GRATTAN EWC OPENER

[Steve B]

With all the attention that the FF40th is attracting, it is easy to forget that the 2009 FF/CFF East vs West Challenge kicks off May 23-24 at Grattan Raceway Park. Our partner region, Western Michigan, has us down for our own race group. Let's return the favor with a big car count.

Grattan, in addition to being insanely fun, is an excellent tune-up for Road America. If your spring and shock package is good through the elevation changes and if your car turns in crisply, you have a good baseline for Road America.

The on-line entry should go "live" next week. Watch this space for more details.

Steve Beeler, de facto EWC commissioner + FF40th co-chairman
Lola T-540 HU44
home: (734)416-8865 sbeeler@wowway.com
office: (313)441-4460 x1141 sbeeler@pmcorp.com

[Steve B]

The entry form the the Grattan EWC weekend can be downloaded from the Western Michigan Region web site: http://www.wmr-scca-org Alternatively, contact Dayle Frame at frameh@msu.edu or (517)889-1117. Dayle will snail mail or e-mail the entry form to you.

See everyone in 33 days!

Steve Beeler, de facto EWC commissioner + FF40th co-chairman
Lola T-540 HU44
home: (734)416-8865 sbeeler@wowway.com
office: (313)441-4460 x1141 sbeeler@pmcorp.com

[Steve B]

Here's the Grattan entry form .pdf, courtesy Dayle Frame from Western Michigan Region.

Steve Beeler, de facto EWC commissioner + FF40th co-chairman
Lola T-540 HU44
home: (734)416-8865 sbeeler@wowway.com
office: (313)441-4460 x1141 sbeeler@pmcorp.com

[Steve B]

Western Michigan Region is not using the DLB on-line registration for the May 23-34 EWC double regional. The entry form .pdf is posted elsewhere in this thread (in the previous post, to be exact). Please download it, fill it out, enter early, and enter often.

Steve Beeler, de facto EWC commissioner + FF40th co-chairman
Lola T-540 HU44
home: (734)416-8865 sbeeler@wowway.com
office: (313)441-4460 x1141 sbeeler@pmcorp.com

[mike g.]

Any idea of the entry list so far?

I think I will be there... pending I can figure out why I am getting 5mpg in the F250 and resolve that.... 6hrs at that will be bad...


-Mike

[Steve B]

Mike:

We are expecting 10 FF/CFF entries so far. There is a separate thread in this forum that has the list. I'm adding to it as the news comes in.

Steve Beeler, de facto EWC commissioner + FF40th co-chairman
Lola T-540 HU44
home: (734)416-8865 sbeeler@wowway.com
office: (313)441-4460 x1141 sbeeler@pmcorp.com

[mike g.]

So I'm sending my registration in this evening...

What is everyone running for gearing?

I found this (actually from the prior owner of my car) -
http://www.apexspeed.com/forums/show...665#post103665

and this
http://www.apexspeed.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11179

I can't really figure out anything definitive here other than Erik's conversion of
18/32
21/31
23/28
25/27

Thoughts?

thanks,

Mike

[JByers]

So I'm sending my registration in this evening...

What is everyone running for gearing?

I found this (actually from the prior owner of my car) -
http://www.apexspeed.com/forums/show...665#post103665

and this
http://www.apexspeed.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11179

I can't really figure out anything definitive here other than Erik's conversion of
18/32
21/31
23/28
25/27

Thoughts?

thanks,
Mike

Mike,
That is where I'm going to start for a 9:31. The only gear I question is if third should be a 23/28 or a 23/29?

Jason

[mike g.]

I'd say that the 23/29 is more in the middle of 2nd and 4th.

I'm actually questioning the 25/27. Seeing as I don't own a 25/27, I'll go with the slightly shorter 24/26 (1.0833 24/26 vs 1.0800 25/27)...

First image is w/ 23/28, second is with 23/29 (look @ yellow line).

[Steve B]

Here are the gears that I have been using (with limited success) with a 9:31 R&P at Grattan:

19:32, 22;30, 24;28, and 25:26

Don't bother to ask what I have been using at Road America...I lost my notes.

Steve Beeler, de facto EWC commissioner + FF40th co-chairman
Lola T-540 HU44
home: (734)416-8865 sbeeler@wowway.com
office: (313)441-4460 x1141 sbeeler@pmcorp.com

[JByers]

This past weekend was my first outting with the EWC group and the experience was beyond my expectations. The racing was the best wheel to wheel dicing that I have experienced in a long time. And the varity of cars, Crossle, Hawk, Lola, Royal, Tiga, Van Diemen Vector & Zink all made it feel like a real prelude to the 40th. Then there was the commerodity that Steve has rooted amoung the regulars. The gathering after Saturdays race was a great way to become aquainted with the other competitors and the prizes were all directed around lowering the overall cost of our hobby. The weather cooperated and besides Dave's big shunt it was a near perfect weekend overall.

The Racing:
For starters there had to be close to 30 lead changes between the three races, each exchange for the lead was clean and each lap was driven like a qualifying lap. There was no pulling away due to how these cars draft, I saw up to a 5mph increase in speed when i got a properly timed tow on a straight that only required a 25/27 top gear. The tires were great, consistant and durable and not to much grip which makes these cars even more fun to drive.

At the end of the weekend it was not the winning but the overall experience the EWC offered that made for a lasting memory. See you all at the 40th.

Jason Byers

[PK]

I have to agree that it was some really fun racing. I was off the pace a bit on Saturday while Dave and Jason played out in front, but Sunday my fast time was 2 seconds quicker than I had ever run there before. Jason really pushed me and Dave to step up our game. Going into turn one three wide did give me a bit of a "this could get interesting" thought, but the only time any of the cars touched was when Dave pushed me down the straight.

I'm really looking to the 40th!

Phil Kingham

[Allen_W]

It's really great to hear that Dave is doing ok after a very big accident.

The weekend was great, with 11 cars overall. Three CFF drivers definitely gave me a set of lessons in how to drive fast at a challenging track. As a result, I was 1.5 seconds faster than ever before--even as Byers, Harmison, and Kingham pulled away from me session after session. Somehow I managed overall pole on Saturday, which was a stupid strategy as I got my comeuppance right at the start of the Saturday race when Dave and Jason made a sandwich of me and took off up the hill at 1. It was great, however, to be moving faster than in previous years and almost keeping up and this year to be close enough to watch the dicing at the very front, which was very interesting.

Those racers from the Illinois-Wisconsin side of the lake who avoid the tow to Grattan are missing out on great racing, getting a chance to run with some very accomplished drivers, a wonderful track, and really terrific company.

[JByers]

My laps are now posted

http://mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=423037

http://mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=423028

[Dave Harmison]

My car was carrying Phil's GoPro camera when I had the shunt. It was mounted on the roll bar looking backwards. The giant construction tire I hit was full of gravel and about as hard as a bridge abuttment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e1Ei8cD-_Y