Justin:
It seems like only weeks ago team Axis Of Oversteer Spec E30 racers were ripping through the twilight at Summit Point during an EMRA enduro in which a small technicality kept car 343 off the podium. The team went to work over the winter at the secret warehouse honing an already solid German sled. With a fresh motor rebuild by the Axis’s own Chad Knaus, car 343 was ready for the NASA Northeast season opener at the latest (and only) road course in the depths of New Jersey, NJMP.
My rookie year, 2009, yielded a 2nd in the Spec E30 North East championship so pressure is on for 2010. The season opener was a great way to test enhancements made to the car over the winter, work out the inevitable bugs and gain valuable track time.
With most of our fellow Spec E30 racers at Summit Point the class was a bit light, to say the least. In the video you may notice my hard shifting style, it is that ham fisting that earned P3 during qualifying due to a broken shift rod. Yes, you heard right…I broke the rod during qualifying. The always quick Sean, newly licensed racer Dwight, and myself lined up for the start.
The Redline Speed Worx shop owners were at the race and called the start for me but I didn’t get the jump I needed to move past any of spec E30 racers: Dwight did a bang up job (yet no banging took place between us, I will save that for our next meeting) on his first race and will no doubt be a threat as the season progresses. After the consistently quick Sean was dive bombed by a 944, the race was mine to lose. I kept the shiny side up and took the race win, although it was just a matter of being there as the checkers flew. I am sure future races will see more Spec E30 racers make the drive north to do battle at The Glen, Lime Rock, and Pocono, there are rumors the Axis’s own 232 will be at NJMP at the end of May for our next race. Hope to see you all at the track soon, stop over our pits for cheese dogs!
Peter:
After a long and snowy off season, it was time to go racing! Justin was going to race the first NJMP Lightning event, but due to family responsibilities, could only race Sunday. So I decided to race on Saturday. It was my first time on the Lightning track, but after a few videos and some Traqmate data files from Freep, I was confident in some good lap times.
During practice I was on the pace quickly. Was very impressed with the layout and the elevation changes of the track. We were going to have two other spec e30 cars, but one had a problem during towing, and was unable to make the Saturday field. The other spec e30 driver graduated comp school the day before. The car felt great right out of the box. Had a best time of 1:19.83 for practice, but had a lot of trouble with corner exit oversteer. The track was very cold and seamed like one in ten cars were blowing motors and throwing oil on the track for the whole morning. Adjusted tire pressures for qualifying and put a fast lap down of 1:19.74 which got me 12 on the grid and a few seconds ahead of the other spec e30.
Well like the morning went with blowing motors, mid day was full of cars going into the wall, which delayed my race over an hour and half. That did get me time to add some cheeseburger ballast into the car. Adjusted tire pressures right before the race, and we were ready to go. My start was not the greatest, and the straight line speed of the cars around me for the start was nothing I could touch. After a few laps of sorting out the field, I pretty much had open track for the whole race. Went the wrong way with the pressures which lost allot of grip, but was able to beat the track record by a few tenths posting a 1:20.06. Then going with the day theme, a 944 exploded a motor on the back straight and brought a fill course yellow. After a very bad restart, I look ahead and see a 944 ride over the side of a lotus, and I swear the front end of the 944 was about 2 feet off the ground! The full couse black flag comes out on track, and I guess some people need a refresher course of the rules, because I was passed by 4 cars! After a few min in the pits they called the race. Finished 12 overall, a lap ahead of the other spec e30. Felt good in the race and looking forward to the end of may for the larger spec e30 field.
Nice one guys!
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Race Director should have penalized each and every car that passed you under yellow.
ReplyDelete-Freep