52 replies to this topic

[chris haldeman]

Top 4...
Reynolds
Haldeman
Drago
McCallion

[Steve Scheifler]

Thanks Chris! Would you mind updating here throughout the race?

[chris haldeman]

Sure no problem!

[chris haldeman]

In interesting news Reynolds and Prather look to have the same pace and could put on a good race in e-prod

[Bench Racer]

In interesting news Reynolds and Prather look to have the same pace and could put on a good race in e-prod

Huh?  That may be Okie same pace. I get it, when it's cold outside the eyes water and we don't see things correctly. 

 

1 EP 71 Reynolds 1:21.570  
2 EP 34 Prather    1:22.914     -1.344 

[chris haldeman]

Yea my bad. I was watching qual and when I stopped watching they were very close. Things changed.
Race 1 done
Drago
Reynolds
Haldeman
Quance
McCallion.

Lapped traffic played a large role in the order from 3-5
I made a mistake on the start and fell back. Ran good with McCallion till he dropped a tire in the mud. From there it was a parade. Reynolds and Drago drove smart and clean. I couldn’t catch them just didn’t have the pace.

[Bench Racer]

 Reynolds and Drago drove smart and clean. I couldn’t catch them just didn’t have the pace.

Streaming one never knew who was the cat and who was the mouse through IIRC 3 lead changes from camera view. You gonna be the cheese on Sunday???

 

Prather has a new toy, real change for a long time Mazda guy. Reynolds was off the first lap by 25 seconds and then got going and still was behind by 25 seconds at the end. 

[Jim Drago]

Fun race.. always a good time here. Likely bc this is one track where the races seems like what they should.. Just a bunch of friends screwing around with cars and driving and racing. Super Tour or not, the atmosphere here is always more laid back and just typically a lot of fun. All of us have been here a bunch, Matt ,Chris and I all now what each other are going to do before we actually even do it most times This place isn't much to look at , not much around here to do.. but this is a really great track to drive and race SM's. 

 

As far as race.. Chris gave room at one and it gets slick out there fast, dropped two wheels. Matt and I opened a little gap, but stayed in line as we knew Chris was lurking and I was concerned of the charge he was sure to put on. He had the pace, so likely knocked alignment off or something. 

 

whenever I race Matt here, it seems like we are both way better when in second   So much wind today, draft down front straight was huge.  It was windy as hell and cold.. Every race this year has had rain and cold at some point    Was struggling with a few corners today turning in early.. I dont watch as much video as I should.. especially at tracks I am comfortable at like Hallet. I need to tweak a few corners tomorrow.  But once racing, its a race and always fun here. 

 

Got back early today, so I loaded the video.. 

Jim

 

https://www.youtube....rviXTyeXt386x4Q

[Steve Scheifler]

Well if you guys didn’t have the most fun of anyone there today I’d sure like to ride along with the person who did! Small screens don’t do this stuff justice, not even close. Get it on a big screen so the cockpit is life size or larger and the car control is a treat to watch.

Hopefully tomorrow Chris will be back in the mix. Too bad more of the usual top ten don’t make the trip!

[Richard Astacio]

Fun race.. always a good time here. Likely bc this is one track where the races seems like what they should.. Just a bunch of friends screwing around with cars and driving and racing. Super Tour or not, the atmosphere here is always more laid back and just typically a lot of fun. All of us have been here a bunch, Matt ,Chris and I all now what each other are going to do before we actually even do it most times This place isn't much to look at , not much around here to do.. but this is a really great track to drive and race SM's. 

 

As far as race.. Chris gave room at one and it gets slick out there fast, dropped two wheels. Matt and I opened a little gap, but stayed in line as we knew Chris was lurking and I was concerned of the charge he was sure to put on. He had the pace, so likely knocked alignment off or something. 

 

whenever I race Matt here, it seems like we are both way better when in second   So much wind today, draft down front straight was huge.  It was windy as hell and cold.. Every race this year has had rain and cold at some point    Was struggling with a few corners today turning in early.. I dont watch as much video as I should.. especially at tracks I am comfortable at like Hallet. I need to tweak a few corners tomorrow.  But once racing, its a race and always fun here. 

 

Got back early today, so I loaded the video.. 

Jim

 

https://www.youtube....rviXTyeXt386x4Q

 

 

I watched the video and your sister is spot on! Your shifting and car positioning needs a little help.... 

[Steve Scheifler]

Yea my bad. I was watching qual and when I stopped watching they were very close...

You were just a day early. 0.038 diff and both knocking on 1:21 flat.

Matt & Jim picked it up too, but where were you??

[Bench Racer]

Matt & Jim picked it up too, but where were you??

Is the STU Civic interfering with the SM racing???  

[Bench Racer]

Great 2 car race!!! Look forward to last lap video.

[Steve Scheifler]

Another good one for sure, despite the weak turnout.

Remind me why it’s so hard to get people to make the trip? Do you really need more incentive than it being an HST event? There isn’t much else to choose from in the middle of the country guys, and Hallett is a great place to showcase your driving and race craft rather than horsepower. It’s priced right and it’s only Fri-Sun with the test day.

[Steve Scheifler]

Looks like Jim also set a new TR, so congrats on that as well as the double win!

[chris haldeman]

Sadly my budget is interfering with racing. I was in a customer owned spec Miata Saturday. Decided to just run old tires and save money. Honda program I get to scoop cash and I own the car. Add in the fact I was still asleep when sm qual took place today lol. I needed to test the spec Miata to make sure it was good after the wall hit at Road Atlanta before I ha d it off to its rightful owner at vir.

[LarryKing]

"Remind me why it’s so hard to get people to make the trip? Do you really need more incentive than it being an HST event?"

You tell us. Where was your entry?

PS: 24 cars is a pretty good field lately.

[Steve Scheifler]

"Remind me why it’s so hard to get people to make the trip? Do you really need more incentive than it being an HST event?"

You tell us. Where was your entry?

PS: 24 cars is a pretty good field lately.

Fair enough. We’ve been unable to race for over a year and a half, just one race in well over two years for me. Life happens. It’s our turn to care for others and there’s no practical way for us to both be out of town for several days at a time. Cars collecting dust and taking up space. Three gone already, one posted for sale last night, several 1.6s to follow.

[Steve Scheifler]

As for a 24 car field, for the Super Tour, mostly I’d hope for more than two serious contenders for the podium. Perhaps it comes down to a very simple question: “If I have to miss one HST...?” I suppose I’d get that for people who normally run in the east & SE, just seems a shame. Not sure why more TX folks don’t show, is OK not flat and featureless enough for them?

[Jim Drago]

Yesterday was another fun race.  It was really cold and IMO they should have done two pace laps as all of us were scrubbing tires until the last minute trying to get heat in the tires. That led to the field being reaalllly stretched out, I was surprised they threw the green. I planned on starting my data right before turn 10 so the video would not be so long as I did the day before.. I was flat out at that point for the start  and reached through the steering wheel between 5-6 to start it   I got a good bump from behind at the start and cleared Matt by turn one.  I felt I had good enough tires and conditions to try to go for the record and tried a few laps and the 27.3 I felt was as fast as I could go without making a big mistake.  I lead first 12 laps or so, after watching Saturday's race I felt I needed to turn in later for turn four and the bitch. The bitch was much better, but I could not get through 4-5 at all.. car was all over the place, tight in and loose out.  Somewhere in there into turn 1 and had a code brown moment, I could not get the car into third and thought I was going straight off. Matt passed me, I fell in line.. had a good run the next lap into 1, decided to push Matt rather than chance the same downshift issue and take us both out badly. Didn't really happen again, so may be driver error or time for new shift bushing.   We continued in that order and figured we would race the last 6-7 laps as we had a big gap to third. While following Matt, he was killing me in 5 and I finally gave up and went back to what i was doing the day before, while not the "correct" line, it was definitely faster and felt much better and the car was more in control. 

 

One of the laps Matt slipped at the exit of turn 6 and I had a run on him, we went side by side from 6 through the bitch completely and into turn 10..  Anyone know has raced at Hallet knows that should be all but impossible,  Even crazier was that we ran a 1:28.5   A lap or so later Matt passed me into turn 2..  I fell in line, i made a bobble or something somewhere, haven't watched video yet. Matt opened up about a second lead with 3-4 to go that I was having a hard time closing the gap.   I think he was better than me at this point and feel had he not got held up a bit with lapped traffic I would not have got back to his bumper.   The last lap, I tried several attempts with no luck.. turn 2, turn 4, turn 6 and figured I had one more shot if I nailed the bitch and got into 10.. Our lines are very different in 10, I take a tighter line than Matt. Matt blocked the inside pretty well( as he should), but left about 3/4 of a car. I put my insides on the curb at entry and we came out of ten side by side with a drag race to the line.. I won by .017 or 6-12 inches.  One of the more fun races I have had in a long time, win or lose. 

 

I can't say enough about how much respect I have for Matt, we went side by side in places two cars should not be able to go side by side.. never even light contact.. Matt also put down a lap of 126.9 in qualifying which is so insanely fast.. It really was not even a realistic goal IMO. Wow, that is fast.

 

I realize the track is far for many.. but sure would be nice if many of the top Sm guys put it on their calendar for one year.. Really not a more "fun" track to drive a SM imo.  

I'll see if I got any video tonight and try to upload it.