USF1000 West - Sonoma

[Thomas Copeland]

A reminder to all West Coast Drivers that Race 7 and 8 of the US Formula 1000 Championship West presented by Hoosier Racing Tires, Sunoco Race Fuels, George Dean Racing Engines, Jongbloed Racing Wheels, Hyperco, Geartronics, Taylor Race Engineering, and Neo Sport Camera is coming up next weekend July 5-7 at Sonoma Raceway. This marks the first visit to Sonoma by the F1000 Series.

Current entries include championship leader Lucian Pancea who holds a slim 8 point lead over COTA race winner Jose Gerardo. Laguna Seca Winner Jake Latham returns to the series alongside F1000 front runner JR Osborne. With these four in attendance we should see some top notch racing in this weekend's double header.

Also expect to attend is John Howarth in the Carbir, both who will be making their debut in F1000.

Current points standings: http://www.usf1000.com/Standings.html

Registration for the SCCA Double Rational event is available online at:

https://www.motorsportreg.com/index....8#.UdCxiDvVDIR

[Thomas Copeland]

Some information on schedule for the Sonoma race weekend:

F1000 will have it's own (split) start for both races.

Friday, July 5:

Practice is approximately around 9:00 am
Qualifying 11:30 am
Race 1: 4:35

Sat, July 6:

SCCA Driver Meeting for Group 2 12:30
Qualifying: 1:50-2:15 pm

Sun, Jul 7:

Race 2: 9:10 am

We will try and have a dinner either Friday or Saturday night for all drivers and their crews.

.

[Nicholas Belling]

some teams may want to know their is a Infineon Raceway held test day on monday
Mon. 8:15am-4:00pm this is the day directly after the event.

This may provide testing opportunities for some teams if they need in prep for miller or the championship race in september.

[glenn cooper]

I've run there a few times - pretty cool track!
Have fun and play nice, boys!

[Richard Dziak]

Sonoma Sprints July 5th 1st Qualifying F1000 West Championship Series

Top 2 Qualifying....only 4 entries for F1000

No times for Osborne or Pancea

[Gearslingr]

Richard, anyplace to get live or delayed info for Sonoma?

Doug

[Richard Dziak]

Doug:

You can get live timing for Sonoma, via internet, but must catch the group that you want to see while it happens live or real time. In the case of Sonoma Springs events this weekend, only live timing for scoring is available while the audio portion is down on-line. Live timing does not archive the data, so it's impossible to catch the group results unless you are in front of the computer or mobile device when the event happens.

In addition, it is the San Francisco Region that is running the live timing, not direct from the SCCA website.

Hope this helps.

I will do my best to provide data here on ApexSpeed over the weekend, but will be possibly away from the live timing event when it happens. My interest of course is the F1000 Class Championship Series both East & West.

Best regards,

[Richard Dziak]

Jose Gerardo takes win at Sonoma and first over all for the West F1000 Championship Win.

This was Race #1 of the weekend.

[Gearslingr]

Richard, any idea on where the other guys finished for race 1?

Doug

[Richard Dziak]

Richard, any idea on where the other guys finished for race 1?

Doug

Doug:

I was out for the race, but left my computer on and the results only showed Jose Gerardo with the overall win, beating all classes and drivers. I did not see any other FB in the top 6 of the results, once I went to scroll down on the timing, I lost the data.

For qualifying there was only 2 FB's in the Q. That was Gerardo and Latham, and I am not sure if Osborne and Pancea was even in the race. They were not present in the qualifying heat. Hopefully we get an update from Thomas Copeland or another who knows the results.

I am sure many want to know.

[Gearslingr]

Thanks Richard,
Doug

[Randy Cook]

I arrived at the track just after the start of 1st practice. The FBs of Panea and Osborne were both already at impound with considerable oil on them and fire damage. Pancea's looked worse with burned wiring around the engine. Osborne's had singed bodywork and small bits around the airbox melted.

In talking with J.R., his explanation was that he spun very shortly after leaving the pits and thought it was just cold tires, but noticed flames and exited the vehicle. He then got an extinguisher and put out the flames. At impound he was planning to abandon the race. Pancea was also thinking the weekend was over although offers of help from Kevin Mitz and others may affect these decisions. I hope so.

Sad start to a weekend, for sure.

Why the poor turnout for a USF1000 event? The week long heat wave had broken with temps in the mid 70s, it's perfect race weather.

[JakeL]

My part of the story is some sort of issue with the dry sump in P1 and Q1. Got about 4 laps, but saw crazy oil temps and the engine spewing oil out the overflow. Spent the day swapping the wet sump parts on. Crossing my thumbs that it's ok.

Jose was the only runner, and was within a few tenths of the track record during the race.

JRO went home, after another heartbreaking problem. I'm Hoping his luck turns around soon.

Luci is en route to Portland to pick up Dennis Costin's car to borrow for the weekend. I imagine he and I will battle it out For 2nd to try to learn the track while Jose disappears.

Not F1000, but Farrell had a failure of some kind and pulled off early.

Apparently there was a mid-race caution thrown for a sheep on the track (no kidding!) right at start finish. Apparently the safety car thought it was supposed to go, and pulled out in front of Jose, who had to drop anchor. Several cars behind did not whoa up in time, and it sounds like several cars were heavily damaged as a result. Jose went on to win the race overall quite easily, and was happy as a clam afterward, zooming around paddock on his golf kart

Q2 tomorrow. Hoping the goat rodeo that today turned into does not persist.

Jake

[Gearslingr]

Dang guys.... sounds like a very mixed bag of not so good stuff happening. Hope things turn around for everyone.

Luci, JRO - Sorry to hear about the issues guys...

Jake, Randy.... thanks for the updates guys.



Doug

[Richard Dziak]

Quote from Jake Latham....."Jose went on to win the race overall quite easily, and was happy as a clam afterward, zooming around paddock on his golf kart."

Sounds like Jose.......having some after race fun.

Sorry to hear about the three drivers, and their problems.

Hopefully we will see more FB's on the track, a 1 or 2 car field doesn't make good competitive racing.

[Gearslingr]

Richard, I'm working on getting my car together now... will take a few more months and then I'll do some testing toward the end of this season... Hoping to add one more car to the field for competition next season.

Doug

[Richard Dziak]

Richard, I'm working on getting my car together now... will take a few more months and then I'll do some testing toward the end of this season... Hoping to add one more car to the field for competition next season.

Doug

That's great news.....I envy you for being out there. While I stopped racing after 10 years and about 5 years in FB (F1000) I sure miss being on the track.

However, I continue to be a very strong supporter of the F1000 (FB Class) as I just love these cars. I was one of a very small group running my car back in late 2007, and the class has emerged with some great driver/owners and the constructors have made some nice changes in the cars, especially the aerodynamics.

I am sure that the group of F1000 drivers will make you feel very welcome. I will watch for you on the track.

The F1000 Class owes a lot of thanks to Mike Beauchamp for pulling together the initial F1000 Championship Series and then Thomas Copeland coming on board for the West Series. The class was besieged with lots of problems in 2012 and this year those problems are behind the class and Mike B has been a real catalyst for the class. Of course, you can never forget about the dedication of the owner/drivers who race these incredible race cars.

Doug, you will be one of them I am sure.

[Richard Dziak]

Sonoma Springs WEST F1000 Championship Series.....

3 FB's on the track for Qualifying...

Gerardo
Latham
Pancea.....with a borrowed FB
Osborne is out

Results to follow.

[Richard Dziak]

Sonoma Springs WEST F1000 Championship Series.....Qualifying for Sunday Race

Results.....3 FB's on track today...Osborne is out

See attached......

Pancea 3rd Time: 1:37:548

[Thomas Copeland]

Everyone, sorry about the delay getting info out. It was a long day yesterday compounded by July 4 hangover.

The carnage out here basically started even before the weekend with Vollum out with crash damage and Hickman with a blown motor. Several other drivers that were expected couldn't make it for various other reasons. What could have easily been a 10 car field ended up being 4 cars making it to Sonoma.

As soon as practice started it got even worst as JR suffered an oil fire that put him out. Lucian Pancea also had a serious oil fire as well. His car actually was in worst condition than JR's. Lucian and Wayne drove all night to Medford to pick up Cosin's car and he qualified with that car this morning. Jake Latham qualified yesterday but oil pan issues put him out and he couldn't make the race. He qualified this morning but had an oil hose come loose which shorten his qualifying. He pulled off on the rise to turn 2 with oil smoke coming out. He is now working on the car trying to get it ready for tomorrow's race.

Whew! It's been brutal out here. Got to hand it to the drivers for sticking it out under some very harsh conditions.

[Thomas Copeland]

Richard, thanks for keeping everyone informed on results. I have no Internet at the track and I'm right on the edge of my cell coverage. So it's been a bit difficult to post in a timely manner.

As I left the track I heard that Jake was changing his engine for tomorrow's race. Even though the engine appears ok he lost pressure in turn 11 so as insurance he was changing the engine and sending the other back to get checked out. So hopefully we will have all 3 survivors competing tomorrow. Lucian is running his old car (now Cosin's) that he's won with several times before so he just might be able to make race of it with Jose.

[Richard Dziak]

Richard, thanks for keeping everyone informed on results. I have no Internet at the track and I'm right on the edge of my cell coverage. So it's been a bit difficult to post in a timely manner.

Thanks for the comment. There are so many interested parties for the F1000 Championship Series for 2013, I am glad to help out just a little.

These are all dedicated drivers who love the sport and will go the extra mile to race, even when the expense is so great for some.

[10rmotor]

Apparently there was a mid-race caution thrown for a sheep on the track (no kidding!) right at start finish.
Jake

Only partially true. The sheep was not at S/F, it was at drivers left at the exit of the caroussel.

Sadly the comments about the pace car and resulting pile up are correct.

[Randy Cook]

Any word on who was involved in the pace car related crash(s)?

[10rmotor]

Ed Ozard, Bruce Brown, Rob Schwabel and Randy Hill had incidents as a result of the full course/pace car/sheep situation.

[JakeL]

Another interesting day at the track for us on Saturday.

Got there early and did an installation lap to make sure the dry to wet swap went ok. Everything seemed ok, so into q2 we went

Black flag after 1st lap for unknown reason, didn't ever see what it was for. Had Dad check for any oil or mess in the back, and everything looked good.

Went back out to start to do some laps. 2nd or 3rd lap out, saw an oil pressure light and saw smoke coming into T11. Couldn't make pit in, so I coasted around offline up to the T1 corner station and pulled behind the wall. Oil line came off of the cooler, looks like we never tightened it.

Called George after a look at the data and decided to change the engine as a precaution.

Luci getting sorted with Dennis' car, and Jose remains nothing but smiles, roaming the paddock at maximum velocity in the kart.

Busy weekend! Hoping it ends with some fun this morning.

J

[Richard Dziak]

Sonoma Sprints Race #8 F1000 West Championship Series Results today

Today was Race #8 in the F1000 West Championship Series.

Here are the results.....see attached.

Gerardo gets double weekend Wins.......advances in the points totals (West).
Pancea 2nd
Latham.....out after 5 laps

Organizers of the F1000 West Championship Series will be updating the points standings soon......so stay tuned.

The F1000 West Championship is not over, as a few more races are on the schedule ......dates August 10th & 11th, 2013 at Miller Race Track in Toole, Utah.

It's been a great season for F1000 racing.....but it's not over yet.

It will however be quite interesting when "East meets West" as F1000 racers meet at the SCCA National Championships. Although winners will be crowned for the East and West F1000 Championship Series, now the question remains....

Who will be the SCCA F1000 National Champion?

Disclaimer: Be advised I have no affliation with the F1000 Championship Series, just trying to keep other interested parties informed as many times, we are unaware of racing results.

[Thomas Copeland]

First 5 laps of the race saw nose to tail racing between Jose, Lucian, and Jake with Lucian and Jake swapping positions a couple of times before Lucian began to suffer from fuel pickup. Jake went on and managed to pass Jose for the lead in a great side by side duel coming out of turn 7. Jake was managing to hold off Jose for next lap and a half and maybe could have won but slowed coming down the front straight and parked the car in the same place as in yesterday's practice. Jose went on to win with Lucian limping into second.

[glenn cooper]

Way to go, Bro!

Damn Jake, sounds like we had similar drama on opposite coasts, simultaneously. Creepy...

[JakeL]

Toughest race weekend yet for me. Quick analysis back at the shop showed that the metal spiral that stiffens the coolant line had slid downward to the end of the hose, so when we were tightening down the hose clamp, it was tightening down on that, and not the water pump, allowing it to pop off with sufficient temperature and pressure. Didn't notice in the hurry and fatigue, and the hardship laps weren't enough to expose the issue. Toughie.

Only silver lining of the weekend was 4 fun laps of racing with Jose and Luci, and re-setting the F1000 track record for Sonoma. Car was quick, driver was learning his way around, turns out the mechanic (read: me) let me down.

-Jake

[Beartrax]

Sheep on track + car fires. I see a missed opportunity for lamb kabobs.

[jose gerardo]

Way to go, Bro!

Damn Jake, sounds like we had similar drama on opposite coasts, simultaneously. Creepy...

Looks like we had a lucky weekend at sonoma, nothing broke
And everything worked like a charm , a million thanks to my present
Crew Dave "the cassman" Casswell and Trevor Allen "wrench",
My family who were there And my co-driver (+) who makes it ALL
possible .

Hope to see you soon Giancarlo Coppola , say hi to Ana too.

[jaltaman]

Holy smokes! Looks like I missed a lot of excitement.

By the way, the lamb kabobs comment was funny!

Sorry to have missed it, guys, but work got in the way and I couldn't get out of it. It's the first race I've missed in the series in 3 years.

Hey Jose, congrats to you for a stellar weekend!

Darn, JR, can you ever get a break? So sorry to hear about the fire, bro.

Lucian, you also caught fire? Unreal...what the heck?? Although my hat's off to you for hoofing it all night to get your old ride back and getting the 2nd place finish!

Jake, what a nightmare for you as well, my friend. Glad you at least got in some hot laps, but it would've been nice to keep Jose and Lucian honest through the whole race.

Hopefully Miller will be kinder to everyone next month.

[Richard Dziak]

When will the US F1000 Standings be updated on the website?.....looks like nothing posted for East or West since mid June, 2013.

[JakeL]

Bit more of a story than a pure writeup this time around, since this one was quite literally close to home:

Homecoming

August, 1917.
The world is at war.

With America having declared war on Germany just a few months earlier, following public furor over the sinking of several US merchant ships, the war effort is on.

One infinitesimal part of this effort, on a no-doubt sweltering August Wednesday on Long Island, at the Whitestone Naval Reserve base, a commander drags out his Corona typewriter to draft a letter to the head office in D.C.

A small breeze off of Block Island Sound blows in through the open window, and after settling in to a creaky leather chair, he writes:

August 22nd 1917.
From: Commander, Section Base #7, Third Naval District, Whitestone, Long Island
To: Bureau of Navigation, Washington D.C, US Naval Reserve
Subject: Don Charles Kemerer, Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class, USNRF

Don Charles Kemerer has been on duty from June 16, 1917, to present date… He is, in my opinion, of good officer material, and an excellent gas engine machinist, (theoretic and practical). His work here has shown force of character, intelligence, initiative, and careful performance of duty…He is a skillful and daring automobile driver, and in my opinion, would make a good aviator. I recommend him highly.

W. W. Grier


August, 14th 1985
It is the Turbulent 80’s.

The world is no longer at war, but an arms race of a different kind is afoot. New technologies brought about by the computer revolution are leading to an engineering arms race, and it is a time of excess in the world of motorsport.

At the forefront of this battle the Lola T810, by this point known better as the Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo, is running one of its first few races at Sears Point. The car has had a problematic gestation, and Electramotive owner and founder, one Don Charles Devendorf, climbs into the scorching cockpit, probably not thinking about his skillful and daring grandfather, Don Charles, but more likely, about what is going to go wrong this time with his thousand-horsepower, carbon-fiber tunneled creation.

Like his Grandfather, Don is a man of education, a skillful and daring automobile driver, and the sophisticated machine into which he straps himself reflects his skills as an excellent engineer, though also in part Nissan's works budget, no doubt.

Standing in the transporter, having just gotten the grand tour of “Cousin Donnie’s” operation is his cousin Patty, and her 5 year old son Jake, who bears the surname of Don and Patty’s mutual grandfather.

Don pulls the cockpit door closed behind him, finishes his prep, and is off in a snarling cloud of tire smoke and race gas fumes.

Mechanical problems prevent Don from finishing well that day, but nevertheless, it’s likely that a lasting impression is made on the young boy. Patty, husband Jim, and one young Jacob Kemerer Latham head over the Mayacamas back home to Napa, happy and sunburnt from the day in Sonoma.

Back at the shop after a long day, Don settles into a creaky leather chair, drags out his IBM PC, and begins to draft the next designs for the ZX-Turbo’s development.

July 5th, 2013
The better part of 30 years later, that wide-eyed boy, now a squinty-eyed man, passes through the gates of Sears Point. He, like his great-grandfather and cousin, is now a man of education, but it will yet remain to be seen if history recounts him as a skillful and daring automobile driver, like that Naval Commander wrote of his namesake great-grandfather, almost 100 years ago.

At the track, and all set up, he settles into a creaky fold-up chair, drags out his iPad, and begin to type...

Continued:
http://www.jakelatham.com/f1000/raci...a.shtml#friday

[glenn cooper]

VERY nicely written piece...

[johnspranger]

Great story Jake!

[Thomas Copeland]

We are working on getting the usf1000 site updated today. We have to throw a lasso around our web master first and reel him in, he's been pretty busy last couple of weeks.

PS Jake,great story. Now ya need to write one about crazy racing drivers.

[jose gerardo]

Thanks guys !!!

[Brett Lane]

That is a very cool piece of writing.