Gateway in October!

[mustanghammer]

Okay I'll put up $10.00. I'll do my best but last time I was there in '01, I checked and I was running 1:19's. As for getting together, it looks like the test day may be cancelled. I'll be leaving KC hopefully around noon Friday. It never happens as planned, but hopefully I'll get in before dark. It doesn't look like there will be a shortage of space, but if I'm looking to paddock by the rest of you 7's where should I look?

I'll probably be where ever Charlie Clark is parking. If the weather looks dicy I may grab a garage space if possible.

I'm leaving at 5 and expect to arrive between 10-11PM

[Speed Raycer]

[deleted weather forecast image]

[mcgyverit]

What a great weekend!

Thanks to all that came by and congratulated Scott on his first win and also a first win for the Plan "B" Racing Team!

It definately paid off running the PDX the weekend before to get the setup that he was confortable with for Saturdays race and with that he broke into the 15's which is about 1-1/2 seconds faster than our previous best time.

Must be the combination of the new cage (Izzy's of course) and Performance Driven Springs.

See you all next spring....

[m glassburner]

I will add that he was first overall in his group too !!

[Speed Raycer]

What a great weekend for the Plan B Racing team!

I can say that it was all a new experience for me! Never been at the "pointy end" much less been the point All I had planned for the weekend was to finish both races to keep my license and be sure that the Plan B Racing/Izzy's Custom Cages/Performance Driven LLC Neon pulled back onto the trailer under its own power!

I lucked out on Saturday with Chris Edens having problems in lap 15. He seriously checked out after lap 3 or 4 (I guess he was the Pro and we were the Shmoes this time [GRM reference there]).

I was so surprised by the lead I had at the start, I forgot to shift going into 1. Before I realized what was going on, I bounced off of the rev limiter for what seemed like 5 seconds and Chris flew by me in T1 like I was standing still. Kind of a blur after that so I'll have to review the tape to see how the next 2 laps went.

I backed off once I saw Chris in T1 as I was coming out of Nascar 4 and just kept an eye on my mirrors and worked on some different lines. Coming through 3b I saw the standing yellow at 4 and realized it was Chris sitting at 5's corner station. Well now, that changes things! About a lap later my exhaust pipe decided to make things a little more interesting by separating from the resonator pipe. For a few seconds I didn't really know what happened, but knew something was wrong when I started seeing our friends in white down on their knees looking under the car. I started praying for two things... the Last Lap sign and to NOT see the meatball flag. Thank you Control for letting me stay out there!

I came up on some traffic and wanted to get them in between me and the rest of the A guys. I didn't want to push anything too hard in the infield so waited until the oval/straight to really pass anyone. In doing so, I missed the last lap sign. Had I realized that, I'd have backed off and made it a little easier for the tapers up in T&S and Daryl up in the Start stand. Almost smacked into the other Neon at the finish line when he braked at the checker. Guess he didn't realize that he had another lap to go before his race was over.

Sunday was just as new with us making the pole. I figured if I screwed up royally at the start, Nathan W, Jeff L, Pat F and Dana H. would be ALL over me. Nathan proved me right as he was filling my mirrors for quite a while. From the sound of it, all the action was a little further back so lets hear about it guys!

A huge thanks go out to my brother and car owner Steve Rhea, Mike Glassburner for all of his advise on setup, racecraft and just general entertainment, Tighe House for all of the hard work and BS taking for the last couple of years and to Performance Driven LLC for their amazing springs. Hopefully next year we'll get out to more MiDiv races and get to mix it up with you guys a little more!

[mustanghammer]

Thanks St Louis Region for a great weekend. As always you guys do a great job of combining intense racing with a laid back-low stress weekend. It was the mini-vacation from life that I needed - Win, Lose or Draw.

Many thanks also to my fellow IT7 competitor Matt Rivard. I have never ever had a race like that! No wonder I had no attention span at work today....I used it all up on Saturday in our race. I have thought about how things transpired allot over the last couple of days and honestly that race could have gone either way. I was just lucky enough to pull off a fast lap at the right time....and I am not exactly sure how I did it. It is nice to know you can run hard with someone and come back with all your fenders intact. And that seem to go for all of the guys in IT7. It was nice to put some faces with names and cars.

Well - can't wait til next year. Memories of driving my car with the rear tires through turns 3-6 will sustain me all winter!

[ebb]

I can't believe we have to wait so long to do it again. It will at least give me some time to put some money back in the bank. It would be great if all the IT7 guys look at the schedule when it comes out so we can try to coordinate which races to attend. Saturday's race was by far the most fun I have had even with a 2nd place finish. Scott had a 1:14.5 lap somewhere in there, I could not get below 1:15.0. Scott, I hope I made you drive a little faster than you have before. Next year I will try to get better and win a couple times against you.


Too bad about Sunday for my axle, Scott Peterson and I were within .1 in qualifying again. I am sure it would have been close. Also thanks to Scott Goble and his crew for helping push my dead car back on the trailer.

[ebb]

Intersting picture of my broken axle.

[mustanghammer]

Intersting picture of my broken axle.

And who said Rotaries have no torque!!!

And yea.....you were pushing me dude. A 15.8 is the best time I have ever posted at Gateway before Saturday.

[SLUF]

Trey and I enjoyed visiting with you all for a bit this weekend. Wish we could have been out there but them's the breaks.

I'm with Matt on coordinating some races in IT7 next year. It looks like a new job may take me to Arkansas but I'll definitely be able to get to STL, Memphis, and Hallett for sure. We will also be doing some improvements over the winter with headers/exhaust system and a tri-link at the top of the list. Better handling and more horsepower!!!!!!!

[brprok81]

Thank you to everybody who came out!! The turnout was a bit light but we still managed to have a good time, and the racing did not disappoint. Congratulations to all the winners! Have a great winter and hopefully we will see you all at the track next year.

[Speed Raycer]

Hey Mr. STL Club Race Committee Chairman... Next October might be a very good opportunity to revisit a Timed PDX w/i the weekend. Just a thought to pad the turnout #'s.

[tnord]

the bonus race shouldn't be in STL next year. i was pretty sure it rotates around the division every 2 yrs.

[brprok81]

Hey Mr. STL Club Race Committee Chairman... Next October might be a very good opportunity to revisit a Timed PDX w/i the weekend. Just a thought to pad the turnout #'s.

I am hoping to have a discussion between the road race committee and the PDX committee about having a joint venture next year.

the bonus race shouldn't be in STL next year. i was pretty sure it rotates around the division every 2 yrs.

The schedule is getting close to being finalized and as of now the bonus race is scheduled at HPT next year ( I don't see this changing)

[mustanghammer]

Yep - the Bonus Race is at HPT - Labor Day weekend. It will be a featured part of a Double Regional event.

This is the first time the Bonus race has ever been held at HPT.

[mustanghammer]

[quote=brprok81;275927]I am hoping to have a discussion between the road race committee and the PDX committee about having a joint venture next year.

I have a question about your PDX program. Are these being run only as non-competition schools are has your PDX Committee put on competitive time trial events as well?

KVRG has been putting on non-competition PDX events for a very long time. They have not taken advantage of the new Time Trials rules and I was wondering if you guys have.

[tnord]

i have mixed feelings about HPT. i love it because it's a 1.5hr tow from my house, and suits a miata MUCH better than Gateway does.

but i hate it because ed ozment doesn't have a clue, and there is 5x more concrete there than there needs to be. and it's unprotected concrete at that. if i trashed the next car i would truly quit racing and take up golf.

is there any way i could see the tentative schedule?

[Speed Raycer]

I have a question about your PDX program. Are these being run only as non-competition schools are has your PDX Committee put on competitive time trial events as well?

KVRG has been putting on non-competition PDX events for a very long time. They have not taken advantage of the new Time Trials rules and I was wondering if you guys have.

STL hasn't had any timed PDX events for the last 2(?) seasons. The first year of the PDX program we had one during the October double regional. IIRC it went pretty well.

stlpdx.com for Chuck & Jans contact info

[mustanghammer]

i have mixed feelings about HPT. i love it because it's a 1.5hr tow from my house, and suits a miata MUCH better than Gateway does.

but i hate it because ed ozment doesn't have a clue, and there is 5x more concrete there than there needs to be. and it's unprotected concrete at that. if i trashed the next car i would truly quit racing and take up golf.

is there any way i could see the tentative schedule?

Per Billy3 this is on the final schedule

Having just raced at a track with allot of unprotected concrete and lived to tell the tale.....I guess I don't have an answer for you.

If it makes you feel better the Labor Day event is the only time IT cars will get to race at HPT next year. The other event is a Double Natioal (first weekend in May).

[mustanghammer]

STL hasn't had any timed PDX events for the last 2(?) seasons. The first year of the PDX program we had one during the October double regional. IIRC it went pretty well.

stlpdx.com for Chuck & Jans contact info

Cool! Thanks for the information