2013 One Lap of America - Day 7

Friday May 10th, 2013

This morning started in Beaver Falls, PA at the Holiday Inn Express just off Big Beaver Road.  Like any other morning the day started with controlled chaos - get up, get ready, unplug and stow a million chargers and devices and head to the luxurious OLC Trailer for breakfast.  Breakfast today was the same as it has been every day this week - two Advil, a cliff bar, and a bottle of water.  Nothing but the good stuff.

Suitably fed we stopped for gas (before arriving at the track this time) and made our way to the Pittsburgh International Race Complex (formerly known as BeaveRun) for hat would be our last road course event of the day.  The rain started almost as soon as we started unloading at the track.  Carl and Jon had grabbed a spot in the pits before we had arrived and initially we pulled up and pitted beside them.  Until the rain... and until I saw the garage spaces.

I ran up to the front gate and asked about garage rentals... They had one spot left.  I think I had my money out before the words left his mouth.  Given how close competition in the Vintage Class was this year I am reluctant to give out any really good advice but when you run One Lap the first question you should ask when you arrive at the track is "are there garages available?"

The rains lasted about as long as it took for Mary, Jon, and Carl to walk the track and although brief they left the track a wet sloppy mess.  Neither Mary or I have a ton of wet driving experience and Mary was certainly concerned as she began her mental preparation for the first run of the day.

All too soon cars were on the track and we lined up for our turn on a still damp racing surface.  Mary went out followed by Damon, Jimi, and Jon as our Vintage American run group continued together.  Mary looked a bit slow in places, Damon was fast, as was Jimi but Jon looked amazingly quick in the wet.  It's tough to gauge from the sidelines but there was no doubt in my mind that Jon was top dog this morning.

The results came quickly after a very efficient morning session and they confirmed it... Jon took first, followed by Damon, then Carl and then Mary.  Mary had a couple of small errors - a week without proper sleep, diet, and focus will do that to you - but was confident that she could get it back in the afternoon - as long as the track stayed dry.

With severe thunderstorms in the forecast the One Lap organizers accelerated the schedule a bit to try to get everyone on the road as quickly as possible after lunch.  Mary got a partial track walk in during the brake and returned to the car with more
 confidence and ready to run.  We lined up in the same order as this morning and took the final road course laps of the week.

The results this time looked, and were, much different than the morning.  In fact they were completely opposite!  Mary took first place over Jimi, Damon, and Jon.  Mary's margin of victory over the AMX was less than 3/10ths of a second!

With only one event remaining the Vintage American running order looks like this:

Team OLC - 430 points
The Centerforce AMXess - 340 points
The Honor Flight Camaro - 325 points
The Original One Lap Camaro - 300 points
Team MustangRabbit - 80 points
Glen Dodd's '48 Plymouth Coupe - 55 points

That means that Team OLC has unofficially clinched 1st place but second through fourth are all very much in play tomorrow.

Overall the OneLapCamaro has slipped a spot to 22nd but we're only 5 points out of 21st; 23rd through 25th are nipping at our heals so tomorrow's dry (?) skid pad should be interesting!

400 miles to South Bend...

2013 One Lap of America - Day 6

Thursday May 9th, 2013

Virginia International Raceway (VIR) is a daunting track - or should I say tracks.  It's old, it's fast, and it's just got a lot going on - elevation changes, carousels, roller coasters, and more blind corners an should probably be allowed.  They have run just about every circuit you can imagine on the track - including NACAR (there is actually a turn on the track named NASCAR in recognition of the large number of drivers who did NOT make the turn) - and now it was our turn,

I was handling the driving duties for the day - we were running three configurations, the South Course, the North Course, and the Full Course which ties the North and South Circuits together.  Both the North and the South courses have 5th gear straightaways and both agave some huge elevation changes.  I had only seen the track in video games and felt that I knew the course well enough to get around it but also knew that the OLC was not geared well for the faster straights.  Still I thought we had a good chance to maintain our momentum and finish well.

The day didn't get off to a promising start as soon as I opened the door to my trackside room and realized that I couldn't see the track... it was that foggy... and wet... yuck.  Fortunately it wasn't raining and I was optimistic that it would burn off... or blow over... or something...

Flip flopping from the previous days plans I set off walking the track (or in this case tracks) while Mary prepped the car.  VIR is around 4 miles long so I set off briskly to try to see all three configurations we would be running... which was easier said than done.  It was close but I think I made it with about 10 minutes to spare.  It was an interesting walk... There is always some kind of track prep going on before a session but is was the first time I can recall six guys in three trucks on Goose Poop patrol...

With the track walk done and the car prepared we gridded for our South Course run and  tire to focus on the task at hand.  Our engine problems loomed large mentally - we can't afford a total failure or a safety disqualification so I was concerned about the long sat straights...  A second problem quickly took my focus as we had less fuel in the car than I had hoped... I knew we were low after our transit but thought we had ample left for the first session... We has barely five gallons in the tank.

As I left for my recon lap I was watching my mirrors for smoke and the gas gauge for a hint - would there be enough?  I had it down as hit or miss...

Wen the green dropped I was on point with Carl behind me, followed by Jimi and Damon.  To say that my laps were a hot mess would be an understatement... I just wasn't focused.  Carl was getting closer in my rear view every lap and while I wasn't blowing as much blue smoke as we had the previous day, my speeds on the long straights were about 15 mph slower than they should have been.  As our mascot would say.... Ruh Roh...

Wen we finished I knew that Carl had kicked by butt.  I told Mary so many times during the drive to the North Track staging area,  I told her repeatedly.  I used colourful verbiage to explain my feelings.  I was less than flattering in my self evaluation of driving skills.  It plain sucked and I knew it.  When the results came out they confirmed it... Carl took first, Damon second, Jimi third and we were fourth.... Ugh...  We have a good lead in class but much more of that and it will be gone...

After adding six gallons of trackside hi-test we staged for the North Track where I was... eager for an opportunity to redeem myself.  This time the green flag dropped and I was focused... There was gas in the car and while we may be low on power I was going to drive like everything was fine and hope for the best.  I certainly wasn't perfect but this time I got the job done, finishing first in class and 24th overall.  Carl was a close second (and in 26th overall) followed by Damon and Jimi in the AMX.  I was vindicated but my enthusiasm was quickly tempered when we got back to our garage space - Jimi had gone off track and the front bodywork on the AMX was broken up and packed with mud and grass.

Once again Mary focused on prepping the OLC while Carl, Jon, and I went to work on the AMX.  Fortunately we had about an hour before the next run group which proved ample time to remove the permanently damaged spoiler and splitter, bend the front fender back into shape, and remove about 50 pounds of mud and turf.  The AMX was wounded but would continue to fight!

Out third session was on the Full Course - two high speed straights... not what our engine needed.  After some convincing Carl took point with me in chase followed by Jimi and Damon.  After a lengthy delay following an unfortunate mating between the Speedconcepts gullwing Mercedes SLS (google it then shed a tear) and a tire wall it was our turn.

I think everyone had the most fun on this final run and things just seemed to work where they had to.  I gauged Carl an I to be in almost ahead heat with Jimi and Damon just a bit behind.  When we got to the garage Carl felt the same but mentioned that he was hitting over 145 on the straights... I was notably slower.

When the results came they were good and bad... Carl beat us out, taking first, we were second, Damon took third and Jimi fourth.  I knew it was close - the gap was 1 second between Carl and I - but I was hoping I might have squeaked it out... not to be.  The good news was that Carl finished 22nd overall while we were 24th.  Pretty good for two 40-year old heaps... beating out a Viper ACR and a bunch of modern Supercars.

With the track driving finished for the day we sit in 21st overall with 2655 points... We're five points our of 20th and a finish as high as 17th isn't mathematically impossible (however unlikely).  We're first in Vintage American with a 90 point lead over Jimi and a 105 point lead over third place Carl.

Tonight's transit is 460 miles through Virginia and Pennsylvania... Leaving the track the GPS says we should make the hotel before midnight...  I hope it's right...

2013 One Lap of America - Day 5

Wednesday, May 8th, 2013

After spending the night in Camden, SC it was on to Carolina Motorsports Park (CMP) for what promised to be a busy day.  We had two time trials on the road course followed by a short 150 mile transit to the BMW Performance Center in Greer, SC.  The day started with a low ground fog but it was dry and had mostly lifted by the time we got to the track.

As this is our fourth year running the One Lap of America we are finally picking up and executing on some "tricks of the trade".  CMP has 20 covered garage spaces... first come first served... so before competition even starts for the day there is a race for parking at the track.  It might seem like a little thing but with five days behind us things like shade become a really desirable commodity.

We arrived early enough to secure three spaces in the garage.  No sooner had we pulled in, Mary was on her way to walk the track while I prepped the car and tried to help Jimi out with the AMX.  Prep on the OLC is just about down to a science for us now... 1.  Adjust our RideTech shocks - switching from towing to racing settings (not many people have those two adjustments). 2.  Set tire pressure to 28 pounds.  3.  Empty the car, adjust the seat, and charge the camera.  4.  Visual inspect everything and 5. Clean the windows.

We put an extra step in this morning - inspecting and cleaning up the oil breather vent/catch can.  We continue to belch smoke under deceleration and its starting to take its toll on performance.  With four days to go we're hopeful everything holds together but we'll continue to keep a close watch on things as we head down the stretch.

With the OLC prepped and ready for Mary's opportunity for abuse attentions switched to Jimi's AMX.  After the late night shock swap in Joker Joes parking lot the car was in need of some fine tuning and some difficult (?) decisions.  First up we're the decisions... RideTech was overnighting some better suited replacement shocks (the OLC shocks that we had patched things together with we're longer and stiffer than what had been there) but changing them would take about two hours and would cost Jimi an event.  With the car working OK on the remainder of the transit stage last night it made more sense to try to make these work than to change them out - so ultimately e decision was easy.  After a quick ride height adjustment and disconnecting the rear sway bar Jimi and the AMX were ready for business.

With everyone in reasonable spirits and ready for action we headed to the staging lanes.  As we sat waiting for our opportunity to run the course was red flagged as one of the competitors got out of shape in "the kink" and crashed through the tire wall.  The tires did there job - lessening the impact - and car would continue but with some sheet metal damage.  There was a lengthy delay, however, to repair the wall.

Finally it was time to race and as had become the routine this week, the Vintage cars took to the track together with Mary in the lead.  The first run out the OneLapCamaro ran really well - taking first in class and 24th overall.  Carl was close behind, followed by Jimi and Michael.

The afternoon session was great as well - Mary was on fire posting a first in class and 16th overall finish.  Watching Mary haul butt in to turn one, braking deep in the corner and turning at the last possible minute, nailing the fast line, one of the competitors n beside me remarked "Damn!  That woman has a huge pair..."  Jimi posted second place, Jon driving the HFC was third and Michael posted a close fourth place in class.  The other two cars in Vintage American class had been suffering from some mechanical issues and weren't able to post times.

With CMP finished we quickly loaded up and headed North to BMW.  Just a few miles down the road Mary got a text message - our exit ahead was closed and a quick reroute was in order.  Our routes tend to keep us on interstates - they are faster and with fewer stops - so making changes on the fly often leads to roads that are "less than ideal" (slow with lots of traffic) and this was just such a case. Eventually we got through and back on course and two hours lated pulled in to The BMW Performance Test Center for our final run of the day.

BMW is always organized chaos - it's a tight parking space and everyone is in a hurry to get in, run, and get out as fast as physically possible.  Once again I prepped the car while Mary studies her notes from 2011 hoping to find some much needed time on the slow but technical course.

It was over almost before it began - just over four minutes for three laps - and Mary rounded out a perfect day.  First in class and 20th overall, narrowly besting Carl in the HFC.  Jimi was third and Damon posted a fourth place finish.  Competition for day five was in the books and the OneLapCamaro Team was holding on to first in class and 21st overall.  Jimi in the AMX was solidly in 2nd, Carl's Honor Flight Camaro held 3rd and Michael's Original One Lap Camaro was in 4th.

The transit stage from BMW to Virginia was short - less than 250 miles - but the beautiful weather of South Carolina all too quickly turned to mist... to rain... and finally to dense fog.  None the less we arrived without issue or drama at Virginia International Raceway shortly before eleven and bedded down in our trackside hotel rooms.  We're all tired, and we're all fighting different issues - in addition to our engine problems the transmission is making some decidedly funny sounds every now and then - but we're in the home stretch with six events left!



Pics to follow when Internet allows...

2013 One Lap of America - Day 4

Tuesday May 7, 2013

After last nights long transit from New Orleans this morning came way to early but the overwhelming sense of excitement made up for the exhaustion that everyone was feeling.  Today we were going to drive Daytona International Speedway.

Daytona... one of the fastest, highest banked, well known, and respected race tracks in all the world.  And today we were going to drive it.

The day started with a quick splash of fuel and a very short drive to the track.  Entry to the infield was via a tunnel under approximately turn one.  A quick drive through the tunnel and we were there.  We quickly found a garage space and left to walk the track... a task easier said than done.  The banking on the oval portion of Daytona is as high as 31 degrees... just standing was a challenge.

The track walk was just like many others but the overwhelming sense of... Daytona... was everywhere. On more than one occasion a track has gotten "into my head" and although I wasn't thinking about it at the time, in hindsight Daytona had done just that.  I thought that I had it as figured out as any other new track on the One Lap of America.  I had studied notes... I had watched video... I had driven computer simulations.  I was ready.

Car prep for Daytona was much like any other track - just with a bit more air pressure and a bit more thought as you went through the motions... safety was definitely at the forefront of everyones thoughts. Some cars would be reaching 180 mph this mornings although we figured 155 would be about our max.

Before we knew it the call came and we were on the track.  After a short recon of the flat infield portion of the track I entered the high banks for the first time.  Coming out of turn six there is a brief transition from flat to 31 that, at 60 mph, took barely a heartbeat.  In an instant the OneLapCamaro was almost on it's side and all that was going through my mind was... something I can't repeat in this blog.

It took a minute to regain my composure and start shifting through the gears.  Around the back end of the track at 125 mph, downhshift to 4th through the bus-stop and back to 5th and in to the infield once again, stopping at the infield starting line I awaited the green.

When it came I was hard on the gas and it was business as usual... until I hit the high banks again and then it was that same overwhelming sense of focus and awe.  Hard on the gas, through 120, 130, 140 mph to the bus stop.  Hard on the brakes... and the car is full of smoke.  A quick check of the mirrors through the kink showed nothing so back up the track, 4th gear... 5th gear... 150 mph... 155 mph and hard on the brakes.  More smoke.  Again nothing in the mirror and I'm back to the infield.

Damn!  I'm back on the infield.... go go go!  This is literally a race track inside a racetrack and they are as different as two tracks could be.

The three laps were over almost before they began, every sense was on fire...  it was like nothing that I can describe.  I was never so pleased to have done something.  I was never so happy that something was over.

The good news is that I had done it.  The bad news was that the engine was smoking badly at the end of the straights.  Badly enough that there was a lot of radio conversations about it.  The smoke hadn't been my imagination... the engine was showing it's age and the valvetrain was hinting at it's displeasure with the constant high RPMs and sudden deceleration.  Damn... just when I thought things were going to be ok for the week.

At lunch time I took Mary for a 100 mph parade lap around the track - it was easy and the car didn't smoke as the pace was restrained.  We also got the results... the engine issue was making itself known... we were third in class, three seconds behind Jimi and one second behind Carl.  Damn...

Mary took to the track in the afternoon and the engine issue was on everyone's mind.  To make matters worse one of the Vipers in the run group before Mary spun and hit the tires - more to think about.  After the Vipers spin a Porsche GT3 went off track - delaying the program and adding more mental pressure to Mary.  Finally she was off and I got my first look at the smoke... it was bad.

The good news is that Mary finished first in class - running almost the exact same time as I had in the morning.  Jimi had a shock issue with the AMX that slowed him down and Jon spun in the bus stop and took a DNF, pulling off the track early.  It wasn't pretty but it worked.

With the track behind us it was time to double check everything and head out for a relatively short transit for an early arrival at the hotel.  The OLC's engine issue was strictly internal - at this point we've got what we've got and all we can do is take care of it as best we can.  The Honor Flight Camaro was unmarred following it's spin.  The Centerforce AMX however had broken a shock.  It was still "functioning" but was leaking oil and no longer dampening as intended.  A few frantic calls and the decision was made to press on with a replacement on it's way to tomorrow's hotel.

We got about half way to the hotel when the other shock broke.  After diagnosing the damage in the parking lot of "Joker Joe's" I pulled out the Camaro's spare shocks and offered them up as the best alternative to a bad situation.  They were physically close but different enough... but we had no choice. The swap took about two hours but we we're back on the road and on our way. We were supposed to be at the hotel by 10... we got there at 12:30.

We were wounded but were ready to fight another day...