Round 3 - Driving Impressions Pro-IT

[Greg Amy]

The track was fun on Tuesday.

Soooo, you did the test day, eh? 'Fess up! Details! Otherwise you'll have a bunch of very motivated, very aggressive, VERY IGNORANT drivers around you...hey, just sayin'...

[turboaudi80]

I'll be getting there Friday night. Is there anyone that can save a space for Me in the big trailer and Tim in his small trailer? May be a little VW/Audi compound?

I have space in my trailer for a small car. I will be leaving Friday afternoon, and returning to South Grafton on Sunday Night. Does anyone need a ride?

I haven't run at LRP for 4 years, so I will be doing a lot of staying out of the way. For the record, it was Matt who wrecked the ITE car in west bend. We are tied 1 for 1 in turn 2 at NHMS.

-Eli

[robits325is]

I am planning on going up tonight. I have 20 cones and a mile of rope. Is there a section already saved for us or should I lay claim to 1/2 the Sunoco Paddock?

[Andy Bettencourt]

Rob,

Our stacker should be there now. Surround that area.

[dtanthon]

Greg - Track was smooth but dirty in places. West Bend the first time approaching freaks you out. The uphill was the same, maybe a little different angle, there is new curbs all over. I'm still new in the ITS car so I didn't push it. I flagged too many years and know what LRP can do if you don't respect her. No bumps. Going to be fast!

All - As far as the B-Paddock is concerned. Andy is there now. He had a LRP function today. He should have area roped off for Pro-IT. There is a BBQ on Saturday between Qual and the Race.

Just remember that we have about 160+ National drivers to take care of so we can not squat on too much land. I'm sure Andy will reserve enough space.

If we have any questions I'll be up around 8 tonight. My car (#27 ITS) is with Victoria Motorsports (GT1 #6) so I'll be in A-paddock. Find me (973-220-1007), Terry H., or Bob Z. if you have any questions, comments or observations. We will most likely mail checks for this one since we are the last group and we want to load up and get home.

Thanks,
Darrell

[Andy Bettencourt]

I am not sure I can rope off enough paddock space but we should all be able to fill in the holes in B-paddock. Just remember to come by the stacker after qualifying for the FOM-sponsored cookout for Pro-IT drivers!!!

[Greg Amy]

Rumor has it a particular blue-green/orange ITA Miata is in the paddock, with a running engine...

[dominojd]

I am not sure I can rope off enough paddock space but we should all be able to fill in the holes in B-paddock. Just remember to come by the stacker after qualifying for the FOM-sponsored cookout for Pro-IT drivers!!!

Free food on Andy, I'm there.

[dtanthon]

10:30 drivers meeting at FlatOut compound.

Around 12 we have 15 minute qualifying.

Around 5 we will have 45 minute race.

We will have 38 cars so we need to impress the National crowd so we can attend more Nationals in 2009.

Thanks,
Darrell

[Greg Amy]

...we need to impress the National crowd ...

Oh, you can pretty much count on that. Don't know if it'll be a GOOD impression, but it'll be an impression nonetheless...

[Ed Funk]

It was fun! Big Thanks to everyone who made it happen! Thanks Andy and FOM for the lunch, very generous! Made me almost feel like a "Pro"!

Now, for those of you who weren't there, the track is smoooooth! And probably faster than previously, tho I don't think any track records were broken by our group, mostly because we had 15 mins to qualify on a rapidly dampening track. I know I would have liked to have increased rear stiffness, car understeered everywhere. I didn't see any changes to the "classic" circuit. Some had problems getting through the uphill and west bend because the old turn in "marks" aren't there. I didn't have any problem with the uphill, but west bend----I could usually see the apex from where I was but occasionally I was in a different area code! The apex curbs are quite aggressive (except big bend), don't hit them! The track out rumbles are ok, no angle change to them, just "rumbly".

I "think" that track records will drop by about a 1/2 second once everyone finds new marks and adjusts set-up. Me, I'm going to paint a big orange mark at the proper turn-in for west bend!!

Oh, by the way, I absolutely blew all the other ITC cars away!

Again thanks to all organizers and sponsors, it was great!

[dickita15]

No question you were the class of ITC field.
I would bet the lap record drops will be closer to 2 seconds that ½ second, assuming the records are recent. Stephen Blethen clicked off a couple of real quick ones and found he was still 2 tenths slower that Rick Pocock’s 1989 record.

[Ed Funk]

Dick, Rick's itb record was in 1996, in '89 the itb record was still in the 8's!

[Andy Bettencourt]

I ran within a couple tenths of the ITA record, I wasn't as fast as I could have been by a few tenths and I wasn't super impressed with the R6's I had. A fresh motor with ITA-like power should have me in the mid-high 1:00's based on what I saw Tuesday from some SM's and their record as well. I bet everyones best times fall by about 1 second if the weather is good NARRC Runoff weekend.

Most people thought the track felt greasy on Saturday afternoon but because I was on tires I had never driven on before I was thinking it was them.

As Ed said, she is glass smooth. The part that has the most improved speed for me was Big Bend.

(Edit) anyone know who was taking pics?

[Greg Amy]

+1 on all the above comments on the track. I ran 3/4 second faster than I did at the '07 NARRCoffs, and I know there's more to be had, just in the driver.

The event was fun! I like the 1-day Saturday format (no days off from work, home for "honey-do's on Sunday) and while I would have liked to have had more than 15 minutes for practice/qualifying, it really was "enough" if you went into it with the right preparation and mindset.

I had a couple of altercations during the race -- you'll NEVER guess the make and model of the cars; go ahead, try -- and a vehicle equipment surprise 18 minutes into the 45-minute race. Most people behaved, and the results reflect that. I'll post in-car video once I get Google to respond to my upload request...

Thanks to Bob Zeccas of Driving Impressions (where to go to buy your "stuff"), Daryl Anthony, and all the folks involved in the Pro-IT series. You're doing a stupendous job; keep up the good work!

Greg Amy
#98 ITS

[Andy Bettencourt]

+1 on Greg's one-day comment. Works perfectly for a track close to home. Good to see everyone. Better to be driving the 09 again. New engine on order...

[raffaelli]

I had a great time. We teched Thursday, working T&S all day Friday. I have to admit I was a bit overhelmed in the qualifier. I felt I was driving my mirror rather the car.

A respected racer yelled to me "get on the wheel". I kept that in mind when the race started. There was a hole that opened up in the first turn...for a second I was not sure what was going on then my brain clicked in and said 'get in that hole'...all of a sudden I was passing people! What a rush. I was having a great time in the race until I felt the car getting slower and slower...a hole suddenly and rudley appeared in my block on the down hill...fortunaltey, I was a able to scoot off track and pull onto the bridge on the front straight. I sucked watching the last few. Sorry about the cloud of smoke for that SM behind me. Race Control called me to the tower after the race. I expected to hear that I would not get signed off since I didn't finish. They congradulated me for my efforts in keeping the oil off the track and getting my car to a safe place so that the race could continue. This happened a lap prior to the double yellow. I watch the rest of the race from the bridge over th river. I did receive the signoff!

I started to pull the engine out today. I have never done something like that so this should be interesting.

Andy thank you for the food and advice.

[ulfelder]

I had a couple of altercations during the race -- you'll NEVER guess the make and model of the cars; go ahead, try -- <snip> I'll post in-car video once I get Google to respond to my upload request...

Greg Amy
#98 ITS

The primary "altercation" Greg refers to included me: a driver of a Make And Model That Must Not Be Mentioned decided that even though two ITS cars were racing for position and lapping him, and even though one of those cars was inside him, he would turn in for the second apex of Big Bend just as if he were sailing along during a test session. I feel bad for Greg and, especially, Chandler, whose BMW centerpunched the whole mess through no fault of his own. The video will make it pretty clear what happened.

Other than that, a great event. I agree that times are going to fall a lot as we get to know the new surface; I was running a half-second quicker than usual and felt like I was just cruising, leaving a lot of time on the table.

Steve Ulfelder
Flatout Motorsports
05 ITS

[Ed Funk]

----and lapped cars are supposed to disappear?? Greg was to go wide and out in the dirt by himself?? Safe pass is the responsibility of the---blah blah--- Dealing with traffic is part of race craft, if Greg was "traffic", deal with him in such a way to cause your competitor a problem!!

[dickita15]

I think was Steve was saying is that even though he was inside of the MAMTMNBM that he and Greg were lapping that driver felt entitled to his apex denying Steve racing room.