Congrats to Mike. He had a great year and deserved to end it with a championship, especially after way setup ended for him! Way to go Mike!
2008 Nationals Reports
IndyJim
#64
Something tells me he would rather have had the $100k and fancy race car ride, but $1000 or whatever in Toyo coupons, etc. will have to suffice.
Congrats Mike! I guess this means the SE is the most competitive region now?
scottmc
#66
Way to go Skeen!! Super happy for you, Dude :woohoo:
Kudo go out to Simon, Carter, Johnny (even if you’re not reading this), Mike D and all the rest of you who raced.
A special Atta-Boy goes out to Jim Pantas for the top 10 finish.
thornton
#67
Congrats Mike… great job!!!
Too bad it’s going to Miller… we need to get some more SE guys out there in the future!!!
mskeen
#69
Thanks guys! Cobetto’s fuel cap was missing or on wrong, so he was dumping tons of fuel out. I could keep him within a couple car lengths, but couldn’t follow him because it was like driving a wet track. He eventually got black flagged; about the same time, I had some brake issues…felt like a master cylinder crapping out, but I haven’t investigated yet. Whatever, it lasted long enough.
ctbimmer
#70
Hey Mike, big congratulations from all of us in the SE on a well-deserved national championship. Now, will you please get the heck out of here and let somebody else win a race now and then?
It was pretty nail-biting wondering what was going on, because for me at least, the audio and video feeds weren’t working, so all I knew was the lap board.
Echo the congrats to Pantas. A top-10 finish on that stage is something to be proud of.
csrow
#71
That’s sweet. Congrats Mike.
Now I can say my times are so far back from the SpecE30 National Champion’s time.
Gasman
#72
I’ve been away from the computer all weekend. Good on you Mike, I’m really happy for you and proud to have been on the same track as the master!
Oh, and let me mirror what Chuck said. 
FARTBREF
#73
way to go skeen!! now on to the important stuff, you coming to the rock??
Looks like Simon had a good run and Osbourne also, and congrats to Pantas for the top 10.
Al
Steve_D
#76
Short version:
Great event. Great drivers, good people. I’ve got some work to do. Unfortunately, my race was short enough to fit on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCProYs-Jc8
Posting from MARTA. More later…
Steve D.
PS - Congrats, again, Mike. Well deserved!
nasachris
#77
Wow what a great weekend. That is some of the best driving/racing I have ever experienced. Carter has put together one of the best series out there and the guys that run in it are all in it for the right reason. The cars are incredibly equal and without question I have become a better driver by participating in this series.
A HUGE congrats to Mike. He is truly a very talented driver and racer. He is smooth, controlled, and smart. I look forward to racing with everyone out there and having Mike in the mix just makes it that much more challenging and fun.
Friday
Once I knew that I was P2 I set to thinking about how I would approach the race. I had never driven Mid Ohio in the wet before. It had been wet in practice and qualifying and in both sessions there were yellows out at China Beach (Turn 4 on the map but effectively Turn 1 because at Mid O you get the green on the back straight and it is the first one you come to). Knowing that this was one of the only good passing zones at Mid Ohio I concentrated on finding where the best braking was to be had going into that turn. What I discovered was that the absolutely most slippery braking area was on the traditional “dry” line which is driver’s left. This was expected. In the rain, dry lines are normally very slick because over time a lot of rubber and oil are laid down. The braking got progressively better as I experimented by moving from left to left/middle to middle to right. Who- ever was to be middle of the track and right would have the advantage because they could brake later.
The key to getting through that turn the best was to brake down the middle of the track, avoiding the traditional dry line, start the car rotating prior to the sealer,( which cut across the track from left to right angling from turn in to apex) then slide across the sealer and wait for the tires to hook up on grippy asphalt on the outside of the turn. If you can have your car pointed slightly to the right when you enter the sealer then your left front tire will be the first to the get to the grippy surface and will catch first. The car will then rotate in the desired direction so that when all tires catch on the grippier outside line you are pointed in the right direction. If you time it right you can add throttle as you are sliding through the sealer so that the car is moving forward as soon as the tires find purchase. This whole process is very butt-suction-y but when you get it right produces the quickest way through the turn.
I have been at this event before and knew VERY WELL that the goal for these qualifying races was to finish well enough to be in the front row on Sunday. I was fairly certain that there would be a yellow at China beach sometime during the race which would eliminate one of the two best passing areas at Mid O.
As we teach in the Super Comp school at NASA Mid Atlantic, you have to enter every race with a plan and I had formulated mine for the race. I knew Mike had the advantage by being on the grippier part of the track for braking going into the first turn. I knew I had to position myself on the pace lap on the center/left section of the track in order to avoid the traditional “dry line” braking zone on the extreme left side of the track. I knew that there was no way I could beat Mike through the turn because he would have grippier surface under braking, and due to the angle of the sealant, more of it. I just wanted a little of the middle so that everyone behind Mike that also had that better grip wouldn’t smoke past me. I envisioned Mike and I doing this nice tandem slide through the sealant and me ending up behind him. Strategically, this was the best place for me to be because then I could follow him and learn where Mike had any weaknesses (if any). I also had to allow for the fact that maybe Mike hadn’t figured out the fast way through the turn yet and might overcook the turn and slide off in front of me so… I decided that I would get as much of the middle, brake early but very lightly and gradually, slide to the outside grip area and then just react to what Mike did.
On the start, we were VERY close, side by side. I didn’t have as much of the middle as I would have liked but it wasn’t bad. I got a little bump draft from Jonny, which I NORMALLY love, but is a bit scary in the wet. The anti-locks were earning their pay, I slide across the sealer and waited for the tires to hook. The fronts hooked, then the rears and then I saw Mike coming across my bow. I instinctively turned left in order to avoid contact (and maybe watch him slide into the trap) but we were just too close and we doinked and went off. (This is what is captured in the picture sequence earlier in the most)
I played in the dirt a little bit and by the time I got back on the racing surface I was two turns behind Pantas, who was in last place. I put my head down and said, “just get back what you can.” I used every bit of knowlege that I had picked up in practice and qualifying and set to work.
I would love to post video but I don’t have any. I would love to give a play by play of the race but I can only remember little parts. I DO remember thinking at one point when I got within striking distance of Mikey D., Carleton and Skeen, “Holy Crap, I still have a shot, if the race lasts long enough.”. I caught the front three at turn one. Mike fishtailed and that allowed me get beside him and get to the keyhole first…on the outside. I just stayed on the throttle and the car stayed on the track. I got a better run out of the keyhole than Carleton and was able to go by on the straight. Mikey D. took the tradional line going into China Beach and I stayed on the very grippy surface on the right hand side and was able to gain the lead.
When it was all said and done I had made my way back from last place to first place in the rain and turned a lap five and half seconds faster than the next fastest car. I have to be honest. I’m really proud of that one.
Saturday.
Just finish in the top three. I finished second. Mike ran a great race.
Sunday.
I was on pole and had the inside line. If it rained I was okay. I knew how to best approach the first turn after the green and I was fairly certain that Mike hadn’t figured out the trick yet. If it was dry then I would just stay on the throttle until Mike hit his brakes and then I would hit mine. While no race is determined in the first turn, I knew that in OUR race, the first turn would determine ALOT. I got the lead and led for several laps but had to come in when I got meatballed. We hadn’t put the gas cap on squarely and was dumping fuel.
Is it somewhat satisfying to know that I was in the lead when I had to come in but the reality is that Championships are about having all the big important stuff come together with all of the little important stuff. Preparation, strategy, tactics all have to work together with driver skill.
Mike had all of those this weekend. It was a true pleasure to race with him. He made me dig very deep into my knowlege base and into my Ballzak.
I love racing with all of you guys. You are some of the best drivers I know and some of the best people. Carter has set the tone for fair and fun racing with a gentlemanly environment. I love being part of this series and friends with all of you.
A HUGE congrats to Mike!!! You ARE a worthy adversary.
Chris Cobetto
Elephant4
#78
So I finished 13th and 4th in the qualifying races which because of the weighting put me 6th on the grid for the Championship race. Obviously I was very happy with this because I thought I would be down in 8th or 9th. At the start my tach wasn’t working and I hit the rev limiter in 3rd, I got a friendly nudge from behind and was in 4th and on my way. I look in my rearview and Woodward is going 20 mph faster than everyone in the grass. He went into a blind spot and I’m not sure what happened to him but I got nudged by someone in turn 4 (I call it turn 7). Then Carlton and Davidson get together and I stay to the outside and pray I don’t get hit by someone coming back on track. By the time it all shakes out I think I’m in 6th or 7th behind Herrington. Cobetto at the front is spraying gas all over the track, so much so that even I can feel it in turn 1 back in 7th and I can smell it around the whole track. The track was pretty slippery to begin with as there was a lot of dust, debris in a number of corners. Everybody is racing very hard and driving faster than before. Every position forward was going to be a major battle. It took me several laps to negotiate a way past Herrington as he was driving very well. There were several yellows around the track so there weren’t that many places to pass really. There was also a car stopped on track on the uphill going under the Honda bridge in madness. We were going past him at full tilt it must have been quite scary for that driver. Then I hear on the radio that a spec e30 is in the wall, and Kappy is in the wall at the top of madness, I thought it was Steve D but it was not. We go double yellow for a number of laps. It was a blessing and a curse, I was losing valuable time where I could be making up spots but it did bunch the field up. I’m behind Davidson and Allen. Cobetto gets the meatball shown to him and he has to eventually pull off and his race is over. I move up a spot . I eventually get past Allen and Davidson in one move into the keyhole I use a number of well placed miatas to block them and they come out on the short end of traffic and I get by. This puts me in 3rd place. I catch up to Carter. I try a couple of things on Carter and he is not going to give up this spot easily. White flag comes out, 1 to go. We are approaching the Keyhole. Again there is a miata going into the keyhole. Carter has a decision and the miata is going slow enough that he takes to the outside to go around. The miata then starts to drift out some and that is all it took as I stay tucked to the inside and use the miata as a pick. There is still a yellow in turn 4 so I know Carter can’t repass me there and just take the regular line and get behind Skeen. Skeen is behind another spec E30 that we were lapping and we both go by coming into the turn before thunder valley. I briefly think about a pass here but knew that Skeen was too fast to get it done, if I had known he had brake problems I might have forced the issue but I knew there was no chance with less than a lap left. I finish 2nd and am very happy. Skeen was amazing in all conditions and deserved the win. I think he even won the champagne spray as he fired his cork into by chest like a salvo and had me drenched before I could barely get my cork off . Cobetto deserved to be up there also he must be kicking himself, his drive in the rain on Friday was amazing. Congrats to my man Osborne who made it upto 6th from the back, he has his car working again and that is good to see him running fast again. It was great seeing everyone again from the other regions and seeing a couple of new faces. I’m tentatively planning on being in Utah for Nationals but it will be a decision I make next year.
I have some really good video and some great pictures that my wife Shannon took. I’ll get them both up as soon as possible.
SpeedSmith
#79
Congrats on the 2nd place finish Simon! Nice to see a fellow Great Lakes guy on the podium. Good to see Michael Osbourne running strong as well. Guess he got his car’s mojo sorted out. It’s great to have some fierce competitiors in the region and it’s nice to see them in hunt. Can’t wait to some pics and the vid!
ilateapex
#80
Congrats to the top finishers. They ran hard and disserve their victories.
As others have said, I think I have my car mojo back on track. With a fresh bottom end and a good alignment the car performed better than it has since it’s conception. The dyno numbers don’t look as good as they did in July with the old engine but the performance proved otherwise. I was able to get into the 44’s in practice on Thursday and was looking forward to fighting in the top 5 but the rain on Friday equalized that. The 888’s don’t seem to me to do as well in the rain as the RA-1’s did and after going off in July in the rain I was a little timid anyway.
I qualified 12 on Friday and was able to finish 9 all in the rain. Cobetto was amazing in the rain and blew by me on his way to the top. On Saturday I qualified 8 again in the rain but it dried out for the race and I was hoping for a good finish. I gain a spot on the start and was hot on Mike D’s tail with Lucas hot on my tail. Our train was going around a couple of miata’s in T-1 when after Mike passed the first miata he decided to turn into the apex. This forced me over the curbing between pit out and T-1. My front wheel made it over and the back wheel hooked and threw me sideways skidding around the turn. I ended up taping the guard rail, got back running and moving and finished dead last. It sure seemed all the races were very short. The damage was light and the car ran and handled fine so at least the weekend was not over.
I ended up starting 16 out of 19, not where I wanted to be. My plan was to stay out of trouble and try to work my way to a top 10 finish. I got a good start and have some great video of the major battles. Spent most of my time fighting with Lucas and was just glad to give him something to worry about. Lucas did not get a good restart after the yellow which put us both behind the main pack. He fell back with a missing 4th gear but I was too far back to get to anyone else. With all the happened and all who fell out I ended up 6th. I was very happy starting 16 and moving up 10 positions to 6. It is great to be back in the mix and be competitive again.
A big thanks to all the competitors and my family. It was a spectacular weekend. Special thanks to Kappy for sharing a room Wed and Thursday and to Jack Money and all the Elephant guys for a nice dinner on Saturday night.
Michael
#36
Great Lakes Region