Dave532
15+ Year Contributor
- 98
- 0
- Jun 5, 2006
-
Minneapolis,
Minnesota
My race recap...
Arrived at Lexington Oh about 15:00 on Wednesday after a 14 hour tow from Minneapolis.
First practice on Thursday I just try memorize the corners and heat cycle the Hoosiers for the first time. Before 2nd practice I mount the Toyos and do a brake pad/rotor change (same brakes from Road America) and bleed the brakes. After a couple corners during the 2nd practice somethings feels loose in the left rear. I go back to my cold pits realizing that my crew (my father) forgot to torque that wheel down. Missed that practice. 3rd and 4th practices were uneventful. Best time 1:46.
Friday was Practice, Qual, Qual Race. Sorta like heat races the Qual race finish was where you qualified on the big Sunday race (or so I thought). Getting faster all day long. However, the PT A,B and C guys realize we are also running with the Super Unlimited and Super touring guys...basically THE fastest cars NASA has. Us slower PT guys have a hard time watching our mirrors for these cars...especially in the "Madness" section. It's also hard to get a clear lap. Best time was in the 1:44's.
Saturday was similar to Friday except there seemed to be more carnage. Mid-Ohio is a very technical track with 3 blind corners that are off-camber at the exits and very little run-off room. The car is always in a 3-dimensional state...up and down as much as left and right. Great fun though! Best time 1:43's.
Sunday practice I try the Hoosiers again...no improvement over the Toyos for me. In fact I think the Toyos were balanced better (keeping in mind I had alot more experience with them). I go back to the Toyos for the race. For some reason all the qual racing/work we did was for naught...I grid toward the back behind slower cars...I still don't why this is. I'm a 4th place car in my class which varies from 6 to 9 cars depending upon the day. If I'm lucky I think I can make the podium for a few contigency dollars. Green flag drops and I am side by side with someone in the first corner. The second corner is blind left down hill that drops away. I am still side by side with a Camaro(?) when we come over the hill and see the #110 Thunder Roadster spinning...he's now perpindicular to the track. The Camaro breaks left for the dirt while I break right for the grass...no problem except the TR rolls backwards...right into my path. My left front strikes his left rear and I basically bounce over the back of him. I spin and stall..restart and drive back to the pits. I can feel the left front toe is knocked out pretty bad. I get out and survey the damage. I'll need a new door and some plastic bits. The rocker in front of the rear tire is badly pushed in...I'm not sure how I'm going to fix that. Anyway...I have all winter to straighten the car and fix the body...I'll probably have to paint it too...any suggestions? Best time 1:42s
The Good: Awesome track (2nd to Road America), many cool people and cars. Great racing...cool to compare myself with the national cars. If you get a chance to drive this track, do it!
The Bad: alot of rules manipulation and politics within the PT class...no big surprise at the National level, just tired of seeing it. The sessions and grid could have run smoother. Local people give bad directions.
The Ugly: my car!
Next event will be Sno-Drift with the Rally car in January.
-Dave
#532
NASA PTC
Rally America PGT
Arrived at Lexington Oh about 15:00 on Wednesday after a 14 hour tow from Minneapolis.
First practice on Thursday I just try memorize the corners and heat cycle the Hoosiers for the first time. Before 2nd practice I mount the Toyos and do a brake pad/rotor change (same brakes from Road America) and bleed the brakes. After a couple corners during the 2nd practice somethings feels loose in the left rear. I go back to my cold pits realizing that my crew (my father) forgot to torque that wheel down. Missed that practice. 3rd and 4th practices were uneventful. Best time 1:46.
Friday was Practice, Qual, Qual Race. Sorta like heat races the Qual race finish was where you qualified on the big Sunday race (or so I thought). Getting faster all day long. However, the PT A,B and C guys realize we are also running with the Super Unlimited and Super touring guys...basically THE fastest cars NASA has. Us slower PT guys have a hard time watching our mirrors for these cars...especially in the "Madness" section. It's also hard to get a clear lap. Best time was in the 1:44's.
Saturday was similar to Friday except there seemed to be more carnage. Mid-Ohio is a very technical track with 3 blind corners that are off-camber at the exits and very little run-off room. The car is always in a 3-dimensional state...up and down as much as left and right. Great fun though! Best time 1:43's.
Sunday practice I try the Hoosiers again...no improvement over the Toyos for me. In fact I think the Toyos were balanced better (keeping in mind I had alot more experience with them). I go back to the Toyos for the race. For some reason all the qual racing/work we did was for naught...I grid toward the back behind slower cars...I still don't why this is. I'm a 4th place car in my class which varies from 6 to 9 cars depending upon the day. If I'm lucky I think I can make the podium for a few contigency dollars. Green flag drops and I am side by side with someone in the first corner. The second corner is blind left down hill that drops away. I am still side by side with a Camaro(?) when we come over the hill and see the #110 Thunder Roadster spinning...he's now perpindicular to the track. The Camaro breaks left for the dirt while I break right for the grass...no problem except the TR rolls backwards...right into my path. My left front strikes his left rear and I basically bounce over the back of him. I spin and stall..restart and drive back to the pits. I can feel the left front toe is knocked out pretty bad. I get out and survey the damage. I'll need a new door and some plastic bits. The rocker in front of the rear tire is badly pushed in...I'm not sure how I'm going to fix that. Anyway...I have all winter to straighten the car and fix the body...I'll probably have to paint it too...any suggestions? Best time 1:42s
The Good: Awesome track (2nd to Road America), many cool people and cars. Great racing...cool to compare myself with the national cars. If you get a chance to drive this track, do it!
The Bad: alot of rules manipulation and politics within the PT class...no big surprise at the National level, just tired of seeing it. The sessions and grid could have run smoother. Local people give bad directions.
The Ugly: my car!
Next event will be Sno-Drift with the Rally car in January.
-Dave
#532
NASA PTC
Rally America PGT