Brainerd Pro Event

[crowe motorsports]

Who is going to give the FE communty a report on the Brainerd Pro event?

I have never met Scott Rettich, but this guy is the real deal when you can jump between FE and SRF and win both especially against the likes of Bran Schofield in SRF. His consistency is impressive to say the least. It also says a lot for Jay motorsports and their prep of his cars.

Great job guys!

Michael Crowe

[Kilroy Kinloch]

Whew, Good to hear from you Michael. Great event, Great track, Great track owner.

Big congrats to Scott! An impressive effort in two spec classes. Unquestionable talent, silent but deadly effective crew! Simply nice people.

GO LIBBY!!!!! I think he is the first racer to lead a Pro lap other than Scott.

GO JASON!!!!! Lead the second race for a few on the way to the podium.

As for yours truly, I believe I gained more insight into how to drive this car than any other weekend. One simple lesson was that it is easier to steer if the steering wheel is actually attached to the car as you are going through a turn! More on lessons over a pint and a laugh later. Kevin was curious more than once about the state of my lower digestive system. Specifically, the evacuation of said lower intestine at specific points throught the weekend.

Jed, the track owner, has two FE`s, and reduced his laps by 3+secs. Way cool guy. I will be back next year for sure. He runs the place which also has a high level drag strip. Two weeks prior the had a major event, this weekend was a muscle car challenge. It is on their website but from what I remember there were three classes. You had to prove street legal by doing several laps around the big track (3.1 mi.), shut the car down for 5 min. or so, the restart. In drag cars. Cool rules. There were some cars going over 200 mph. Chutes galore.

There were plenty of hotels, restaurants, bars etc. around. The track atmosphere was fun. Lots of spectators. There were all kinds of mechanical creations riding around the property. Lawnmowers pulling trailers with multiple seats, waving flags etc. with ten people on board, other examples that words don't adequately describe. Plan on attending next year. Friendly atmosphere.

The Pro staff was cool as always. Kathy even gave me her sunglasses to get off pit road, as the sun was searing my retinas. Registration, Tech, and accesability of the Pro staff realy reduces the stress often associated with a regular club weekend.

The track itself was loads of fun. For those of you who haven't been there, here are my virgin thoughts. A lap starting at turn 12. This and 13 lead onto a loooong straight.

OK. Approaching 12 your are hitting 110+ and brake to about 40 and turn left. Many of us went straight off here. Some of us, me included, went off there more than once. So, hard left into 12, track out right, shift to third, move track left, slow just a bit to turn right into 13, touch rumble strips at apex, candy stripes on exit, flat foot to 3. Turn 1 is a mild bend where the big track merges with the 2.5 mile course we ran. Turn 2 is a long no lift sweeper. As little steering input as possible. My video G-sensors actually showed a negative reading while I was trying to push the peddle through the floor. Mild but inflential banking. Approaching 3, you are flat out in 5th, 130's, brake late and hard, down to third and gas it. Lots of speed possible on exit if you use all the track and don't slow too much. Borderline shift decision for me going to 4th before turn 4. Turn 4,5,6 are good rythem combinations. Up to 4th approaching the cloverleaf, down to third, hard on brakes, hang the rear out as you approach wide an play with the throttle and steering input as you accelerate out like a fun moment or two on an interstate on-ramp. Up into 4th as you exit the cloverleaf, aim for the Bridgestone sign track right, aim back left and try to hit the cement wall with your left mirror, entering what I have dubbed "PUCKER ALLEY" flat footed in 4th. This is the 9, 10, 11 sequence leading to the major braking for 12. This area is fast and tight. Jed greatly improved the safety of this stretch after purchasing the tracks about 9 years ago. They moved the walls back and put in two kitty litter traps. If you screw up in this section in an FE, there is a strong possibility that your crew and your credit card will be active in getting you back on track. I almost bit the walls in race 1, just an inch more or a panic lift and I would have been toast. It is definitely a flat out section if you have a reasonable line.

I can't wait to return. Like I mentioned after Mosport, it's a lot of fun going to a new track. I am looking forward to Mid-Ohio. Another virgin track for me.

Overall summary, Scott is the most consistent racer in our series so far this year. He is very smooth and hits the right marks most every lap. The Jay Motorsports guys are very fast and are getting better every weekend. The rest of us had moments of perfection, of course.

Mid-Ohio will hopefully have a large field. Early rumours of a big, big field at Atlanta abound.

Anyone who can come, please do. It is so much fun being on the track with just our class. RMS, ONE FORMULA, where are you guys? Hope to get together for some good food and stories in Atlanta.

Possible event sponsor, with money going to multiple non-podium racers. More when I know all facts.

I have some video of what not to do through 9,10,11 aka "PUCKER ALLEY". I'll post here when I learn how to put it on You Tube.

Round Tires and Flat Pedals to ya,

TK

[Northwind]

Here's a link showing a small portion of the "Mechanical Creations" T K is talking about. I have seen this in person in 2009 the first year I ran my car at BIR.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvar4...1&feature=fvwp

The Zoo it is! I remember in the 70's when Road America had a wee bit of this spirit.

[glenn cooper]

Cool - Yankee Rednecks!
Man - They grow 'em pretty XL up thata way, BOTH genders!

[Northwind]

Dat's what keeps em warm from October thru May.

[crowe motorsports]

Obviously these Brainerd fans are innovative to say the least.

[Kilroy Kinloch]

Fun place to go. Jed related hauling off 20 tons of garbage the big race 2 weeks earlier. Huge pallet bonfires and major bottles of Yeager sold (you can buy bottles of you favorite libation or cases of brew on-site at the Wheelie Bar). I think they had around 10k campers that event. Local businesses complained because people camp outside the track entrance for a week or more to get in. Amazing fan support.

Back to the race a bit. My attempt to talk through a lap hopefully will help someone next year. At least 9 people talked me through a lap here. Thanks to John, Jed's #1 wrench turner. Jed took me an a lap to scare the _ _ _ _ out of some geese lounging on the track. I could't help thinking that it might be a little slippery in that section.

Gary ran me around a lap in the classroom. He is one of the main instructors at their school and has also driven an FE there.

I also met a new mate from down under. Tony was helping prep Jed's FE for the weekend and is based there. He came to the states to expand POWERCRUISE. These events in New Zealand and Australia are huge. Hundreds of cars and crowds that would dwarf a normal club weekend. Run what ya brung! Check out the website.


Now back to the race.

R1 Very fast pace lap, Libby blows by the front row and leads 1st lap, I go from 6 to 5 for almost a lap, wide in 13 back in 6th. Jed almost got me last lap.

R2 Nice pace lap, discovered value of steering wheel being attached in Pucker Alley. Down 15secs before taking green, came back to have a chance to regain 6th but unfortunately Jed and Cruz had other ideas. I even hit Cruz in 12 but he still kept racing. I just didn't have anything for them the last 4 laps.


SO, that is what I saw. Matt, Patrick,Jason,Jim,Shaun,Jed,Scott,Patrick and Cruz .... How about your stories?

Matt told me about racing Jason side by side lap after lap. His face was lit up with excitement reliving it. That is why we do it.


Anyone trackside please tell us what you saw. I know the view from the bridge watching 12 and 13 was cool. How many times did we go off there?

TK 6 or more for the weekend.


later TK