Pocono in May

[RSTPerformance]

Oh tickets are $12.00 for adults... unless (wich I doubt) we get 25 or more people... then we get a group rate and have our name show up on the digital scoring board!!!

Raymond

[sccaflagger74]

Regarding Grandview Speedway... they have one of the best weekly dirt shows you'll see. About 60 modifieds and 30 Late Models show up. 60 Mods fighting for 29 feature spots creates some wild action. I think they start 24 Late Models.

I think the best seats are in turn 4 where you can get up high. The front straight bleachers are too low. They don't waste time so the program moves along quickly. It's easily worth $12.

[RSTPerformance]

Well, for all those that did not attend, you really missed what I think overall was a great weekend. I still love racing at Pocono...

I think that the infield at Pocono is great fun and the unique opportunity that the straights at Pocono offer are a great (IE: Benefiting from drafting and strategies). My car continued to sputter throughout all the sessions until Sundays race. However even on Sundays race the car had absolutely no-power and would not "rev" past 4,500 and it was slow getting there. In second gear you could get it up to 5500 or so and then it would break up. Not sure what is wrong, replaced just about everything. Stephen will hopefully test the car out when he instructs at the SCDA event next Monday at NHIS with a new ECU and CIS thing. Everything else on the car with exception to the motor has been changed since the last event. If the car still doesn’t run, I am sure that biding will start cheep on e-bay

All in all though it was a very fun weekend. The weather (2 years in a row) was excellent (I got a sun burn ). I think that all the NER guys/gals need to realize that NER simply puts on a great show, and even though the other regions are not quite as good it is still a blast!!!

Only errors/complaints I found/had:

1: Started over 45 minutes late on Saturday morning.

2: The starters somehow confused Stephen (my Brother) and Don (Bildon Motorsports) and gave the victory to Don. (Stephen was about 30+ seconds in front at the finish). Timing had Stephen as winning but start claimed that Don won and Stephen passed Don going into turn 1 after the checkered and before the timing loop. That took an hour to fix, but thankfully Don was nice enough to help and admitted he didn’t win!!!

Improvements:

1: Pocono track employees were the friendliest people I have ever met at a racetrack (as far as staff goes). (Last year and years past they would have ranked the worst).

2: Track configuration seems to finally be figured out and hopefully will be consistent for all future races. The configuration is a blast. I would like to see some added pavement to the exit of the chicane, however I do think that it is a great compromise and is the “best” configuration possible.

3: The layout makes the course very safe in my opinion. The track is probably the safest track in the NARRC series. I don’t think there is any reason for cars to get totaled. I think that it was probably the least damaging weekend in the last year and a half of racing. I didn’t see any cars come in on the hook with any accident related “injuries.”

4: Trophies at the track!!! It wasn’t like their old events where you by the Rolex watch and we will ship you the insides later sorta deal!!! (I have issues with this event and trophies, I am glad that they have corrected that issue with current races) oh and I don’t mind the NER races where this happens, cause I trust that it will actually happen.

5: They now use the transponders (from what I understand as I needed to update them with that info). In the past I think that they tried several ways to use the transponders but without any luck. Not sure how it is used now but I am glad to know that my investment is being used at all tracks.

6: Workers/stewards were all very friendly and added to an enjoyable environment.

7: Great weather!!!


So as you can see we have complained and someone has listened as they (NNJ) put on a great event. I strongly encourage a larger turnout next year!!!

On other more personal notes:

If Jason Benah starts acting like a Blethen, it’s not my fault (I wasn’t the one bump drafting)!!! I have to say Jason did a great job learning the track this past weekend. He improved 5 seconds from his first session. I had the opportunity to follow him a bit through the infield, much better line than a lot of other drivers who have been racing Pocono for a long time… Great job Jason.

Also a special thanks to all those that helped with trying to fix my racecar. Phil Hunt, Jason Benah, and Don Tompson (Bildon Motorsports) spent the most time teaching us some tricks of the trade, but several other people stopped over to help. I still didn’t go fast, but your efforts and help was greatly appreciated. I am amazed at all the ITB people who put in an effort to help. It is obvious that we have the cars for the track, as Stephen was over 2 seconds a lap faster than everyone without our upgraded suspension. “If” my car got fixed it certainly would have dominated with Stephen, but that didn’t stop competitors from trying to help…. Really goes to show we are in this for fun, and friendships… Thank you.

My biggest thanks goes to my crew Randy, Tom, Tim, Dad, and Stephen for helping despite all of the seemingly overwhelming disappointment of this car. Somehow we always seem to find something that went well (this weekend the alternator belt stayed on!!!). Looking at the glass 1/8th full rather than 7/8th’s empty really is what keeps us/ or me coming back… Thank you soooo much

Thanks;

Raymond Blethen
RST Performance Racing


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RST Performance Racing
www.rstperformance.com
1st and 2nd 2003 ITB NARRC Championship
1st and 6th 2003 ITB NERRC Championship
3rd 2003 ITB ARRC Sprint Race
4th 2003 ITB ARRC Endoro
1st 2003 AS NERRC and NARRC Championships

[itracer]

I had a great weekend at Pocono (as Raymond was nice enough to point out). It was a number of firsts for me:
First time at Pocono
First time with some new suspension parts
First time with the new Hooters (aka Hoosiers)

I want to thank the Blethens and their crew for helping me out this weekend. The Blethens helped to critique me and lead me (and sometimes push me) around the track. Randy and Tim helped me out with tire temps and weights and I am grateful for that.

Thanks to all the racers in Group 1 for a relatively clean race. There is so much difference between the HP and the handling cars at this course. I spent a lot of time going around an Audi in the infield only to be blown away on the straight.


------------------
Jason
ITB 17 (NER SCCA)
VW Scirocco

[RSTPerformance]

And to clarify the Audi comment... It wasn't one of our Audi's Jason battled with!!! It was Phil Phillips old Audi, with a new paint job!!! Its not just our Audi's that are fast on the straights!!! They all are

Raymond

PS: Pictures coming soon!!! Tomorrow probably

[THawkbh]

Ray, I saw you blowin away the field all weekend. You were gone by the end of the first lap! How did you guys like running the same configuration both days? I've heard mixed reviews about it.

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Drew
18 years old
Wyndenup Racing
ITS Mazda RX-7 #99 - Me
Historic '76 Porsche 914-6 #49

[RSTPerformance]

Drew-

That was my bro in the "Silver/Blue" Audi... I had the slow "Red/Silver" sputtering Audi, and another person had the White black and florecent Audi...

As far as the chicanes, I like going to Pocono and seeing a veriety, however I am glad to see that their is consistancy with the ability to have lap records being held. The record keeper even made a point to come over and give them to me cause he saw my postings here complaining. I am much more a fan of the consistancy than those blue barriors that were moved every race, even though those were a blast to buzz through. It is nice to compaire yourself year after year to others in your class. The way Pocono was run for a few years (Different configuration every race) really made that impossible. My brother now has the track record and I hope that the track is the same next year so I can beat him

oh I had 1 more complaint from the weekend... the Race had a 3 minute wistle, not a 5 minute... I think that is a violation but not sure.

Raymond

[emwavey]

I wish I could have made it out there... sounds like it was a blast. The wife and I spent a better part of the weekend shopping for "the" tow vehicle.

-dave, who's continuing to fit all the pieces of the IT puzzle together.