July '13 Laguna Seca Thoughts and Videos

#1

It was a pleasure to see you all. I apologize if I did not get to say so in person at the event. Sunday’s race ended on a significant downer and thus I realize many were in a hurry to head home and get numb. Although I am running a limited amount this year as I learn to stay safe in the sky, It is a highlight for me to see you all.

I noticed there was not a thread for the LS event, so we can start one here and now. I am curious your thoughts and how in the future we can all learn to run together better. Not a bashing finger pointing, thread, but a constructive, well thought out, lets get it right next time approach.

Personally I would love the idea of coming back to race soon, and I hope I am not one you would say “please stay away”, but I am a little concerned that as a group we were not very thoughtful in our approach to some of what went on. There are many who felt bad, depressed and some outright MAD. I saw some friendships broken or at least damaged severly and that should not happen in a hobby sport like this.

So let me say first of all I had some great racing with a bunch of you! I raced side by side, with complete confidence and no contact (but for a little wiff of tire smoke) with fellow racers from both Northern and southern Cal. Side by side with (i am doing this from memory, have not yet watched video) Jason A, Dave Reed, Michael S, Mark Powell, Nate Smith, Derek, and Jeremy Sykes (who got me by 4/100ths of a second at the line), Matthew T, and Sean T.

Following Larry In Sunday Q was a real treat, he willingly taught me (which proves I am no longer a threat) a few things that helped. His attitude/spirit toward the group and desire for everyone to improve was encouraging and speaks volumes about the group that IS Spec E30.

Brad of BTM gave me a competitive, capable car which was worthy of a podium in th ehands of a better racer than me. Thanks Brad! I highly recommend anyone needing a car to call him and rent. I know Timmy at TFB is excellent as well. So if your car is weak or broke, call those guys!

As A group Spec E30 is incredibly competitve. You all should pat yourselves on the back, I miss a year, and top fives are a distant dream to me. Incredible skill and tenatiousness out there. Congrats to all of you! Michael and Larry congrats on your wins!

This is like NASCAR, so much close racing. Sadly like NASCAR, we kinda had a little Big One. Maybe there was a litttle tooo much I can get it all back now! mentality. You all need to be the judge of that. I will try to post some video tonight. YOu guys are all so good I think I will need to take up my golf game again!

Cheers,

Kevin

#2

Sundays restart

https://vimeo.com/69931817

#3

Sunday’s race-
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxKTLsGNtNs[/video]

Saturday’s start- Don’t mind the expletives, parental discretion is advised…
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f724OVSZaL0[/video]

#4

Laguna is an absolute blast, such a great facility to race at. I’m glad I got to race there. It was the first track I ever drove on when I signed up for Skip Barber 15 or so years ago. Bucket list, checked!

My car worked well on Saturday but my continual "improvements’ resulted in terminal understeer by Sunday afternoon resulting in a less than stellar performance.

I’m happy I got to race there but if the group is going to lose 3 or 4 people every time I don’t think I’d return. I don’t like those odds.

#5

[quote=“theShoe” post=73133]Sundays restart

https://vimeo.com/69931817[/quote]
Man that track looks like fun.

Not knowing any of you guys, the prudent thing for me would be to not comment on the contact.

#6

Sundays start

No audio
https://vimeo.com/69937558

#7

We lost the #48 car of Sean Trapp. We just put so much time and effort into that car and had it dialed in perfect.

So much time, effort and money went into that car.

2 cars destroyed in 1 year. Last year it was the #24 car at the hands of a overzealous Spec Miata on the last turn of the last lap of the last race at Willow Springs.

Then we brought the #48 car out of storage and got it all going, only to be hit again doing significant damage which we fixed. So many man hours went into building that car.

Spec racing is supposed to be affordable, you should not have to have to build a new car every season.

In my opinion it was a horribly executed restart by race officials. Absolute chaos and destruction was the result.

They should have dropped the green flag immediately or stopped the whole entire field for a standing restart. But to have the front half of the pack slow down and then drop the green flag created such a huge difference in speed from the front of the pack to the back of the pack, well you see what happened. Perhaps 35+ cars is simply too many to have in one race group?

Although I understand that can be the ugly side of racing and as they say ‘Shit Happens’. Still doesn’t mean it could not have been avoided due to a better executed restart. But it is history at this point and what happened happened and I hope that it can be a learning lesson for all involved.

Me and the shop stand by Sean Trapp and will rebuild his car free of any labor charges and will have him back on track. We took him to his first 1rst place podium win and had the car dialed into be a consistent podium winner. Despite this terrible setback, we will be back.

Watch out for a new build of the #24 ‘Bad Kitty’!

Love Ya Sean, we got your back! :slight_smile:

#8

Great to hear Trapp is going to make it out again! Man he’s had bad luck these past 18 months or so. Be sure to post up when the stripper party is going to happen and I’ll come down with my favorite wrenches.

I agree on the officiating. FCY for a piece of plastic debris way offline was uncalled for, and the resulting restart was botched as well, leading to the massive speed differences that led to the destruction of 3-4 cars. I know Rius’ car won’t move again, still no news on Reed’s car.

#9

Here’s my view of the mayhem at the restart.
Not going to bother on the thoughts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_93lNe536M&feature=youtube_gdata

Derek

#10

As for the botched restart, I can share with you this, Michael Shawhan did a perfect lead up to the green flag, as instructed by NASA. When the safety car came out and we circled the track the first time, the only debris on track that I saw was some piece of plastic off-line mid way between T2-T3. Hardly a reason to drone around the track for 2 laps. IMO, it seemed more of an opportunity to test wether or not drivers payed attention at the drivers meeting Sunday morning. As most of you know, there was a full course caution on Saturday as well and the officials did not like the restart that Larry F. Who was in P1. Even though Larry waited till the safety car pulled off, swept around T11 and then hit it, race officials nearly DQ’d him for not going up the front straight at a modest pace while waiting for the green flat to drop. Michael paid attention and did exactly what NASA outlined. I agree that there were some huge speed differentials on the restart further back in the field. That said, some of the video clearly points out that some drivers didn’t hold their line rather zig zagged through the field as if you were on the LA 405 with 6 lanes. The problem being that T1 is a funnel and only so many cars side by side can squeez through. That is where using your side mirrors and race craft come into play. What’s the old saying, oh yaa. The race isn’t won in the first turn. We all know that accidents happen and sometimes just being in the wrong place, victim of circumstance(sean trapp) are unfairly taken out. It just plain sucks that so many cars were lost, but hopefully those drivers will be back to race another day sooner than later.

#11

Steve, agreed, the only debris I saw was between T2 and T3 (which was NOT picked up!). That being said, what the hell NASA just wants to test us? I didn’t choose to race with NASA so they can throw yellow flags and sit back to see if we follow their rules…UGH!

(BTW, SCCA Runoffs are at Laguna in 2014!)

Here’s my video, within the first 40 seconds is the start I seem to find myself doing a 360…I’m sure someone else would like to take full credit for that (Brad?) and then the last 40 seconds is the restart (again, sorry Kevin, I was only trying to get in line like NASA tells us) which doesn’t go well, AT ALL. Sorry Derek!

#12

Agreed…“testing” us shouldn’t be happening at the biggest regional of the year.

edit: LOL @ the music selection! Very manly!

#13

Here’s a second try to load the video:

http://youtu.be/9uAVxEvpr2g

#14

Nice drive Ray!!!

#15

Ray,
*Awesome drive…You drove as if you were possessed!
*Great passing, some terrific shifter kart moves you made along the way.
*Clearly, the hard charger of the race or at least the first 18 minutes of the race.
*How much power that motor putting out? Your moves were first class & then you would open up a mile on the car you passed.
*My conclusion, your speed secret was realized after all of those “chick drinks” you had on Saturday night. I’m switching over from beer to those “chick drinks” for the nationals.
*The byproduct of drinking those “chick drinks” feminine music in the background…Very LAME!

#16

See that shifter kart move the Vert made on Frasier at the start? Textbook.

#17

[quote=“Sonoma Valley Racing” post=73172]Here’s a second try to load the video:

http://youtu.be/9uAVxEvpr2g[/quote]

Hey Ray;

Thanks for slamming me and my business. After all of the f#~!@ people you took out in the last 3 year, and no one ever put up a video saying thanks to SVR and crazy Ray for taking me out. :angry:

#18

Big Max is going to kick someones ass next race…

#19

Brad,

I’m not slamming you…I was just stating that you were there. Also, you could’ve at least come up to me after the race and talked to me :slight_smile:

Ray

#20

Here’s a corrected version of my video…
Hopefully I haven’t offended anyone :slight_smile:

http://youtu.be/GxjlzcOtbmI