runoffs updates in FF

[Steve Maxwell]

Is anyone going to report events in FF at the runoffs??

[Tom Valet]

Steve,

Unfortunately I am not able to get out there until Wednesday night, but Bill, Jim and Harry are already there so until I arrive I'll pass along any reports I get from them. More importantly, our resident photographer Dennis cant get out there until Friday night as he has started law school, so no pictures from him until the weekend.

Bill did the test day yesterday, He got two relatively clean sessions and then the combined session at the end of the day was a waste when they grouped all the formula cars plus the sports racers together. Bill made some progress as compared to the 40th and took a second and a half off his previous best time. Jim said Tony C was a tick faster than Bill yesterday but that Tony had put in some faster times in an earlier test day. Jim said the only ones going faster than that so far are Jeremy and Tim, no surprise there.

First qualifying is tomorrow morning just before noon, I'll let you know if I hear anything else.

Take care.

Tom

[Steve Maxwell]

Thanks Tom!

[Tom Valet]

Just got a report from Jim Little and my son Bill. They want to know who wants to join them in a lynch mob to kill the weatherman. When we looked at the 10 day forecast for RA on Sunday, there was nothing but little pictures of the sun with a smiley face for the entire week. Go look at the forecast now...nothing but rain clouds for the entire week.

So the rain started halfway through the FA Q1 session and it was pouring by the time the Fords went on track along with the F5s. Everyone was on full wets. Since the forecast is for rain tomorrow morning and rain again on Thursday, more people than might normally go out in the rain went out, but not everyone. Bill said the visibility and the traffic were horrendous. Hard enough to see when running alone and then worse as you came up on traffic. Blue flags everywhere but few people moving over, with everyone just trying to keep themselves on the track.

Results from Q1:

Treadway.......2:51.7
Valet:............2:53.1
Rubenzer.......2:57.9
Hazelton........3:00.4
Blanc.............3:01.8
Sauce............3:05.0
Kolthoff.........3:07.0
Cooper..........3:07.5
Ruedesuelli....3:13.0
Keller............3:14.1
Mohrfield.......3:14.9
Cunningham..3:17.9
Luxon...........3:22.5

FF is back on track tomorrow morning at 10:10 EST.

Tom

[Steve Maxwell]

Bill is looking strong in the rain. Figures since we raced in it on the 40th. With wets I bet it's much more stable! Wish Bill good luck from me!

Thanks Tom!

SEM

[John Robinson II]

Live result seems to have removed JT, what up wit dat?

John

[Tom Valet]

Got to be a computer glitch John, they are showing my son as leading GT3!!?? Unless the damn kid went a rented a ride without telling me.

[Steve Maxwell]

I'm seeing blank screen!

[John Robinson II]

I saw they had gt-3 as well, just thought it was odd they had removed JT, maybe the post qual impound might have a story...lol

Steve, I was gettin major pissed earlier until I hit the html button, then got results.
Never mind, went and pulled up just FF results and still show same as end of session, just trying to start some crap from 1500 miles away....

[Steve Maxwell]

Ah! Thanks John!

[Tom Valet]

just trying to start some crap from 1500 miles away....

John, you having withdrawals?

[John Robinson II]

not really, but yes

[stonebridge20]

We got out yesterday for two sessions. Session one was to scrub some tires and session two to see where were at with some "changes" on the car. So far so good as the car was quick yesterday afternoon and seems to like thw changes made. We'll see if we can keep it quick for the rest of the week. The download time here on the WiFi makes dial up seem fast. I don't have the paitence to deal with it, so updates from me will probably not happen.

[johnd]

Good job to both Jeremy and Bill. Keep up the good work. The NER is watching.....

Sorry about the weather Tom, but like Maxi Pad says, it looks like Bill is developing his webbed-feet. You must be real proud of that tadpole.



John D.

[Tom Valet]

Just talked with Bill. He is a little frustrated, thought he should have done better, even though he matched his personal best time from Sunday's test day. He said conditions were great but the mix of the FFs and the F5s was just plain terrible. With the speeds of the two classes so close together but with 50+ cars on track and the different braking and cornering abilities of the two classes he said it was very difficult to get a clean lap. Also, for 4-5 laps there were two wreckers at the exit of the kink which held everyone up for quite a while and I'm sure made everyone a bit nervous through there.

From the live timing it looked like Tony C and Lew Cooper made the best of their last laps, both moving up nicely at the end. Bill did his best lap at the end too but it was only good enough for 6th. Personally I think he should be happy with that but what racer doesnt think he couldn't have gone faster!

Q2 results, top ten:

Kautz:........2:22.4
Coello........2:22.5
Treadway....2:22.6
Rubenzer....2:24.3
Cooper.......2:24.8
Valet..........2:25.2
Blanc..........2:25.5
Ruedeseli...2:25.5
Sauce........2:25.6
Benson......2:25.7

Q3 tomorrow late in the day, then FF doesnt get back on the track until Sunday afternoon.

Take care.

Tom

[Wes Allen]

Keep it on the pole Tim!
First three cars separated by two tenths! Cars five thru ten separated by five tenths! Should be a great race!
Wes

[Mike Scanlan]

Way to go JT, now the rest of the country knows what we've had to put up with all year. Anyone have more of the Qual. story?

[Dennis Valet]

Way to go JT, now the rest of the country knows what we've had to put up with all year. Anyone have more of the Qual. story?

I believe JT decided to put an end to the Fit/Kent controversy by installing both engines in his DB-6.



2:20.7 ?!?!? Crazy fast!

[Tom Valet]

Sorry for the late reply guys, we just got back from dinner after a very long day. Most of it spent sitting around twiddling our thumbs, watching the dreary gray skies wondering when the rain would start again, this on a day when they called for bright sunshine. It never did rain, but it does take a toll sitting and waiting all day when it looks like rain was coming at any second.

One thing I will say, the level of competition at the Runoffs is insane. Bill went 1.2 seconds quicker than he has ever gone here, got down to a 2:24 flat, and was lucky to stay in 6th place. Consider Lew Cooper, who went faster than he did yesterday, which was the fastest he has ever gone here, and yet he dropped from 5th place to 9th. Virtually every driver upped his game and set fast times in that last session. Tom Schweitz, FF national champ, went nearly 3 seconds faster than yesterday and still only wound up in 11th.

And then there is Mr. Treadway. As Mike Scanlan alluded to in his post, the Northeast has seen this monster all year long, setting track records every place he goes, but now the rest of the country is getting a taste of what we have seen all year. His pole time was one second faster than the track record. How did he do it? A perfect lap for sure but also a lot of hard work and a plan that worked to perfection. 5 laps on a set of stickers, in for a quick pit stop, then back out on another set of stickers for 5 bonzai laps. He set the record on his last lap as he took the checker.

There were no incidents to speak of all week. Tony C did go in early in today's qualifying, after pulling the engine cover in pit lane, I dont know why and dont want to start any rumors. I have no idea if he had a poblem, but he only did half the session. Other than that, the entire session was clean.

So the only questions on Sunday will be can any of the front runners hold it together for 13 laps? Will the guys on the skinny tires be able to make them last the distance? Most of the guys in Q3 on skiny tires slowed considerably toward the end of the sessions. Can they make the tires last if pushed hard? Will the different braking points for the skinny and wide rear cars cause a massive wreck in turn 1? I think it is going to be a great race, if everyone can keep their heads and get through the first turn clean.

Take care.

Tom