FormulaF - Runoffs 2015

[BWC54]

2:04.09

By Benson DB3 Ford

[Garey Guzman]

Last year
:-)

[reidhazelton]

So when do we star the Honda/Ford bitching?

[Steve Bamford]

So when do we star the Honda/Ford bitching?

No way a Ford will win. No chance. Does that help Reid?

[reidhazelton]

No way a Ford will win. No chance. Does that help Reid?

Hah! I was feeling uncomfortable at the lack of Honda/Ford fervor. Thanks for giving me back my blankie.

[Garey Guzman]

No way a Ford will win. No chance. Does that help Reid?

Steve,
You're wrong 5 ways to Sunday! You must be getting Honda dollars to believe madness like that!

(Anything to help Reid)

[Steve Bamford]

Steve,
You're wrong 5 ways to Sunday! You must be getting Honda dollars to believe madness like that!

(Anything to help Reid)

Ha ha...everyone was saying the Ford would be the motor to beat at Daytona...without hearing any Ford times this year I will proclaim the Honda's will be top three & likely better. We have to have some fun coming up predictions.

[bobmelvin]

Check this out...

http://www.daytonainternationalspeed.../Web-Cams.aspx

correction---BS---not a live cam!

Bob

[Raceworks]

Ha ha...everyone was saying the Ford would be the motor to beat at Daytona...without hearing any Ford times this year I will proclaim the Honda's will be top three & likely better. We have to have some fun coming up predictions.

Benson's been faster than than a 2:04: he did a 2:03.848 in the regional race last year in qualifying. He was so fast he blew the bodywork off the car in the Saturday race.

Robinson's got about as strong a motor.

It'll be interesting to see if the better aero on the Citation & Piper offset the horsepower advantage of those two Fords.

On outright speed I figure it's:

1. Benson
2. Robinson
3. Kautz
4. Grenier

It's going to come down to reliability, consistency, and who figures out the draft better.

[rick payne_75]

I got Tim at a 204.02 in session 2. Session 3 he put on the radials and did 205.53. Mallinen pulled off mid session in turn 3. Valet and Allen were out today. They were on radials. I didn't time them. But in session 3 Tim caught Valet and passed him. Valet then stayed with him for the rest of the session.

[alangbaker]

Check this out...

http://www.daytonainternationalspeed.../Web-Cams.aspx

correction---BS---not a live cam!

It looks live right now, Bob.

[Tom Valet]

Got a brief report from Bill. Had a high speed miss in the morning, got it fixed in the afternoon, so they worked mostly on handling.

BTW that is our car, but we switched it back to Ford. EJ I have no idea how you figured that out just from that photo! The switch meant we couldn't use our own bodywork, so Joe Parsons and Glenn Cordova were kind enough to lend us the body work from Joe's Swift.

There's a lot more going on but with the gag order in effect that's all I can say! Drivers Services has a done a ton of work on our car and Wes Allen's, but none of us have been to Daytona before so we are on the same learning curve as lots of others.

Best of luck to everyone. Be safe.

[Mike Scanlan]

Thanks again Rick for the updates, keep em coming. As for the engine deal, I might regret this but here's my 2 cents. BamBam might be right, but Steve might be coming from a slightly biased view since we run regularly in the F1600 series against some of the best Honda engines on a weekly basis. I've never been to Daytona but the smart money is and should be on the Kent. However, I have to wonder if the Developement on the Kent hasn't waned just a bit from the pre Honda glory days. While no crazy updates are allowed on the Honda things have been learned and if you've allowed your bottom end to really break in the last 4-5 years and you've kept up on the head maintenance you Might just have a Runoff motor. Also, the perception that a Honda might lack a little up top has put a lot of focus on aero the past few years. Any doubts, take a close look at Jeremy's Citation. I know my old DB6 which finished 2nd last year in Ca. became a lot more slippery after some proper testing. Now, if there's a Kent out there that's really focused on the aero side........hmmm.

[Tom Valet]

Mike, the gag order applies to you too, LOL!

Of course, all the work done to any of these cars means nothing until they hit the track next week. Then we will find out who got the combination of engine, tires, handling and aero right. What's cool about this race is that it is so different from any other Runoffs for a very long time.

[Steve Bamford]

Thanks for the updates everyone. It makes it fun for us to watch here on Apexspeed and will make the race even more interesting if you keep us outsiders in the loop.

Oh btw, I would love to see a Kent win, I simply don't think it will happen.

[Mike Scanlan]

Tom
I ran that post by my lawyer, no violation of any gag order. Oh wait, no one put me under a gag order........he just kept out of the loop. Good luck next week.

[Tom Valet]

That's better Mike, keep pretending like you know nothing, it's safer that way!

[AGMelv]

Thanks for the updates everyone. It makes it fun for us to watch here on Apexspeed and will make the race even more interesting if you keep us outsiders in the loop.

Oh btw, I would love to see a Kent win, I simply don't think it will happen.

Steve - many more Kents rolled in this evening to get out there tomorrow. I'll be the last one to be surprised by falling times on both sides

[Purple Frog]

Have not seen so many Swifts since the FF40TH.
Valet said that if you are three car lengths behind some of these super clean cars, this is no draft.

No joke. Jim Morgan is registered with his DB6. He has already spent more money on the runoffs than most, even though he has never entered. So now it's his turn. Rumor is James Lee told him he had to buy new tires for this event.

Some of the grass paddock spots are a bit wet.
Most teams seem to be on pavement or garages.

[Garey Guzman]

Please take a picture of Morgan when he puts on the new tires. I'm skeptical.....

[flagman]

keep um coming.
love to hear anything and everything

[BURKY]

Please take a picture of Morgan when he puts on the new tires. I'm skeptical.....

They're a special set... don't tell anyone!

[andyllc]

.

[Purple Frog]

Kautz not going out today. He's watching Benson from the infield stands.
RAIN circled all day, but not on track.

[Art Smith]

is there, will there be trap speed(s) at Daytona analogous to those used at Road America ??

Art
artesmith@earthlink.net

[Garey Guzman]

They're a special set... don't tell anyone!

But that doesn't look like his car.....

I'm still skeptical

[Brandon Dixon]

Caption contest?
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1442776924.943665.jpg

[reidhazelton]

Caption contest?
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1442776924.943665.jpg

"I'll just put the JATO pack right here. That should make up for the fat rear tires."

[BURKY]

Caption contest?
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1442776924.943665.jpg

It's pretty bad when you need a fire marshall present to change gears.

[Purple Frog]

News flash. If you look at the Morgan photo...there are sticker tires on his car!

But, more shocking news. Chinky has to put ballast in the car to make weight. Jim's wednesday night zumba classes are paying off.

[R. Pare]

So where are practice and qualifying results being posted?

[Stan Clayton]

So where are practice and qualifying results being posted?

Same place they always are...crew chief's hip pocket.

[reidhazelton]

So what's the testing update?

Bets on how the week turns out?

Those doing the Runoffs vicariously would love to know.

[Steve Bamford]

Race Monitor will be up as of tomorrow so at least when Q1 starts we will know times at least. Hopefully we can get updates here on Apexspeed.

[Purple Frog]

JR2 is hanging out in the garages singing the Queen song, "Fat bottom girls make the world go round" , as he bolts big wide tires on the back of his Kent/Swift.

so, not all have bought into the skinny rear tire program.

[Purple Frog]

.

[problemchild]

The infield and bus stop are 49% of the lap by time. If you cannot get through the slow corners well then the top end won't matter.

[Dennis Valet]

From Race Monitor at the conclusion of Q1:

1) Kautz: 2:03.449
2) Mallinen: 2:03.839
3) Hendrickson: 2:03.999
4) Payne: 2:04.089
5) Robinson: 2:04.093
6) Grenier: 2:04.209
7) Melvin: 2:04.246
8) Generotti: 2:04.312
9) Benson: 2:04.452
10) Valet: 2:04.866

And for those curious: fastest F5 was Calvin Stewart with a 2:02.845. Next closest was 2:04.391

[flagman]

image.jpg

[Bruce Hazelton]

Way to go rookie Andy Melvin 7th quick!!!!!!!