IFU Recap

#1

What a stupid idea…Talking from a selfish perspective, the Southeast racers picked up a year’s worth of experience in one 50 minute race. Any advantage that I previonsly had over these guys is gone.

What a great idea.Thank you Chuck Taylor at Factory 3 Performance and Jim Pantas for making the race happen.

Racers who couldn’t make it…Well I’ll let the participants that type faster tell the story about full track cautions and TWO inverted starts.

Congratulations to the race winner, who came from the back twice, Damion Moses. Skeen was second, I strategically went off in turn 5 before the second restart and was able to hang in for third…Which was acknowledged as first place 'cause it was sponsored by Factory "3" Performance.

Fun, you bet. Guys post your stories for all to read about.

Regards, Robert Patton

#2

Yep, I think everyone learned something and nobody got hurt…I learned alot about where I could put my car in certain turns. Some of the new guys did get several weekends worth of door to door in one race. I worked my way up to fifth, and then after the second inversion, flubbed the start and only made it to 11th, it was a lot of fun…it took a toll on my drinking and hell raising Sat night though…

Al

#3

Most fun, most close racing and best experience I’ve had in any race this year!

Steven

#4

Thanks so much to Chuck Taylor (Factory 3 Performance), and Jim Pantas for putting on this awesome race. Started 15th in the first half of the race, and was in the lead by the end of the 2nd lap. The Skeen hawked me down, and we built an 8 second lead over the rest of the pack. I really thought we were going to finish that way until the double yellow came out and we were lead down pit road. The field was inverted again, putting The Skeen and myself in the very back of the pack. Made it to 5th by the end. I’ve NEVER had sooooo much fun racing. My only regret is that I didn’t have video to capture the action. Hopefully Al will post the start of the race from his camera…

#5

Best race of the year. I had a blast and caught it all on tape. Congrats to Damion, we had a great battle there at the end. I should have the video up later today.

#6

The Factory 3 IFU Challenge was by far one of the best experience I’ve ever had on a track. I started 4th and have no idea where I finished but it was some where in the back. But as Al and Patton have both alluded, those were 50 minutes of valuable learning. I learned a lot about my car control, others car control and how well Spec E30 drivers work together.

I can honestly say, it has changed the way I drive/race and helped me step up my game. I was able to make up 8 spots in Sundays race. And for me… that was progress and a great was to finish my first season—a season that did not start off too well.

#7

I channeled the Kelly school of rally driving most of the weekend and fell off the track first lap after a decent start kept my foot in it on the far outside line of turn 3 came back on track and made up a few spots.

Double yellow and shazam I’m nearly back where I started. This time I hold on for a sweet 6th place trophy and $100 Chuck Bucks.

I also learned that Patton is still a sneaky b@stard so don’t feel too sorry for him and his giving away the secrets post. I swear he dropped from the sky on the inside of 1 and proceeded to pass me on mostly dirt.

#8

Another thanks to Chuck Taylor and NASA for putting together this IFU race. It started off great as I picked up about 4 places on the start making it up to 7th from there I started to lose a couple of positions in the first lap. I knew I was in trouble when Skeen, who started last past me in turn 6 of the out lap. Several laps into the race I was in a close battle with several cars going into turn 5 with Laura Patton on my left. I must have been a little to far off line to the right as I accelerated towards the carousel and the back end stepped out which I must have been too slow correcting and my car shot across to the left. Laura did a great job avoiding me with no contact as we both went sliding through the sand. I managed to spin to a stop just on the left side of the track but Laura was not so lucky and ran out of room ending up in the tire wall ending her race (sorry Laura). Luckily the damage was limited to her front bumper and she was able to race on Sunday.

This incident pretty much ended my fun for the IFU race after making 3 laps with not a single car in site I came into the hot pits where Jim Pantos said to go back out because the race was about to get interesting. They brought us all back in inverted the field again putting me at the front of the race again. This should have been fun but I was too rattled to keep up pace so I had the pleasure of being passed by most of the field again.

#9

It must be unanimous. This race was the most fun I’ve ever had in a car. Everyone I spoke to said pretty much the same thing.

#10

Another shout out to Factory 3 and Chuck for putting it on. After (for me) a spectacular qualifying session Saturday I found myself looking at nine rows of cars in front of me at the start. After a very typical start for me I found myself dead last going into turn 1 (wow did that feel strange). Started picking my way through the pack learning a couple seasons worth of driving tips. I can’t remember where I was on the second re-start but ended up tenth when everything was said and done. A few highlights of the race:

  1. The move I put on Geiger on the outside (He and Laura we’re drafting to pass a slower car and I went to the outsde of the slower car into the brake zone. I almost got by Laura also, but I’m pretty sure I was by Craig before he realized what happened.

  2. The drifting demonstration Travis and I put on through turn 5 after the second re-start (unfortunately as he passed me). I’m not sure how far apart we were but both cars were completely sideways.

  3. Giving reverend Al a taste of his own medicine with a couple of dirt showers upon realizing there is still a lot of grip on the very inside of corners at Roebling. I mean hey all the weights on the outside anyway. Who needs pavement?:wink:

Can’t wait for IFU2… I’ll have some video posted soon.

#11

All I can do is echo everybody’s remarks. That was the most intense 50 min of racing I have ever enjoyed. Since I’m one of the slowest for the time being, I had the unique pleasure of being at the front for the start and restart of the race.
I’m still pretty amazed I was able to stay at the front of the pack for a couple of laps. Thanks to Jim, Chuck, and Robert for setting it up and to and anybody who could have knocked me into the weeds and didn’t. (that was just about everybody:silly: )

Jeff

#12

I have been doing this racing thing for a little while now and I have never had as much in a race car as I had in the IFU race. I had a smile peeking out from under my helmet the entire time. When they inverted the field the second time I was cracking up. Everyone did a great job in race that really could have had lot of issues. It was really good to see how the Spec e30 racers in the southeast have grown. Nice job guys. Skeen and I had an awesome last 2 or 3 laps in that race. He finally got a chance to feel what its like for me to try and get by him :stuck_out_tongue: It’s nice to race that close and not have to worry about someone doing something stupid. Chuck and Robert, great job on making that race happen. I hope we get to do it at least once every year.

#13

Factory 3 Performance, Patton, Jim Pantas (+ timing & scoring, workers, etc) all get a huge pat on the back for putting that one on. I heard from some friends watching that it was a really fun race to watch. That’s pretty cool. Inverting the restart? Sheer genius. Even the award ceremony was fun.

With so much hard core racing all weekend, it’s all blurring together. What I do recall from this race is that I finished 4th. Best finish all year for me. Get some Skeen. I think I qualified really well too… Like 6th or something. So that means I even gained two spots. I know what you guys are all saying… It was an inverted start. Well, the double yellows came out and we inverted again, hence, an inverted inverted means the 4th place finish is legit. Check the 8th grade fractions math book.

I went off track during a fight with Chuck Taylor or Robert Patton, can’t remember now. I chose the wrong lane going into Turn 1 and ran out of room… ABS, then dirt. Spun, lost some spots. Or gained them, since the restart was just around the corner :wink: I think IndyJim gave me the bird going by.

During that race, I learned a WHOLE LOT. I was on Robert Patton’s rear bumper like spray paint, taking notes the entire time. I think his Cool Shirt pump overheated keeping me behind him. Towards the end of the race, IndyJim starts creeping up behind me. I start looking at the gauges wondering if I had somehow lost 3 cylinders… Turned into a nail biter. I remember seeing Travis in my mirror crossing the finish line in the dirt, right? If Travis ran Mickey Thompsons, he might actually be faster. Regardless of who I raced though, it was hard fought and I didn’t win many. Everyone stepped it up a few notches, which made it even more exciting and tough.

IFU in 08. No contact needed.

#14

Group, that was SO much fun to be a part of. The on/off/on nature of getting the race set up just increased the anticipation, and I don’t think any of us knew what would happen when we threw 20+ inverted cars together.

There was a tremendous amount of close racing, lots of bold passing, a bunch of racers got a year’s worth of racecraft growth, and it went over better than I ever could have hoped.

Even when I got out of my car at the end, I wasn’t sure if you all would be hoisting beers or pitchforks (the second field inversion was a stroke of…insanity) but I think we showed everybody at the track this weekend what a great and talented group of SE30 racers we have. I’m proud to share the track with a bunch of people who race hard and clean, and have a super fun time on and off the track.

I give all the thanks to Robert Patton (for the initial crazytalk idea) and Jim Pantas (for sweet-talking the track management into going along with the schedule) and all the SE30 racers for putting on one hell of a show.

I was telling my son in Japan about the IFU race, and he suggested we should have written it as ‘iFU’ – Hmm, start the ideas rolling for iFU2 2008!

#15

I’ve added some images to the Gallery "BeerTech goes Roebling"

For More go to http://spece30.com/component/option,com_zoom/Itemid,48/catid,46/

#16

I am so sad that I missed this event. It would have been my one and only pole position!

#17

I was FOURTH!!! :angry: :stuck_out_tongue: