2023 BRM Group 2 Race 1

 

With the first race of a new series we never know what to expect.  The first race of the 2023 BRM Group 2 series turned out to be a great deal of fun.  We made last minute decisions about the rear tires.  Some initial testing showed that we might have an issue with marbling with the stock rear tires.  We have experienced it in the past with 1/24 scale cars with metal chassis.  With heavier cars, the wear on the tires can produce clumps of rubber buildup on the tires, particularly in the Texas heat.  With two weeks before the first race we decided to change to spec Paul Gage urethane tires.  These tires have a different wear pattern, with fine urethane “dust” that does not clump as badly.  However, when some members would not be able to get the urethane tires in time, we allowed the stock tires as well.

I did not get my urethane tires until the Thursday before the race.  I glued and trued the tires, finishing up Saturday morning and got the car assembled to try it on the track for the first time less than an hour before the race.  I did not have time to experiment with weight and my Alfa turned out to be the lightest car. The weights of the cars varied a good bit but I had low expectations for how the last-minute car would perform and was pleasantly surprised at how fast it was (compared with the other cars.).  The cars turned out to be a great deal of fun, despite being slower than our usual race speeds.  The cars were very controllable and the competition was close; there were few de-slots.  Marty and I, in particular, had a great battle on the track, with Marty coming out a half car length ahead after 192 laps.  Brian followed in third.

With some members absent, the car count turned out to be low.  Considering the fun we had racing them, we hope we will have more racers in the races to come.

 

 

 

 

Watch the YouTube of the race here:

ASCC BRM Group 2 – Race 1 – July 1 2023 – YouTube