In the showroom, Toyota GT86 photographed in Paris by AC
How does the New Scion FR-S/Toyota GT86 perform on the track, unfiltered, raw data?
Fantastic initiative by Traqmate and the owner of this brand new Scion FR-S who bravely handed it over to Mike Skeen for a lap of Virginia International Raceway three days after taking delivery from the dealer.
Mike's a hot shoe so this is a good measure of the full potential of the car in stock form and Thanks to Traqmate you can have invaluable comparison data as reference and comparison to your current car or any future performance upgrades to an FR-S.
You can find the raw Traqmate data HERE along with the free comparison software .
The Scion FR-S lap video is after the jump.
Well done Mike, 2010 SCCA Pro Racing Trans Am Rookie of the year!
Spec e30 must be a good school, check out Skeen's pole position lap in qualifying for the Trans-Am race at Road Atlanta , just before the Petit Le Mans last week end.
Bit more power than a BMW e30 in this case, He's driving some monstrous Corvette, I'm guessing one front tire has probably more contact patch than all four Spec e30 Toyos put together.
You can read the press release and see video from the race after the jump.
BRASELTON, Ga. -Newly crowned series champion Tony Ave, of Maiden, N.C., picked up his sixth career SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series victory on Friday afternoon at Road Atlanta, coming out on top in a seesaw battle with polesitter Mike Skeen, of Charlotte, N.C.
Driving the No. 4 Boden Masonry/Lamers Racing/McMahon Group/Optech/PME Chevrolet Corvette, Ave vaulted from third on the starting grid and into the lead on Lap 1 of the 36-lap race. His lead would be short-lived however, as Skeen reclaimed the lead on Lap 5 and appeared to be well on his way to victory in the No. 81 ECR Chevrolet Corvette.
Unfortunately for Skeen, disaster struck on Lap 26 when he spun after encountering traffic in an inopportune spot in Turn 10, giving the lead back to Ave. From there, Ave – who clinched the 2010 Trans-Am championship in Thursday’s qualifying session – cruised to an easy victory.
“We got the lead right away and the car seemed like it was running like it had been on the practice day,” said Ave. “But when I got into the Esses and every time I turned to the right it would just stumble and not run very good. Coming out of (Turn) 7 it would do that every other lap. He was faster because of that. Finally, he got close enough to me and he drove by me coming down the straightaway like I was tied to a rock. I was worried if it was even going to finish, and it kind of maintained about that pace.
“I drove it as hard as I could just to try to hopefully stay with him and then he had a problem. We had such a big gap on third that I just had to drive around. It was a testament to the team; Larry and Debbie Beebe, for letting me drive their car after I sold the one I raced with all year. We’ve had a perfect year with the Pro Motor horsepower and Lamers and everybody that helps us out. I can’t say enough for those guys and Bob Monette helps. I’ve just got a lot of friends that help us do it, so I’m glad it worked out.”
Despite the spin, Skeen recovered to finish second in the final race for Agee Racing, which is retiring from Trans-Am competition. The second-place result was the best of the season for Skeen, and it enabled him to win 2010 Trans-Am Series Rookie of the Year honors.
“We were just running along there and trying to save fuel, save the brakes, have something for the end and holding the gap to Tony,” Skeen said. “We came into (Turn) 10a, I was behind a lapped car and I just got onto the brakes a little bit harder than I usually do. I locked them up and that was enough to do a 180 and let Tony by. It’s disappointing. It feels like we got robbed. We were running up front and kind of controlling the pace and now here we are with another second place. We’ll take it.
“This is a tiny little team. Agee Racing has only does three races this year. We’re on a very limited budget, running an older car and doing the best we can. Every time we’ve been out, we’ve been fast. We set the pole here, we’ve set lap records earlier in the year and here, so we’re really happy to get the results we’ve had and go out on a good note with the car. I hope all the best for Agee selling the car and good luck to whoever runs it next.”
For the second consecutive Trans-Am Series race, Doug Harrington, of Kemah, Texas, was rewarded for his perseverance throughout the race with a third-place result in the No. 00 PinnacleAutosport.com Chevrolet Corvette. This time, Harrington capitalized on a mechanical failure on the No. 17 The Pita Pit/The Grotto at Capone’s Chevrolet Corvette driven by Bobby Sak, of Kalamazoo, Mich. Sak was poised for his first podium result of the year before the last-lap misfortune.
“It feels great,” said Harrington of his third-place run. “There’s something to be said about just trying to hang in there and stay on the track, make the race, let things happen as they go, not lose focus and not wear your car out along the way. It feels really good. I didn’t really expect to get here today, but I’m definitely excited about it and happy. My guys really did a good job of thinking about things and trying to get me set up for the track and for the way I drive. It seemed to work.”
Finishing fourth was Amy Ruman, of Kent, Ohio, in the No. 23 McNichols/Goodyear/Cenweld Chevrolet Corvette. Ruman finished fifth or better in all but one of her Trans-Am Series starts in 2010 and finished fifth in the final championship standings.
Simon Gregg, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., also closed out his year on a high note with another top-five result by finishing fifth in the No. 59 Derhaag Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette. It was Gregg’s seventh top-five run of the year and he finished fourth in the final driver standings.
Today’s race featured the new Trans-Am 2 and Trans-Am 3 classes, which raced on an exhibition basis in preparation for a full-time run in 2011. Bob Stretch, of Arlington, Texas, drove the No. 98 NewWheel.com Chevrolet Monte Carlo to the TA3 victory, while Jeff Dernehl, of Woodstock, Ga., was the lone TA3 racer in the field in the No. 03 Mazda RX-7 and finished 10th overall.
BRASELTON, Ga. – Results from Friday’s 36-lap (91.44-mile) SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series Round 10 race at Road Atlanta, with finishing position, starting position in parentheses, class, driver, hometown, car, laps and reason out (if any).
1. (2) TA, Tony Ave, Maiden, N.C., Chevrolet Corvette, 36.
2. (1) TA, Mike Skeen(R), Charlotte, N.C., Chevrolet Corvette, 36, -30.098.
3. (10) TA, Doug Harrington, Kemah, Texas, Chevrolet Corvette, 36, -49.225
4. (6) TA, Amy Ruman, Kent, Ohio, Chevrolet Corvette, 36, -51.516.
5. (7) TA, Simon Gregg, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Chevrolet Corvette, 36, -1:28.736.
6. (13) TA, Bobby Sak, Kalamazoo, Mich., Chevrolet Corvette, 35, -1 lap.
You remember Mike: Spec e30, that TV show whose name escapes me now and then onto Trans Am and Grand Am. Mid Ohio was his debut in the SCCA's World Challenge GT series (yes it still exists) and after qualifying the Carlisle Companies/Cragar Corvette a few thousands off pole, he went on to win the Saturday race and set the fastest race lap (1:27.296 ).
Cheers from Axis, Mike! See more video after the jump
NASA Mid Atlantic peeps have been used to seeing the screaming yellow Ferrari like this... (WARNING, this clip includes an excited and possibly intoxicated tracktard dropping the f-bomb and no, the "F" does not stand for Ferrari!)
But you get a bit of an inside line, Mike Skeen sent us a clip that lets you ride along in the Bennett Ferrari in its season debut start at VIR. Turn it up!
More AFTER THE JUMP
Bennett Racing Accomplishes First Mission by Completing Maiden Run in GRAND-AM Rolex Series With 15th Place Run at Virginia International Raceway
ALTON, Va. (April 24, 2010) – The mission was clear for Bennett Racing and co-drivers Skip Bennett and Mike Skeen in their debut race in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16, the Bosch Engineering 250 at Virginia International Raceway.
That mission was to learn everything they could about themselves, their team and their bright yellow No. 56 South River Marina & Mercruiser Ferrari F430 Challenge. After two hours and 45 minutes and 77 laps around the twisting 3.27-mile, 17-turn VIR road circuit on Saturday afternoon, it was mission accomplished. Skeen and Bennett combined to bring the lone Ferrari in the field home in 15th place in the GT class, exactly the position where Skeen qualified it on Friday.
“It was definitely a great experience,” Skeen said. “The pit stops were better than I expected being the first time out for all these guys--they did an awesome job. I think we were pretty much running the pace that we expected. I won’t lie. It was a little bit disappointing that we couldn’t keep up a little better because the racer in me wants to do battle at the front of the pack. All of us are used to being at the front in the other forms of racing that we’ve done, but we know that takes time. We’ve got to develop the car more. We didn’t have the straight-line speed to keep up, and that part of it was disappointing. But at the same time, we exceeded our rational expectations.”
Skeen started the car 15th following a best lap at 1:54.288 (103.002 mph) from the15-minute qualifying session on Friday afternoon. He drove a trouble-free first stint in the race and came onto pit lane just prior to the 45-minute mark in the race to turn the controls over to team owner/driver Bennett, who pedaled the Ferrari for a clean middle stint before giving way to Skeen with slightly more than an hour remaining in the race.
“They’re definitely pros,” said Bennett of his on-track competition. “Hands down, these guys are pros and they want to finish the race. There’s a lot of respect out there. I’m a slower driver in a slower car and there were absolutely no problems at all. Do I think I’m a pro now? No. Do I think I can do better? Absolutely. Do I think the car and the team will do better? Absolutely, but you’ve got to remember that to do better than what we did, there’s a lot to do.”
Both drivers pointed out that—for starters—the car needs to be roughly 200 pounds lighter. Bennett remarked that a few changes to the chassis are in order, as the car needs to pick up roughly four seconds to compete at the front of the GT field. However, Skeen noted that the team needed this race to learn where the car’s shortcomings were.
“For the beginning stint, I was right behind the (No. 40) Dempsey Racing Mazda,” Skeen said. “In my second stint, there were several caution periods where we ended up being amongst the leaders in GT going to green, so we had some chances to mix it up—albeit a lap down—with the leaders. We did get a chance to see and feel where the other cars are gaining and losing speed. For the most part, we were off sequence pit strategy wise with the guys that were a position ahead or a position behind us. We didn’t have a whole lot of position battles on the track.”
One area where Bennett and Skeen came away extremely satisfied was the ability of their volunteer crew on pit road. Just as it was the first time in a Rolex Series race on the track for the drivers, it was also the first time the crew worked together in the pits. The drivers couldn’t have asked for better service.
“Our crew was tremendous,” Bennett said. “I watched a lot of the other crews and our guys looked better and they were faster. I’m not trying to blow smoke. This is a fact. When Mike came in for a gas-and-go under a yellow, he wasn’t the first guy into the pit, but he was the first guy out of the pit. That gave us a lap back. Our pit guys were awesome.”
“One of the coolest things was in one of our team meetings (on Friday),” Skeen added. “We were sitting around in the back of the transporter and we’ve got a guy from South Africa, we’ve got a couple of guys from Georgia, a guy from the Czech Republic, Virginia, North Carolina and guys have been on a bunch of different teams. One of them spoke up and said, ‘I’ve only known you guys for five days. We’ve only worked together a few times and already this team is really, really gelling.’ We’ve got great camaraderie, it’s a big family and everybody has got a lot of respect for each other.”
With the Bosch Engineering 250 now in the rearview mirror, the team’s focus shifts to making improvements to the car ahead of its next scheduled Rolex Series appearance in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen on the weekend of June 4-5. Bennett expects to share the car with co-drivers Mike Davidson and Jonathan Allen for their first attempt at a Rolex Series endurance race, while Skeen will be competing in an SCCA Trans-Am Series event at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah that weekend.
Chris Cobetto, another of the team’s drivers, will get some seat time in the car later this season. The team plans to make four Rolex Series starts this season: at VIR, the Watkins Glen enduro in June, and sprint races at Daytona International Speedway and New Jersey Motorsports Park in July. All of this is being done with an eye toward competing in the 2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona next January.
“The car is now going to go to UUC Motorsports in Georgia and they’re going to do a couple things,” Bennett said. “We’re going to continue with our plan, which is to get four races under our belt to get the car sorted out so we can do Daytona in January. We could definitely use some sponsors to help us, as it will take a lot of time and a lot of money to get the car where we want it to be. We have to do some significant things to the car. We know what they are and we know what they’re going to mean when we get them accomplished.”
Just like the team’s mission in its debut this weekend.
If you've attended a NASA Mid Atlantic race week end over the past few years you will be very familiar with this yellow Ferrari, it's the one generally lapping the whole field. What you may not necessarily know is that its owner, Skip Bennett, then jumps into a Spec E30 for some real racing along with the likes of Chris Cobetto and Mike Skeen (not to mention the Axis Spec e30 squadron, Pete, Justin and the Freep).
For 2010, Skip decided to step it up, to find a new challenge for his Challenge so to speak. The plan? Spec e30 has some of the best amateurs drivers out there, why not get a bunch of them and run the Daytona 24 Hour next winter?
Certainly has a hook to it, Spec E30 allstars take on the Daytona monster. Bennet recruited Chris Cobetto, Mike Skeen, Jon Allen and Mike Davidson to share his car for the 2010 Rolex Grand Am season in preparation for running Daytona in early 2011. Their efforts will be chronicled along the way by Grassroots Motorsports magazine and seen, live this year, on SpeedTV.
Mike Skeen, will be on duty first with Bennett in late April for the debut race at the Virginia International Raceway . The other drivers will see action in the Bennett Racing Ferrari F430 throughout the 2010 Rolex Grand Am season and finally all five will make up the Daytona 24 Hours team.
Bennett And Skeen To Campaign Ferrari F430 at VIR Annapolis, Maryland (Feb. 23, 2010)—Following a successful early test for the Bennett Racing Ferrari F430 Challenge, the team has decided to move forward with plans to enter the Bosch Engineering 250 at Virginia International Raceway. Team owner Skip Bennett will pair with Mike Skeen at the April 23-24 event in Alton, Virginia, for the team’s debut in the Grand American Road Racing Rolex GT Series.
Bennett Racing plans to compete in several rounds of the 2010 season in preparation for the 2011 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. NASA SpecE30 drivers Chris Cobetto, Jon Allen, and Mike Davidson will share the duties at Bennett Racing for the remainder of the 2010 season, and all five members will compete at Daytona next January as this grassroots effort reaches the big stage. “I am very excited to have this opportunity to race in Grand-Am,” said Skeen, “I have enjoyed many SpecE30 races with Skip and the other members of the team; being a part of this effort has been just as much fun.” Following success on the SPEED Channel’s Setup, Skeen drove for Atlantic Autosport in the 2009 Trans-Am series and will race for Agee Racing in that series for 2010. Skeen added, “I’m disappointed I won’t make each race for Bennett Racing, but I’m looking forward to the Trans-Am season and I know the other drivers will do an excellent job preparing us for Daytona.”
Bennett started his racing career in 2006, quickly diving into the deep end by entering a Grand-Am Cup race soon after completing his Skip Barber training. That year also saw the beginning of his NASA SpecE30 career, in which he has had numerous wins over the years. In 2007, Bennett completed a full season of Ferrari Challenge, finishing fourth in the series. Look for Bennett Racing among the pages of Grassroots Motorsports as they document their experience. Also, follow along at Bennett-Racing.com and MikeSkeen.com for multimedia updates throughout the season.
Grand-Am will hold its annual event at VIR with support series to include the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, Volkswagen Jetta TDi Cup, Ford Racing Mustang Challenge, and the Skip Barber National Series. Television coverage of the Rolex Series race will air Live on SPEED, April 24th, at 12:00 PM ET.
Stee and the Freep towed the Boxster down to VIR for the NASA Mid-Atlantic races and Track days , hilarity ensued... I'm sure they will come up with a good post to explain that picture.
But in the meantime check out this very cool in-car from the NASA Spec e30 race. You are riding with Mike Skeen, a name you might recognize if you have been following the TV show "Setup".
Great driver and fantastic traffic management around those surprisingly slow Spec 944 cars. Worth watching the whole 17 minutes and learn a few things!
