Results from LRP

[CRallo]

any updates? it's killing me not being there, but I work Saturdays. Usually I'd play hooky, but I have a race car to pay for...

Miss you guys!

[67ITB]

I only know the results for ITB (Pro IT)

Ken Hubbard
Stephen Blethen
Tim Mullen

A great day,

Matt Bal

[dazzlesa]

for the itb regional
stephen
rick

[RSTPerformance]

Just got home after a long day of racing!!! For me it was great being back behind the wheel in the Team DI ProIT even though the race ended rather quickly for me... I was happy to qualify 3rd with very old tires and a car that hasn't been worked on in almost a year. I knew something would break since I feally didn't do anything to prep the car other than put the head back on it and hope the "spuder" was gone.

The start was good and I passed several cars going into big bend, we all ran out of track and Ed and I had a bump... Not enough track and noplace for Ed to go, I hope his car didn't suffer to much. After that I was off into the left hander and as I applied the gas it didn't go... I spent the rest of my 1/4 lap trying desperatly to get out of the way as I coasted with a broken cv joint. It was actually fun watching from the uphill and the workers were kind enough to suplly me with some needed water... Thank you!!!

Other things of the weekend:

Ken Payson had a head on impact with another car that had spun and was sitting in the track. He was transported to the hospital, any word on what happened and what his condition is? We are all thinking of you Ken, it's never a good feeling seeing the ambulace take someone away.

The only other negative was no victory laps throughout the day and no checkard flags to take home... For those that have won a race you know how special those moments are, and for those that will win in the future I hope you get to enjoy those moments and the flag for years to come. I was told the region couldn't aford the flags, and to me that's just one more reason regioms should be combined, if a region is in that much trouble... Nevermind not the place or the thread but I will say that I would be glad to pay an extra 2 dollers so my class winner could get a flag.

Raymond

[tdw6974]

We decided not to run. In view of the Change of format to qualify and possible unable to qualify. Anyhow how did the Split qualify go? How long was the actual Race? Hope Ken is ok and someone will update us on his condition. T Weaver

[BruceG]

Chris

No official results yet but we(In the 45 car? Group7 ITA,SM,ITB,blah,blah, Regional behaved ourselves. With the exception of a few flying spec pinatas in the start of the race, everything went well. The National group that ran after us got RED FLAGGED!! A Lotus spun and was turned around between 3 and no name and a spec pinata driver hit him broadside. also, I heard that there were 7 or 8 cars off by the end of the IT PRO race. When I wasn't driving, I was in the flatbed with my buddy, Mike George pickin' up the pieces. IN one of the National races, A driver in an EP Healy 3000 broke an axle coming up the hill, pulled off to the infield side, was out of his car and the car was hit in the rear by a flying 914 that lost it coming over the jump!!

Wild parts flying all over.

BruceG

[wdether]

Ken and a Lotus Elise hit head on, both drivers were transported to the hospital. As bad as it looked, the Lotus may be repairable. Everything forward of the bulkhead would need to be replaced. The car's structure and the roll cage did it's part.

The track cleanup and waiting for the ambulances to return from the hospital caused a pretty lengthy delay and ate into the length of the Pro-IT race. I think the race was between 25 and 30 minutes long.

Before leaving the track, I did hear the other driver was being released from the hospital. I did not hear an update on Ken.

[BruceG]

BTW...Kudos for all in the MOHUD Region for putting on one hell of an event!! A Regional plus and IT PRO imbedded in a National....wow. Just getting all of us in the Regional on the false grid required bending the law of physics. What a great job by all involved(expecially after the deluge on Friday. My hats off to all you folks.

[dickita15]

I was told Kenny was transfered to Springfield (Probably Baystate Medical). I will try to follow up the first of the week.

[CRallo]

Wow! thanks guys! Sounds like I missed a heck of a weekend

no one to blame but myself though...

[vwzx7]

Congrats to S Hawthorne for the overall/ITA win in the regional and ITA win/4th overall in the Pro-IT...Henderson took the overall IT win.

[BruceG]

Dick....I experienced some(seems to me)strange RX7 behavior yesterday during our Regional race. Granted it was only my 2nd race, in a new car with some teething problems and trying to be a clean driver and stay out of other's way when at all possible! Watching the blue flags and giving track room.

I passed under the bridge into the apex in Big Bend, hit my apex with no one on my butt and hit track out to the left at the start of the straight. I was hit in my rear bumper and broke my right tail light by the #6 RX7 that came up behind me. Since the whole point of hitting trackout on the left there is to give faster cars room to pass on the straight, I thought it very odd that someone would hit me there...unless they were trying to push me off the track!! Perhaps that was their intent since I'm not the fastest fish in the barrel but this wasn't a case of no racing room. I couldn't have been any further over to the left and one could drive a Sherman tank past me on the right.

Oh well...Live and learn, I guess.

[StephenB]

WOW what a day :eek:

The $200 regional:
went very well for me as I pushed as hard as I could to get past 10 or so miatas (refered to as piniatas for the rest of this thread ) I wanted desperatly to catch up to the lead ITB car of Rick B. I could see him trying to avoid contact with the piniatas and doing his best to run a clean race. I don't even know if he saw me coming and as I finally caught and passed him entering big bend. We both almost parked in big bend and watch an awesome slide/spin from the ITA RX7 Very cool to watch :eek: . Anyway after I passed him he stayed with me but didn't have enough time to get me back. I think I pulled a 3 wide squeeze lapping 2 cars entering the uphill that he got caught behind putting him a second or so back. I had a great time pushing 11 tenths (except when near a spec piniata then I was 3 tenths trying to avoid contact!) Thanks Rick for pushing me to a near 1:03 timein that blistering heat!

Team DI Pro-IT:
It was some great racing and I had a BLAST racing Ken pushing my limits and his limits as we lifted slightly through the uphill, a lift and tap for west bend and flat in the downhill!! Sadly, for me, about 1/3 in I was hit under the bridge going down the downhill by the #96 Miata Andrezej Brezinski which unfourtunatly ruined my momentum and allowed Ken to pass me going down the straight. Ultimatly this is what allowed ken ahead of me and we are so evenly matched I couldn't get back ahead of him. Again his margin of victory was less than 1 foot at the finish making this the 3rd race in a row that we have finished 1 and 2 with less than 1 second between us! He is know a mere 5 points ahead of me in the championship... Last year it came down to the last race of the championship and I assure you this will be the same this year! The TeamDi Pro-ITB championship is literaly going to be decided by seconds up to the end!

For those that missed it this was a spectator dream race! This race was kinda like going to the amusement park, have you ever riden on the bumper cars? I witnessed conact every lap and I think a car was retired in every turn except the downhill. 10 cars retired in all! yup 25% of the field that started didn't finish!

Stephen Blethen
2008 TeamDI Pro-ITB Champion
www.RSTPerformance.com
www.VHoldR.com The words FIRST HD wearable Camcorder!

[BruceG]

Stephen...Perhaps that was the RX7(#6) that hit my RX7(#10) in the rear coming thru big bend..that would explain it!

[RSTPerformance]

Bruce-

Just as an FYI, the easier place for a lapping car to pass exiting Big Bend is on the left or inside heading into the "left" hander. I always go for that spot unless I see a point by at or around the second apex telling me to go to the right.

If you do get bumped you can almoast always drop a wheel or two off at the exit and keep it together... Just don't turn back onto the track or you might end up in the tire wall on drivers right!

Stephen-

I like the idea of "PRO-SM", otherwise have the miatas run in ITA if it is going to stay as the "PRO-IT" series. Overall though I like the idea of a split start , combined PRO race series with a regional feel. I will post my thoughts on the pro IT sight later

[BruceG]

Thanks for the great info,Stephen!

[BruceG]

My humble apology to Dave , the driver of RX7 #6 yesterday, Very difficult to hit someone during a race when your car craps out during qualifying. I guess the car that wacked me had a 6 as part of the number. I was trying to control my car in Big Bend and see who hit me at the same time.

I've PM'd Dave and told him he has a free pass to wack me in the next race!

Anyway....so sorry,Dave for the mistake. You're a good guy and a good driver!!

[kjh6576]

I would like to appologise to Matt.Baldoni. I was trying very hard to hard to slip by you into west bend and my car became very lose when I pinched the apex. I looked for you after I loaded up but you had already left. Please IM me. Thanks

I wanted to thank Stephen for his indept comentary, but most importiantly for providing more fun that one could ever imagine possible. Its 10/10ths-11/10ths the whole race every race.
PS
Where the heck did all those parts "flying all over the place" come from at the begining of the race. LOL
Ken

[67ITB]

Ken,
Your PM is not turned on or something.

Apology accepted.

I saw you guys coming and was trying to stay out of the way of your race. I appreciate your explanation of the event, I was thinking I left plenty of room for you guys, and couldn't figure out how I still got out in the marbles...... Again, Apology accepted.

I destroyed my car in that same turn 7 years ago and was starting to have flash backs for a second. glad I was able to gather it back up.

Congrats on the win.

Thanks again
Matt

[StephenB]

As we went up the uphill I started to think... Ken is going to catch matt at the entrance to west bend... this will be good! I may be able to time this right and get a run on him. As we approached west bend ken started to make a move to your inside and I thought he wont, na he can't, noway, that will never work, holy shit he is going for it! I guess I will follow him! As he passed you went way wide and I as I followed him and I was passing you got way sideways and I remembered your last accident and thought to myself please no, no please, catch it and by goly you sure did! Great save and thanks for letting us through... we finished about a foot apart! Unfortunatly no video from the race

Video from the Regional:
Here is my pass for the lead and the spin I mentioned above! Great entertainment value!

http://www.vholdr.com/node/38238

Here is some strategic moves as I lap traffic and seperate myself to secure the win!

http://www.vholdr.com/video/200-lrp-...gh-traffic-win

Stephen Blethen
2008 TeamDI Pro-ITB Champion
www.RSTPerformance.com
www.VHoldR.com The words FIRST HD wearable Camcorder!