Lime Rock National - August 1 & 2

[Michael Rand]

Sorry to be missing the event, the new track surface, Agnifs beer, etc etc but I have a monster of an F2000 event at Road America that weekend. The entry is 47 right now with the possibility of one or two more. Knocking on that magic 50 mark.....I hate it when work gets in the way of my fun time.....So the NARRC Runoffs in Septemebr will be my sole appearance at LRP in 2008. Damn it.....

[Paul LeCain]

Has there been any reaction to the request to move the FF out of Group 7?

[Phil Wellner]

Has there been any reaction to the request to move the FF out of Group 7?

No answer yet to the email I sent.

[Shep]

Just spoke to Peter Roberts (not Klein) who will be the Steward of the Meet and he agreed with our concern about the current FF spot in group 7. He said he hadn't heard from Jack Hannifan yet, but sees a move to group 3 as prudent. He did also state however that a standalone group for FF was unlikely.

Beyond that, my entry makes for 13 cars in FF, trailing only SRF and SM. Who else is in? Today's the last day to register on-line without the late penalty.

Oh, and Ross, not to worry - I'll be right there in the back of the field with you...

- Erik

Update: Just spoke with Jack Hannifan and he said they were looking to make a decision this evening. Under consideration is the quantity of Atlantics, etc in the group, but with 5 FA's, 5 FC's, 6 SR's, and an FB the car speed differential is not imaginary. I think I see the problem.. Group 2 (T1, T2, DP) has 9 cars total registered... Group 7 is currently the largest at 33. A move of FF's to group 3 would still be 30 cars...

[enjoythetrack]

Sorry to be missing the event, the new track surface, Agnifs beer, etc etc but I have a monster of an F2000 event at Road America that weekend.....

RA, nice! Have a great race Mike and kick some...!!!

FYI Guys: My wife did not tell me until LAST NIGHT after we discussed LRP and, well... was to be a bday present for me as she got us concert tix (front/center/10 rows back) for Costello/The Police. Am blowing that off for LRP but....

If for some reason i blow off LRP due to vast field of the very different speed cars, i'll be thinking of you guys as we hang out backstage to meet the bands (my day job is as a journalist in the audio/music industry and i know the PR guy at the venue).


ERIK: The FA/FC/etc seems really deep (good) but then there appears to be many slower cars on a small/fast track (bad). Please keep us posted if there will be a change in grouping.

[R.DeVoe]

I know that registration opens at 6p.m. on thursday, but does anyone know what time the track opens for load in? And has anyone heard whether or not we will be moved to group 3 or our own group?

[kakarot]

This sucks, I want to go. Yet there is not a lot of cheap hotels around the place.

[enjoythetrack]

Alas, am bailing out of the LRP event due to the concert. Really want to talk with Stewart as he was a big influence in my drumming (which explains the old-school VERY long four set of Tama octobans/dual snares and dual h.hats), as was Peart (my 'full round' dual acoustic/electric setup), Cobham, Gadd, Rich (tried his four stick approach), De Johnette, Roach (his 'song' Mr. H.H. taught me less is more), Bill Bruford (amazing technique, nice guy too), Terry Bozzio (creative/melodic style)....

Have a great race and have fun guys

lrll rlrr lrll rlrr

[EACIII]

Well the complainers win, I just got the notification that FF is moved to group 3. So now I have to change my number, damm, now I am complaining. But on the bright side it will save me money as I was going to get new tires and scub them in on Sat morning, but now that we are group 3 I may not do that. Run the old ones one more cycle.

So who went to the test day today and how was it? What is the new pavement like?

Ed III

[stonebridge20]

Well the complainers win, I just got the notification that FF is moved to group 3. So now I have to change my number, damm, now I am complaining. But on the bright side it will save me money as I was going to get new tires and scub them in on Sat morning, but now that we are group 3 I may not do that. Run the old ones one more cycle.

So who went to the test day today and how was it? What is the new pavement like?

Ed III

Ed, All the usual suspects were there or at least the one's without real jobs! My "reporter" said the track had a ton of mud on it and there seems to now be a drainage problem over in the left hander area? There is ZERO visual refrence for west bend with the changes. The track is very smooth but had strange "changing" grip levals in most corners I think due to the change in camber for most turns. Uphill you still get "air". My "reporter" was in the 54's

Agnif

[FVRacer21]

Wait a minute......

There are 13 FV's, (I believe 1 more has registered off line), 7 F500 and 13 FF (assuming again no off line entries)

So right now you are moving in to a group that will be 33, from a group that was 33.

You are moving back in to a group that you asked to be moved out of.

Edit - sorry you wanted to be moved in to when it was a low entry- but the only reason we have so many FV entries is becuase you were not there - some FV drivers would probably not have entered if they thought FF AND F500 were also in.

Is this like a Twilight Zone episode or what?

Hey, Can we paint a line down the middle of the track? You can have the outside and we will take the inside.

Can we move the F500 into another group?

Seriously, if we all run together, we need to have a driver's meeting

ChrisZ
FV#21

[Mike Scanlan]

Ed, All the usual suspects were there or at least the one's without real jobs! My "reporter" said the track had a ton of mud on it and there seems to now be a drainage problem over in the left hander area? There is ZERO visual refrence for west bend with the changes. The track is very smooth but had strange "changing" grip levals in most corners I think due to the change in camber for most turns. Uphill you still get "air". My "reporter" was in the 54's

Agnif

Most of the above is true, but the track cleaned up as the day wore on and the grip level stabilized. I was impressed with job LRP did and the track is no longer a 1 line track. By the end of the day there were 5 of us in the 54's and 1 hot lap in the high 53's, should make for great racing Sat. And Mike, your reporter said that if you show up without your car, that he'd go get it and race it himself. See you Friday.

[Steve Maxwell]

Hey Ross,
You can basically arrive at LRP when ever you want on Thursday. The afternoon would be better than the AM according to the new management.

[stonebridge20]

Most of the above is true, but the track cleaned up as the day wore on and the grip level stabilized. I was impressed with job LRP did and the track is no longer a 1 line track. By the end of the day there were 5 of us in the 54's and 1 hot lap in the high 53's, should make for great racing Sat. And Mike, your reporter said that if you show up without your car, that he'd go get it and race it himself. See you Friday.

My "reporter" said he wanted to suck my what?

The car is IN the trailer as of an hour ago !

[EACIII]

Well actually moving from a group of 32 to a group of 33 as Bill Goldkind most likely can only drive one car at a time and he has two entered in Group 7. But I am sure there will be some no-shows and some late enterers in both group.

Ed III

[captaineddie1975]

Can we move the F500 into another group?
And just where would you have us move to? Some of us are as fast as the FF
and certainly faster than the FVs usually.

[Roux]

Qualifying results??? Posted anywhere?

[EACIII]

FF Qualfiying

Foster @ 53.248
Treadway
Parsens
Scalon
Valet
Maxwell
etc.........

Race

Foster - set new FF lap record at 52.617, yes that was a 52
Treadway
Parsen
Maxwell
Valet
etc........

Went full 30 laps with no full course yellows, just a few yellows at corners, mostly Big Bend, Light rain last few laps but not enough to effect racing.

Ed III

[Dennis Valet]

Awesome race to watch, glad we got it in before the rain hit! There were great battles all the way through the field which made it a fun race for the fans to enjoy. Hope the guys driving had just as much fun.


Here are some pictures I took




















Here is a link to the full album

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ula/?start=all


and a link to an album with a few GT, Touring and SSB images

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v2...e%20Rock%20GT/



*If you would like a full size version of a particular picture send me a PM and i'll be more than happy to email it to you*

[R.DeVoe]

Perhaps some new wallpapers for your computers gentlemen... Enjoy.

[Phil Wellner]

Dennis and Ross- thanks for posting the pics, it was great to get a couple of my car on track.

[enjoythetrack]

How was the race with FCs and anyone know the results/times? Many thanks.

[Tom Valet]

Dennis, you forgot to post the most important picture:



Art, congrats on the win and the new track record. I guess those new "pink" Hoosiers were working pretty well for you.

PS, Steve, I watched the winged race but couldnt tell you who won FC. I know John Thompson won FA after Bill G was crashed out and Paul Lecain spun (finished 2nd). But with 2 orange Jagermeister cars and with Kevin Boeckle running his Zetec in FA, it was very confusing and I have no idea who won FC. Results should hopefully be up soon on mylaps.

[enjoythetrack]

PS, Steve, I watched the winged race but couldnt tell you who won FC. I know John Thompson won FA after Bill G was crashed out and Paul Lecain spun (finished 2nd). But with 2 orange Jagermeister cars and with Kevin Boeckle running his Zetec in FA, it was very confusing and I have no idea who won FC. Results should hopefully be up soon on mylaps.

Thanks for the update and look fwd any more reports from the field and seeing the times. Truly wanted to go, yet Costello/Police concert was too enticing.

[Dennis Valet]

True, here is a crop of the same picture

[Dennis McCarthy]

Chris Fahan was #1 in FC

[stonebridge20]

Well between being out of the car for 11 months and having Lymes disease start popping up again Saturday morning, I wasn't worth a crap. About an hour after the race I was flat out on my back and stayed that way till yesterday afternoon. If you ever think you MAY have Lymes, GET TO A DOCTOR and get on the meds ASAP. This crap is bad news and can stay with you for the rest of your life! It pops back up when ever it feels like it! Anyway,...Hats off to Art Jr and Art Sr. They were hooked up and the class of the field all weekend. 52:617 in a FF, Dude your freakin sick! Just don't show up with those cheater Hoosier "Reds" or your getting protested for unsportsmen like conduct!
My hats off to the V guys also who all used thier mirrors and gave plenty of wave by's. The 500 guys were a different story. Some really poor driving by more than a few of them. So much so that the FF race finish was altered by one (I won't flame publicly but will confront face to face when we meet next) on the last lap going into the uphill. Art and Jeremy got by the "Stonebridge chicane" with 3 to go. As JT (who was driving with torn cartilage in his chest that put him in the hospital on Sunday) went by I decided to step up a bit and try to hang with him. Somehow I did and scared the crap out of myself a few times. As we came over the uphill at some stupid rate of speed with 2 to go, JT exited the track stage left in a clowd of dust and grass. We were on the same radio frequency as I had no crew with any race knowledge, so I was using info from JT's Dad Harry. As I go by him I here "my fu(king wheel came off". As I go past I'm thinking WTF there's 4 wheels on the car still and he's headed for the trees. I get on the radio as I'm going by and say " Dude,...keep it strait. Keep it strait. KEEP IT STRAIT!" As I get about to the track out of the down hill JT comes on and says "Thanks Mike I was trying to keep it strait but my fu(king STEERING wheel came off and by the way, I'm right behind you". Somehow he steered the car back on track with the wheel in one hand and the other on the shaft, put the wheel on and cought me going into big bend! At this point it's raining enough to get under my tearoffs so I pulled the stack and moved over to let him by (I am his engineer you know) going into bigbend. As we were coming down the strait, I see a red car going pretty slow and figured we were lapping someone. It turned out to be Art. My first thought was that Art was having some kind of major problem with the rate we were catching him. I get on the radio and start yelling "go get him, GO GET HIM" (engineer, remember) As we head down Noname strait the three of us come up on a 500 (in the middle of the track) who is clearly in his own freakin world and oblivious that there's any other race car on track other than himself. Art goes by about half way down the strait and world champion F500 racer chops across the track directly infront of JT and me. We both smoke the tires to keep from train wreaking, grab a gear and get past this guy around the outside of the uphill. I figure Art's gone and the race is over. As we come through westbend, there's Art again going into the downhill and crawling. JT goes through the downhill flat (I know because I was flat and he pulled me somehow ?) and the drag race is on! We come across the line with Art a half car length on JT and me about three or four back. JT gets on the radio and apologizes for "having to lap you" and I reply with "go F yourself". I have to say that the last 3 laps of that race were the most fun and the most frustrating I've had in a very long time. In the 14 years JT and I have been together as a team, that was the first time we had ever been on track together. I hope it's another 14 before we do it again!

Agnif

[Tom Valet]

Results still not up on Mylaps, but here is a scan of the results sheet from the FVee site:

http://pages.cthome.net/czracing/080...20Rock0001.pdf

Mike, I could tell you were looking a little green when we stopped by Friday night for the beers, thanks for hosting anyway even though you were down for the count. I hope you're still planning on coming to Pocono now that you've cleared some of the cobwebs off the car, which looked great BTW with the new paint.

Take care.

Tom

[Garey Guzman]

.... I .... moved over to let him by (I am his engineer you know) going into bigbend.

Great teamwork Heikki, um, Mike!

[stonebridge20]

Tom, Your welcome for the Beer. Billy should have a few more Yea, I was a bit "green" by that point and didn't seem to get any better. I will be at Pocono. I'm trying to put a crew together now. The thought of my Mom doing my sub belts has me a bit freaked and the new wife want to play too much down there, so I need to find someone else ! See you guys down there.

Garey, When I let the #1 "team driver" through, I was being LAPPED! Holy crap, I can't believe I just said that!

[Shep]

MyLap results are up:

http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=340711

If that doesn't work, search for "Evergreen Perf~Driving Impressions"

Hey Ross, when are you going to post the video from your GoPro cam??

[Roux]

Eric, how was the Tatuus? Your times look good for a car that is still in what I would consider early development. And you don't exactly have a lot of other similar cars to get ideas from. So congratulations to you in getting the speed so quickly

Steve

[Shep]

Erik, how was the Tatuus? Your times look good for a car that is still in what I would consider early development. And you don't exactly have a lot of other similar cars to get ideas from. So congratulations to you in getting the speed so quickly

Steve

Hi Steve,

Thanks for noticing! Not too shabby, eh? Especially with non-adjustable shocks, 4 heat-cycle tires, an engine that doesn't want to pull past 6400 revs (I'm beginning to suspect the header), and the absence of a "floor" beneath the engine for aero. I am encouraged! Thankfully, the car is turning out to be what I hoped it could.
It's very easy to work on - everything's accessible, it's comfortable, forgiving to drive, and seems to be very stable in set-up/alignment, just as Purple Frog had remarked in the past. The results don't fully capture the potential of the car - I got too greedy trying to gain ground in the left hander, people slowed before I expected it, and I fell off the outside of the track, eventually spinning and stalling. You can hang the back end out pretty well, but there's not enough steering travel! To add insult to injury, in my frustration to catch back up to the field, two laps later I found myself spinning around at the bottom of the downhill... fortunately without hitting anything hard. I think a little less rake in the car, maybe a change in spring rate ratio front to rear, and a resolution of the power band issue, and I'll be ecstatic.

Steve, are you coming out for the Pocono Double National? A lot of seat time and only a short drive for you! Hope to see you there. - Erik

[TimW]

Nice job Erik. I see you've taken Paul Newman's advice to heart, in order to turn left you must first turn right....

[Shep]

Nice job Erik. I see you've taken Paul Newman's advice to heart, in order to turn left you must first turn right....

Indeed! lol! (good thing there were no cactii (?) on the outskirts...)

I also need to mention that it was great fun to be "racing" in a group again. With that many cars on track there was always someone to measure yourself against. Ed, Ross, Phil, the Mikes - it was good stuff.

Also, kudos to the Vee drivers Everyone was generous with the point-by's, probably to a fault. I can't imagine how frustrated some of them could have been on a momentum track like Lime Rock to break off a chase with a competitor to allow a FF or F5 through. And it must have been hapening constantly. Thanks guys.

[Shep]

Some pictures my GF shot over the weekend. Feel free to take a look at the whole gallery at Photobucket: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v3...Rock_National/
Apologies in advance if the collection tends to be biased toward one driver...

Contact me if you'd be interested in the original higher-quality shot

[racer27]

Great Shots Eric..... I assume this means your running the Taturas FF?

We'll be at NJMP, Thunderbolt config, Oct 24/25, you should join us...

[FVRacer21]

Also, kudos to the Vee drivers Everyone was generous with the point-by's, probably to a fault. I can't imagine how frustrated some of them could have been on a momentum track like Lime Rock to break off a chase with a competitor to allow a FF or F5 through. And it must have been hapening constantly. Thanks guys.

Your welcome and thanks also - I got more thank you waves from FF drivers in one race than in the last few years.

I know we can play together nice, but the feeling from the FV drivers are that we don't want to do this again - at least at Lime Rock (for the record, I hear that NHMS is worse!)

I have posed one video on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCULcRWXRSQ

I have another part that will be up shortly. Here you can get the perspective of speed and how much you loose when you go off line to let someone through.

Don't have an answer except get enough drivers so we each can have our own group.

ChrisZ
Citation FV21

[Phil Wellner]

Your welcome and thanks also - I got more thank you waves from FF drivers in one race than in the last few years.

Chris,

Thanks for pointing that out--it's a courtesy that Skippy schools don't teach (no mixed run groups there, after all), and as a rookie one that I need to learn. So even though I wasn't one of the FF drivers saying thanks on the track, I want to second what Erik said, the point-bys were appreciated...and I tried to pass along the favor to the faster Fords in the group (i.e., all of them).

-Phil

[FVRacer21]

Phil,

When I started in the Skip Barber Race Series in '77, they put the fast guys in with the slow guys, no attempt to even out the groups. So you got trained in waving people by.

Then when I started in FV and we had 30+ car fields, you again learned to wave people by. Open practice at LR on Tuesday was a trip - I got passed by a F1 McLaren one time!

With arm restraints, I am not even sure some drivers can do a good wave by. Plus with air boxes and tall tails, putting your hand up when seeing a waving yellow might not be seen by drivers behind.

Hand signals used to be part of driving instruction, but with F1 and Indy Car with paddle shifters, the idea is NOT to take your hand off the wheel - maybe someone will come up with a turn signal type of device for signaling.

ChrisZ