Qualifying/Race Results

[bobpink]

Might as well get this out of the way because I know people will be wondering...

I will not be at the ARRC this year so this means that qualifying and race results are going to be slow in showing up on the ARRC website. Could be pretty late into the evening before I get info from Timing & Scoring since they are pretty busy and short-handed in the tower. My apologies for this to everyone watching from home.

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Bob Pinkowski
Atlanta Region SCCA
ITS Honda Prelude

[bobpink]

Qualifying results posted.

Looks like the cool weather helped a lot as everyone is flying. A 1:40.890 in ITS!

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Bob Pinkowski
Atlanta Region SCCA
ITS Honda Prelude

[Dave Zaslow]

Please post a link.

[Greg Amy]

http://www.arrc-online.com

Thanks, Bob! Dammit, I wish we were there!

[Bill Miller]

Originally posted by bobpink:
Qualifying results posted.

Looks like the cool weather helped a lot as everyone is flying. A 1:40.890 in ITS!



Not trying to stir the pot, but did you happen to notice what kind of car it was?

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MARRS #25 ITB Rabbit GTI (sold) | MARRS #25 HProd Rabbit
SCCA 279608

[bobpink]

Sorry folks, but it looks like it will be Monday before official race results from Saturday's races are posted.

It seems a Miata took out a part of the Timing & Scoring hardware just before lunch. The rest of the afternoon turned into chaos in the tower as Timing & Scoring worked their butts off to figure things out.

Will get results posted as soon as I can, but it looks like Monday evening at the earliest.

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Bob Pinkowski
Atlanta Region SCCA
ITS Honda Prelude

[Greg Amy]

...and to think I was convinced that Wreck Pinatas had already hit everything possible there was to hit...the world will never cease to amaze me...

[Andy Bettencourt]

Originally posted by Bill Miller:
Not trying to stir the pot, but did you happen to notice what kind of car it was?



It was a BMW.

AB

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Andy Bettencourt
New England Region, R188967
ITS RX-7 and ITA project SM
www.flatout-motorsports.com

[m glassburner]

Now I want you to go out there and hit the pace car.. http://Forum.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gif

[Diane]

Originally posted by m glassburner:
Now I want you to go out there and hit the pace car.. http://Forum.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gif

ROTFL!! Classic. Now I have to clean my keyboard, I was eating lunch. http://Forum.ImprovedTouring.com/it/biggrin.gif

[Pellegrino Family]

Does anyone at all know how the Blethen twins did? As their sponsors and family who couldn't make it down there, we are wondering. I can't get through to their cell phones so have had no contact whatsoever. I just hope they weren't involved in any mishaps. Thanks.

Gee, and we were planning on volunteering to work in TS when we went down. Sounds like they could have used the extra bodies for sure in the tower.

Hope no one was hurt in that mishap.

Let's all be sure that we all post if we hear anything from down there.

[Geo]

The Blethen twins both dropped out. They dominated qualifying with Raymond on the pole.

Raymond had a horrible start and fell 3/4 of the way back. He worked his way up only to fall victim to electrical gremlins. Stephen broke a hub.

They led the enduro for a while until they appeared to have some engine trouble (a guess) but they finished, although moving much slower than usual.


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George Roffe
Houston, TX
84 944 ITS car under construction
92 ITS Sentra SE-R occasionally borrowed
http://www.nissport.com

[tschwenke]

The only time they led the enduro was when everyone else pitted. It was setup for a nice battle between Derek/Rob and Chris/Patrick until someone got a bit anxious going into the esses taking Rob out.

[RSTPerformance]

Originally posted by Geo:
The Blethen twins both dropped out. They dominated qualifying with Raymond on the pole.

Raymond had a horrible start and fell 3/4 of the way back. He worked his way up only to fall victim to electrical gremlins. Stephen broke a hub.

They led the enduro for a while until they appeared to have some engine trouble (a guess) but they finished, although moving much slower than usual.




During the race I was in the Blue car and had the wire to the fuel pump short out against a hose clamp that held the fuel pump tight. Kind of went along with the rest of my weekend.... first practice the full throttle switch wire fell off making it go full lean, second session the same thing, third session the plug for the fuel regulator came out making the car not run at all, then in the 4th session a wire broke off the coil, then in the race the wire at eh fuel pump grounds out! The wiring gremlin certainly took over my car for the weekend! During all my qualifying and practices I only got 2 "flying" laps then in the race I think I only lasted about 5 laps! In the race I jumped out to a big lead but I wasn't going to go crazy and push as hard as I could. I knew I had what I needed on the back straight to make a good pass in the closing laps. I also wanted to get behind Chris and Derek for at least a few laps to learn what they did to get around Atlanta so fast. Well after about 5 laps that stupid wire broke and I was pissed! Raymond in the red car has an interesting time on the start and I'm sure he will post the video when it comes back to us from National. Either way it was unfortunate that some did not get to continue. He did have a big charge back to second then broke a hub a few laps from the end.

For the enduro we decided to take Raymond’s car because my car drove fine. (OK that doesn't make sense right) It does in a way though... We had to take the suspension out at some point of my car to get Raymond’s on the trailer, so We decided to drive mine up on, then take my suspension out and stick it into Raymond’s for the enduro and then be able to drive his on the trailer.

In the enduro I think I led one lap and that is it! At this point in the weekend we did qualify on pole but with that many spec piñatas around us we decided our strategy would be to let Derek or Chris get ahead and then stay at there pace and follow them. No need to build up a lead or go crazy in a 3 hr race when we haven't even managed to stay on track for more than 45 min! After about 3 laps I knew I wasn't going to be able to stay with them for 2 reasons. First I have figured out a fast way around that track ON LINE but off line I am slow and inconsistent. I haven't "raced" nearly as many laps as them and I haven't had an opportunity to drive off line nearly as much as them. Second reason is that they both where on the move... they wanted to get by as many miata's as possible and charged to the front like it was a sprint race. They took way more chances and made some passes I would never have attempted at this point in my experience at that track. With a few close calls they pulled out to a steady 15-second lead until they pitted. When they pitted I may have jumped into the lead but I'm not sure. At 3:30 I jumped out of my car and headed to the airport to leave Raymond and his girlfriend all alone on pit lane. I saw that the brakes where thinner than expected and would probably not make the race. I told him on the radio... Sorry dude but we are going to get another DNF. Those brakes will last another half an hr to 45 tops and you have at least 1hr 20 min left! I told him to be careful downshift and safe brakes now and call me when he stops so I know he is OK. I got a message from my dad after we landed that he was ok and got third with zero brakes left and a bent control arm. No more details and I'm sure he will fill me in later... what a nervous plane ride home for me!

That's my story!
Stephen
ITB Audi Coupe Blue/Silver NER!

As far as the ITA race Anthony did an awesome job beating stretch for the win. I was very exciting to watch from the hill and it looked like a very clean race. In the test day I got to follow stretch for about a lap an 1/2 before he disappeared in the distance.... I learned a little bit about where and how he goes fast, I also watched him in the enduro but that was less than impressive as he turned into someone being a little to aggressive. I think that may have hit the person because he that he was cleared for the car he was lapping but I'm not sure either way stretch is fast and aggressive racer that has proven himself over and over again and Anthony did a great job showing everyone how competitive the NER is! I'm not sure on the positions of everyone else but I will tell you they all did awesome and it was funny watching Ray/hunter and Jake all bumping into each other!

Nick went as fast as an RX7 will go but those BMW's are just a bit faster! He held his own and got a 4th place just of the podium. We watched this race from spectator hill in turn 5. Mike Flynn did an awesome 720 and missed everything and kept going! I meant to find him and let him know that the drifting pad Atlanta made was over in turn 11 area but we still gave him first place in the drifting competition this weekend

[OTLimit]

Well, we made it home a little while ago. It was a fun and interesting weekend.

Lots of stories will be told, and as per usual, everyone who wasn't there will have to decide whose side to believe. Not that I am pointing any fingers at anyone at this point in time, but especially in the case of the enduro, please know who was driving before making insinuations about driving styles.

BTW, congratulations to Patrick Findley for his 4th place in the ARRC; it was Patrick's first trip as a driver, and he did a great job. He also drove the Enduro with Chris in the new car, and did a stellar job to help Chris win the Enduro in ITB.

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Lesley Albin
Over The Limit Racing
Blazen Golden Retrievers

[RSTPerformance]

Originally posted by OTLimit:
Lots of stories will be told, and as per usual, everyone who wasn't there will have to decide whose side to believe. Not that I am pointing any fingers at anyone at this point in time, but especially in the case of the enduro, please know who was driving before making insinuations about driving styles.





Lesley and others...

Just to be perfectly clear. I wanted to metion that Chris and Derek are in my mind some of the best ITB drivers in the country and they pulled away very quickly in traffic do to there ability to drive and make passes that I could not have. (that's what I meant above)

They are better "racers" than I can ever think to be especially at that track. They got squeezed by miatas left and right. I have some great footage of the some drivers blocking chris and holding him up. I haven't seen the video but I remember at least once calling into my pit crew that Chris was in fornt of me and being blocked all over. He did an awsome job driving and it was obvious he new how to drive on and off line. Something I cannot do there. Just didn't wnat you to think I felt he was taking unessary risks for him but for me it was thigns I wasn't comfortable becasue of my lasck of experience. ( I called in on the radio and apologized and said I just can't do that!) He never put anyone at risk and that's because he new what he was doing, I would not have with my limited experience at that track. I only mention Chris more than Derek becaseu derek was out of site of me after 3 laps! My inexperience at the track showed off quite a bit in those first few laps!

Stephen

[OTLimit]

If I thought you had implied anything, believe me, you would know about it.

Chris takes risks. After 11 years I have to trust him to know when to be prudent.

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Lesley Albin
Over The Limit Racing
Blazen Golden Retrievers

[bobpink]

I received the final results this morning. They will be posted this evening.

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Bob Pinkowski
Atlanta Region SCCA
ITS Honda Prelude

[RSTPerformance]

Originally posted by OTLimit:
If I thought you had implied anything, believe me, you would know about it.

Chris takes risks. After 11 years I have to trust him to know when to be prudent.



Lesly,

can you send me an e-mail to [email protected] I haven't seen my car yet or my luggage or my video camera since I left the enduro half way through to take a plane home for work! Either way once I get the video (if I hit record) I would love to send it to you. I should have some great footage from the enduro when I followed and studied the back of that yellow VW http://Forum.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gif I also probably have a little bit form the sprint race before I broke http://Forum.ImprovedTouring.com/it/frown.gif . Thanks for a good race!

Stephen