Laguna Seca Highlight Video

Checking Tire Pressures and Temperatures

Just finished editing my race highlight footage and decided to use race 1 on Saturday (same as picture below).  Easy decision as it was my best race with Chris and lasted pretty much to the end.  He smoked me on Sunday as I was not helped by a right rear tire that spun on the rim and created a big vibration 4 laps from the end.  Just got word the new race engine is getting picked up tomorrow by Jason and the builder is pleased with the outcome!!!

For race video:  click here

Jim

Keeping Things in Perspective...

Start of Saturday's race

I went into this past weekend’s Laguna Seca event with three main goals assuming the fix of the leaking left rear shock gave us the hoped for chassis set-up based on our Thunderhill test day results:  (1) achieve a best lap time in the high 1:23’s which would be 1 second better than our previous best, (2) try and give Chris Farrell a good race, and (3) run within 1 second of him on a comparison of best lap times over each session.  GOOD NEWS--I am pleased to report we met most of these goals.  In fact, 'yes' to both 1 and 2 and 'mostly yes' to 3, but unfortunately, when it mattered most, we fell short here.   For that reason alone, I'm disappointed as I secretly wanted more…I really dislike losing.

We’re racing at the highest level of SCCA’s amateur class structure—Prototype 1 or P1.  These cars are at the top of the food chain and there are multiple chassis makers and engine suppliers.  This means there are multiple ways and strategies to win.  This weekend pitted two of the most divergent strategies to try and achieve the end goal of winning the Runoffs.

Chris is a proven winner and reigning national champ in the old D Sports Racing class that has now been superseded by P1.  His car (a Stohr) with him in it only weighs about 1000 pounds and is powered by a 1000 cc motorcycle engine making about 200 hp.  My car (a Norma) with me in it weighs about 1420 pounds and is powered by a Honda car engine making about 255 hp.  Since I’m 6’3” and 195 pounds and Chris is about 5”6” and 145 pounds it is only natural that I should probably try and achieve my goal in a bigger car and, likewise, Chris in a smaller car.  The rulebook tries to balance these different approaches by limiting the things we can do to the cars and engines.

Our big improvement to come is a custom built engine that should make about 300 hp but we won’t have it in the car and ready to race until about 60 days from now.  So we know we should get faster if all goes well with that whole process.  In the meantime, we’ve got to have realistic expectations and try and create benchmarks.  We got lucky at the feature Major’s race at Thunderhill in April and beat Chris after he developed a problem.  However, he is one of the very best drivers in the country and his car is well developed after years of experimentation.  We’re playing catch-up with an October Runoff’s date looming ahead.

With no prize money on the line, but only bragging rights, Jason and I are giving it everything we have to try and win.  The fact that we consistently beat everybody else in the 40 car field but one, gives us some consolation.  Check out the picture closely to get some idea of the differences between Chris's Stohr and my Norma as we lead the pack at the start of one of the races.  As you look back in the field you will see other Stohrs too as they are a popular car having won 13 national championships since their introduction in 2001.  I'm trying to break that string of success.

Jim

The Culprit!

Well, Jason found the source of our problem--a bad left rear shock absorber.  Jason and Chris keep all their race cars spotlessly clean.  There is a good reason for this other than simply aesthetics.  A clean car allows a trained eye to more easily spot problems like leaks, cracks, etc.  After my magical drive on Friday morning, Jason spotted a drip coming off the left rear shock absorber.  There was nothing we could do while at the track so he just monitored it over the course of the weekend and after each session a little more fluid seeped out.  Once back at the shop and after removing the leaking shock it became evident that the shock had totally failed.  So the whole set was sent off for a quick rebuild and now they are back and ready to be reinstalled.

With this problem fixed, we now plan to run the same initial set-up on the car at Laguna Seca next time out.  I just hope this set-up gives us repeatable results and holds up over the course of the weekend.  If it does, I'll be ecstatic because that Friday morning session from Thunderhill is now my benchmark for how a properly performing racecar should feel.  Now that I've sampled it, I want it back!

Jim

Umberto's selfie plus Jason, Jim, and Bill at Thunderhill.

A Head Scratching Weekend

This was a race weekend like no other I’ve ever experienced.  It was only a double regional event at Thunderhill to begin with so very few major’s drivers were there...so no real competition to speak of.  So we decided to treat it like a long extended test session; trying out as many different things as possible to get the car to work better.

Jason and I had already talked extensively about things to accomplish and we were hoping to have some new parts to try out from France.  Since the parts didn’t show up in time, Jason and Chris left for the track and I followed soon after in my motorhome.  We start Friday’s test day bright and early and run the car in the 8:45 am opening 15 minute practice session and it feels really good right away with the suspension setting adjustments Jason decided to implement.  We are encouraged and I go out about an hour later and run the car fairly hard!  I clicked off faster and faster laps culminating in my best ever time at Thunderhill a 1:40.1; and it was easily accomplished as the car was an absolute joy to drive.  I was experimenting with various lines and brake points and could still make the car go faster each lap.  It was exquisite to be able to put the car where ever I wanted!  We were all grinning ear to ear as this was done on relatively old 6 heat cycled tires.

As the track heated up later in the day, we tried a few more minor tweaks to chase track conditions and had some success in keeping the car fairly well balanced but times slowed down into the high 1:40’s.  Then Jason found out the parts had arrived from France.  We were so anxious to try them after the day’s good results, Jason, all by himself, drove to Patterson with the nose in the back of his dually and installed the new parts at his shop and then returned to the track at 11 pm Friday night—what an effort!!!

Official practice Saturday morning, I take the car out and it is almost undrivable with all the front down force we added.  Jason then adjusts the car and I go out in the first qualifying and the car is much better, but still not as good as Friday morning.  We post a 1:40.8.  Jason tries another tweak and I go out in the race and run flat out against only myself to measure and pound out 15 hard laps, lapping all other cars but one.  Car was decent to drive, but best time was only a 1:40.9.

Sunday morning qualifying we try another setting adjustment and remove some of the new parts.  I go slower yet at a 1:41.5.  Now we are scratching our heads and decide to try and go almost all the way back to the way the car came off the trailer in hopes of regenerating the magic from Friday morning.  Again, in the 2nd race, no luck and the times are slower yet.

With the weekend over, we now have to perform a postmortem and try and figure out what went wrong.  On the bright side, we still got two overall wins and the car (and me) are in one piece.  Stay tuned.

Jim

SCCA Majors Tour @ Buttonwillow Raceway

Prior to this weekend, I had run very little at Buttonwillow Raceway in Bakersfield.  The track is nicknamed "Bumpywillow" for a reason.  Despite this challenge, the track itself was a fun layout featuring a couple of very high speed sections.

Although not getting on the top step of the podium, we nevertheless had a solid weekend of racing with 2nd overall and 2nd in class P1 for both races.  With about 40 cars on track at the same time, coming home in good position and with no damage was an achievement.  One of our main competitors and the reigning national champ in the old CSR class, Lee Alexander, picked up both wins after finishing behind us in both races at Thunderhill.  We at least gave him a bit of a run in Sunday's feature race as I was able to get around him at the start and lead for about 5 laps.  We tried a new Michelin tire compound on Sunday and it was great...but only for about 5 laps and then it started to lose grip.  We are still learning and working on tire strategies for the new Norma.

We also have come up with some future upgrades we plan to make to the car.  All the parts won't be here for awhile so we will continue to experiment each time out.  Next race weekend is 3 weeks away and back at Thunderhill.

Enjoy the highlight video as there is a lot of passing as I move through lapped traffic with some of it spinning right before my eyes:

Watch the video!  Click here.

Time sheets and a track map are attached for those that like to see them.  Click here.

Jim

Check Out New Graphics

Spent some time with Harold at Never Boring Design this past week working out the details on the new color scheme ... I really like it!  Best part is, it will be done in vinyl so won't add any weight to speak of versus paint.

Take a look.

Jim

Further Reflections On The Thunderhill Race

The Group 2 qualifying effort had so many incidents, we were repeatedly called into the pits so most everyone got maybe one legitimate lap in traffic.  Despite that challenge we got in a decent time that put us on outside pole for the first sprint race.  We ran a strong 2nd both in overall and class P1 for the entire race.  With 52 cars on track it was a madhouse…I only wish I had captured it on film.  Well actually I did, but we forgot to zip tie the camera to the mount so it spun around like a top rendering the footage unusable.  Wrecks and cars off track everywhere, including the final lap where they rolled two safety vehicles out on track while we were racing.  Anyway fun but harrowing.
 
The qualifying order for the Sunday feature race was set by either your fastest lap time in the first qualifying or your fastest race lap.  Based on that I started outside pole again.  There was a strong tail/side wind of maybe 20-25 mph and on the opening lap, I got the car sideways twice but was able to catch it.  Eventually the tires came up to temperature and it got better, especially after the leader slowed and I took over the overall and class lead.  Because of the carnage in Saturdays race, our Sunday run group only included the 3 fastest classes so lots of wide open racing.

I’ll let the video link tell the rest of the story:
 
Highlights from Thunderhill Majors Tour Race

Last weekend’s time sheets are attached for those who want to see the details.  Click here.
Jim
 

 

SCCA Majors Tour Victory @ Thunderhill Raceway

Team Cranbrook Racing notched its first feature race class P1 victory this past weekend at Thunderhill Raceway in the prestigious BF Goodrich Tires Super Tour event.  This race is part of the new SCCA Majors Tour  series which showcases the best amateur racers in the country. Check these out ...

http://www.scca.com/events/index.cfm?eid=6551

http://www.scca.com/events/news.cfm?eid=6551&cid=51841

This was our second outing in the new Norma M20FC and we are continuing to get great results.  In addition to the win, we finished 2nd in the sprint race in class P1.  We were 2nd overall in both races in this multi-class format.  Our run group for qualifying and the sprint race included over 50 cars on track at the same time which created some interesting moments and a lot of incidents.  For the feature race, officials altered the schedule and gave the 3 fastest classes their own run group and we were able to run lots of wide open race laps.  However, lapped traffic ultimately came into play and allowed my closest pursuer to get around me after I had to check up costing me the overall win so I was disappointed from that perspective.
 
Best news was we were able to beat the two reigning national champs in what used to be CSR and DSR (now merged into class P1) at least once each over the course of the weekend so notice has been served that we are to be taken seriously as we can run fast, clean, and reliably.  Now we need to focus on increasing our lap speed over one lap as we are still a bit behind these guys in that regard.
 
The Majors tour victory celebration included a trophy presentation and podium champagne spray so that was kind of neat.  Also, we finally found a camera system that can keep the video rolling during the race so we are preparing some YouTube video highlight links that will be ready shortly.  The camera is mounted right next to my helmet at eye level so it provides a good view of the action.  Next Majors race in two weeks at Buttonwillow Raceway in Bakersfield.
Jim

Maiden Outing In Norma M20FC

Just concluded a full weekend of racing at Laguna Seca in the new Norma and great first results.  Fastest lap every session out.  2 overall poles.  2 overall wins and new respectable track records in P1.  Thanks to Jason’s tireless efforts in prepping the car (and more than two weeks of late nighters to accomplish this) the car ran flawlessly all the time…not one hiccup.  He is quite the genius when it comes to turning wrenches.  The photo is me in turn 2.  When we get time, we will add a little color to the car and some more sponsorship decals.  In two weeks, we race at Thunderhill in an SCCA Majors Tour event against the reigning national champs so the first dust up this season.  With our late start, not sure we will be ready for the head to head battle we eventually plan to take to them come runoff time.  As good as the car was last weekend against local competition, a lot more work to do to compete with the national boys.

Time Sheets for the weekend are attached for those who want to see the details.  Click here.
Jim

First Race of 2014 ... Off To A Great Start!

Finished my first race weekend without the new Norma M20FC yet in our possession…more on that later.  Old Norma was flawless even in a mostly rainy weekend of actual racing.  Beautiful Friday test day finished breaking in the new motor and ran some competitive laps with 5 sessions in the car and no neck issues.  Woke up to a beautiful Saturday morning and official practice went well with me posting overall fastest time.  Same in first qualifying run later that day—was prepared to attempt a track record time with new sticker tires but track had dirt on it in 2 places from previous drivers spins so good but not great time.
 
1st race 8 am Sun. morning just after daylight time change so really 7 am and a damp track from overnight rains went out on pole and smoked the field in slippery conditions.  Next time out was Q2 with a light rain underway.  Put in a flyer last lap, dirt tracking the car around the last corner and was fastest over the field by 3.5 seconds.
 
2nd race Sunday afternoon was in a constant light rain but with track soaked from 7 hours of the same.  Car was a  handful with all that much water and was able to win my class but not overall.  So all in all a great weekend of racing and I never dropped a wheel off track or spun in extremely challenging conditions the whole weekend.  I’d venture to say only a hand full of guys could make that claim.
 
Now most importantly, Jason and I pick up the new Norma tomorrow morning as the car finally cleared customs after nearly 2 weeks of sitting in port.  I guess no drugs were hidden inside after all….
 
Season’s off to a great start with intense racing over the next 47 days. However due to our late start with the new car a lot of work ahead to get back on schedule with its development.

Jim