I decided to follow suit with some of the other NASA guys on here and just have one 2012 thread where I'll post race recaps and updates of my exploits throughout the year. I was just looking back through my NASA Logbook and since I got my NASA TT License in June 2011 my results thus far are:

13 - Events Total (as of 5/20/12)
11 - Wins (including 2011 TTU National Championship)
1 - Second Place
1 - Fourth Place (dang Vette's!)
4 - Track Records


April 14-15 2012, Mid Ohio (Club Course)

This past week I got all the fluids changed, alignment done, winter storage dust blown off, new front caliper boots and seals, and fresh TeamTech harnesses installed to prep the car for the 2012 NASA season. I got it all done and packed up later than I was planning (which is normal for me) and headed out for MidOhio Friday afternoon around 2PM.

I pulled in to MidO about 7pm Friday night and unloaded the car, then went over my pre-race checklist so I wouldn't have to rush in the morning. Over the winter I made my own lexan windows and was a little worried about the rear door windows blowing out at speed. The plan was to take it nice and easy during the first Saturday warm-up session just to make sure they stay intact. Well . . . that plan changed Saturday morning. . .

Saturday morning the track was a bit damp in spots and day-long rain was on the horizon and could arrive at any time. The TT director decided that the first session may be our only dry-ish one, so we were going to count it for times rather than use it as a practice/warm-up. I was a bit worried about not getting an easy shake-down run after the car sat all winter.

I lined up in grid about 8 spots back from the front. On the out lap I tried to pay attention to the rear door windows, grip of the track, where there was water, where there was oil (two cars oiled down HALF the track on Friday), etc. It was really slick in some spots but totally dry in others. We got the green flag and I switched to kill mode. Normally I hammer it for two laps then pit, but for this session I started at 75% and slowly pushed each corner harder and harder as the track got faster and faster. I stayed out the entire session and I think I ran my best lap near the end of the session - in traffic.

I ended up busting out a 1:36 on the longer Club Course. That was good for 1st overall in TT with the next closest car over 2 SECONDS back. Shortly thereafter the skies opened up and the rain fell. None of the top cars got any faster throughout the day so my 1st session time took the win in TTU and fastest in TT overall.

Sunday looked to be the opposite of Saturday. It started off damp and got faster and faster as the day went on.

S1 - I skipped the 1st session because it was still pretty wet.

S2 - I went out first in line with Danny Popp right behind me. I could pull him on the straights, but he was on my *** through the corners. I drove pretty sloppy because I was constantly watching him in my rear-view mirror. I improved by about a second over Saturday's time with a 1:35, but Danny Popp laid down a 1:33. I knew I had to pick it up big time next session!

S3 - This time I got to follow Todd (he and Danny co-drove Todd's Vette). I pushed a bit harder through the T2/3 complex trying to find the limits of grip. I also cleaned up the back section a bit. I picked up 1.5 seconds to a 1:34.0. Getting there, but still not fast enough!

S4 - I decided it was time to put on my "FAST" tires Danny and Todd had been having gearbox issues all day so even though Todd was lined up in Grid1 and I was Grid2, as I asked him if I may be able to jump in front of him on the out-lap just in case he had more trouble. He was very gratious and said no problem. So now, with a couple laps of completely clear track I put my foot to the floor and pushed the limits of my aero and my *****. I knew I had to get it done this session. I found out that I could carry TONS of speed through the 2/3 complex, and also ran fast and clean through the section between Madness and Thunder Valley. I only ran 2 hot laps and my buddy said he heard them announce a 1:33.something on one of them. I needed a 1:33.4 to jump into first I think. I was nervous, pacing around, waiting and waiting for them to post up the results . . . 1:31.9 and into the lead in TTU!!!!! (TTU club-course track record is 1:31.38)

S5 - I decided to sit out and watch. Turns out none of the TTU contenders ran S5, so I had the win locked in.


This is going to be a TOUGH season. Once Todd and Danny get the gearbox issues sorted it's going to take every bit of luck and skill to keep up with them. I think to win TTU Nationals this year it's going to take a 1:26, so I need to pick up 3-4 seconds over what I ran at Nats last fall. With the upcoming built motor and the abilty to then push the CBRD BBK-Full turbo for all it's worth I'm hoping for good results!

April 21-22 2012, Autobahn Country Club (South Course)

This weekend we travelled over to beautiful Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, Ill. (As a side note - if I ever win the lottery big - I will build a race-track country club similar to this. A brilliant idea! Screw golf - this is a country club for REAL men!) The weekend was COLD and windy, yet I somehow managed to get a sunburn. Go figure

Saturday I started off on a good set of Hoosier A6 in 285/30/18 size on some really light WedsSport TC105's in a 9.5" width. I started off well with a 1:30.691. It was cold and a green track but I was still only about a second off my fastest lap here ever. Next session I bumped up to a 1:28.6 as I got more comfortable with the track. That kept me in the lead in TTU ahead of a VIPER Competition Coupe by a bit, but still about a half second away from the TTU track record. For the third sesson I swapped to my "fast tires" - basically the same tire on a heavier, wider 10" WedsSport SA-70 rim. I laid down a smoker! 1:27.339!! Good for the TTU win, TTU Track Record, and OVERALL NASA TRACK RECORD for ALL classes at Autobahn South.

For those of you who follow these things - that's only 0.6 seconds slower than Tarzan ran in the orange/black Crawford STI a couple years back. After looking back through my video and data I know I and my EVO have a 1:25.xx capability with some good tires and optimal driving. However I still need a bunch more power, aero, and skill to even come close to the blistering 1:23 that GST ran in their Impreza last year.

Record lap video from Saturday, 3rd session:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qeUtF2p2tI

For Sunday I switched over to TTR (a higher class, technically) for a chance to win some Hoosiers if we could get enough people in the class. As it turns out I don't think we did get the minimum 5 people for contingency payout, so no free Hoosiers this weekend for me I DID however pick up another track record. I ran a 1:28.xxx today. Last year I set the same record with a 1:30.x, then Richard later beat it with a 1:29.x. So, I'm back on top for the time being. . .
Here is a video of one of my sessions. I threw it together quickly pretty much unedited, sorry. I think this session I ran a 1:28
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fssXlGPOIU

I want to say a big thanks to:
- Keith at Pure Tuning for giving me great power while keeping my stock bottom end together
- David at DHP Composites for the awesome aero work that allows the car to corner at the speeds it does
- Chad at CBRD for the BBK line of turbos - the best turbos out there IMHO
- Martin at Girodisc for brakes that haul this monster down from crazy speed (soon to be ludicrous speed!)
- Evan and Jennifer at Exedy for the best EVO clutches in the world

 

May 12-13 2012, Putnam Park Raceway

We had beautiful weather all weekend long! That was very welcome, as the past 2 events have been a nasty combination of cold, windy, and rainy. I actualy managed to get a nice little sun tan this weekend. Weather was in the mid-70's - just about perfect race weather. Not too hot, not too cold.

The race weekend started off on a bad note. While unloading the car from the trailer one of the boards I use as ramp extensions got kicked up and wedged into the front bumper/splitter mounting area. It didn't "sound" or "feel" bad from inside the car, but upon inspection the damage was pretty bad. The big horizontal aluminum bar that is the main support of the splitter got shoved forward a couple inches, bending it and the mounting tabs, and ripping apart several riveted joints. The bumper mounting hole where it meets the front fender (inside the wheel well) got shredded and ripped apart. I decided to tackle the fix in the morning, as the track closes down at 8pm and they kick everyone off the site.

Saturday morning I got to the track early and planned my repairs. Careful application of some ratchet straps pulled the big bar back into proper alignment to allow me to rivet the fore/aft bracing back into place. I used some high strength stainless steel rivets in place of the aluminum rivets I had been using. I could barely pop them with the hand-held rivet gun, so I think they are up to the task! For the bumper mounting hole, I used a large fender washer to try to clamp what was left of the hole in place, then drilled some holes in the bumper and fender and used zip-ties to cinch it all together. It held up for the weekend.

First session out I followed Nathan (929Evo/Boomn29) to get a feel for the line as it was my first trip to Putnam Park ever. This warm-up session also set out grid position for the first timed session. I kept going a little faster and faster, trying to feel each corner out and figure out how they flow together. Part way through the session someone went wide coming onto the front straight and hit a hay bale and spread some hay on the track. They had the double yellow flags out and also a safetly vehicle to try to clean up the mess. I saw both, and slowed down through this corner, but I kept up my speed on the rest of the track. I still don't really know what happened, but I had a mental lapse and continued to pass some very slow traffic (even getting pointed by a few times) on the rest of the track. I can't explain it. I know the rules. I would never intentionally break them. All I can think of is that I was so focussed on learning the track as well as getting by the slower cars that my brain did not compute to NOT pass under yellow. I didn't even realize what I had done until they told me. Then I was embarrased, ashamed, and pissed at myself all at the same time.

I was DSQ'd for that session, and had to sit out the next session. I had a good long chat with Dave Royce about how not to have this happen again. He put it very simply - when on course SAFETY IS YOUR #1 PRIORITY. Not learning the track. Not passing other people. Not maximizing corner exit speeds. I think that is something that is good for all of us to remember every time we head out on course, in TimeTrials especially. In TT all you need is one good lap all day long. You are NOT going to run your fastest lap under a yellow flag lap, so even though you don't necessarily need to - slow down. Take that lap off, give the tires and car and you a little brake, then go for it next lap when you're back to green. My old mindset was - OK, I can still salvage this lap and get a good time. Not anymore. I'm ashamed to even admit I had this mental failure, but I figure if me telling about it helps even one other person avoid making the same mistake I did, it's worth it.

For the 3rd session of the day I was near the back of the pack. I took it real slow on the outlap to give my self a bit of room, but I still caught lap traffic after less than 1 lap. I was making good progress and was starting to get comfortable with then track and was running some decent times despite the traffic. Then I overcooked Turn 5 and tracked out about 1.5 car widths too wide and went four-off. The car just didn't have the grip to stick the exit with as much speed as I carried into the corner. This was my first agricultural excursion ever and it was a bit scary to say the least! I came safely back on track (at near race-speed) and continued the lap until I could pit in. I stopped at the end of pit lane, told the official I had gone 4-off, then headed back to paddock. At the download meeting I was told that the corner station didn't see my off and that they only knew about it because I told the official in the pits. My time was again DSQ'd.

For the 4th session I once again started at the back of the pack. I once again had a good run going . . . when I blew out the back of T5 again, exactly like last time. I pulled into the pits and went back to my paddock spot as I knew that session was shot too. At the download meeting they went over all the incidents, but did not mention mine. I told the head of TT that I went off. He asked if I was sure because no one saw it. I told him to call it in and DSQ my time for that session. There were two Hoosiers on the line for the winner of TTR that day, so if I couldn't put together a fast clean run I couldn't steal them from someone else by claiming a time I knew should not count.

So, it all came down to the 5th and final session. I once again started at the very back of the pack. I HAD to get a fast clean run that COUNTED or else the day was a loss. Knowing that I had been catching slow traffic after 1 lap even with hanging back during the outlap, and that I am fastest on hot lap #2, I changed my strategy a bit. I hung back just a bit on the outlap, then I took hot lap #1 at about 70% pace. I kept looking back watching for the lead car catching up to me. I timed it so that at the start of hot lap #2 the lead car was 1 turn behind me, then WENT FOR IT! I pushed hard in every turn except T5 and layed down two very solid laps before I came up on the back of the field. I pitted in, parked the car, changed out of my race suit, then went up to see the results. I ran my fastest lap on the LAST lap of the LAST session of the day and took the win in TTR and 2nd fastest of all TT cars for the day! Finally, I pulled my head out of my a$$!

On Sunday I knew it was going to get hot, plus I had a long drive ahead of me so I wanted to get out of there early. I ran just the 1st and 2nd sessions. In S2 I put down a 1:14.3 and I knew that would be good to win my class as it was the fastest TT time of the entire weekend. I packed up and headed home.

With some more time at Putnam Park and some fresher tires I think I have a chance of challenging the TTU track record of 1:11.5. I will give it a shot next year when I return to Putnam Park during the 2013 NASA season.

Thanks to my friends at Pure Tuning, DHP Composites, CBRD, Girodisc, and Exedy for keeping the One Lap Evo on top of the podium!

 

 

Here are some pics from Autobahn a couple weeks back. . .

 

Updated my first post with in-car video of the 1:27 record run.

 

luv how you picked up the rear left tire in the 5th photo.. Nice wrk!!!

 

Great write ups J! And Congrats on all the success! Sounds like you are off to a great start! Good luck!

 

I have been waiting for the write-up.

Congrats on the win's and a GREAT example to anyone on sportmanship! And a good reminder about safety. .

 

June 2-3 2012, Grattan Raceway

I brought my rain tires this weekend! Looked like it might rain off and on all weekend long. Luckily, I did not need them!

For those of you who have never visited this little mid-Michigan gem, I highly recommend it! It is a REALLY fun little track. I like to refer to it as a mini MidOhio. Lots of elevation changes, off camber turns that seem to want to spit you off track but don't, and blind corners that you HOPE have track on the other side once you start the turn. I have been here once before years ago with some locals for an open track day, and once this time last year when I was still in HPDE 3/4. Wow, how things change in just a year!

I started off the warm-up session on Saturday on my "warm up" wheels running in TTR. They are 18x9.5 TC105-N's with some old Hoosier A6's. I re-familiarized myself with the track and tried to find my braking points and corner speeds. I ran a decent time that put me at the top of the TT run-group. For the rest of the day I swapped over to my "fast" wheels, 18x10 WedsSport SA-70's with last year's Hoosier A6's. In the mean time my mom showed up at the track for a surprise visit! This was the first time she had seen me do anything more than a local autocross. She was super nervous for me, seeing all the race cars flying around the track, but she said once she saw me out on track she felt better because she could see that I was in control. Anyway, in the second session of the day I put down a 1:23.445 - good enough for the TTR track record! I sat out the rest of the day to watch others, but in the next session the Sweers Viper ran a 1:23.2 in TTU, my normal class and my normal competition. He sat in top spot for all of TT, with me in 2nd. I then swapped on my super-fast wheels, another set of 18x10's with brand new Hoosier A6's. Although I new I had my class win and track record, I didn't like seeing him ahead of me in the overalls! It ened up raining off and on the rest of the day, so I did not go out again with the new tires as I knew with the dampness I would not be any faster. I had to suck it up and NOT be 1st overall!

On Friday I switched back to TTU to go for another track record. The weather non-geniuses had predicted rain on Sunday so I was a little worried. After I had slept in as late as possible to still be able to make it to the morning meeting on time, I re-checked the forecast. Beautiful sunny skies all day!! It had rained during the night, so I figured the 2nd session may be fastest. I thought about swapping wheels and saving the new tires for 2nd session. Not necessary. The first session out I took it easy during the first hop lap to make sure the tires were up to optimal temp and pressures, only pushing about 80%. Second and third lap I hammered down. WOW!!! I had forgotten just how much better BRAND NEW Hoosier A6's were than year old ones with tons of heat cycles. In fact, they are about 2 seconds per lap better

I threw down a 1:21.385 to take tops in TT for the day, 1st in TTU, a new TTU track record (which was just set by the Sweers Viper the previous day, sorry! ) as well as the fastest track record for ALL NASA classes together. This is my 2nd such feat this year, as I also hold the fastest NASA record at Autobahn too.

By the time 1st run times were posted around 10am I was pretty confident that no one would touch my time, so I relaxed for the rest of the day. I took my time loading the car on the trailer and all my gear into the truck. I took the time to walk around and talk to all sorts of folks. Met some cool guys with Evo's from this very forum, helped a Porche racer come up with brake cooling ideas, talked about aero with a bunch of guys NOT running the awesome DHP stuff. (shame on them! ) Watched my autocross/Evo buddy Ashley get bumped up to HPDE3, then lay the smack down on the 3/4 guys (this is kind of his "home" track). Then he took his wife for a thrill ride around Grattan and she loved it! All in all it was definitely the most fun I've had at a race day ever. I kind of like the whole One And Done thing!! Hopefully I can keep it up at Gingerman next weekend!

Video to come hopefully tomorrow.

 

The latest tally is:

15 - Events Total (as of 6/3/12)
13 - Wins (including 2011 TTU National Championship)
1 - Second Place
1 - Fourth Place (dang Vette's!)
6 - Track Records

 

Here is the Grattan video. Enjoy . . .

 

Great pics & videos man!!!

 

wow, that looks like fun. set a track record and still probably had an easy 1:20 out there for the taking.

 

Awesome stuff man! Great to see an Evo driver kicking that kind of ***.

 

Looks like some stout driving there Jarrod! Your car is flying on that track!