Summit Point Results

#1

race results are not yet posted on NASA MA’s web site, so what happened this past weekend? As it was the final race of the MA season, who ended up in the 1/2/3 positions in points for MA ? Race reports from the Salazar guys? Thanks in advance, Robert Patton (spec e30wannabe in the SE area)

#2

Come on guys…board members always get an up to the minute report on happenings in the SE and Western regions as Dias and Patton report on their solo runs. Was there anyone at Summit that can enlighten us? Thanks Robert (solo racer) Patton

#3

I was there for Saturday… Carter won the race & the Championship. Alex May was on the pole.

I believe that the results were:
[ol]
[li]Carter[/li][li]Alex[/li][li]Chris[/li][li]Vic[/li][li]Carlton[/li][li]Han[/li][li]Steve Kapuchansky[/li][/ol]

Unfortunately, Steve was catching up with the lead cars when a 944 dove inside of him after the apex of T10, bumping him off-course right after the pit entrance. Hew was able to finish the race, though, keeping him on track for 3rd in the points, assuming he finished Sunday’s race.

Post edited by: sharkd, at: 2005/10/17 16:39

#4

Sunday’s results:

[ol]
[li]Chris (1:30.785) [/li]
[li]Vic (1:31.089)[/li]
[li]Alex (1:29.736)[/li]
[li]Han (1:31.867)[/li]
[li]Steve (1:37.414)[/li]
[li]Carlton (1:30.745 --power steering) [/li]
[/ol]

Post edited by: han, at: 2005/10/17 20:31

#5

My race day Saturday…

Morning warmup was good. The track felt fine and my car was running well.

Qualifying was a different story. I felt like my car was sliding all over the track. I was having to crack the throttle at certain places on the track where I would normally go flat. My tires had about 16 heat cycles on them but the durometer showed them to still be fairly soft. Not much harder than the mounted brand-new shaved tire.

When the results were posted, I wasn’t surprised to see that Alex was on the pole. Talking with him, Chris, and Carlton (who was on new shaved Toyos), we all felt like the track was slick.

Just prior to the race, I checked all my tires with the durometer and the right rear tested significantly higher (harder) than the other three. I decide to swap it with the new shaved tire. There are only two real left-handers at Summit Point but I wanted to put the power down in those turns.

On the warmup lap, Alex led us all to the front straight to prepare for the standing start. The GTS guys were split-out in front of us and we stopped about 40 feet behind the last GTS car. Being on the left side of the track, and beside Alex on the front row, I had a good view of the starter stand. Normally, we have about 30 seconds before the flag flys but this time, we got stopped and the two orange flags started to go up. I was ready but figured that some of our guys might not see what’s happening. As soon as the orange flags dropped, and the green flew, I took-off. Alex wasn’t ready but actually got going quicker than I thought he would.

Getting the jump, and with Chris right behind, I moved to the right of the track, setting up for the preferred line into turn one. As we went into turn one, Chris got a bit of a run and started to come up on my left, coming out of turn two; basically an extension of turn one. We took off down the straight, heading for turn three, an uphill left hander where Chris is always faster than I. As I braked and then turned-in. I felt the front washout slightly so I didn’t roll into the throttle quite as quickly. Chris did, his car stuck, and he got a run down the next straight while coming right up beside my car. Going into turns four and five, Chris was to the outside. I knew he was there and gave him some room, and didn’t trackout completely. Chris made a clean pass and I followed him around the carosel, knowing that I’m usually a little faster on this part of the track. I sat back going-in and got a good run coming out. I caught back up to his rear bumper but didn’t have enough of a run to pass going into turn ten, a fast right hander that leads onto the front straight.

I think Chris saw me coming and went into ten a little hot. He understeered off the track and into the dirt. To his credit, he opened the wheel and drove it off under control. However, being out there slowed him down and I drove past.

From that point-on, Chris and Vic had a good duel…which gave me some open track. I was able to turn some consistant laps (right at my qualifying times) and slowly pull away. The slower 944 Cup cars were very good about leaving me room for clean passes and I was happy to see the checker, knowing that the Championship was in the bag.

While I really wanted to stay for Sunday’s race, a family obligation called me back home early Sunday morning.

I want to thank all the drivers who came to Summit and I hope we’ll have some drivers showup for the NASA Mid Atlantic banquet this winter.

Carter

#6

Well let me try to give a recap on Sunday!

Well my day started out pretty bad, cold morning, cold tires and practice tires at that …going around the left hander at the end of the carosel, my rear simply gave out and I was headed toward the tire wall on the left, ca-boom! ouch! SX!T! my right front and passenger door was banged up pretty good and the tie rod (i think that is what it’s called) was totally bent, I assumed there may be other problems as well. I checked out a more detailed view of what happened on my Traqmate and it basically confirmed my speed was fine going into 7 at 48 miles per hour, but lack of experience on a cold track and what turns out to be a pretty "tired" right rear tire as Vic pointed out later got the best of things or the better of me.

Things were not looking so good, I loaded up and was about to head for home when Sean happened to come by on his way home to grab his wife. He said he had a spare tie rod and spare door. So Salazaar racing kicked in and fixed me up. We reset the toe and Chris was nice enough to let me go out with an HPDE3 group to do a quick test. All looked good. I missed qualifying and started in the back of the grid.

Unlike Saturday when the quick green flag caught me out of gear and looking down while cars start to blow by me, today I was sharp and nailed the start. I was able to get by Steve, Han and Vic going into turn 1. But with Vic on the inside and wanting to play it safe at the start I eased off a bit and was happy to follow Vic into turn 2 and 3. Chris, Vic and Alex were a second or two a head of me for the next few laps, but I was able to close the gap as we caught up to some lap traffic.

Going into 1 Alex seemed to go in a bit hot and spun allowing Vic, Carter and me by. Alex from what I could tell would have no problem pulling back onto the race course and I checked my review mirror before turn 3 and could see he was back a few seconds but racing again.

My steering was doing great until that point, but than on the next lap it started acting up, the power steering was going in and out. Everything felt fine, no vibrations and I was able to turn the car but it was not so smooth. I elected to stay out on track for anther lap.

Going down the straight Vic and Chris were battling it out with Chris in front and Vic on his tail, I was about 2 or 3 seconds behind in third place. Chris managed to move by two 944 cup drivers, but Vic got caught up in turn 1 and went off the track allowing me to slip by. actually he was a head of me as he came back on the track in turn 1, but I had the momentum and got by him going into turn 3. So I was now feeling pretty good with the ract 2/3 over I was in 2nd place.

Next lap my steering was still acting up and I started to get concerned. I certainly did not want have a problem and possibly mess someone’s race up, so I was holding off Vic going into turn 4 and on the sharp left hander I felt it’s probably best for me to back off and let Vic by and call it a day. So I waved Vic by at the end of the carosel and called it a day heading back to the pits.

Chris got the win, followed by Vic and Alex in the 3 spot. It turns out my power steering belt gave way, so no big deal. It looked a bit frayed so the steering going in and out was probably happening as the belt started to loosen and than the belt finally fell off the pulley into turn 4 when I elected to call it a day.

I had a great race up to that point and many thanks to Sean T, Salazar race boys for getting me back in business.

Carlton

#7

Not a recap, just my favorite moment of the weekend…

On Sunday’s race, I exited turn two with Alex following closely. I kept checking my rear view thinking he was going to try to pass me on the little straight between two and three. Going into three, I threw a quick glance to check to see where he was. Fortunately, he had stayed behind me and didn’t try to pass on the inside. I must have checked the mirror a little too long because I completely missed the turn in, apex and tracked out straight into the gravel pits at full throttle. I held onto the wheel, made sure the car was straight, stayed on the gas. I looked to my left, expecting to see Alex drive by me. But no Alex. Looked in the rear view, and there he was, right on my ass!

That must have been a sight, the two Salazar cars flying across the gravel at 80mph, as though we were trying to set a land speed record on the salt flats. I swear, even through the mirror I could almost see Alex smiling…

Han