Greg Collier
20+ Year Contributor
- 1,258
- 14
- Mar 8, 2003
-
Diego,
California
Pre race
New motor, (the third one of the season) Mitch is a frigging saint, where anyone else would have thrown in the towel a long time ago! New tranny, (John Shepherd is beyond a good friend, and now hes a sponsor). New clutch, (RRE does everything they can to keep me on the track for four years running now)! Its all-good and Im so blessed to have so many people supporting my DSM addiction!
The Haul
We left early Friday morning and were immediately devoured up by Veterans Day weekend traffic. A normal 4-1/2 hour drive turned into 6-1/2 hours of stop and go freeway insanity. We use an open trailer so all the frigging looky-loos have to slow down to stare at a race car, and that makes it real difficult to change lanes when the trailer is surrounded by a pack of SUVs going 50mph. Then, everybody has to get my attention and give me the thumbs up I mean everybody, CHP included! (Thats kinda cool though!)
The Track
We made it to the track late in the afternoon so any suspension tweaking or breaking in the new motor and tranny was out of the question. We got set up in our pit garage and then it was off to The Willow Ranch restaurant for a dinner of barbeque ribs and huge quart glasses of ice cold beer! YEAH!!
Saturday
We entered the track gates by 6:30AM Saturday morning. It was 48 degrees with dark looming clouds threatening to spit on us from every direction. We got our tech sticker from the NASA official and started our systems checks on the car. We had an 8AM warm up session and were ready to put some miles on the car.
We were running the 3-mile course configuration this weekend racing with three massive V8 race groups. My Super Unlimited class competition included a Viper, wide body 650hp Supra, turbo charged Cup Porsche, and a Ferrari to name a few. Ive raced against these drivers before so I felt pretty confident with their driving skills. What I wasnt confident about were the Camaro Mustang Challenge boys who like to bump and grind fenders resulting in a lot off track rally type driving.
I was able to get in ten laps during our first session. The car sounded mean but I kept it within respectable RPMs for the break in. I didnt set any lap records but I accomplished what I set out to with out any problems. Back in the garage we checked for oil, tranny fluid, and water leaks, only to find a clean and dry engine bay.
Our second warm up session was greeted by a downpour of rain. I didnt bring rain tires and the Hoosier slicks were no match for the two inches of rain collecting in the apex of each turn. I immediately brought the car in and shut it down.
With qualifying only an hour away the clouds continued to belch out a steady stream of drizzle on to the track. I choose to sit out the session and would take to the back of the field for the start of the race.
Race Time
At 11:30AM the race Gods smiled on us and the rain stopped as quickly as it started. With all the other run groups out on the track the surface once again became our friend.
It was 1PM and I sat strapped in my car listening to the National Anthem being broadcast over the facility loudspeakers. The grid marshal blew his whistle and held up three fingers (three minutes) to go until it was time to take to the track. Starter motors began whirring as badass V8 race engines began to rumble in syncopated rhythm.
The blew strobe light on the pace car roof began to flash its beacon in readiness for the first race of the day. Super Unlimited and Pro Trucks were the first group to take the green flag followed by American Iron for the second flag and the Camaro Mustang Challenge would take the third wave. On to the track we all went, scrubbing our tires to generate as much heat as we could for the first lap of the race.
Out of the final turn on to the front straight the pace car turned on to the hot pit lane and we lined up in a perfect two by two formation in anticipation of the wave of the flag.
Green, green, green, echoed from the spotters as they yelled into their walkie talkies In a rumble of orchestrated chaos we blew down the front straight toward turn one. Brake lights lit up as though they were all tied together on a single pedal. Side by side cars took a single file configuration as turn two (a hard right handed button hook) revealed its way. Then it was down a small straight to another hard right, then a left off camber turn, then a tight right onto yet another quick blurt of power straight, toward a sweeping left hander, that brought us all on to the infamous Talladega, a right handed 130mph sweeper. Magic Mountain (an uphill, cant see the other side, right hander) came into view. One by one each car took a little air, literally flying over this Disneyland style off camber part of the racetrack. The long back straight seemed to draw all the accelerator pedals forward resulting in drag race toward Star Mazda (a slam on your brakes as hard as you can without locking up) small right-handed buttonhook reared its ugly head. Then it was power back down and the next obstacle were the back Ss, that made you feel like you were scrubbing you tires at a over a 100mph. This was followed by yet another ¼ mile straight before the ass busting left turn onto the front main straight.
Then we begin it all over again!
I maintained my 6000-RPM minimum for the break in procedure on the motor. The field of Super Unlimited began to pull away from me as their tires heated up. I maintained my plan and consciously down and up shifted through all the gears making sure that I didnt over-rev the engine.
Theres a saying in racing, Slower is faster! and I have to admit that this philosophy was working for me, because the field of bad ass V8s behind me never caught up the entire race. I was braking as late as I possibly could at each turn, making sure I was coming out the other side with smooth acceleration and calculated shifting. When I made my entrances on to the long sweepers I was probably going faster than I had gone on those parts of this track before. Engine temps held right at 180 degrees and oil temps were a steady-140. The turbo seemed to love the sure-footed acceleration with zero turbo-lag and stable and consistent increases in the power band. The car was performing flawlessly as each part worked together like a finely tuned Swiss watch.
I have to admit I was exhausted by the time the white flag declared the last lap of the race. Passing the checked flag put me in tenth place out of a field of 48 cars on the track. It was an excellent run showing the potential of the car hasnt even been experienced to this point.
This season has been full of mishaps and failures do to occurrences beyond anyones control. I, on the other hand take full responsibility because its my race venture. We didnt take the championship and for that I apologize. It takes a 150 percent energy, a 150 percent of the time in order to succeed. I feel I felt short of that vigor and wouldnt want to make any excuses on my behalf. A lot of people struggled this year in order that I might have had the ultimate success from years past and for that I am very thankful.
Engintecs: Mitch Rusu is one hell of a man and his passion for what he does as an engine builder supersedes his passion for getting things done. Beyond being an excellent craftsman he is truly a compassionate and diligent human being. Where anyone else would have thrown in the towel Mitch came out swinging with all his might and for that he has my greatest admiration and love. I made a friend for life with the likes of Mitch Rusu!!
Scot Gray: What can I say about Scot other then he will go down in history as being one of the founding fathers of the DSM world as we know it. Like Mitch, his passion and relentless energy in keeping my car in peek forum is unique in this world of, Yeah but what do I get out of it? Scot has been working with my program since the beginning and he continues as if it were the first day. For his friendship and devotion I am ever in his debt.
RRE: What can I say about the boys at RRE and their fearless leader Mike Welch. They do what ever they can when ever its necessary, even if it means personally driving parts down from LA to San Diego. RRE rocks!!!
Forced Performance: When I contacted Robert at FP last year to sponsor the turbo system he came on board with a vengeance. He took the bull by the horns (these are Texas boys) and gave me what ever I needed to perform at FPs level. Roberts attitude is that theyre the best at what they do and I far as Im concerned they do just that every day, and more!
John Shepherd: John is truly the competitors competitor. He makes himself available (even with his insane schedule) to deal with any issue that might arise. He built me an incredible tranny three years ago that performed to perfection, then build me a brand new one in record time so I could finish up the season. Besides being a phenomenal racer and builder, hes just all around good guy!
Slowboy Racing: At the beginning of the season Mike said what do you need, I told him, and it was there. Need I say more?
PWR: I approached PWR for sponsorship for their big bad 52mm race radiator and they said give us the specs and come pick it up. It cant get any better then that!
Go HI Performance: Tom Dixon is another one of those passionate DSMers willing to do what ever it takes. Tom is one of my best friends and his energy could never being measured on any scale. I value Toms insight, abilities, and his never say die attitude. Tom is a once in a life time individual that doesnt grow on any tree, and has supported my program from the very first day. If youre lucky enough to meet him youll know exactly what Im saying!
DSM Tuners: What can I say about Chris that you all dont already know. Im so blessed to be surrounded by such passionate people, and Chris is on top of the Richter scale! The man cares and wont put up with any shit in order to make things right. If you dont respect what Chris stands for you might as well just climb back into your hole. I cannot believe what hes done with this site in such a short period of time and the fact that he continues to improve it at all costs. If you need someone you want to role model Ludachris is the perfect choice!!
Kathy Collier: My wife and my life. The woman cant wait for the race weekends! What more could a man ask for? Its amazing what she knows about my car just from listening to all the discussions about it over the years. When theres a problem she has a list of credible ideas, and half the time shes right. Shes saved my ass out on the track I dont know how many times, and shes another one of those people who does what ever it takes to get the job done. Then she listens and puts up with my bullshit to boot! She already knows how I feel about her so need I say more?
The DSM Tuner Body: Definitely last but NOT least, the body of Tuners who show their constant support for the racers. Its so cool for me to see all the involvement in road racing. If I played any small part in the stimulus, it makes what Ive been doing one of the greatest successes in my life. Theres nothing better than to be appreciated for ones energies, and the support Ive received from you guys is priceless! For this I humbly thank you
Greg
New motor, (the third one of the season) Mitch is a frigging saint, where anyone else would have thrown in the towel a long time ago! New tranny, (John Shepherd is beyond a good friend, and now hes a sponsor). New clutch, (RRE does everything they can to keep me on the track for four years running now)! Its all-good and Im so blessed to have so many people supporting my DSM addiction!
The Haul
We left early Friday morning and were immediately devoured up by Veterans Day weekend traffic. A normal 4-1/2 hour drive turned into 6-1/2 hours of stop and go freeway insanity. We use an open trailer so all the frigging looky-loos have to slow down to stare at a race car, and that makes it real difficult to change lanes when the trailer is surrounded by a pack of SUVs going 50mph. Then, everybody has to get my attention and give me the thumbs up I mean everybody, CHP included! (Thats kinda cool though!)
The Track
We made it to the track late in the afternoon so any suspension tweaking or breaking in the new motor and tranny was out of the question. We got set up in our pit garage and then it was off to The Willow Ranch restaurant for a dinner of barbeque ribs and huge quart glasses of ice cold beer! YEAH!!
Saturday
We entered the track gates by 6:30AM Saturday morning. It was 48 degrees with dark looming clouds threatening to spit on us from every direction. We got our tech sticker from the NASA official and started our systems checks on the car. We had an 8AM warm up session and were ready to put some miles on the car.
We were running the 3-mile course configuration this weekend racing with three massive V8 race groups. My Super Unlimited class competition included a Viper, wide body 650hp Supra, turbo charged Cup Porsche, and a Ferrari to name a few. Ive raced against these drivers before so I felt pretty confident with their driving skills. What I wasnt confident about were the Camaro Mustang Challenge boys who like to bump and grind fenders resulting in a lot off track rally type driving.
I was able to get in ten laps during our first session. The car sounded mean but I kept it within respectable RPMs for the break in. I didnt set any lap records but I accomplished what I set out to with out any problems. Back in the garage we checked for oil, tranny fluid, and water leaks, only to find a clean and dry engine bay.
Our second warm up session was greeted by a downpour of rain. I didnt bring rain tires and the Hoosier slicks were no match for the two inches of rain collecting in the apex of each turn. I immediately brought the car in and shut it down.
With qualifying only an hour away the clouds continued to belch out a steady stream of drizzle on to the track. I choose to sit out the session and would take to the back of the field for the start of the race.
Race Time
At 11:30AM the race Gods smiled on us and the rain stopped as quickly as it started. With all the other run groups out on the track the surface once again became our friend.
It was 1PM and I sat strapped in my car listening to the National Anthem being broadcast over the facility loudspeakers. The grid marshal blew his whistle and held up three fingers (three minutes) to go until it was time to take to the track. Starter motors began whirring as badass V8 race engines began to rumble in syncopated rhythm.
The blew strobe light on the pace car roof began to flash its beacon in readiness for the first race of the day. Super Unlimited and Pro Trucks were the first group to take the green flag followed by American Iron for the second flag and the Camaro Mustang Challenge would take the third wave. On to the track we all went, scrubbing our tires to generate as much heat as we could for the first lap of the race.
Out of the final turn on to the front straight the pace car turned on to the hot pit lane and we lined up in a perfect two by two formation in anticipation of the wave of the flag.
Green, green, green, echoed from the spotters as they yelled into their walkie talkies In a rumble of orchestrated chaos we blew down the front straight toward turn one. Brake lights lit up as though they were all tied together on a single pedal. Side by side cars took a single file configuration as turn two (a hard right handed button hook) revealed its way. Then it was down a small straight to another hard right, then a left off camber turn, then a tight right onto yet another quick blurt of power straight, toward a sweeping left hander, that brought us all on to the infamous Talladega, a right handed 130mph sweeper. Magic Mountain (an uphill, cant see the other side, right hander) came into view. One by one each car took a little air, literally flying over this Disneyland style off camber part of the racetrack. The long back straight seemed to draw all the accelerator pedals forward resulting in drag race toward Star Mazda (a slam on your brakes as hard as you can without locking up) small right-handed buttonhook reared its ugly head. Then it was power back down and the next obstacle were the back Ss, that made you feel like you were scrubbing you tires at a over a 100mph. This was followed by yet another ¼ mile straight before the ass busting left turn onto the front main straight.
Then we begin it all over again!
I maintained my 6000-RPM minimum for the break in procedure on the motor. The field of Super Unlimited began to pull away from me as their tires heated up. I maintained my plan and consciously down and up shifted through all the gears making sure that I didnt over-rev the engine.
Theres a saying in racing, Slower is faster! and I have to admit that this philosophy was working for me, because the field of bad ass V8s behind me never caught up the entire race. I was braking as late as I possibly could at each turn, making sure I was coming out the other side with smooth acceleration and calculated shifting. When I made my entrances on to the long sweepers I was probably going faster than I had gone on those parts of this track before. Engine temps held right at 180 degrees and oil temps were a steady-140. The turbo seemed to love the sure-footed acceleration with zero turbo-lag and stable and consistent increases in the power band. The car was performing flawlessly as each part worked together like a finely tuned Swiss watch.
I have to admit I was exhausted by the time the white flag declared the last lap of the race. Passing the checked flag put me in tenth place out of a field of 48 cars on the track. It was an excellent run showing the potential of the car hasnt even been experienced to this point.
This season has been full of mishaps and failures do to occurrences beyond anyones control. I, on the other hand take full responsibility because its my race venture. We didnt take the championship and for that I apologize. It takes a 150 percent energy, a 150 percent of the time in order to succeed. I feel I felt short of that vigor and wouldnt want to make any excuses on my behalf. A lot of people struggled this year in order that I might have had the ultimate success from years past and for that I am very thankful.
Engintecs: Mitch Rusu is one hell of a man and his passion for what he does as an engine builder supersedes his passion for getting things done. Beyond being an excellent craftsman he is truly a compassionate and diligent human being. Where anyone else would have thrown in the towel Mitch came out swinging with all his might and for that he has my greatest admiration and love. I made a friend for life with the likes of Mitch Rusu!!
Scot Gray: What can I say about Scot other then he will go down in history as being one of the founding fathers of the DSM world as we know it. Like Mitch, his passion and relentless energy in keeping my car in peek forum is unique in this world of, Yeah but what do I get out of it? Scot has been working with my program since the beginning and he continues as if it were the first day. For his friendship and devotion I am ever in his debt.
RRE: What can I say about the boys at RRE and their fearless leader Mike Welch. They do what ever they can when ever its necessary, even if it means personally driving parts down from LA to San Diego. RRE rocks!!!
Forced Performance: When I contacted Robert at FP last year to sponsor the turbo system he came on board with a vengeance. He took the bull by the horns (these are Texas boys) and gave me what ever I needed to perform at FPs level. Roberts attitude is that theyre the best at what they do and I far as Im concerned they do just that every day, and more!
John Shepherd: John is truly the competitors competitor. He makes himself available (even with his insane schedule) to deal with any issue that might arise. He built me an incredible tranny three years ago that performed to perfection, then build me a brand new one in record time so I could finish up the season. Besides being a phenomenal racer and builder, hes just all around good guy!
Slowboy Racing: At the beginning of the season Mike said what do you need, I told him, and it was there. Need I say more?
PWR: I approached PWR for sponsorship for their big bad 52mm race radiator and they said give us the specs and come pick it up. It cant get any better then that!
Go HI Performance: Tom Dixon is another one of those passionate DSMers willing to do what ever it takes. Tom is one of my best friends and his energy could never being measured on any scale. I value Toms insight, abilities, and his never say die attitude. Tom is a once in a life time individual that doesnt grow on any tree, and has supported my program from the very first day. If youre lucky enough to meet him youll know exactly what Im saying!
DSM Tuners: What can I say about Chris that you all dont already know. Im so blessed to be surrounded by such passionate people, and Chris is on top of the Richter scale! The man cares and wont put up with any shit in order to make things right. If you dont respect what Chris stands for you might as well just climb back into your hole. I cannot believe what hes done with this site in such a short period of time and the fact that he continues to improve it at all costs. If you need someone you want to role model Ludachris is the perfect choice!!
Kathy Collier: My wife and my life. The woman cant wait for the race weekends! What more could a man ask for? Its amazing what she knows about my car just from listening to all the discussions about it over the years. When theres a problem she has a list of credible ideas, and half the time shes right. Shes saved my ass out on the track I dont know how many times, and shes another one of those people who does what ever it takes to get the job done. Then she listens and puts up with my bullshit to boot! She already knows how I feel about her so need I say more?
The DSM Tuner Body: Definitely last but NOT least, the body of Tuners who show their constant support for the racers. Its so cool for me to see all the involvement in road racing. If I played any small part in the stimulus, it makes what Ive been doing one of the greatest successes in my life. Theres nothing better than to be appreciated for ones energies, and the support Ive received from you guys is priceless! For this I humbly thank you
Greg
