It never rains in California? - Cal Club R-N-R

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PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 1:29 pm
The weather's been nice and it's been kind of boring around here, so Mike Boyle decided it was time to make his first trip to Auto Club Speedway for their big Regional / National / Regional event. And even though it had only rained for a couple days here since June, he had the foresight to rent a garage.

We arrived at Fontana right before the gates opened. The first people we saw were our Norpac pals, Mike and Andy from FlatOut Racing, accompanied by Ray Larue. The FlatOut bunch are definitely the most serious National competitors on the West Coast, they were led by Todd Harris of ProDrive fame, with Steve Fogg, "Johnny T" Tipton, Lee Douglas, and Tom "it always rains / snows in Seattle" Burt.

We saw the benefits of the garage right away, sharing ours with Aaron Stein and his dad Joe with Tordy (back from hiatus) and TJ Acker on one side of us, the FlatOut guys on the other side, and the ever-friendly MBI / Widget team across the "fan aisle". The only down-side for me was being the only systems engineer in a garage with four mechanical engineers. ;)

The CalClub event format was creative, with SCCA-sanctioned test sessions on Friday morning, practice (1 session for all three races) on Friday afternoon, one regional qualifying (for both races), the national qualifying, and a regional race on Saturday. The National race on Sunday morning and the regional on Sunday afternoon.

FlatOut had gone through some minor bad weather on the way down which decided to follow them. So we qualified in the rain on Saturday morning.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/395389_3159251178235_1173947392_3465649_1873136378_n.jpg

All three races were good ones, each with a different flavor. I was spotting for Mike, so I didn't see a lot of the details, but I think the first race was pretty much a battle between Mike Miserendino, Todd Harris, and the up-and-coming Kyle Eggleton (finally got the spelling right, I hope). I believe there were 4 lead changes on the last lap, with Kyle taking the win by .3 second and Mike following Todd by 9/100's (apparently, more on this later). Other notable finishes were Steve Fogg in 4th, Doug Stewart in 5th (looked like he had a really good race), and Lee Douglas in 6th, and Johnny T in 7th. (gotta keep an eye on those FlatOut guys).

Our goal was to get Mikey B. into the 1:5x's, his times were dropping, but we weren't quite making it. So we sent him off the Mike M. to get help with getting on the oval while we tried to tweak the setup for the long straights and tight turns, which is pretty much the opposite of what we usually run. Both ended up paying off for us.

The weather on Sunday was just about perfect for racing. This race was almost too good to describe, apparently Mike M. and Todd H. were side by side for most of the last lap with Mike taking the lead just before getting on the oval, but Todd coming back and apparently taking the win by half a front tire. Followed by Eggleton, Fogg, Bellangee, Acker, Stewart, Tipton, and Lee Fleming (who started from the back).

I say Todd "apparently" had won, because when the had the podium ceremony (a nice CalClub feature for both regionals and nationals) everybody was stunned when they announced Mike as winner of the race. Turns out T & S had relied on the transponders to judge the results (blasphemy). Everything was settled pretty quickly when Mike handed the checkered flag to Todd and ran over to T & S to get things straightened out.

This is a good time to bring up one down side to CalClub, they group us with the Formula Fords and Vees, with the Vees in a split start. The Fords theoretically should be in front of us, and one was way faster, but the rest were a just a little faster and way less consistent than our guys are.

This came into play on the start of the third race when the Fords zoom away on the start and then for some reason check up coming off the oval, it looked like a real mess. Really couldn't tell what was happening, but when they came around I was impressed to see Steve Fogg in the lead followed by Lee Douglas.

Now this is where things get a little screwy. The race results don't show the same thing I remember. Mike M. keeps popping up in odd places on the lap chart. But the way I remember it, TJ Acker came from 15th and won the race. But the "official" results (still) show Mike winning. So while the official results show Miserendino, Acker, Harris, Bellangee, Fogg, Stein, and Stewart, they should not be trusted or I am having a major senior moment.

Bottom line, the only way I could have enjoyed the event more was if I had been out on track myself. And it was rewarding in a back-handed way to see nice guys that I really like to race with like Fogg and Stewart be so successful. We achieved our goal of getting Mike down to a 1:59.5, and he got quite a bit of experience in the draft (including a friendly bump draft that he really seemed to enjoy). My feeling is that this is going to pay off when we race back home.

The CalClub bunch (both drivers and officials) are really friendly, we had a lot of people make a point of coming over and thanking us for coming down. We got to hang out a lot after-race with the FlatOut gang, who are some of the funnest and friendliest people around.

If it is me that screwed up the race results, hopfully someone will correct me. I have a bunch of low-quality phone pictures I am trying to organize and will post later if anybody cares.

The next big National is Willow Springs at the end of February, which we will miss because it conflicts with our Driver's School. But we hope to see everybody at Thunderhill for the Double National in the beginning of March.
Dave Harriman
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 4:12 pm
Dave:

Thanks for a great race report. My only regret is I wasn't there to race but will see you at Thill in March.

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PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 7:53 pm
It sure was a fun and wild weekend. Big thanks to Dave and the Flat Out boys for making the trip! They are all a bunch of great dudes and fast, clean racers.

This was the last weekend we could use the "old" softer rains. Todd qualified on the National pole at a 2:02.XXX without a draft obviously. Fast lap of the weekend, with a draft (worth at least 1-1.5 seconds) was 1:57.8. I guess I am in the minority (hence the change) but I think the softer rains was the best thing to ever happen to our class (with the idea of rain in mind). I convinced 2 long time (20+) year SRF drivers to go out in the rain with our "old" tire. In their 20+ years of SRF racing they have NEVER owned a set of rain tires. When it rained they simply packed up and went home. Why did they do this? #1 As the title of this thread states, it never rains in Southern California and #2 The rain tires we have had previously were a sorry excuse for a proper rain tire and were treacherous to your average SRF driver. Bottom line is I hope we don't go back to wadding up race cars in the rain because people wanted to save from burning up their wet tires. Wouldn't you have reduced the life of your drys if it didn't rain? Ok fire away, sorry if I offended anyone. Us So-Cal people are not a good authority on this subject anyway :shock: In the 6? years we have ran Goodyears I think I ran 5 rain sessions, one of which I purposely put on rains when it was questionable in qualifying to secure a good qualifying time. (so yes I know what it is like to burn up a set :o )

Anyway, I managed to lead every race on the last lap at one point or another, but only managed to take home one win. In the National I think Todd and I traded the lead 4 times on the last lap and ran side by side throughout 2-3 other corners. Great, close competition!

Dave- I won the last race...you can believe those results :D On mylaps it shows the revised (and correct) results from the National in the AM with Todd taking the win.

I really enjoy this race weekend format. I like to race, who cares if it is a National or a Regional race! I obviously attended the weekend because of the National but why sit on the sidelines and watch when you have the chance to race! Only a handful of people didn't take part in the Regional races and in my opinion they missed out. Who cares about the title, go out and race and have some fun. I guess that is where the Rational idea came from! Speaking of Rational...a Double Rational is up next at Willow Springs. I hope I get the chance to run there, have not been there since '08, eeesh! Looks like we will have another great turn out!

Mike Miserendino
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 11:42 pm
"Only" one win is really good for that crowd. Thanks for clarifying. I could see so much of the track I didn't have any excuses for not spotting for my guy. :) It's also my excuse for almost no race pictures / videos.
It was really funny in the National - we were in a close battle and I could hear Mark and Mike in the background watching Mike and Todd and would try and guess when to take a look when things sounded exciting, but I still managed to resist looking until just as they crossed the finish.
A couple other things I remembered: Mike Davies was there and did the most extensive compliance check I've seen since racing, except at the Runoffs. Which, IMHO, is a good thing, even (especially?) when he caught an issue with our car.
Also, the one big drawback is the CalClub groupings (us with FV and FF). This has caused problems in every event I have been to down there. Once it was some of us ruining the V race, and usually it is a FF that makes passes on the straights and can't do anything on the turns.
At the start of the National(?) an FF checked up coming off the oval on the 1st lap right in front of our whole field and caused a real mess (I think I have that on Lee's video, if so I will post). Then towards the end of the race, one running all by himself drove through the lead group picking them off one at a time, knocking each out of the draft, which pretty much ruined the end of the race (except for the top two). I think there were a couple other drivers who would have been a factor in the finish if it hadn't been for him.

Dave Harriman
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 12:49 pm
What a great weekend! I love racing at Auto Club Speedway (although I could do without the mixed grouping). On that note, I talked to the FF driver who dived bombed me twice going into the chicane off the oval...it didnt matter....he told me that SRF drivers dont check their mirrors. All I could do was walk away...ok, enough negativity. Mike Miz...great save at the start when the FF checked up...I thought we were all done for!!! The MBI guys are a class group...all of them. I had the opportunity to dice with most of the group over the course of the weekend and what a clean group they were. They don't give an inch but race fair! Looking forward to Willow Springs.
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 1:11 pm
I wasn't going to say anything specific,JohnnyT, but you got more than your share of the FF stuff. There was one where you were had made the left coming off the oval and were all the way to the right and the guy practically t-boned you...
Dave Harriman
"It looks crazy, I understand. But, we only live once and I am going to give it a good try." - Alex Zanardi

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PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 2:20 pm
The weekend at Autoclub speedway in Fontana was amazing. It was my first race in a SRF and I couldn't be more happy about it and thankful to all the people who helped in making it happen. The list of people goes on and on but just to list a few: Ross Olney, Mike Davies, Mark Ballengee, Mike and Tom Miserendino, Paul Marino. I'd also like to thank the Flat Out Racing guys for helping us on pregrid on the first session on Friday. I'm really proud to be apart of a group of guys who truly care about each other and want to help. Many of you have helped without even really knowing me and I look forward to many years of racing!


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PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 1:32 pm
It was a unique race weekend at Cal Speedway. Friday weather was great and lots of track time during the morning half day of testing. Good to be back in the car after such a long layoff.

There were lots of SRFs and a couple of new SoCal drivers racing for the first time! Welcome to Chris and Harrison.

Also, good to see all the cars that made the trip from Oregona and Northern California. The Flat Out guys are a great bunch to race with. Very close, competitive and clean racing all weekend long. Dave H. made the trip down from SF and it was too bad he wasn't able to run. A classy guy and always good to race with and fun to be around.

Saturday morning in the wet was the first time I had ever driven on rain tires and it was quite an experience. I think the tires were 3 years old from a trip to Elkhart where the weather was very threatening. It erased a bad experience in my memory when I last drove in the rain at Sears Point.

The racing was on mostly dry track on Saturday and under great conditions on Sunday. The first turn had a nearly disasterous issue when the whole field came up on a formula ford that decided he couldn't take turns 1 & 2 flat. This caught us all off guard and I almost spun out Mikie M. by not realizing he had to lift to avoid driving over the formula ford. Although it is not ideal, we have not had many issues when running with the FF and Vs. This was the closest we came to a major issue.

It was overall a great weekend and no one seemed to have any significant issues other than Kyle E. needing to replace a transmission on Friday. It was a great way to start the 2012 race season.

Still trying to decide if I will be at Willow Springs in February.

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 29, 2012 12:56 pm
Great seeing everyone after the winter break. Other than blowing off spark plug wires on Friday, I had a great time - even in the rain.

Doug - I realized this week that I have not raced two months in a row since 2006 and I haven't been to Willow Springs for about that long either. I think its time to change that, so maybe I will see you there.

Dave - Good to see you without a cast on your arm.

DaveP 8-)
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