Hoosier FST Round 11 &12 - Mid Ohio

[clint]

Im a F600 driver that was on the track with all of you this weekend. I would like to say thanks to everyone of you for "playing nice" with the F600s even when we slowed you up in the rain. I look forward to running with all of you at the ARRC.

[teamclark]

Well we had a tough season with a lot of mechanicals and a couple of driver bungles (spinning out of the lead at Grattan). So I was hoping to end the season on a good note.

Unfortuantely the weather was not being cooperative, it was one thing or another but never consistent the whole weekend and we proved that weather radar is no substitue for looking up.... to see if its raining.

Saturday race for me was a disaster, I can make also sorts of excuses but I sucked...Bill Bonow on the other hand was in a class of his own in conditions that would have caused many race organisers to throw a FCC.

Sunday qualfying we gambled on the track drying, were the only smuck to put on slicks (my call entirely) and as the rain begain bucketing down when we drove into pit lane could only shake my head and drive quietly back to the paddock.

As has been covered Sunday's race start was exciting, and from my view at the back of the grid chaotic, but I found a path through and emerged in 4th as the safety car hit the track. The restart was much smoother, I was able to get round Matt and Dave and then set off after Bill. With some help from a F600 I caught Bill and we traded spots for a couple of laps before I managed to catch some traffic at the right point and open a gap that held to the end. The track was dry except for the carousel so the wets were a smokin when we finished.

Big thanks to Larry & Penny, Mark Kelly, Doug & Dwight Sontag and Bill Bonow for staring at the clouds all weekend.

And as always thanks to Jim Schings, a 1-2 finish was a great send off for the SR Racing Transporter!!!

Video's to follow....

[Bill Bonow]

Just downloaded my camera from the weekend. Tracy Clark captured a few moments at the series traveling trophy presentation that I thought should be shared.

Here is Brenda Shinn (Randy's wife) accepting the newly renamed Randy Shinn Formula First Cup and presenting it to our 2013 series champion, Doug Seim.

[Bill Bonow]

Sorted this out from the "race results" to get how the grid was set (?) for Sunday's race.

Bonow 2:15.8
Seim 2:16.1
Gordon 2:20.6
Blevins 2:25.5
Nash 2:25.5
Sharp 2:26.3
Farmiga 2:33.5
Clark No Time
Sontag No Time

[jim murphy]

In addition to solid rear axles on F600's, Hoosier made the mistake, IMHO, of choosing the rear rain tire as the only rain tire made for the F5/6's. These have 7.5"+ wide tread, thus just way too wide for a 800/875 pound car. We need somthing like a 5" wide rain tire at the very most. All of the F6's just had a horrible time in the rain. The drivers were all (9) so shell shocked from the first three rain sessions that we all agreed to run on rain tires no matter what the weather was. It sure was exciting to watch the F6's run on rain tires on a mostly dry track. Clint McMahan got down into the 1:36's as the runaway winner of the last race.
We hope that some of the FST's can come on down to the ARRC at Road Atlanta -
test on Thursday, Qualify on Friday and Race on Saturday as the Trans Am series will be there as well. We hope to have a FOUR day race event at the 2014 ARRC.

BTW, look for the rumored unique solution that the BOD may come out with concerning F600's joining the F500 class in a few weeks. It may provide a good
solution for the FST/FV class struggle.

A firm believer in the FST class,
Jim

[csingletary01]

What dates are the ARRC?

[BLS]

ARRC:

http://www.apexspeed.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60448

[Doug FST 5]

Hey Rob! I keep telling Matt, Jamie and Craig that the incident at the start wasn't my fault. For some reason they want video evidence. Perhaps you could help?

Doug FST 5

[teamclark]

Doug

working on it....coming to a screen near you, the tale of a newly crowned champion who zigged when he should have zagged.....

Ok maybe the story line needs work....

[teamclark]

Here ya go, I know most people are interested in the first minute or two, but heres the entire video


https://vimeo.com/77565239

Enjoy...Rob

[jim murphy]

Rob,
I am with the F600 bunch and just saw your video, very good quality. The first F600, #34 "Rent Me", was George Fox, a novice driver, and this was his first time at M-O. the 2nd F600, green, was Fred Edwards, a veteran driver. I am still surprised that the rain tires did not chunk.

Jim

[dblevins]

Thanks for the video, Rob. Seems like I owe Matt Gordon an apology,(and a plaque).Matt , contact me.