ARRC - ITA Race

[Hracer]

Hi Robert, I don't believe we formally met. Thanks for coming down. The two cars you guys had were super nice. I looked at both up close and they are real jewels.

Before seeing the race laps over at mylaps.com, we weren’t exactly sure how we stacked up speed wise vs the yellow car during an entire 20 lap race other than crossing the finish line first on the last lap. But after looking at all 20 laps at mylaps.com, we're quite satisfied to say the least. If we only knew at the time, we might have slowed down a little on lap 11 or something when we turned a 42.8. On that lap we had a couple of car lengths on the yellow CRX by T7, but as a result it gave it the perfect draft down the backstraight. It became glued to our rear bumper and stayed that way to the finish line. That's what it took to set the ITA track record at an incredible 42.0. Interestingly enough, other than this one lap mylaps shows the yellow car never running below 43s the entire race. Drafting is very important (Greg, did I say already we had a fun time doing that in one of the sessions! I regret not having the camera running then) and if used strategically as it was on poor Kevin in qualifying it also helps to produce pole sitting times such as that of the also very fast grey CRX. Drafting is always key in SM and SRFs, but it seemed to me this was the first time it played such an important role in ITA throughout the whole race weekend. Definitely a learning experience that we hope to be able use to our advantage next time. It would have been a much closer race had the yellow car been right for the whole race. Mylaps shows its last 4 laps at a 43.7, 43.2 45.2, and 45.8 and ours at 43.2, 42.6, 43.4, and 43.6. It's clear that the yellow car wasn't all perfect on the last two laps running 2 seconds of its pace. Even though we were catching it by half a second per lap towards the end, its slower last two laps sure made the outcome easier. Did I say I love mylaps.com? You can definitely analyze a whole lot of things with it.

We DNFed the Pro IT race because of a failure due to the abuse I put on the car up to that point of the weekend clobbering the curbs. It was good fortune to say the least for us for running that race. Luckily we never had any 4 wheel offs throughout the whole weekend, which can really get a car airborn at this track and put a lot of stress on it. I’ve seen myself and also heard that there were quite a few of those during the race by various cars and I’m also guilty of doing it once really hard in T5 when I put 2 off in that deep dirt hole. I was sure I just lost the front right wheel by the sound and impact it made, but it held together. Road Atlanta can be a very tough track on a car if not careful.

It's a shame you guys weren't able to run the enduro on Sunday. It would have been a lot of fun and we were looking forward to it. Good luck to you guys in your racing next year!

[R2 Racing]

Alright, I finally got some pics up. I'm still waiting on more from a crew members camera:
Starting grid.


Alex and I explaining why my car came in 80lbs overweight after the race and his didn't (aka the podium :P ).


The bubbley!


The top three cars after the race.

[zracre]

the drafting thing really holds true at RA...Mr Greene and I went out in second qualifying with him behind me...he then went 6/10 (1:43:5 vs. 1:44:1) faster with my fat integra punching a hole for his little crx...note to self...

[toyocharged]

Just had our nationals down here in Australia at Mallala Raceway,was a top event, how many cars competed in your Nationals?. We had only 45 cars this year . The event was one by Adam Allan driving a Datsun 1200 Coupe with a sr20det. What classes do yo run and which cars are most poular. We have 4 classes under 1600cc, 2000cc, 2001cc-3000cc and up to 6000cc.
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[roberthuff24]

Originally posted by Joe Moser@Nov 13 2005, 10:35 PM
I just wanted to thank everyone in ITA for a great race on Saturday! That was one hell of a race, and I'm just thankful for finishing the race with a car that resembles what I started it with

Congratulations to Alex for the win, he never gave up! Also, congrats to Kevin Ruck for his 3rd place, I know how hard he has worked all year for that one. Where did that Nissan come from? Great job Greg, you were not easy to get around!

We had a rough weekend, our #36 car (Robert Moser) went through more this weekend than we expected... The car nearly burned to the ground on Thursday's test day. The steel-braided oil cooler lines were rested against the positive starter terminal (The conduit moved aside), creating an arc that burned a hole clear through the lines. The oil spouted out and caused a fire that melted the engine harness, TPS, MAP sensor, battery...etc We had some parts flown out overnight from King Motorsports and got the car back together just before the 2nd Qualifying session on Friday. He got on the track, still jittery from barely getting the car ready on time, and immediately lost both 3rd and 4th gear synchros. He ended up qualifying 12th and I qualified 3rd behind Colin Both (1:42.45) and Alex (1:42.6?).

The race start was hectic to say the least... Alex was fortunate to get out and run away from the melay behind him. We all swapped positions repeatedly for the first several laps... I know I had to pass Kevin Ruck, Greg Amy, and Colin Botha numerous times to get back to second. A double-yellow came out around lap 7 or 8, which did wonders for me I got a second chance at making a run on Alex. The car was beginning to handle very poorly (after some race bumping), but I figured I'd make a run at it. I ended up making a pass on Alex in braking at 10a. I built up a 3/4 of the Front Straight lead on him before the car got very bad. I started loosing about 2 seconds a lap, and got a little nervous. I ended up driving off at 7 two laps in a row, letting him by on the backstraight

Before it was all over though, I got my consolation prize (new ITA record, 1:42.045), but no win! During post-race tech, we realized the handling problem... The right rear lower suspension mounting points had all broken free from the car, and were allowing the wheel to flop all over the place (Thankfully it was the inside wheel on most corners, otherwise it wouldn't have even completed a lap!).

My dad managed to work his way up to 5th place in a car with no gear synchros! Congrats to him, and everybody in ITA for another great ARRC weekend!

Joe Moser

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Good run joe, i know the result was a little short of what you wanted but considering what you found out about the car afterwards i would say it was a great drive. hopefully next year we will both have some better luck and move up a position. congrads on the track record, thats pretty sweet, a 1:42.045 is smoking in that low powered honda. i am really looking foward to the arrc next year.

Rob

P.S. me, you, and our dads should really build a car for a endurance race, i think we would make a good team and have a lot of fun.

[rsmoser]

Originally posted by Hracer@Nov 18 2005, 03:15 PM
Before seeing the race laps over at mylaps.com, we weren’t exactly sure how we stacked up speed wise vs the yellow car during an entire 20 lap race other than crossing the finish line first on the last lap. But after looking at all 20 laps at mylaps.com, we're quite satisfied to say the least. If we only knew at the time, we might have slowed down a little on lap 11 or something when we turned a 42.8. On that lap we had a couple of car lengths on the yellow CRX by T7, but as a result it gave it the perfect draft down the backstraight. It became glued to our rear bumper and stayed that way to the finish line. That's what it took to set the ITA track record at an incredible 42.0. Interestingly enough, other than this one lap mylaps shows the yellow car never running below 43s the entire race. Drafting is very important (Greg, did I say already we had a fun time doing that in one of the sessions! I regret not having the camera running then) and if used strategically as it was on poor Kevin in qualifying it also helps to produce pole sitting times such as that of the also very fast grey CRX. Drafting is always key in SM and SRFs, but it seemed to me this was the first time it played such an important role in ITA throughout the whole race weekend. Definitely a learning experience that we hope to be able use to our advantage next time. It would have been a much closer race had the yellow car been right for the whole race. Mylaps shows its last 4 laps at a 43.7, 43.2 45.2, and 45.8 and ours at 43.2, 42.6, 43.4, and 43.6. It's clear that the yellow car wasn't all perfect on the last two laps running 2 seconds of its pace. Even though we were catching it by half a second per lap towards the end, its slower last two laps sure made the outcome easier. Did I say I love mylaps.com? You can definitely analyze a whole lot of things with it.

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Alex

Sorry not to have responded, but I am just on my way back North and catching up on communications.

I'm sure you are right about you pulling 63 along on the fast lap. Drafting is very effective, particularly for relatively underpowered cars, and on such long straights as at Atlanta. We had a problem with our video so I cannot give you proof positive, but your postulation makes sense. Even with our lap record at Mid-O this year Dave Beyersdorf observed the effect of the draft there too.

Last year Joe was running with Bob Stretch and Anthony Serra up until he was forced off and broke contact with their draft (you were right there too). After losing the draft he was never able to keep pace.

After the loss of our second car last year we had to do alot of soul searching about what to build to replace it. The handwriting was on the wall that the CRX was being phased out of competitiveness with the influx of higher powered cars, as well as the development of the Integras. I really thought we should go with an Integra, but the cost of going to a different type of car for the second car, the degree to which we are already invested in the CRX and the fact that we still run alot at our home track at Waterford Hills (essentially no straights) kept us in the CRX.

In the past both Joe and I raced an Integra and were always impressed with the power and performance differential of the car. Going back into the CRX was like dropping a cylinder, but they were still pretty effective at Waterford Hills. But Atlanta is not Waterford Hills and the CRX does not have the power to run the longs straights with the Integras and Nissans. We still have an Integra as a street car; probably should have them on the track too. Might as well have all the top 10-12 cars be Integras!

Or maybe we should move the ARRC to Waterford Hills!


Anyway, congrats for the "W"!

[Eagle7]

Originally posted by rsmoser@Nov 22 2005, 04:04 AM
Or maybe we should move the ARRC to Waterford Hills!

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Now that's a study in contrasts - RA vs WH.

[zracre]

Originally posted by rsmoser@Nov 22 2005, 04:04 AM
Or maybe we should move the ARRC to Waterford Hills!
Anyway, congrats for the "W"!

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Or move it to Mid O....

[R2 Racing]

Originally posted by zracre@Nov 22 2005, 08:57 AM
Or move it to Mid O....

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Don't tease me, Evan! What if IT heald it's own version of the "June Sprints" mid-season? Freedom Regional at Mid Ohio - July 1-2, 2006, do it! (I can dream...)


I think I might of crapped myself if the Moser's showed up in an Integra. I imagine it would've been in a 3rd gen though.

[zracre]

[quote]
Don't tease me, Evan! What if IT heald it's own version of the "June Sprints" mid-season? Freedom Regional at Mid Ohio - July 1-2, 2006, do it! (I can dream...)

that sounds like a good weekend to go there and try it out for the first time for me!! any other ITA ARRC go'ers want to try it?? This weekend is our first race for the 2006 season at Sebring. I hope the new stuff on the car works well.

[Eagle7]

Originally posted by R2 Racing@Nov 22 2005, 12:02 PM
Don't tease me, Evan! What if IT heald it's own version of the "June Sprints" mid-season? Freedom Regional at Mid Ohio - July 1-2, 2006, do it! (I can dream...)

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I'm in. Let's do it.

[R2 Racing]

Originally posted by zracre@Nov 22 2005, 11:45 AM
that sounds like a good weekend to go there and try it out for the first time for me!! any other ITA ARRC go'ers want to try it??

It would just take you guys to make the trip to make it a reality. I don't think we'd be able to organize an official "regional only", highly sponsored event like the ARRC at this time though. But for all of you guys who want to do Mid Ohio anyway, lets pick one of our regional weekends now for next summer and we'll put on a hell of a show!

Here's what the SCCA regionals should be next year - these all include a Saturday and a Sunday race:
July 1-2 - Cincy Region "Freedom Double"
July 29-30 - Fort Wayne Region "Brat Bash Double"
August 5-6 - Western Ohio Region "WOR Games Double"
September 9-10 - Ohio Valley Region (my home region and the one I could have the most influence in setting up) "Autumn Classic Double"

We're also going to have three Honda-Challenge weekends their next year as well as the NASA National Championships September 22-24. NASA also occasionally hold Friday test days before the SCCA weekends but I don't know which ones at this time.

EDIT - I'm going to copy this over to the thread Evan just started!

[bobpink]

Originally posted by rsmoser@Nov 22 2005, 08:04 AM
Or maybe we should move the ARRC to Waterford Hills!

And then change the name of the event to something else since Road Atlanta owns the ARRC name.

[zenracer]

[quote]
It would just take you guys to make the trip to make it a reality. I don't think we'd be able to organize an official "regional only", highly sponsored event like the ARRC at this time though. But for all of you guys who want to do Mid Ohio anyway, lets pick one of our regional weekends now for next summer and we'll put on a hell of a show!

Here's what the SCCA regionals should be next year - these all include a Saturday and a Sunday race:
July 1-2 - Cincy Region "Freedom Double"
July 29-30 - Fort Wayne Region "Brat Bash Double"
August 5-6 - Western Ohio Region "WOR Games Double"
September 9-10 - Ohio Valley Region (my home region and the one I could have the most influence in setting up) "Autumn Classic Double"

We're also going to have three Honda-Challenge weekends their next year as well as the NASA National Championships September 22-24. NASA also occasionally hold Friday test days before the SCCA weekends but I don't know which ones at this time.

EDIT - I'm going to copy this over to the thread Evan just started!

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Here are the NASA event schedule for Mid Ohio for 2006
From what I hear, To be able to run the NASA Nationals you have to run some NASA races. You can't just show up and run the Nationals.

From the competion I see from the Honda Challenge. You guys will have no problem.

April 21-23 Mid Ohio

July 7-9 Mid Ohio

August 11-13 Mid Ohio
September 11-17 NASA Nationals

So since Atlanta get to keep the ARRC name. Mid Ohio should be able to keep the Run Off name.

Clift

[bobpink]

Originally posted by zenracer@Nov 25 2005, 11:48 PM
So since Atlanta get to keep the ARRC name. Mid Ohio should be able to keep the Run Off name.

Not exactly. SCCA let the trademark on the ARRC name lapse and Road Atlanta snapped it up...much to the chagrin of the SCCA once they learned of it. SCCA owns the RunOffs name so it goes wherever they go.

[charrbq]

Originally posted by bobpink@Nov 27 2005, 05:17 AM
Not exactly. SCCA let the trademark on the ARRC name lapse and Road Atlanta snapped it up...much to the chagrin of the SCCA once they learned of it. SCCA owns the RunOffs name so it goes wherever they go.

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I doubt they'll let that happen again.