Auto Club Speedway Majors Tour Race Results – Jan 2017
Hello All:
It’s a new year, and with the new year comes change. I’ve changed race teams and moved over to Bulldog Motorsports based out of Modesto, CA. And I have a new race car, or at least new to me. We acquired a 2006 Stohr WF1 and converted it form the Prototype 1 Class to Prototype 2 Class. The SCCA’s current rules package limits the competitiveness of the Stohr WF1 in the Prototype 1 Class (P1), and the class had become cost prohibitive. Prototype 2 (P2) is designed to run a few seconds slower per lap than P1, and provides the opportunity to race at a more reasonable cost. The Team believes that our 2006 Stohr WF1 car #8 will be a strong competitor in the P2 Class.
A lot of time and effort went into developing the plan for the Stohr WF1 P2 conversion project, and even more effort went into executing the plan. I really have to give a big shout to Jason and the guys over at Bulldog Motorsports in pulling this off. So, I was really looking forward to getting in the car and evaluating the performance baseline. For me, that’s the best parts of the weekend. Once you’re into the car, you tune everything out and just focus on the task at hand.
Test Sessions: this was a short race weekend condensed into three days at Auto club Speedway (ACS). On Friday we had only had three 20 minute test sessions followed by one practice sessions. We skipped the first test session as the track was still drying out from the heavy rains from the day before. The limited track time was a disadvantage, especially when you consider that we’re attempting to analyze how to set up the Stohr WF1 to P2 configuration. There’s a new smaller rear wing on the car and 60 lbs of added weight. Additionally, all the ground effects of the tunnel and rear diffuser have been all but eliminated. So we really needed track time to work our way through a number of adjustments. The only advantage I had going for me: I’ve raced at ACS at seven different race events, so I am able to get up to speed quickly and it’s just a matter of working on the timing as you set up the various corners. My familiarity with the track layout allowed me to attack the corners right from the start. The one obvious drawback is the braking system on the P2 car; they don’t perform at the level of my Brembo system on my P1 car.
Practice Sessions: This first practice session was typical of any given race weekend, after a few warm up laps I got brave and start carry more speed through the corners and braking later at the end of the three long straights. I finish the session with a respectable 1:42, it’s starting to come together but the session is over. The bumps on the track are brutal at ACS, and with the added weight on the car it’s bottoming out in a couple of spots. More problematic; the fences/endplates on the front splitter were destroyed going over the bumps during the session. So much for carrying all that speed! The Team raises the car over ¼ an inch (which is a lot) this resolve the issue but it negatively affects the handling of the car.
A Promising start
Qualifying: The goal of the session was to put the Car #8 on pole position in the Prototype 2 Class, and for good measure, attempt to out qualify some of the competitors in the faster P1 Class. The braking ability of my car is clearly not it’s strong suit. There are three long straightaways at ACS, and sub-par brakes are a big adjustment. In the end we knock out a 1:39.79 which puts car #8 on pole for P2 Class and third position on the race grid. Unfortunately, once again the bumps at ACS demand their pound of flesh. One of the rod ends on the rear suspension failed towards the end of the session and we limp back into the pits, but not after scaring the bejesus out of myself and the track workers at Turn 18.
Race 1 (12 Laps): I’m starting 3rd on the grid; in front of me on pole is current National P1 Champion Jim Devenport in his Norma M20FC and Chip Romer in his IMSA Elan DP02, both are in Prototype 1 cars (not my class). Additionally, behind me are several highly competitive Stohr WF1 that will be waiting for the opportunity to pounce if I make a single mistake; it appears I’ll have my hands full. The start of the race goes as scripted, we maintain the 3rd position and built a gap, unfortunately several laps in the track goes to a full-course caution. So the entire race grid gets collected behind the pace car. In racing you have to expect the unexpected. It’s impossible to control everything and things happen, we encountered issues with high water temperature at this point in the race and the dashboard alarms went off. I was able bring the temperatures down by speeding up and then coasting behind the pace car. With the elevated temps that evolved over the first seven laps, I knew that I would be taking unnecessary risks if I raced flat out once the race restarted. We got a good jump at the start, and it was fine for three laps. The temperature started rise again and I started lifting early on the long straights and coasting into the corners in an attempt to manage the situation. This allowed Tony Abel in his 1L Stohr P2 #22 to reel me in, not sure what happen but Tony spun. Next up was Jeff Lederman in his Stohr WF1 P1 car, he’s got some badass carbon ceramic brakes on his ride and he put them to good use going into turn 9. I could see Dave Tweedlie fill up my mirrors in his red Radical SR3, however, my race position was manageable and we maintain a 1-2 second gap to secure our maiden P2 win in car #8.
Race 2 Sunday (12 Laps): Tony Abel and Jeff Lederman turned better times than I did in Race 1 so I’m starting 5th on the grid; additionally in front are the cast of characters from the P1 podium. Please watch/enjoy the HD Video and see how it all turns out.
Additionally, we have video from Steve Nicklin’s car giving a unique prospective:
Lastly a big shout out and Thanks to my Wife Naia Day and my friend Shams Rahman for coming out and supporting the Team’s Race Weekend.