Indianapolis Raceway Park May 7-8

[KevSC1]

Originally posted by Racerlinn:
Yes, we sent extra money in with our race sanction request to make sure our order for sunny, warm weather would be granted

And I'm dragging a set of rains for the car along, so it will be nice and sunny.



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Kevin M. Keller
crew, '94 Saturn SC2 ITA CenDiv 2003 Champs
F&C, STL Region
http://www.saturnperformanceclub.com

[Racerlinn]

Apex and pot hole repairs are done, weather is going to be perfect, looking forward to a great weekend!

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Steve Linn
'92 ITA Sentra SE-R
www.indyscca.org

[R2 Racing]

Quick question I have every year and can never remember:

Is Indianapolis on EST or CST right now? CST would be sweet so I can wait on some crew to get off of work before leaving and get an hour back.

A little help? Weather's going to be real nice.

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Kevin
Ruck Racing
'92 ITA Acura Integra RS
'92 ITC Honda Civic CX
'85 ITC Honda Civic S
'95 ITS Honda Prelude Si

[trd77]

Indianapolis is currently on central time. the weather is going to be perfect

[R2 Racing]

Originally posted by trd77:
Indianapolis is currently on central time. the weather is going to be perfect

Great, thanks! I guess we should be rolling in around 6-7'ish then.

[RacerBill]

IRP is on Chigao time now. In the winter they are on New York time! At least that's how I remembered it when I lived there!

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Bill Stevens
Mbr 103106
BnS Racing
83 ITA Shelby Dodge Charger

[R2 Racing]

So did everyone have a good time? I had a blast running ITA with Chris in his Saturn. Definately two of the better races I've been in. It was great to see two ITA cars out there breaking a track record that's stood for 8 years. Well, not anymore. I know the ITC track record got broken again and maybe the ITB record too (not sure about that one). The weather was great all weekend except for my group 5 race getting rained out Saturday afternoon. Oh well, I didn't mind. Running at 8am Sunday morning instead was a much better idea than trying that track in the wet. It made for a real long Sunday though for us Group 5 guys.

Looking forward to Grattan in a couple of weeks.

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Kevin
Ruck Racing
'92 ITA Acura Integra RS
'92 ITC Honda Civic CX
'85 ITC Honda Civic S
'95 ITS Honda Prelude Si

[paulydee]

I know I am not the only casualty from this past weekend. During practice on Friday I seemed to have spun a main bearing in my motor. So no racing for me. The ITS races were interesting as well as the ITA races. There were at least two people that lost wheels on track this past weekend which I thought was unusual. Well, better luck next time

[Racerlinn]

On behalf of Indy Region I would like to thank everyone for coming out. If you have suggestions or comments, we always are receptive to feedback. I apologize for the delays caused by the oval on Saturday. IRP sprung that on us late Friday night and we had no other choice. I agree, much better to run Group 5 Sunday morning than in the storm on Saturday. VHT prepped asphalt and water do not mix well for racing. Race 1 was a lot of fun for me although I had two close calls with spinning Wrec Miatas (Jeremy, I'll get that video posted for Chad as soon as I can). No way I can keep pace with Kevin and Chris in my current state of car prep (best descibed as lowly), but I had fun running with the SM's and ITB's. I dinked around in qualifying for Race 2 checking tire pressures and temps and never got a good lap in (big dummy). Then Race 2 ended ubruptly for me when I caught 2nd instead of 4th coming thru T11. I'd been having some 3rd to 4th shift problems earlier in the day. Blew several rockers off the top of the motor with the over-rev. Fingers crossed that I can replace them, it'll run, and I can make it to Putnam Park in two weeks. After that, a new motor will be procured to replace my original 135k mile motor. Also, in case anyone was wondering, Jared Smith who took the mean hit at T9 in the FV Sunday morning and then got to take an ambulance ride to the hospital is OK. His dad says he is pretty sore, but he hopes to be racing by the end of the month.

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Steve Linn
'92 ITA Sentra SE-R
www.indyscca.org

[Prophet]

Hrmm.... where to start..... lets see. Well I had a successfull weekend. I was able to knock 3 seconds or more off my lap times. Car is still slow. I'm with Steve here. 173K on a motor isn't a way to be competitive. I'm thinking new motor next year, right now seat time is imperative. Btw Steve, did you get the second race signed off so you can get your regional?

I'll tell you from Saturday morning till after the first race Sunday. I had absolutely no desire to return to IRP, but after Sunday, I changed my mind. I got used to the track and the really crappy parts.

Also, gotta say, thanks again for the bump Kevin! Gotta start sometime. It didn't make me happy in the beginning but hell its bound to happen, and I got over it. Oh and btw, the reason why I waved you by the second time was I was running slow cause I was hot, so I slowed way down. Otherwise I would have waited for a straight to wave you by. ;-)

I enjoyed racing with the Miatas, the other Escort (I was happy I could pull him on the straits) Chad in his Neon (when ever he and I were able to stay on the track) and Jerry. I loved racing that guy!

My one mistake of the weekend was coming out of turn 2. My first thought was to let the car spin (give up) but then I look to my right and saw the end of the guard rail approaching to fast. If I wouldn't have tried to save it, I would have T-Boned the the end of the guard rail. That would have been real ugly.

Gotta say once again Steve, thanks for bringing Chad and the Miata's spin/wreck to my attention. You saved me there. If I would have been in your spot, it would have been different, I would have seen it. Since you were in front of me, I was focused on you and then saw you wave to show me what was going on. That made me realize what had happened. I was barely able to eek by the Miata in the middle of the track.

Only complaint I had was the old mizer at the front gate. Everyone else was great! I enjoyed myself.

-Jeremy-

[This message has been edited by Prophet (edited May 10, 2005).]

[Racerlinn]

Jeremy, I was signed off after the first race, so that was at least one thing not effected by my race 2 issue. Jerry sure can peddle that little cars thru the turns, can't he? He's been racing forever, a truly nice guy.
Glad my frantic wave helped out, I sure didn't want you punting me into the carnage. We both got lucky on that one just missing the Miata.
Sorry about the mizer at the gate. That's an IRP guy, not an SCCA guy. Again, SCCA has no say in who's posted there. He gave my parents a slight hassle as well.

[R2 Racing]

<font face=\"Verdana, Arial\" size=\"2\">Also, gotta say, thanks again for the bump Kevin! Gotta start sometime. It didn't make me happy in the beginning but hell its bound to happen, and I got over it. Oh and btw, the reason why I waved you by the second time was I was running slow cause I was hot, so I slowed way down. Otherwise I would have waited for a straight to wave you by. ;-)</font>[/b]

I suppose seeing the "X" on the back I probably should've done more to avoid it. I was just in the middle of a very, very heated race for the lead and was currently on the loosing end of it. I was just having a devil of a time with lapped traffic during that first race. Everyone did a fabulous job during the second race however! Neither Chris or I had really any complaints about lapped traffic after that one.


For some reason it really takes a long time to get up to speed around IRP. This was my 4th trip there and it still took a while to get moving. I took over 2 seconds off of my qualifying time from Saturday morning. I think it's just that you don't really have any idea just how fast you can go through some of those corners until you say a prayer, throw it in, and do it. I really, really like the rythem of it. I just wish they would've re-done turn 2 and the 6-8 area while they did the other improvements. That, and have more than one regional a year there.

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Kevin
Ruck Racing
'92 ITA Acura Integra RS
'92 ITC Honda Civic CX
'85 ITC Honda Civic S
'95 ITS Honda Prelude Si

[Prophet]

btw, who's going to Gingerman in June? Thats my next race.

-Jeremy-

[Eagle7]

Originally posted by Prophet:
btw, who's going to Gingerman in June? Thats my next race.

-Jeremy-

I'm in.

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Marty Doane
ITS RX-7 #13
CenDiv WMR

[Eagle7]

Originally posted by R2 Racing:
...Looking forward to Grattan in a couple of weeks.

Look me up if I don't find you first. Is your Dad coming? Last time I really caught it from my daughter-in-law when he (ITC) passed me. Whether he runs C or S, he's in my run group.

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Marty Doane
ITS RX-7 #13
CenDiv WMR

[Racerlinn]

Kevin, quite a prophetic statement regarding the number of regionals. Keep an eye out in 2006 and later. I'll give you a hint: a certain track that is very expensive to rent will no longer host a certain national championship for a certain club racing sanctioning body...

[R2 Racing]

I won't be going to Gingerman. I haven't been there in 3 years or so and wouldn't mind going back but it's just not going to work out.

Marty - Yea, my Dad should be at Grattan too. I'm not sure if he's doing the ITC Civic or the ITS Prelude though. He'd like to do the Prelude but it needs some good tranny attention that I'm not sure we have the time to give it. I remember you getting crap about him passing you last year but just remember, FWD Honda = fantastic in the rain.

Steve - Are you serious? Indy Region is looking at getting a weekend at Mid Ohio? Is someone else loosing there's or are they adding a 5th regional there? I only live about 50 minutes from there and I already feel like I spend way too much time at that track. I think I was there 11 weekends last year.

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Kevin
Ruck Racing
'92 ITA Acura Integra RS
'92 ITC Honda Civic CX
'85 ITC Honda Civic S
'95 ITS Honda Prelude Si

[KevSC1]

Originally posted by Prophet:
btw, who's going to Gingerman in June? Thats my next race.

-Jeremy-

We'll be there with the Saturn. haven't broken that one to the wife yet "you know how I was gone for Mothers day? well... gonna be gone on Fathers Day too"

I'm still recovering from the weekend - had an alternator crap out somewhere near the IN/IL border- didn't get home until 2 AM (instead of 10 PM). I'll have the update an pics to the SPC web guru by the end of the week, and he's great about getting them up quickly.

BTW - Kevin, those were some GREAT races.

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Kevin M. Keller
crew, '94 Saturn SC2 ITA CenDiv 2003 Champs
F&C, STL Region
http://www.saturnperformanceclub.com

[Racerlinn]

Originally posted by R2 Racing:

Steve - Are you serious? Indy Region is looking at getting a weekend at Mid Ohio? Is someone else loosing there's or are they adding a 5th regional there? I only live about 50 minutes from there and I already feel like I spend way too much time at that track. I think I was there 11 weekends last year.

You're thinking in the wrong direction. Why do you think there are so many races at a certain central Ohio track which is very expensive to rent (on the order of 2x a certain central Indiana track)? Where are the 2006 Runoffs going to be? What do you think is going to happen to attendance at said central Ohio track? Where so you think other CenDiv Regions may want to hold some Regionals where they won't loose their shirt due to expenses? Back in the 80's, they ran as many as 7 or 8 weekends at IRP...

[Bob Burns]

<font face=\"Verdana, Arial\" size=\"2\">Back in the 80's, they ran as many as 7 or 8 weekends at IRP...</font>

Yep. When I joined the SCCA in 1978, there were 6 2-day Regionals (double regionals were unheard of in CenDiv back then), 2 Nationals, and a 2-day Drivers School at IRP.

Bob...