30 replies to this topic

[Danny Steyn]

Just getting this thread started to make sure we separate this weekends Sebring Turkey Trot event from the thread about next years Sebring Majors events. As Jim Creighton mentioned there are almost 70 Spec Miata cars signed up for this weekends race, so it should be plenty of fun.

 

I will update during the weekend

[Danny Steyn]

Phenomenal racing today. Alex Bolanos, Selin Rollan and myself had a ding dong race at the front, changing the lead several times, and on one lap went through T17 3-wide, and through T1 3-wide. Lots of 2-wide racing, over unders and more. Soooooo Much FUN!!!! I got the win over Alex by 12/1000ths. You cannot see Alex in either my front facing camera or me rear camera!!!. Selin was 1/10th behind Alex. And from all accounts the racing throughout the field was just as intense.

 

From a parity standpoint, I was in my VVT, and Bolanos and Rollan in 99's. Buras started dead last and moved up 50 places in the 9-lap race in his 1.6. So tomorrow he will start from 5th place and we will have VVT's, 99's and 1.6's all starting together. 

 

Congrats to Mike Rossini whose engines had a stellar day with all three steps on the podium, and four out of the top 5 finishers, with Mark Gibbons earning a hard fought 5th place finish!

 

Fowler called for an informal Spec Miata drivers meeting at 6pm so we could discuss the current developments and get to meet some of the newcomers. We are planning to do more post race get togethers in the SE so we can put faces to names and have more social interaction in this amazing class of ours.

 

Most drivers are of the same opinion..... leave the plunge cuts as is, allow a small STR allowance with a weight penalty, and give up on the stock head proposal. Here is hoping that the SCCA, NASA and MAZDA are listening. 

 

It was also very apparent the past two days that there are still some VERY strong cars out there that need to be whistled or more. 

 

And just a heads up to any racers that share the track with SRF's. If you are used to running with SRF's beware. These new Gen3 cars are just wicked fast. You see them in your rear view mirror and the next second they are on you, beside you and gone!!! Several of us SM drivers almost ran SRF's off the track not anticipating their closing speed, and what makes it even more difficult, there are still plenty of Gen2's on the track as well.

[Jim Drago]

Congratulations on the win Danny!  You were due!  Congrats to Alex and Selin as well.

Good luck to all tomorrow

Jim

[Craig Berry]

Congrats to the Podium! All 3 are very fast! Can't wait to see if Buras can get there tomorrow.

[Marc Cefalo]

Huge shout out to Joey G for the P4 finish saturday in his Kessler powered VVT car!  Looking forward to trek down south from the frigid north with our January surprise.

[svvs]

joey g is an operator for sure.  even a good party won't hold him back anymore.

[Danny Steyn]

Congrats to Selin Rollan who took today's Race 2 win by 0.081 secs over Alex Bolanos with Mark Gibbons in 3rd. Congrats again to Mike Rossini for all 3 steps of the podium. Not sure what happened to Buras but I do not think he made the start. Might have had an issue in the morning IT race. Preston Pardus ran a very strong race as well. He is coming on strong and soon will be playing with the big boys.

 

Also really great to see two female drivers mixing it up in the top 10. Amy Mills and Janine Hill had a ding dong dice and finished 9th and 10th respectively in a 60 car field. ANd another young girl Patsy Zymowski was having a great run in her group.

 

As for my race, I started on outside pole, settled into 3rd place and on lap 1 I pushed Selin past Bolanos going into T17 and once again we went through T17 three wide. Just hollering at the top of my voice, so much fun, Three wide again through T1, and then I dropped a wheel on the exit to T5 and knocked the tire bead off the rim and lost tire pressure, and came into the paddock to do a wheel change.

 

While I was getting the wheel changed there was a full course caution so I only lost a lap. However the CFR SCCA tower refused to release me onto the track until the entire field came around again putting me two laps down. No reason at all, just a bunch of attitude from a downright unpleasant marshall. You have no idea how angry I was inside that car!!!!!  CFR SCCA really does have a serious attitude problem, they are just impossible to talk to.

[Danny Steyn]

Here is the video from Saturday's wild race. One of the most exciting races I have ever been involved in. Absolutely loved racing with Alex and Selin. Three wide through several turns, bouncing and skidding and yet we never touched. Just he way it should be. The first 5 laps shows Selin and I racing back and forth, but the really fun stuff starts at 15:30 when Alex joins us. Then it gets really FUN!! The final run to the finish line Alex is invisible in both my front facing and my rear facing video!!! Neither of us were sure who got the win, but apparently I did by a few inches!

 

[wheel]

FUN!!!

[Bench Racer]

Great stuff.

 

Whose car was Alex in, not that it matters, a wheelman is a wheelman.

Got a kick out of Selin's gray front bumper. Paint, why, it'll just get rubed raw anyway.

 

Any tech, Sat. or Sun.?

[Alex Bolanos]

One of the Old Dogs Racing cars, Mark Gibbons/John Watson/Phil Williamson...  Watch for these guys at the Majors next year, they have TVs/Laptops/Cameras/ and Traqmates and they pay attention  

 

Oh, their cars are pretty fast too, 2:35.1 is a decent time at Sebring with no draft.

[Danny Steyn]

Yup, Gibbons was over at the OPM trailer too picking up pointers from me as well, hoping I had a secret or two that Alex wasn't imparting. But with a time of 2:35.1, Alex was a full 8/10ths faster than me this weekend, so I am sure Gibbons was getting all the good info. And yes his cars are strong.

 

But as we all noted, whoever was in the draft looked like he had five more than the guy upfront. Two '99's and a VVT, and they all ran the same. Get a draft and go passed the guy in front, but if the passee gets your side draft he will come back at you!!! SO MUCH FUN. Really love the bump drafting / side drafting aspect of Spec Miata, it adds another dimension the strategy of racing.

[Michael Novak]

Yup, Gibbons was over at the OPM trailer too picking up pointers from me as well, hoping I had a secret or two that Alex wasn't imparting. But with a time of 2:35.1, Alex was a full 8/10ths faster than me this weekend, so I am sure Gibbons was getting all the good info. And yes his cars are strong.

 

But as we all noted, whoever was in the draft looked like he had five more than the guy upfront. Two '99's and a VVT, and they all ran the same. Get a draft and go passed the guy in front, but if the passee gets your side draft he will come back at you!!! SO MUCH FUN. Really love the bump drafting / side drafting aspect of Spec Miata, it adds another dimension the strategy of racing.

Danny,

 

Just to be clear---These cars all raced under the present rule set  38RP 99 and 40RP 01+VVT.   Looked pretty even to me..  MAYBE the VVT even needs some help

[Danny Steyn]

Yup all under the CURRENT rule set. And Mike, no the VVT seemed as good a weapon as the '99. If I was behind I could draft up to them and pass them, and if they were behind me they could draft and pass me. But if the passer went by too soon, then he would expose the side draft and the passee would come back at him in the side draft. The same thing happened to all of us. These were all Rossini engines, all whistled within spec, and no STR cleanup.

 

Driving the VVT, I found that it made sense for me to wave Selin past me so I could push him, as the VVT still seems to work better as a following car than a leading car. The '99 definitely runs on better at the top end.But if the VVT has a draft it runs really well and will pass a 99!

 

Bye the way when I pointed Selin by, he ended up holding me up in the right handed corners which allowed Alex to catch us rapidly. After the race Selin discovered that the top hat of his rear shock had broken off, so hats off to Selin - he drove on hell of a race with only 3 shocks. 

[Jim Drago]

Only watched a few laps from 15-17 mark.. We are going to miss that place this year Great racing!! has me changing my mind

[Craig Berry]

Thank you for the video Danny and congrats! Love that place. You guys put on a show! Alex is great everywhere on that track but really hustles from 13 thru 16!... Great lap 35.1!

[FTodaro]

Yup all under the CURRENT rule set. And Mike, no the VVT seemed as good a weapon as the '99. If I was behind I could draft up to them and pass them, and if they were behind me they could draft and pass me. But if the passer went by too soon, then he would expose the side draft and the passee would come back at him in the side draft. The same thing happened to all of us. These were all Rossini engines, all whistled within spec, and no STR cleanup.

 

Driving the VVT, I found that it made sense for me to wave Selin past me so I could push him, as the VVT still seems to work better as a following car than a leading car. The '99 definitely runs on better at the top end.But if the VVT has a draft it runs really well and will pass a 99!

 

Bye the way when I pointed Selin by, he ended up holding me up in the right handed corners which allowed Alex to catch us rapidly. After the race Selin discovered that the top hat of his rear shock had broken off, so hats off to Selin - he drove on hell of a race with only 3 shocks. 

What do you think adding 50 lbs to the VVT over the 99 would have done for you regarding the parity debate?

[Danny Steyn]

If you add 50lbs to the VVT you need to add 50lbs to the '99. Right now they are so close it is really tough to choose between them, and that is how it should be.

[manthony121]

Glad that you and your car are OK.  I was watching the laps on race-monitor, and was a little worried when I saw you drop way down the running order.  Glad it wasn't anything serious.  Thanks for posting the video.  I'll watch it as I wait for the snow to melt here in NY.

[Jim Drago]

Love the mix class racing

 

http://youtu.be/gG3U3PMSkjs