NAARC Runoffs 20/21-Sep-13

[nhJohn]

Friday AM Qualifier
Dan Grace Jr. 1:01.4
Eugene Grimes 1:02.0
Nicholas Galuardi 1:02.1
Dan Grace 1:03.1
John Ferreira 1:04.4
Christopher Zarzycki 1:05.8
Thomas Galuardi 1:08.0
Thomas Pape 1:11.7

Mostly everyone staying clear of the cars in the other classes and feeling out their machines. Thomas had a bad miss, which unfortunately would be a problem all week.
Dan, Eugene and Nick were moving quite well. Dan Sr. was biding his time also, and I was happy that the motor felt like it did at the beginning of the season. Chris was shaking down his car and he had some funny tires
he was trying.

Friday PM Qualifier Sprint 1
(By best time)

Dan Grace Jr. 1:01.5
Nicholas Galuardi 1:02.3
Eugene Grimes 1:02.5
Dan Grace 1:02.7
John Ferreira 1:04.7
Christopher Zarzycki 1:05.8
Thomas Galuardi 1:08.6
Thomas Pape dnf 1:11.2

Same for this run. Nick went 2nd fastest, Dan Sr. was back up to speed and Chris got quicker. I made a jet change. Tom still had the gremlin.

Saturday AM Sprint 2
Nicholas Galuardi 01:02.5
John Ferreira 01:03.5
Christopher Zarzycki 01:04.8
Thomas Galuardi 01:07.1
Thomas Pape 01:07.2
Eugene Grimes dnf 01:07.1
Dan Grace Jr. dns
Dan Grace dns

Dan & Dan skipped this session. Chris and I both went faster. Tom was handling good, but his motor decided to rest when it felt like it. And Eugene tested the theory that a car with 3 wheels has less drag than a car with 4. Pretty exciting.

Race
Dan Grace Jr. 1:01.1
Eugene Grimes 1:01.7
John Ferreira 1:02.7
Dan Grace 1:02.1
Nicholas Galuardi 1:02.1
Christopher Zarzycki 1:03.9
Thomas Galuardi 1:06.9
Thomas Pape dnf 1:50.2

The start was pretty intense. Amazing when you have the FV guys getting by the F500 and FF guys. It was so intense with me, Eugene and Dan Sr. and the other class guys in between us, that all I saw was Dan Jr, Eugene and Nick having their own crowded time and getting away.
Chris was all over me (with real tires now) but unfortunately had a tire going down. Dan Sr. finally cleared traffic and I could see him coming. Funny to say, but him passing me was a good thing. A couple of laps behind him is like a full day of driving school with your own personal instructor.
Dan Jr. slowly checked out leaving Nick and Eugene to have quite the battle. With 1 to go, Nick pressed it a bit too hard and came around right at the bottom of the hill. Could not believe my eyes as I have never seen Nick spin. Last lap, last corner of the season....
Dan Sr. and I were having a go at it. I knew if I passed Dan by drafting down the straight I was about 1/2 a car length short of beating him to the finish line, and, he would do the same AND BEAT ME to the finish on the next lap. With 2 to go Turn 7 downhill, Dan looses it, catches it - 2 X's!! I go by, and of course with 1 to go, he goes by me down the straight. I got by Dan going into turn 3, and then it got tight. Had to go with a FF through Turn 5 uphill, and I could see Dan in my mirror, and then again another FF in West Bend, and I could see Dan in my mirror, and onto the finish. I feel bad that those FF's got in between Dan and I (well, not too bad) as I think he may have had me at the finish. Great Race Dan!!!

Thank you to NARRC and all their volunteers for a great series.

John F.

[FVRacer21]

John did a great job all weekend and deserved his 3rd place.

On Friday while getting acclimated to my car I tested some American Racer tires. Now I should have talked to Gene and Nick first - as they both were running rear tires all the way around - might just be the hot ticket for regional racing. The funny thing was the AR (known for leaking) never lost a lb all weekend, while one of the takeoff Hoosiers, which I had mounted by the Hoosier guy. lost pressure on the track, but not in the paddock. I had it on the LF for the Sat morning qualifying race and then put it on the RF for the finale. Figured that if it leaked, understeer in one turn was better than understeer in 6 turns. Still trying to figure it out, but that tire might not have liked a safety beadless rim. Besides that the tires were fine.

Some other notes - Thanks to the Jim, the Nissan ITS guy who helped me with my belts - (note to self, always try on belts with full suit and HANS before going to the track!)

Thanks to the SR guy who untangled my carpet from the car - boy are those ARs sticky!

Thanks to Dave Lapham and the NYR who came up with the qualifying races - oops I mean qualifying sprints, and we had more track time that usual at the NARRCOFFS.

The Hoosier guy who mush have changed hundreds of tires by himself this weekend.

The Cub and Boy Scouts who took away most of our old tires.

All the corner workers who probably would have wanted to be at RA

And no thanks to the weathermen who predicted perfect weather for Saturday - Although in their defense, the only place I think it rained in all of CT was Lime Rock......

ChrisZ