of us. The person who does my heads never worked the STR or other areas and my compression was 9.5 at the track with the valve cover off. My fuel/air ratio and other items were on the money yet there were cars I could not catch down the straight even if I was only 1 car length back. However I knew that before heading up there and decided that the seat time at a great track was worth the drive. Personally the results for the 2014 ARRC will always have a question mark because of the engine rules being up in the air. Having said all that it was a great weekend and I am glad I went!

[Caveman-kwebb99]

Jamie, great explanation!  I was wondering as you guys are never far off anywhere you go...

 

Glad you and everyone else had a great time!  

 

Congrats again to all the ti-speeders on the podium as well as the head ti-speeder!  And congrats to Rosini and Danny also...

[RussMcB]

Congrats to our very own Russ McBride and Cliff Brown for placing second and third respectively in the Luck of the Draw (Australian Pursuit) race.  

Thanks, Steve.  That was a fun and very interesting race.  I didn't know if I had caught everyone ahead of me so didn't know where I stood towards the end of the race, but I did see a pretty mean looking pack behind me coming out of T7 on the last lap.

 

I overheard something in the Road Atlanta tower afterwards, and I probably shouldn't post something that might be personal, but this is too cool to not share:  Cliff donated his Pursuit Race winnings (a substantial sum) to the Worker Fund. 

 

Is that cool or what?

[Danny Steyn]

Cliff is and always will be a class act and a credit to Spec Miata - Cliff did the same thing last year.

 

He chased issues with his car all weekend.

[Dan Tiley]

I don't really think you can compare any of the cars as many where still not compliant and only had their compression ratios fixed (that came directly from the cars owners/drivers). I certainly don't blame those drivers as they fixed what they could (compression ratio) and were waiting for the new rules like the rest of us. 

 

Purely for the sake of removing the potential of an asterisk from the 1-2 finishes of both Dillon Machavern and Chris Topping, it should be known that I built completely new VVT heads for both cars the week before the event.  Both had plunge to STR transitions so sharp that you'd be able to tell who inspected them by looking for the guy with the bloody finger.   I wasn't at the track, but I was told they both whistled more than 0.1 UNDER the allowable CR, with the valve covers off. 

 

That being said, I offer a HUGE congratulations to all of the podium finishers Dillon, Chris and Danny!  I watched closely on Race Monitor and from all accounts it was a highly contested, but clean race, with nothing but smiles and handshakes afterwards.   It's time people give Dillon his due.... He's earned his stripes not only here in SM, but also in IMSA, the Lambo Trofeo series, and in GT-1 where he holds multiple track records.  The kid is legit.

[Danny Steyn]

Dan - thanks for posting. 

 

I HONESTLY feel that none of the top 3 drivers, myself, McHavern, or Topping would have any issue with swapping cars and trying the race all over again. And if we ran that race 3 times again I suspect that we might have 3 different winners.

 

And yes, Dillon is one hell of a driver. He is putting in more seat time than all of us combined, and while he was a bit wild when he arrived (weren't we all) the kid has calmed down and can flat our wheel a car, no question. And when you wheel 600HP GT1 cars to new lap records, you develop a tremendous skill set that very few of us in Spec Miata can even comprehend.

 

As to the smiles, we were all thrilled with the outcome. I personally had no issue coming in 3rd. I drove my heart out, I had many opportunities to pass, my car was faster at top end, and they were stronger at the bottom end.

 

I will edit the video and get it uploaded as soon as I can. I would like to see anyone, after watching the video, point to any car and say that it had an advantage over the other.

[Blake Clements]

Congratulations to Dillon, Chris, and Danny.  All great competitors that put on a great show.  Looking forward to racing with you all again soon.

[Danny Steyn]

What a pleasure getting into a car and racing!  So much more fun that reading a forum and listening to everyone bitch and whine!

 

For the 2014 ARRC, based on recent developments, we knew most of the front runners would show up with legit cars or face the most horrendous criticism in the court of public opinion if things looked off. So despite Mike Rossini’s assurances that he had whistled my car more than 20 times, I was first in line to get Jim Creighton to whistle my car, and we blew 9.5. Jamie Tucker was right behind me and blew 9.5 too.

 

While I was there Skip Brocks ‘99 whistled 0.2 under, as did Mike Rossini’s personal VVT car. I did not witness any other testing so cannot comment on what was observed.

 

On test day I knew we were going to be close to the lap record with the cold weather, but I was only able to run around 1:43 flat, but I never really had the great T7-T10 draft which is worth around 0.6secs at Road Atlanta.

 

I was also never around any of the Ti-Speed VVT’s on test day so I had no idea what they had, but Dillon Machavern and Chris Topping were running similar lap times, but I didn’t know if they were doing it in a full-on or partial draft. Cliff Brown had car issues all weekend and he and Jamie were a bit off the pace, as was Voytek in his brand new VVT car.

 

My 99 would pull on Brock’s ‘99 in the draft and he would pull on me so I knew we were pretty identical.

 

So I asked Skip to qualify with me. I wanted him to go ahead about 1/2 second in front of me, and hopefully I would catch him through the infield and get to his bumper coming out of T7 and I would get his draft, blow by and qualify on the pole. And then I would drop back and push Skip to his best lap.

 

Well that was the plan. What I never expected was that Skip would stick around, drive better than he ever has, and run 1:43 flat, hanging on my tail, lap after lap. In fact HE was on the pole for several laps, until myself and Dillon finally got a quicker lap in!!!

 

Skip – dude that SM Q1 session of yours was your career breakout session. You flat out wheeled that car like you have never done before, not just one lap but pretty much every lap you were there!!! RESPECT!!

So I had the pole, Dillon was in 2^nd, Skip in 3^rd and Chris Topping in 4^th. Team mates behind team mates. It was going to be an awesome start no matter what. And until the start I still had never been around their VVT’s so I had no idea what to expect.

 

At the start I kept the speed low to bunch up the field and waited for the green. At the drop I got a slight advantage, but Dillon, with the VVT grunt nosed ahead of me and then with the 99 top end, I nosed ahead of him. PHEW, the 99 still had the top end!

 

I cleared Dillon into T1 and led through the infield with him close on my tail and Brock and Topping quite a way back. On the next lap Dillon slowed to go fetch Topping and bring his team mate back to the front! SO the strategy became obvious.

 

Without my video in front of me I cannot recall what lap it was but Dillon pushed Chris from quite a way back behind me on the back straight. Chris faked me and went for the pass to my left going into T10A and I held him tight and Dillon came past me on the right. THREE WIDE into T10A. Dillon checked up; Chris and I went through two wide and Dillon with the clean run came up the inside, and we went under the bridge THREE WIDE. Some of the most enjoyable moments of my racing career!

 

But I knew that I had to separate the two of them as the only way I had a shot was a one-on-one race. I knew I had no chance against a team.

 

From then on there was some serious racing with several lead changes. No one had the clear advantage but both Dillon and I were gapping Chris out of T7 and he was struggling to stay in our draft, so I kept on pushing Dillon trying to get us to break away, but it really felt like he was over slowing the entry to both T10A and T1, and I suspected he was trying to keep Chris in the hunt.

 

So I planned to go around him, but just as I was going to make that happen, a car went off in T10B and bringing out the yellow flag in T10A. So unless I was able to completely clear him before T10A I was going to get a DQ, so that was too risky. And Dillon was getting really good runs out of T10B, making it really hard for me to make a pass going into T1.

Fortunately after several laps they dropped the yellow in T10A and I made the pass, and we had a great time racing, but I still could not drop Chris. With traffic coming into play, Chris caught right up to our tail.

 

Coming onto the start of the 2^nd lap I held the lead but Chris was able to push Dillon past me into T1. Dillon drove an excellent infield last lap and had a decent lead coming out of T7, but I was able to catch up in the draft and he defended the inside leaving me to go for the outside pass into T10A. Dillon outbraked me, I locked up, I grabbed 5^th gear instead of 3^rd, and Dillon pulled away up the hill and Chris was able to get by me as well.

 

A huge congrats to both Dillon and Chris for kicking my butt. They most certainly did not do it on motor. I had what they had, they had what I had, and the lap times, the results and the video will show it. It had to be one of the fastest SM ARRC’s ever run with a lot of our lap times in the mid to low 1:43’s. Dillon missed the track record by 15/100ths!!!

 

Flat out, clean, fast racing, with full respect for each other. Apart from one tire to tire contact and one mirror knock back, we never touched, we never chopped and we never blocked. We went through multiple turns side by side, with no contact.  I came off the track disappointed in myself but happy for all of us and especially happy for the SPEC MIATA CLASS, as it once again displayed that it provides the best damn racing on the planet, period!

 

In closing a huge thanks to all the guys at OPM Autosports, you guys are awesome. Tom thanks for the great car and brilliant setup. Mike Rossini, you know how much I admire and respect you. Thanks for a great engine as always. Glenn at Traqmate, thanks for the help during the weekend, and Danny Puskar from Carbotech, you must be so proud of your brakes! A complete SM podium sweep! Thanks to all for your support.

 

And to whoever left their cute little G-string panties on the wipers of my rental car,  ……. Pssssst you know where to find me!!!!

 

 

[Caveman-kwebb99]

 

 

And to whoever left their cute little G-string panties on the wipers of my rental car,  ……. Pssssst you know where to find me!!!!

 

 

 

 

Danny I know you  sniffed those things, jamie was wearing them shortly before putting them on your wiper...  LOLOLOL

[Caveman-kwebb99]

good writeup felt like I was right there durring the race.  best writeup you have ever made.

[High Chair]

Purely for the sake of removing the potential of an asterisk from the 1-2 finishes of both Dillon Machavern and Chris Topping, it should be known that I built completely new VVT heads for both cars the week before the event.  Both had plunge to STR transitions so sharp that you'd be able to tell who inspected them by looking for the guy with the bloody finger.   I wasn't at the track, but I was told they both whistled more than 0.1 UNDER the allowable CR, with the valve covers off. 

 

That being said, I offer a HUGE congratulations to all of the podium finishers Dillon, Chris and Danny!  I watched closely on Race Monitor and from all accounts it was a highly contested, but clean race, with nothing but smiles and handshakes afterwards.   It's time people give Dillon his due.... He's earned his stripes not only here in SM, but also in IMSA, the Lambo Trofeo series, and in GT-1 where he holds multiple track records.  The kid is legit.

Although I did not single any particular engine builder out you felt the need to defend yourself and your drivers.  Chris and Dillion were not your only engines in the race and you still had engines on the track that were not legal. Do you think as long as the other engines didn't finish on the podium that it was ok? I would doubt the other drivers would agree. What if one of the other engines did finish on the podium?  As far as Dillion goes he can drive no one ever said differently. There is a question mark on the finishing order (the entire field) because there were engines racing from multiple engine builders that were not legal. You were one of those engine builders! Most people went up there to have a good time and knew there would be issues and could care less; which is great. We all had a great time but to say that everybody had legal engines would be incorrect. 

[Danny Steyn]

Here is the EPIC duel between myself, Dillon and Chris. Full video start to finish - Enjoy - lots of great side by side wheel to wheel racing and a LOT of strategy being played out - not all that obvious at first viewing.

 

For me the highlights are

• the sequence starting at 8:29 when Dillon pushes Topping past me and we go three wide into T10A and exit 3 wide under the Patron bridge
• the sequence of passes that start at 27:29 starting at T10A and ending in T2, and
• the last lap sequence including the superb pass setup by Dillon with one lap to go 32:40 - watch to the end of the race (great strategy)

(I have referenced the times to include the exit of T7 so you can see the traditional passing zones at Road Atlanta and how equal the cars were)

 

[Caveman-kwebb99]

After watching all that.  My thoughts:

 

1.  Dillon Drove the car better then you did Danny

1a. Panic setup was perfect on Dillons Car

1b. What a great race period!!!!

2. VVt Can and did pass at end of back straight

3. VVT better off corner

4. 99 better at end of straight

5. At ATL it is impossible to say which car is better period, if you can say one way or another you dont have a car good enough

6. Danny you need to learn that you need a team mate in SM

7. Even with you pushing each lap ChrisTopping put in an incredible drive to stay in contention very impressed with his drive!

 

Hows that Dannielson?

[James York]

Great video Danny, thanks for sharing.  Another great example of SM racing.

[Brocodile]

After watching all that.  My thoughts:

 

1.  Dillon Drove the car better then you did Danny

1a. Panic setup was perfect on Dillons Car

1b. What a great race period!!!!

2. VVt Can and did pass at end of back straight

3. VVT better off corner

4. 99 better at end of straight

5. At ATL it is impossible to say which car is better period, if you can say one way or another you dont have a car good enough

6. Danny you need to learn that you need a team mate in SM

7. Even with you pushing each lap ChrisTopping put in an incredible drive to stay in contention very impressed with his drive!

 

Hows that Dannielson?

 

Re #6, Danny knew he needed a teammate, and I was supposed to be it. Unfortunately, I over-cooked T6 on the opening lap and lost the draft.

 

Re your parity observations, I agree. Due to my T6 glitch on Saturday, I didn't get to run with Dillon and Chris, but I did spend several laps with Danny in his VVT on Sunday. His VVT was stronger off the corners but my 99 would catch him before the end of both the front and back straights. I saw the same thing from Voytek's VVT on Saturday. I have spent a good bit of time in Tom's VVT rental and would add that I think the VVT car's chassis is slightly better than the 99. It's easier to drive. The combination of tq and handling make the VVT great for tighter tracks, such as Barber. Road Atlanta is a toss-up. The hills and twisty bits favor the VVT, but the long straights favor the 99.

 

I hope the CRB leaves them as-is. As of now, neither is better - just different. That's as good as it gets.

[RussMcB]

<snip>    but to say that everybody had legal engines would be incorrect. 

I'm not sure why you're singling out the 2014 ARRC.  Wouldn't your statement be true of every SM race for the past (I don't know how long)? 

[MPR22]

After watching all that.  My thoughts:

 

1.  Dillon Drove the car better then you did Danny

1a. Panic setup was perfect on Dillons Car

1b. What a great race period!!!!

2. VVt Can and did pass at end of back straight

3. VVT better off corner

4. 99 better at end of straight

5. At ATL it is impossible to say which car is better period, if you can say one way or another you dont have a car good enough

6. Danny you need to learn that you need a team mate in SM

7. Even with you pushing each lap ChrisTopping put in an incredible drive to stay in contention very impressed with his drive!

 

Hows that Dannielson?

Conclusion, Top prep 99 and Top prep VVT are very close and to say one car should be penalized because it has an advantage out of a corner or on the straightaway seems very suspect.  Leave them alone and let them race. 

[Keith Andrews]

Great race Danny and thank you for the video.  That was a heart breaker to watch.  You, sir, are a class act.

[Bench Racer]

First time to Road Atlanta to spectate at the ARRC and was worth the travel. The race was beyond GREAT. Congrats to all that raced. Met some site folks. Skip is getting it ALL together, fun to watch him in the hunt in qualifying and the race. Hung with Tracy's food cause Kenny had his ITA car under the tent. There was some good old BS about the food before tracy. Good stuff under the tent and Tom is always the fun guy.