Matt Marks

Anyone stay around long enough to get the official results sheet for the Sunday Sprint race? If so, can someone scan it and post it? Or perhaps list the 944 cup/supercup and GTS finishing orders? (no laptimes needed)

I can host the scanned copy if needed - PM me.

Thanks!

BrianKeithSmith

I don't know the overall finishing order. I think I finished 2nd overall. I was only passed by one car, and that was the silver/red/yellow Grand Am Cup car.

I have an interesting story to tell about the race though:
When we came to the start/finish line to start the race, they dropped the green flag, and I nailed the throttle. That was the point and time where my new accelerator pedal came UNHINGED from the floor, leaving me with a non-functioning accelerator pedal. I knew it didn’t feel right but obviously at the start of a race I have other issues to deal with. So I went into turn 1 and that’s when I knew I had a real problem – I couldn’t heel-n-toe on my downshift, the pedal wasn’t there to blip. The pedal wasn’t sticking at all, it just wasn’t hinged. Fortunately, the way the new pedal is installed, it pulls a cable that connects to the throttle body, so I was able to take my foot and push the “peg” that attached the pedal to the cable, and work the throttle that way, I just couldn’t heel-n-toe. By the end of the 2nd lap I had about a 30 car length lead over 2nd place. But my lap times were dropping like a rock because I had to slow down so much before going into the next gear to prevent hurting the tranny (because I couldn’t heel-n-toe the throttle). And occasionally, I couldn’t find the “peg” with my foot, so I couldn’t get in the gas as quickly, nor could I get 100% throttle. So the Grand Am Cup car passed me around lap 7 or 8, and I never could manage to catch him with the lack of gas pedal… It was pretty depressing…

A couple of people came by my car after the race, making various comments, and they were really WOWED when I showed them my throttle pedal lying on the floorboard.

Kind of depressing though. I could've won the thing... (potentially)

Brian

Eric in Chicago

Nice job Brian! I once had my "bird" heel toe pedal come off and lodge behind my gas pedal at the start of a race at Road America, here I am in the middle of 400 (really 70) cars flying to T1 and I only have 1/4 pedal travel...
Congrats on a strong finish

BrianKeithSmith

Thanks man. My first race, and my first attempt at driving a car without a gas pedal... Crazy day...

Brian

APKhaos

Great news Brian! I was worried what had happened to you.

When we came in after our sprint race, I expected to see you still running in the enduro field, but missed you there. Looked like you trailer was gone [later, after I got loaded up and ready to roll].

For those who have not seen Brian's car, the pic he posted does not do it justice. It is bloody gorgeous! Beautifully prepared, and wicked fast. Brian badly burned a cup car in the comp school race on Friday. He was quick and tidy! The flame throwing on backoff was a spectacular effect.

Congrats on getting your race license, and what sounds like an impressive result in Sunday's race.

JCP911S

Folks, BTW... I am considering doing some NASA races. I have a G-Stock PCA 911. Assuming it would be GTS-2 based on P/W. Any thoughs suggestions or comments about the NASA race in this car?

thanks

BrianKeithSmith

Thanks Tony. You are too much. Thanks for the "Good Luck" right before we went to the grid! That helped my nerves a little!

Brian

jerome951

Congratulations Brian.

Though our definitions of "depressing" vary quite a bit. You finished 2nd in your rookie race.

For me, depressing was sliding off the track on the parade lap and watching the other 30 cars stream past at the start.
And I won't even mention spinning twice in the same race..

APKhaos

I was right there with Jerome in the snow race. After seeing him spin on the formation lap, I was ultra careful at the start. Coming up the hill out of HogPen, I breathed on the trottle for the start.
Instant snap spin, diagonally across the inside line of runners and onto the berm. Almost spun all the way into the pit in!

Saturday's snow race could have been a perfect TV add.

- Pan from the front of the field to two 944Turbos at the back fo the filed painfully sliding their way around at a ripping 3.24 laptime pace [Jerome and me].
- Super "These loosers are wishing they were running Hoosier Rains like the front runners!"

930man

BRIAN ... I watched the race fantastic job!!! and Tony is right you need to post a picture of your car it is fabulous one of the finest i have seen.... good to put a face with a car.

good luck hope to see you more at the track

Matt

APKhaos

Brian's busted throttle linkage.

BrianKeithSmith

Yep, that's it. As you can see the pedal is still connected to the throttle cable, but it wasn't pivoting. I was using the right side of my foot to extend the throttle cable by pressing the "peg" that connects the cable to the pedal.

Thanks for the picture Tony. Even I hadn't taken a picture of it yet!
Looks like I need to clean up the inside of the car though!

Cris Brady

Speaking on cleaning up the interior, but is it me, or has the paddock at VIR gotten worse over the years. I haven't been to VIR for a year or two, but I don't remember the amount of sand that coated everything this weekend. My tow vehicle, trailer and racecar are just full of sand. I probably could've taken our my ballast weights out of the 944.

APKhaos

A few years ago, VIR had larger gauge gravel in the paddock. It was a perfect size to become entrapped in hot tires, and they to be released once the tires got up to temp on track. There were so many windscreens busted by flying gravel that they repaved with the sandy crushed stuff that is there today. Its nasty, and it gets everywhere. Given the high quality of everything else at VIR, it seems strange that they have chosen not to pave the entire paddock area.

stevemil00

For some reason, I'd thought the idea was to keep the paddock a bit cooler during the summer by not having it be a ginormous expanse of asphalt.

But I think I'd prefer the asphalt, too.

-Steve