Phoenix gets win at Seattle

[Wright D]

We had some stiff competition this weekend, but in the end finished ahead.
Our dash registered our best time of the weekend at a 1:19.05, but I think our best official time in qualifying was a 1:19.6 in the first qualifying session of the weekend, and the only time we ran sticker tires the whole weekend.

All of the motorcycle powered cars had problems with sound this weekend, including us. We got the car well bellow the sound limit for the morning qualifying session before the first race, so we were shocked to find out that we got called in during the first race for sound during the first race. We started the race on pole, and had a win in the bag, talk about heart breaker. They showed Mark the flag during a yellow which worked to our advantage, unfortunately Mark came in into the pits just as the race went green. I was able to put a turn out on the end of the tail pipe in pretty quick, like under 30 seconds, so we got back out on the lead lap. Mark was able to push hard and got back a lot of time, but there just weren’t enough laps left to get back up to the front. Needless to say I felt robbed of a race win.

We attacked the second racing day with a new set up; stiffer springs, lower car, and more down force. Mark really liked the changes we made to the car, and we were the fastest car in qualifying, so we were looking forward to the race. Mark heard the motor start to make a funny noise as he drove the car to impound. Turns out we had broken a valve keeper and bent an intake valve. With the expert help of George Dean we pulled a valve out of our spare motor, pulled the head off the motor in the car, and replaced the bent valve. Fortunately I had the foresight to design a chassis that allows for easy access to every nut, bolt, and cover on the motor, so pulling the head to change the valve was actually pretty easy.

The final race of the weekend was exciting, watching two fast F1000’s from two different manufactures tearing up the track. Mark was faster down the front straight, even with all the additional down force that we had dialed into the car. We hit 142 down the front straight giving Mark the advantage in a key passing area on the track. Mark got passed on the first lap getting on the front straight, but he was able to get the position right back entering turn 1. Mark tucked into the draft, popped out just before the braking zone, braking hard and late, Mark shot buy to regain the lead. Mark and the Phoenix were in charge the rest of the race and brought home the F1K.09’s first national raced win.

We will try to get some video/pics up after we get back to Phoenix AZ.

Thanks to EVERYONE on the Phoenix Race Works team. Thanks George Dean, Thanks John Hill, and Congratulations Mark.
Off to the June Sprints. Hope to see you all there!

[Mike Devins]

Congratulations Dustin and Mark!

[mjaremko]

Thanks Mike,

mj

[Richard Dziak]

Great job Dustin, Team Phoenix, and MJ

This win was well deserved and proves the potential of the Phoenix F1000 racing machines with a top notch driver.

There is no doubt Phoenix has to be the favorite at the June Sprints.

I am rooting for a Triple Crown finish...Team Phoenix...& .....MJ at the wheel.

[mjaremko]

The Phoenix Race Works crew did another outstanding job at Seattle's Pacific Raceway. Dustin, Stefon, John and of course George Dean made our first National win possible. We had five F1000 entries at the start of the weekend, not all of us made it to the end, Seattles brutally fast and bumpy track made us all pay.

Saturday...
Qual#1: This was our first trip out on new tires and unfortunately our last as Goodyear sold out of tires before I could buy a second set, Seattle's track surface is very tough on tires, espiecially when its warm. This session was in the heat of the late afternoon and although it was around 75 degree's it went well, there was heavy traffic but we still managed to put the Phoenix on the overall pole with a 1:20.1 which was faster than the race lap record, we knew we were on the right track.

Sunday...
Qaul#2: This was an early session with the temp around 50 degrees so we knew this would be the session to really lay a good lap down. It took a few extra laps to get everything warm enough to get going, just about the time the car was ready and the track was clear the header came loose from the collector so I had to come in. We got down to 1:19.646 which again was good for overall pole.

Race#1 This was a real heartbreaker. It was early afternoon and the weather was perfect. We got the green flag and I lead into turn one, Kyle got by the FA of James Blackwell and the race was on. I managed to pull out about a four second lead on Kyle and was going to try and manage that and conserve my tires for the rest of the weekend, five or so laps went by and then a full course caution for a FC that blew an engine heading down the hill into three. We did a lap or so behind the pace car and then out came the black flag, and they were pointing it at me. So into the pits I come, they said I was over on sound, funny, it was 101 in the early morning Qauly but now its 107 in the heat of the day. Dustin makes a quick adjustment and back out I go. A few laps later there is another full course yellow for Dave Palmers Stohr which lost control in the very bumpy turn nine and hit the outside wall. Dave was O.k but the clean up took some time and the race finished under caution. We ended up third behind Larry Vollum and the Winner Rod Rice, Kyle had a mechanical and did not finish.

Monday...
Qaul#3: We made some spring and shock changes for this session and it helped the car over the bumpy track, so well that our corner exit speed onto the main straight increased dramatically, so much in fact that the car was getting into the rev limiter in 6th gear with about a 100 yards of straight to go. Even with the old tires the car was performing well and agian we managed another overall pole. The downside was that the seven laps I did against the limiter down the straight damaged the engine. When I came in to make a bar change the engine was running on three cylinders. We got the car back to the pit and George Dean removed the throttle bodies to find a bent valve in one of the cylinders. George removed the head on the 2008 GSXR that is in our car, disassembled the head on our spare 2005 engine, took a valve out of the 2005 and put it in the 2008. Two hours later the 08 was running!!!!! George, your the man Dude

Race#2: This was one of the weirdest races ever for me. It started smoothly, I got out front again and Kyle got by the Atlantic and we both got down to turn two with Kyle pasted to my exhaust, I knew I was in a bit of trouble as my tires seemed a bit burnt by now and Kyle was on me, we went railing down the hill into turn three and as I grabbed the steering wheel with my left hand and downshifted with my right I wasnt in control of the car. As I tried to figure what was up I noticed the left arm of the steering wheel had cracked and broken off !! Coming out of 3b Kyle gets past and I'm trying to follow him and make the decision to chase or head to the pits....... So I grabbed the bottom of the wheel with my left hand and went after him, by the time we were completring the first lap we were nose to tail down the front straight and I was drafting back past Kyle, the whole time wondering to myself, what in the hell am I going to do now? Old tires and half a steering wheel. Kyle was chasing hard and right on my tail in the corners, but could not draft past me down the long Seattle front straight, this went on for about 8-9 laps until a full course caution came out for yet another victim of Seattles fast and bumpy turn nine. Unfortunatly it was Bob Fox, he was O.k but Squirt looked a little squashed in the front. During the pace laps I thought about how I could go faster with my current setup and when the green flew again I was able to keep a better pace, our battle resumed for a few more laps then Kyle slowed with a mechanical issue, I slowed down and cruised to our first National win !!

A huge thank you To Dustin and Stefon at Phoenix Race Works, John Hill and George Dean, Goodyear Tires and WRD, you guys Rock.

mj

[glenn cooper]

Man, I don't know if I can; broken steering wheel... Whew.
Good on you guys, quite the results.
Anybody got vid or pics?
June Sprints FB race is indeed shaping up to be HUGE!!!!!
GC

[RR98ITR]

Hi you guys,

Congrat's on your first National win Mark and Phoenix.

Something in the posts in this thread got me wondering...you've noted the Seattle roughness, and especially T9 (I'm thinking of the rollers on the exit)...and yet you stiffened the car (lowering and increasing downforce) and it was faster. Was it better speedwise but also that much more punishing? I'm always wondering about the boundaries on stiffness.

Scott Rinde
Portland, OR

[kjpiehow8395]

Congratulations to Mark (Jo Jo) and Phoenix. I got the opportunity to spend time with all of these guys and really respect them as a race team. Hope you guys are strong in Elkhart.

-Kyle

[rickb99]

GREAT race, Mark and fine win! Did not know you were dealing with a broken streering wheel. That sure made it more of a challenge at any track let alone Pacific! Had to add to the 'hairy factor' from 5 to 6 also.

Looking forward to the Sprints reports.

DAMN it! I was afraid that was Bob Fox but didn't mention a name because I hadn't confirmed it. He has been a 'loyal tow up' from Cal every year since Pacific started up again. Hope the Squirt is repairable

[mjaremko]

Shut up Kyle !!

[mjaremko]

Scott,
The rollers on the exit of nine and entrance to five are a real challenge to tune for. A car that is too softly sprung or damped tends to not be able to keep up with all the track is throwing at it, so stiffer was better for us. We have not had much time to develope our chassis as we have been dealing with other new car issues.

Richard,
Thanks for the kind words, they are great cars !!

Kyle,
Thanks again for all your help and support at Portland.


mj

[marshall9]

Scott,



mj

Thanks for the report MJ. Neat.

[Mike B]

Any results on Mylaps yet?

[mjaremko]

Mike,
There is nothing up on Northwest Regions website either. I could fax the results to you if you want.

mj

[Mike B]

Don't have a fax but if you could scan and e-mail both days, I'd greatly appreciate it!

[mjaremko]

Here are the F1000 results from both days:

Race One:
---------------------------------------------------

#1 Rod Rice / Stohr / 16 laps
#2 Larry Vollum / Stohr / 16 laps
#3 Mark Jaremko / Phoenix / 16 laps
#4 Dave Palmer / Stohr / 14 laps / accident
#5 Kyle Oberndorf / Stohr / 14 laps / DNF



Race Two
---------------------------------------------------

#1 Mark Jaremko / Phoenix / 20 laps
#2 Larry Vollum / Stohr / 20 laps
#3 Rod Rice / Stohr / 20 laps
#4 Kyle Oberndorf / Stohr / 17 laps



mj

[Mike B]

That works.

Points are now updated: www.formula1000.com

It's a shame that of the 5 drivers at Seattle, Mark was the only one registered for the F1000 Championship. You guys are making it too easy for him!