To all of you who may be interested,

 

I took a last minute trip to Phoenix last weekend to race my Van Diemen Zetec formula car, this time as an FC (Formula Continental), rather than as an FA (Formula Atlantic) as I had down there last year.

If you run the wider wheels and tires (as we did in the West Coast Pro Zetec series last year) on this car in SCCA club racing, you have to run as an FA.

Last year we ran it with those wheels/tires as a test for the planned up-coming pro races.

This time I was more concerned with getting some needed race finishes to satisfy my SCCA national competition license renewal requirements, and as JD had a line on a couple of sets of narrower wheels we could barrow, as well as a couple of sets of unused Avon tires left over from the runoffs last year, we decided to run as an FC, as the car is more competitive in that class than it is in FA.

Along with the narrower wheels/tires, the fuel mapping for the engine's ECU has to be flashed for the lower 150 HP of the FC rules (which it already was, as that was the spec required for the Zetec pro series races  that we ran in last season), rather than the 175 HP that can be used if the car runs as an FA.

"Real" FAs have closer to 260 HP, so you can see why an FA spec Zetec isn't very competitive in the FA class.

Are you following so far? 

Racing of all types is heavy in the "rules" department with the objective being to create a "level playing field" among competitors.

It's hard enough to keep up with the rules and any changes when one is involved on a regular basis, let alone from an outsider's perspective.

I include these related specifications just to give you an idea of some of the considerations involved in deciding when, where, and how to race.

This is usually decided on before a season starts, with plenty of time available to make any needed changes or buy any needed equipment (wheels, etc.).

If my car hadn't been pretty much ready to go (configured properly for FC), and the wheels and tires hadn't been readily available, I would not have been able to run it this past weekend due to the last minute nature of the opportunity.

Front Range Motorsports, the prep shop in Denver that takes care of the car for me, already had a full trailer when I originally tried to sign on for this race back in late December, but a last minute cancellation by another driver allowed me the opportunity to go.

I had been about commit to rent a Spec Racer Ford (SRF) sports racer (full fendered, open cockpit car) for the event from La Rue Motorsports, who I have rented that type of car from before, but it would have only been available for one of the two races, and those cars are, in my opinion, nowhere near as exhilarating to drive as the FC/FA Zetec.

When JD called to say he had a spot for my car in the trailer due to the cancellation, and that the car could be ready in time, I was understandably very happy.

It was almost as good a feeling as you got when you were a kid at Christmas, or on your birthday.

 

Anyway, the trip to Phoenix was great, as I ended up qualifying second and finishing first both days.

It's not often that happens, especially after a six month lay-off from the car.

Very cool.

It made me feel that maybe I can still get after it.

I also got a checkered flag and a victory lap each day, which I can't remember ever getting before.

 

Needless to say, with all I've had going on since last year at this time when Billie's dad passed away, it was really up-lifting to experience the joy of racing again, and the satisfaction of again coming out on top.

The FC field was rather small at just five cars, but all were good drivers with good equipment, and I had to work really hard to both get to the front each day, and then to hold the lead through the rest of each race.

We ran in race group 2 (of 5), along with the FA, FB, FE, CSR, DSR, and S-2000 classes both days, with a total race group car count of twenty.

The FAs CSRs and DSRs were quite a bit faster at that track than the FCs were, so there was lots of excitement, both on the first few laps as they held us up a bit until their tires came up to temperature, and again later in each race as they began to lap us.

 

Traffic played a big part in Saturday's race, as Jose Gerardo, who had out-qualified me by about .4 (4/10) second got together with a DSR coming out of the Carousel turn, resulting in his FC having the right rear corner (suspension and wheel/tire) damaged, ending his race.

I had dropped to third in class at the start, partly due to the inter-class traffic, but was able to put in consistent fast laps and close on my teammate, Dwight Rider, before a full course caution bunched us back up again. After the restart I was able to get past him after he made a mistake entering the turn back onto the oval's banking, after which time I was able to pull out a pretty comfortable lead, until a second full course caution came out with only five laps or so remaining.

I got a good restart though, and was able to gradually pull away to the finish.

 

On Sunday, we were granted a split start (where the faster classes of cars in our race group took the green flag about 1/4 lap before we came to the start line for our start), which made the traffic flow going off the oval into turn one much less crazy.

Dwight had out-qualified me by about .3 (3/10) second, and pulled away a bit, but I was able to stay close enough to make a pass for the class lead when he had to slow up slightly, coming through turn four of the oval portion of the track, for the lone S-2000 car that we were both about to lap.

This allowed me to get a run on him, and I was able to pass both him and the S-2000, as I went to the inside exiting onto the straight, while Dwight went to the outside.

I have to add that Dwight was running the new East Coast Pro Zetec spec Hoosier tires, and as the pro series limits cars to one set per double race weekend he was using them both days in order to get a handle on how they will hold up for two days of both qualifying and racing.

They started to go away about half way through Sunday's race, and as I was on a fresh set of Avon FC tires both days, I had the advantage of better (stickier) tires towards the end of the race, which allowed me to close up on Dwight.

It's hard to say if I would have been able to get by him without his also being balked by the S-2000, but perhaps so, due to this tire advantage. 

 

I think that I am finally (after running there five times, I believe) beginning to come to grips with that PIR track, which requires very high faith in both the car and one's ability to turn down off the banking, flat-out, into the entry of the decreasing radius of turn one of the road course.

This is a real confidence check, or as some might say, a true test of the size of ones' cajones.

If the car isn't set up right there is no way you can do this (carry as much speed as possible, as far as possible into turn 1), and you have to do this for a quick lap time.

I had some pretty big moments there, including one 360 degree spin during a qualifying session, but other than that I did pretty well there, especially with cars hounding me a bit during the races.

I ran the fastest race lap in my FC class both days, didn't make any big driving mistakes, and was fortunate enough to be able to take advantage of those of a couple of my competitors.

My fastest lap in the race Saturday was on the last lap (30th), which always makes me feel good, as I know I didn't let up due to a lapse of attention, or fatigue.

This has been something I have been able to do over the years that I have been racing, and I think it has helped me achieve what success that I have had.

I do like to post the fastest qualifying time and be on the "pole", as that makes a definite statement, but it's usually more important to be able to run consistent fast laps throughout the entire race. 

 

As always, the guys at Front Range Motor Sports (JD McDermott, his brother Joshua Kerrigan, and Dennis Thompson, who was responsible for my car for this event) gave me a great car.

We didn't change anything but tires and a set of worn front brake pads on my car all weekend, and I think I only tried one small change of the brake bias, which I immediately changed back.

This may not sound like a big deal, but those of you who know something about the constant struggle to adjust the car in order to stay competitive during a race event weekend will understand that it was pretty amazing.  

I always try to drive the car as fast, and as consistently, as I can, but great results, I think, are usually more a product of the car's preparation and set-up, along with good tires.

Once again, as in my great FC season back in 2000, Avon tyres (the correct British English spelling) came through for me, as did my guys at Front Range.

It was a weekend that unfolded at the eleventh hour, with no high expectations, and yet once again turned into that magical kind of experience that reaffirms my love of this pastime..

They seem too few, and far between, but they sure are special.

I wish everyone who climbed into a race car could experience what it's like to have everything fall into place like this, and have this feeling.

 

This seems to result in a wider range of driver experience and skill level (more middle aged club racers participating), so we older guys may have a little better shot at being competitive, and will also have more cars to race closely with, which always makes it more interesting and challenging. 

 

 

As always, I still find it very hard to return to my "normal" life after a race weekend. 

 

I hope all of you are doing well, and are having some fun.

 

John