SCCA National Qualifier Race - US Majors Tour - Cal Speedway 1-14-18 (VIDEO UP)
 

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All signed up for the AutoClub Speedway (Fontana - Cal speedway) race with SCCA and their Majors tour event.

This is one of 3 races necessary to qualify to go to the national Championships, this year in Oct 2018, at Sears Point Sonoma .
I think you need 1 of these races and to place in the top 3 a few times during the year to be assured a spot.

Anderson ran this a few times. I think his best time was in the 1:42 range, but it looks like most of the top T1 Vets are in the 1:43-4 range.
Guys i run with are in the 1:46-7s, so Ill try and be in that range. One of the guys says he gets near 160mph down the nascar banked straight! whooo hooo! I think anderson was topping out at near 170mph

anyway, all the tires ive bought new. non have any issues. some wheel bearings and tie rods have been replaced, so the car looks pretty secure. all the aero parts are tightened down.

so, its off to a brand new track for me. should be interesting

Now, if there was a track with forces for having an oiling problem, this might be it. thats a long time to be at WOT , full throttle , high RPM on the banking. seems much longer than Willow springs.. the rest of the track seems like most all the tracks and turns i see at other tracks.

Ill be running in the national Class GT2 ,where the 928 just got the full certification to run now in this SCCA National Class for 2018.

If you guys are around that weekend , stop by and say hello.

practice on friday in the afternoon. And , qual /race and qual /race on Saturday and Sunday (AM)

the sign up grid looks pretty amazing. 20% of the Speed World Challenge Grid for is running this race in GT2, so it should be interesting. (sofronas, sotty b white,andrew aquilante, etc
and a few others)

Here is the entry list for the the race:

https://www.motorsportreg.com/index....FA620B1A07DCDA

Mark

Mark,

The entry list almost looks absurd- mostly models from the last few years - and then a 1987 dinosaur! I hope the folks on this list understand that you are running in some pretty fast company!

Just wish I could be there to cheer you on- hopefully some of the crowd will be.

Rgds

Fred

Thanks Fred! yes, this is the fight the 928 has at the track! maybe someday when it goes vintage , it will have an easier time. At the nationals, i suspect there will be about 30 cars, and i hope to break into the top half of the crowd. This race will be tough, due to the cars, the power levels of those cars, and the fact that ive never been to this track. Those cars are either world challenge GTS cars,x-world challenge GT or GT3 cup cars , or stock cars as well. im Just excited to be able to drive the 928 on a super speedway at speeds nearing 150-160mph!

How funny.... i just noticed my avitar picture has one of the cars entered in the race. the fantasy junction 997GT3 (white and orange #55, but #5 for the race)

Maybe Carl will loan you a tunnel-ram intake for track testing... :)

"Getting up to speed" at Fontana will take some serious practice. No going out and running a couple of hot laps to qualify this weekend, right?

Should be an interesting experience, for you.

While I know you are super talented and don't need it, I'll still wish you the best of luck!

Yes first time you go out on the 75 foot wide front "straight" you wonder where the hell should I be... then rolling into turn one you realize that the14 degree banking makes it an none turn at speeds below about 160 mph... accelerate out of two and suddenly ...... the sharp, very sharp left turn requires heavy controlled braking from maybe 150 mph to about 50 !!! Then the infield course is actually quite technical with many ways to screw it up. All in all a fun exercise but EASY or Simple it is NOT !!! the thought of losing it in 1 and 2 at 160 is pretty intimidating to most. :)

ABS/Sequential gearbox downshifting* really helps, here!

*Sequential gearbox downshifting can be an excellent alternative to ABS.

As explained by Galen Bieker:

"Cup cars have very minimal brake feeling....it's like pushing on a wall. The secret is heavy, heavy on the brakes. As soon as the high rpm shift light goes out, grab the next lower gear. This aggressive downshifting will keep the rear tires from locking up."

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Hi Mark

You will love this track! BTW I took my stock 458 around the track, I was able to hit 175MPH between turn 1 and 2. My 928 will do few miles faster.

Have fun!

Joseph

Yep, always been a big believer in engine braking to keep the rear wheels spinning, and to keep the rear end planted under trail brake. but the high RPM and speed down from turn 2 to 3 to 40mph is going to be a challenge. thats a lot faster than turn 2 at laguna, which looks very similar to 5 (i think) at Cal speedway. (single late apex or double apex)

yes, im starting to get amp'ed up about it. i think the main straight looks fun. love the speed, but that banking and turning looks pretty intimating as you are hitting it a little faster than turn 8 at willow.
but it looks like a turn , even with the banking. all the g meters ive seen show 1.5g in the turn at 1:55 down to 140ish around it. (doing a 1:45 lap) . so it sure looks like a turn! And then that crazy left turn at the end. well, at least you have a straight run out if your brakes are not there! ;)
the infield looks pretty knarly

Hey, Illl take it. No, im going to take this pretty serous. take advantage of all the track time i can in practice. we run practice friday and then qual sat and race saturday.
I think andersons best was in the 1:42s

predictions??? bets for that beer? ;)

Thanks Joe,

yep, i heard the legend. .....but you have the proof! that is crazy fast! the real fast T1 cars are hitting 160mph tops. how fast could you take turn 2 with anderson as outboard ballast? ;)

See if you can break away to get together that weekend

Mk

Here is a great video of a kid that races with us in SCCA sometimes, here in a cup car 991 GT3,
top speed 161...and that's near 500hp running 1:40s

or loren B in the cup car running 1:39s




and the top T1 vets running 1:47s with a blow out tire near the end of the video. DOTs like what i have to run

Ok Greg, what are the predictions? what qualifies as good, better and best for the 928 at Cal speedway based on 375rwhp.

Keep in mind, the GT2 vets are running 420rwhp and when they run ST2 (NASA) they have to limit hp down to 385rwhp to make their spec. the T1 Vets are running near what the ST2 guys run, but with more HP but more weight too.

Mk

I think Mark A best 928 time was 1:39 my was 1:40 so I think you should do 1:45 and if you get into 1:43 beers on me:)

Joseph Fan

There *may* be aTime Trial class too. I ran the last one they had at Buttonwillow.