| Feb 1st and 2nd, 2003 - California
Speedway, Fontana, California.
This was our season opener and SCCA's inaugural event at California
Speedway. The event put us on about 2/3 of the banked oval,
then onto the infield road course before merging back onto the oval for a
combined distance of 2.8 miles and 21 turns. |
|
| Race Day - Sunday.
It was a beautiful morning with just a light breeze and clear
sky. At 7:30am, the sun was still low on the horizon when the
picture perfect lineup of 42 cars were given the green flag. We arrived full
speed at the end of our oval straight 4 wide into the 90 degrees
left-then-right-hander turn 3 & 4 combination that would take us into the infield road
course.
First I heard the screech, then I saw tire smoke in the mirrors.
Like slow motion, I waited and waited before turning-in as an orange Miata
locked up the wheels, slid past me into the middle of the corner and some other unlucky
driver.
|
Click the following links for WMV video.
Start Race - 1:15
Lo Res - 1MB
Hi Res - 4.7MB
|
|
Having bogged down in the melee and lost several positions within a few
corners, I gathered up my composure to chase down my competitors.
|
Lost Position - 0:36
Lo Res - 0.5MB
Hi Res - 2.3MB |
|
A
lap later, we arrived in top speed at the end of the oval straight once
again. Seeing an opening in the inside line, I pulled out of the
draft and out braked the others into the 90 degrees left-then-right-hander
and gained back 3 positions in the process.
|
On the charge - 0:34
Lo Res - 0.4MB
Hi Res - 2.1MB
|
| This race was going to get more interesting as Andrew Fernandez (2002
SM Class Champion) was battling David Varco just a couple car lengths
ahead. Another lap later, we arrived once again at the end of the
oval straight. I was just a bit too far back to attempt a pass
before the corner but had an excellent line for good exit speed out of the
90 degrees left-right-hander. Andrew probably didn't know I was right behind them so as David moved
to the right, Andrew moved to the right opening up the inside line to the
left hand turn 5. I darted to the inside, braked heavily for turn 5 and gained another 2 spots by the time we entered the turn. Now I
was up to 3rd place.
|
Passing Andrew and David - 0:34
Lo Res - 0.4MB
Hi Res - 2.2MB
|
| Well, that was as high as I could get on that day.
Half a lap
later, a slight wobble on my part, despite a quick recovery was all it took for Andrew to get back
ahead |
My wobble and recovery - 0:30
Lo Res -
0.38MB
Hi Res - 1.9MB |
| A half lap later David managed to sneak in under me on
braking and got his position back. Then he managed to power his way pass. Where did
that horse power come from?! |
David getting his spot back - 0:42
Lo Res - 0.5MB
Hi Res - 2.7MB
|
| But that was not the end of the
story. I wanted my position back and Andrew without his usual #49 car was
not powering away like he used to!
|
Chasing Andrew - 0:30
Lo Res - 0.4MB
Hi Res - 2.0MB |
| Andrew and my car were pretty even as we could not pass each other
unless the other made a mistake. Such was the case when he put 2
wheels off the in field track momentarily. That was all I needed to
close up. But it took a full lap before I could take the position away from him.
|
Setting up to pass Andrew, again - 2:38
Lo Res - 1.9MB
Hi Res - 9.7MB
|
|
But I did not have the horsepower to
pull away. He daftly tucked in behind me on the front straight and
then just at the right moment, sling shot down the apron and took the inside line away from me.
All I could do at that point was to try take the high line to get a better
exit speed at the corner.
|
Andrew sling shot past me - 0:32
Lo Res - 0.4MB
Hi Res - 2.1MB |
|
We were running nose to tail for the remainder of the race, sometime
pulling almost even but had to give way at the corners. And of
course Andrew knew what I was up to so he was brake checking me so I could
not get a jump out of the corners!
|
Looking for ways to pass - 0:49
Lo Res - 0.6MB
Hi Res - 3.1MB |
|
I had
already picked out 3 possible passing opportunities for a last lap pass,
one of which was to draft past, a la Nascar style. But the white
flag was never shown. Later I learned that SCCA would only show a 1
lap board instead of the white flag. Unfortunately, I was looking for
the wrong signal.
I ended up 5th (out of 27 SM starters) and a 4th best lap time so it
was not a bad start for the season. |
Trying different lines - 0:33
Lo Res - 0.4MB
Hi Res - 2.1MB |
