The season final for the SCCA San Francisco Region Championship at Thunderhill Raceway was a triple header race weekend with double points for all three races. The large number of points on offer made it the most important weekend of the racing season. Heading into the weekend we had performed some maintenance on the car including repacking the driveshafts and a full suspension set-up where we lowered the car a little and got the corner weights dialed in.
Heading into the weekend I went over my Thunderhill data, video and notes. I used the techniques previously outlined for when reviewing video (Part 1 and Part 2) and used my post race weekend notes to put together an initial plan for the up coming test day. I outline a few session focusing on driver improvements. I needed to carry just a few more mph into several corners and then work on the critical Turn 6. In other sessions I would focus on tires pressures, car set up and making the car was working well.
Thursday - Test Day
Arriving early for the Thursday Test Day the sun was just coming up. I signed up and paid the registration fee and got my first wristband of the weekend. Next up was setting up the data and camera systems on the car and going over the track and session notes.
The early sessions were interrupted with black flags and stranded cars out on course. Consequently we got very little run time to work on car set up. I was still able to set some fast times with consistent 1:59.9 and 2:00 lap times.
An off at Turn 9 pushing the car a little too hard resulted in a ding to the front pan and brake duct. A hammer, channelocks, some rivets and a few cable ties and the car was ready to go. A front pan refresh was added to the list off season work for the race car.
The track felt dusty and slippery overall. So I took a chance and tried a set up change to make the car softer. In the afternoon we went 2 clicks softer on the front and rear rebound settings. It felt better and more drivable but it might have been a placebo affect.
There were a bunch of bugs hanging out at the track and I managed to find them taking out my tear offs and getting them all over my helmet. Part of the joys of an open cockpit car. That and getting pelted by rocks and dust as another driver puts a wheel off course in front of you.
Later in the day the tires fell off despite swapping them side to side and they were finished with the car sliding through the corners. It was hard to keep up the same pace without the grip. Lap times increased to approximately 2:01 and 2:02. At the end of the day we had worn down the rear tires to the cords
Before checking over the car I headed over to registration and got my wristband and tech sticker for the weekend race. We then ran through our end of the day checklist and made sure the car was ready for the race weekend.
Friday - 3 Mile Practice
For the short morning practice session I switched over to some fresher used tires. It was the last weekend of the race season so I was trying to use up all my old tires that were still good. Older tires that have sat for awhile tend to get hard so they need a couple of laps to get up to temperature, scrub off the top surface and restore the grip levels up. We have also found that after one real good heat cycle on the old tires they tend to come back with decent grip.
Photo courtesy of Dick Gordon
I was surprised to find when I got out of the car after the practice session that I was 3rd fastest with a lap time of 1:59.888. There was still time left out on track and definitely a few places I could go faster.
Friday - 3 Mile Qualifying
The friday qualifying session went well. I caught some traffic early on but was able to take a cool down lap and find a decent gap out on track where I could set a few flying laps. I qualified 7th with a new personal best lap time of 1:59.665 only 0.046 seconds shy of 5th place with positions 5, 6 and 7 all in the 1:59.6XXs.
Friday - Race 13
Race 13 was late in the afternoon with the sun low in the sky making several areas of the course difficult to see due to the direct sun and glare off the track surface. The Apex for the fast Turn 8 was near impossible to see.
Thundering down the front straight the field of cars was ready for the green flag to fly.
Photo courtesy of Dick Gordon
I got a decent start and was 7th heading into Turn 1. Coming out of Turn 5 there was a cloud of dirt kicked up not help with grip on the opening laps.
Photo courtesy of Dick Gordon
I was able to keep up with the lead group and got a great run out of Turn 9. I tried to make a pass on the white #14 of Greg Hoff but didn’t have enough pace to get along side and make a clean pass.
On lap 3 the #35 purple car of Robert Sachs ran wide in Turn 9 and spun. I was lucky to narrowly avoid collecting his car. A close call but I was able to keep going now up to 6th place. Unfortunately I lost a little time to the lead pack. The incident also left a large gap to the cars behind as they got held up avoiding the stranded car stuck out on track.
I struggled to keep the lead group in sight. On lap 7, double yellow flags came out and we were under safety car for two laps as they cleaned up and rescued the stranded car(s).
Photo courtesy of Dick Gordon
On the lap 9 restart, I hit the rev limiter and lost a little momentum to the front group but was able to catch back up in twisty Turns 2/3/4 complex. The sun was even lower in the sky making it hard to see both Turns 8 and 9. Heading into Turn 8 the #22 orange car of John MacIntyre went wide and there was a cloud of dirt. I shifted to the inside of the track to avoid. At the checkered flag I was 5th gaining two positions. Very happy with a Top 5 finish!
After the race we checked over the car and made sure everything was ready for the next day.
It was late in evening by the time we were done. Time to put the cover on the car and head to the hotel to get some rest.
Saturday - Race 14
The qualifying grid for Race 14 was set by the fastest lap times in the Friday qualifying and Race 13. Lap times were slower in Race 13 so the starting grid was essential set from the previous qualifying session with myself starting 7th out of 21 Spec Racer Ford Gen3s. The race was mid afternoon without the sun glare that was present in Race 13.
As we thundered down the front straight Robert Sachs missed a shift and the outside lane got held up just before the Green flag flew and we in the front half of the field drove off with a huge gap before we even got to Turn 1. On the opening few corners I had gained two spots moving up to 5th place.
I was able to keep up with the lead pack until the tires started to go off and loose grip later in the race. Slowly dropping back from the #14 White car of Greg Hoff in 4th place. It was clear I needed to work on how I was using the tires especially the fronts.
On Lap 6 #51 red/white of Jerry Aplass tried an inside pass into Turn 1, I left him room but ran wide on the exit and my rear hit the dirt. Luckily I was able to collect the car and keep going but Jerry was all over my butt for two laps until I finally got a break away and managed to pull out a gap. As we caught the slower Gen2 traffic I was able to make the passes without getting held up in any of twisty bits or high speed apexes.
I crossed the line in 5th about 4.5 seconds back from the lead pack. Another Top 5 finish! A tiring race but a lot of fun and a great result.
Saturday - Maintenance and Preparations
We only had a single race on Saturday which gave us plenty of time to go over the car in detail. We put the car up on jack stands and removed all four wheels, giving us easy access to check over the car. We spent the time making a detailed list for winter maintenance and added any cosmetic items that also needed to be addressed.
Thanks to Ric at CSR Performance we flushed the brake with fresh fluid, always easier with a buddy to help.
We also spent some time cleaning up the car and getting rid of all the dirt, grime and rubber build up. The tires had started to go off in Race 14 and as I had another old set of tires we decided to use them up. We got them installed on the car so I could scrub them in during the Sunday morning practice and be ready for qualifying.
Sunday - Practice
Saturday evening there was a huge wind storm that came in. So strong it had blown shingles off the roof at the hotel and also knocked over a few trees. Due to the high winds and extra staff needed the Region decided to cancel running on the 5-mile track and just focus the final race of the season on the 3-mile course.
I arriving early at the track to see the sun rise again and get ready as we were going to have an early practice. Surprisingly the cover was still on the car when I got to the track, I was expecting to have lost it with the high winds but it had survived.
Practice was limited to only a few laps. It was enough to get the tires up to temperature and set the pressures. The windy and cooler temperatures meant I had to put an extra 1-2 psi in each of the tires. Despite being old these tires had a good amount of grip when they got up to temperature.
Sunday - Qualifying
The qualifying session was super short with only 15 minutes to set a good time. The windy and gusty conditions made for difficult track conditions with dust across the surface and varying wind levels when negotiating the high speed turns. I had trouble with traffic catching some of the slower cars and Gen2s in just the wrong places, especially when a few cars in front decided to play bumper cars through the twisty turn 3/4/5 complex.
It wasn’t until the last few laps that I had clean track ahead and was able to set a decent time. A few mistakes cost me valuable tenths and I wasn’t able to get any sub two minutes lap times. I pushed hard on the final lap with the tires screaming for mercy in the tight corners. At the checkered flag I was able to get a 2:00.199 fast enough for 6th place at the start of Race 15.
Sunday - Race 15
I got a decent start and moved up to 5th on the opening few corners. The #57 Blue/White of Bill Booth and I ran side by side before he pulled ahead and I had to yield in the up hill braking zone of Turn 5.
Joe Briggs in the #9 Yellow/Black car missed a shift on the front straight loosing momentum and there was nothing he could do but watch us drive past heading into Turn 1. I was now up to 4th place.
Photo Courtesy of Mike Lee
Bill was held up and slow in some areas due to the pack of cars in front. The car felt good so I got a run down the back straight and made an inside pass going into Turn 14.
Followed by another pass of Bob Sachs and at the end of the 5th lap I had made my way up to 2nd place. There must have been chaos further back in the pack as several rear bodywork pieces were strewn off to the side of track as we came around for the next few laps.
Despite a few mistakes and some great passing attempts from fellow competitors I managed to hold onto 2nd at the checkered flag! Super pumped for my first podium in Spec Racer Ford Gen3.
Always great to drive the car into the trailer. A huge points haul thanks to double points for all the weekends races plus two 5th places and a 2nd place. I moved from 7th in the Championship to 4th! A great end to the season. I felt I really improved this season with new personal best lap times at all three local tracks and some great racing performances. It felt good that a lot of the hard work is paying off and I have a lot more confidence.
Thank You!
Big thank you to everyone this season that has come to see us race, sent us messages of support, followed along online and cheered us on! The encouragement and support has been a fantastic boost and truly humbling. Thank you!
Thanks to all our Partners and Sponsors without their support we would not have been able to do as much as we did this season. Support those companies that support racers!
CSR Performance for helping with the car all season long.
Ten Tenths Podcast for the amazing support and media coverage.
Red Line Synthetic Oil for all fluids and gifts for the racing fans.
Redhorse Performance for the fantastic hoses and fittings that have withstood all the punishment out on track.
ButlerBuilt for the fantastic custom molded seat that made all the difference to car feel.
FreeM USA for the lightweight and comfortable custom race suit, nomex and shoes.
Wine Country Motor Sports for all our motorsports and safety gear needs.
Eyes Up Auto Art for their fantastic support, artwork and the great giveaway painting.
Super 8, Willows CA for the great nights stay and rest after the long days at the track.
Bonner Race Marketing for all their sponsorship advice and for giving us the tools to build our brand and motorsports program.
Ross Bentley of Speed Secrets for all the driving advice and coaching help.
RacersHQ who covered our events and go fast tips this year.
Thumbs up to SCCA Workers and Volunteers who put on another great season with so many races and lots of action throughout the year. Thanks for keeping us safe out there.
We look forward to improving even more for the 2020 race season!
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Other Race Reports
After a long time away from the track we return to the Historic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with SCCA San Francisco Region. A fantastic weekend with great friends and lots of close racing.