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The first round of the Trans-Am series was frought with peril for our intrepid drivers. Reliability became an issue very early in the race for the two Mustangs. Ary had a motor wire break at the pickup solder joint and a bit further into the race Marty’s car started to sound like a 1:1 Mustang getting ready to shed a transmission and his car began to slow. Both were able to recover and continue racing, but only Marty was able to stay on pace with the pack. Ary’s repairs cost him most of his first heat, which is reflected in the low lap count. The three Camaros proved reliable, finishing the race without any issues other than Brian’s car leaving a front bumper (in three pieces) on the track.
Car control was paramount in this series, as the top-heavy cars seem to spend as much time on two wheels as on four when pushed to the limit. This kept the marshals busy and the drivers searching for just the right touch on the throttle. In the end, tires and balance would be a major factor. Too much grip flipped the cars in the turns, and too little gave up speed coming out of them. Good balance would help the cars stay over the slot, even when pushed to the point of lifting the inside wheels end under heavy cornering, but it was all for naught if the driver wasn’t paying very close attention to throttle. (And quite a bit lucky!)
Congratulations to the podium finishers in this inagural race!
[pre]One round run, five remaining.
Driver Laps Position Points Fastest Lap
Russell M. 173 1 10 4.841
Jim J. 171 2 8 4.793
Marty M. 170 3 6 4.838
Brian H. 162 4 5 4.926
Ary B. (+1 Fastest Lap) 123 5 5 4.668[/pre] -
The second round of the Trans Am Challenge was held this past Saturday the 23rd following the Slot It Challenge race. The first round of the Trans Am Challenge was memorable for the amount of time the cars spent on two or fewer wheels and by the frantic actions of the few marshals to keep the cars up right.
The second round was a vast improvement as it looked like the racers had a better handle on their cars and there were more marshals to work the circuit. The second round was also the first race for new club member Clark Knopic. Unlike the rest of the racers, he didn’t exactly have much practice as he just purchased his Trans Am car an hour before the race and removed the magnet only minutes before the start of the first heat. This would force most racers to drink but not Clark. He was cool as a cucumber and didn’t even work up a sweat – which was unusual as everyone else was sweating in the 85 degree heat.
The racing was really good as Russell, Shawn, Jim and Brian were all within in five laps of each other at the end of the day with Jim’s third place car and Shawn’s second place car separated by only five feet. The big difference for Russell was his smooth driving style. His lap times were good but his consistency was great. In the post race press conference Russell was asked if his driving style made the difference. His answer, “yes”. “Speed is nothing without control” he said. There you have it. Looks like consistency wins races. Something for the rest of you racers to think about.
Almost as a side show, Ary and Marty spent the last two races of the day bumping fenders, quarter panels, tires, roofs and everything else in order to bring a sense of realism to the event. It looked like the famous Mark Donahue – Parnelli Jones battles from 1971. Crashing was about all Marty could do with his Pioneer Mustang as it sounded like the transmission was about to go. Ary, running a similar Pioneer Mustang, had the same sound but was still able to set the fastest lap. There were rumors in the pits that Ary had increased the bore in his motor and thinned out the body of his car using the old acid bath trick. Either way it was very fast.
The next race will take place on May 7th and will be the first race on the calendar. The new format will have the Slot It Challenge follow the Trans Am Challenge. Hope to see everyone there.
[pre]Driver Laps Position Points Fastest Lap
Russell M. 179 1 10 4.676
Ary B. (+1 Fastest Lap) 177 2 9 4.480
Shawn G. 176 3 6 4.788
Jim J. 176 4 5 4.791
Brian H. 174 5 4 4.813
Marty M. 168 6 3 4.891
Clark K. 141 7 2 5.201[/pre]Leader Board
[pre]Two rounds run, four remaining.
Position Driver Total Laps Points Change
1 Russell M. 352 20 –
2 Jim J. 347 13 +2
3 Ary B. 300 13 +2
4 Marty M. 338 9 -2
5 Brian H. 336 9 -2
6 Shawn G. 176 6 –
7 Clark K. 141 2 -[/pre]
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