As you know from my past blogs, getting weight off a race car is one of the best things you can do for speed and fast lap times. So last year after the Runoffs, I challenged Norma Auto Concept to figure out how to get the lead out as we were still crossing the scales almost 100 lbs. over weight. The factory came up with a new list of light weight parts that we ordered and planned to introduce in 2016. As the year got underway and the factory came up with more improvements and upgrades, we decided to just wait and get enough parts to build a new car from scratch.

Jason took on the immense task of building the car from the crate of parts that arrived in his shop. His goal was to look at every part, hose, wire, bolt, fitting, bracket, fastener, etc. and, if possible, make it lighter. In a perfect world, the new Norma with me in it would cross the scales at the end of a race just over the minimum weight of 1,350 lbs.

So last weekend was the culmination of this herculean effort as chassis #24/2016 made her debut at Laguna Seca in front of a crowd of supporters attending a Team Cranbrook broker event...no pressure here.

After a rocky start with a mysterious electrical gremlin finally dispatched, the car came alive and performed as expected within 5 laps of running the car in anger for the first time. We put it on pole in Q2 and won the Sunday race easily. Put it this way, I'm not sharing any more details that may cause our competitors to whine like babies to the SCCA's Club Racing Board. The answer on our appeal of the new engine rules should come down from the CRB next week.

Also next week, we head to Mid-Ohio for tune-up regional races and my first time on track there. Then home for final preparations before returning to Mid-Ohio in mid-September for the Big Show.

Cranbrook's Broker Day gave our valued partners a chance to see Team Cranbrook Racing up close and personal.