111 replies to this topic

[suck fumes]

Guess tws is sticking around after all haha http://m.theeagle.co...c.html?mode=jqm

[Cnj]

Guess tws is sticking around after all haha http://m.theeagle.co...c.html?mode=jqm

That's a nice reprieve - but as most racing or marque club organizations already have thier calendar set for 2015 I don't expect to see much opportunity to race there this year other than this weekend. Which looks like it is going to be pretty wet.

CNJ

[MPR22]

We agreed many years ago she wouldn't comment on how I spent my money as long as I didn't use any of hers, but I'll mention it to her.
 
Who's the bank?

I was going to do it but Drago insisted since he had this fancy e commerce web site.

[mhiggins10]

That's a nice reprieve - but as most racing or marque club organizations already have thier calendar set for 2015 I don't expect to see much opportunity to race there this year other than this weekend. Which looks like it is going to be pretty wet.

CNJ

SOWDIV still has TBD on their November event (typically TWS).  I had heard rumblings about COTA for that event, but nothing substantial...

[steveracer]

Don't count on racing at COTA until there's a change in management.

[mhiggins10]

So I heard.  I went up and ran it with Edge Addicts last weekend.  GREAT track- those facilities are unbelieveable.

 

What happened last time that turned them off so much to SCCA?  Did someone bang up the track?

[Lee Thomas]

NASA still has a couple TBD's in the 2015 schedule.

[steveracer]

So I heard.  I went up and ran it with Edge Addicts last weekend.  GREAT track- those facilities are unbelieveable.

 

What happened last time that turned them off so much to SCCA?  Did someone bang up the track?

 

No, in fact they were pretty happy at the debrief.

 

I have a couple of theories, but no proof so I'll keep them to myself.

[suck fumes]

I thought they raised the track rental fee the year after the scca race due to the demand? At least i thought that's why we haven't ran cota lately?

[MPR22]

First practice session damp to ad drying track. Times were about 1.5 off.

[MPR22]

Odds on me are changing. I can barely walk.

[James York]

Good luck and hope everyone has a good time (and stays dry).  Turns out I couldn't make it this weekend for one of the most unlucky reasons.  My roll up door on my "man cave" wouldn't open and I couldn't get my trailer out Thursday afternoon.  I had a suspicion one day this would happen as the door was getting harder to open as time past.  

 

They didn't get it fixed until Friday afternoon, so I figured I would just sit out since I missed all of practice coupled with the fact it didn't look like a nice weather weekend.  I'll be watching on race monitor and grilling out I guess.

[MPR22]

Race reports later, very eventful weekend.

Everyone say a quick prayer for William Keeling, he was taken away from the track in the abulance after a bad wreck in turn 7. Early reports he's alert but in a lot of pain.

To know Willie is to love Willie. We are all thinking of you Tard!

[chris haldeman]

[quote name="MPR22" post="77532" timestamp="1432494074"]

Race reports later, very eventful weekend.

Everyone say a quick prayer for William Keeling, he was taken away from the track in the abulance after a bad wreck in turn 7. Early reports he's alert but in a lot of pain.

To know Willie is to love Willie. We are all thinking of you Tard![/quote
We love you willie!!

[Caveman-kwebb99]

Best wishes to Willie on a speedy recovery! Congrats to Ross on the first majors win! Great job by Baaallllaaakkkaaa on the p3 and p2.

Was really pulling for Taylor to get that first majors win this weekend but he did an outstanding job with a p2 on Saturday!

Glad you all had a great weekend despite the rain!!!!

[mdavis]

Hope someone posts an update on Willie soon.  Heard he first refused the trip to the hospital but was talked into going with some significant back pain.

 

Today was a complete cluster.  From the no-start, big incident at the actual start, multiple passes under double yellow, multiple cars off with no way back on all in very bad spots because of mud (me included) finishing up with a red flag because of all the EVs on track to help Lee and Willie.   Track was just dry enough to be fast in spots but enough slick portions to cause big problems.   Mix of rain tires and dry tires probably contributed as well.

 

Let's hope Willie is ok.

[EricJ]

More info here:

https://www.facebook...83277755078271/

[Danny Steyn]

Congrats on your first Majors win Michael - you will remember this one for a long time. Congrats to all the other podium finishers. Nice to have Blake up front again on a regular basis. Willie, get better soon.

[MPR22]

Practice day was dry and everyone got plenty of sessions to sort their cars and be ready for the qual on Saturday.  I put in a session on some old tires to get a feel for the track as it was damp.  The next session was completely dry and I wanted to scrub a set of tires and practice my qualifying pace, Glad i did because i didn't quite have the right pressure on the rears and needed to make an adjustment for qual.  Left the track confident we had the right set up and went to play volleyball with some friends for my birthday.  44 is the new 24 at least that is what i was telling myself as i was playing with kids nearly half my age.  Of course none of them take arthritis medication to be able to walk later that day but that is not their problem.  

 

Saturday the weather was a bit warmer than it was on Friday and the wind had shifted out of the south so a draft was going to be important to qualifying.  Chris, Luke and I went out together somewhat middle of the group.  We left a big gap coming out of the pits with Chris in the lead, me in the middle, Luke the trail car.  We came on the front straight hooked up pretty well.  Chris wheeled it through the last series of turns and i couldn't follow him and pushed wide and had to lift.  That was one attempt down.  Chris pulled up and left me take the lead into turn 1.  I got through clean and gapped my pushers and put down a 59.5 ran another lap almost identical but a little cleaner exit onto front straight at 59.4.  Started to run into traffic so I pulled up and let Luke and Chris go by and tried to be the pusher.  Got behind Chris who was running a clean lap and got the last turns and tried to follow Chris through again and had the same result, pushed wide and had to lift.  Felt like a horrible team mate but that is how qualifying goes sometimes especially when the draft is important.  I knew that i ran two fast laps just without the draft and wasn't sure where that would leave me.  Turns out it was P4.  Car was flawless and fast, i was very confident for the race. 

 

1. Alex Bachoura 59.0

2. Taylor Ferranti 59.1

3. Blake Clements 59, not sure he didn't get his time posted

4. Michael Ross     59.4

5. Bill Agha            59.7

 

 

Race 1.  Went to grid and it was hot, mid to high 80s, 

 

On the out lap car felt soft, maybe it was just hot out not sure at the time.  Got a good start and Luke connected with me early and I pushed Taylor clear of Alex into turn in at 1.  We had a ton of pace and everyone took it in hot and had to gather it up but we all got through cleanly, Taylor was out front and i was side by side with Alex into 3, got a good turn and went up the hill with a nose on Alex but car had no go and he was able to pull ahead and clear me at turn into 4, Blake was behind Alex and he went into 4 side by side with me, we stayed side by side all the way from 4 through 7 which let Taylor and Alex gap us a bit.  Heading to 8 Blake had the inside line and I had to yell uncle and get out of it, made a bad decision and did it mid turn 7 and that upset my car which let Luke by and I was now p5.  Not the start I wanted but I had plenty of time to catch up.  Out of the carousel, Luke gapped me, caught back up and then hit the exit of 15 perfectly and again Luke just pulled away, raced hard though the infield and got a run on Luke into the carousel and took P4.  Was sure it wouldn't last but really just couldn't believe the car was laying down, temp was ok, oil pressure was 2 lbs low and I knew i was in trouble.  On the front straight the car just layed down and about 5 cars went flying by me.  At this point i was hoping it was just brake drag, looked at the oil pressure down 2 more lbs.  out of turn 4.  Time to hang it up, she was done.  Every racer in Texas wanted to win the last race at TWS and my weekend was up in smoke literally.  I was very disappointed, I had been racing so well lately, the car was handling spot on and the engine up until that moment was perfection.  

 

Taylor led something like the first 9 laps and made a small mistake out of the last turn and that was Alex needed to get by him into turn 1.  They raced hard for the next 5 laps with Blake catching up and getting into the fray but he didn't have the straight speed because of contact earlier in the race that knocked the front toe out of the car.  The white flag was out and Taylor was close on Alex's tale and made a valiant attempt into turn 1 but just couldn't keep the car stuck enough to drive out.  As the two come back onto the front straight no checker, they are vigorously waiving the white flag and both drivers had to go around again.  Taylor attacked again and Alex was able to hold him off for the win. 

 

Congrats to the podium, which was some 11 seconds clear of the field.  

 

Alex Bachoura

Taylor Ferrranti

Blake Clements

 

There was some seriously hard racing in the p4 though p7 group, which was also affected buy the double white flag.  Chris Haldeman came from P13 to finish P4, really solid drive. 

 

I reported two weeks ago that Alex Bachoura was a fast guy that would be at the front at big races and there he was on the top step at a Majors race the next race weekend.  Very impressive.  

[Jim Drago]

Congrats To Micheal and Alex, two more first time majors winners! The class is getting tougher everyday!  Also congrats to Taylor, Blake and Luke on their podiums!  I saw some video of the crash, it was scary as hell!  Wishing Willie and Lee speedy recoveries

 

Jim