The time just before the start of the race is an event all by itself. Every crew member is on the starting grid, it’s literally packed with people. Everyone stands facing the flag for the national anthem, the guys playing the bagpipes walking past the cars all gridded up, the fly-over by the fighter jets, just a few hundred feet up. It’s an awesome site. So I’ve heard. I wouldn’t know. I’m always in the race car getting settled in for the opening stint of the race. Not once have I actually SEEN the jets fly over. I’m always kind of bummed about that as I hear them scream overhead, but that feeling fades as fast as the sound of their engines, because my focus comes back to the start of the race. Easily my favorite part.
I had a great night’s sleep at the hole in the wall motel that no one seems to know about. The place is empty most of the time, and if you’re OK with the subtle overtones of the Bates Motel and can deal with the smell of curry, it is the perfect place to rest before the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. Reminds me a little of that mini-series that was on TV several years back called “The Lost Room”. Very twisted. No, seriously, I got a great night’s sleep!
So we all show up at the track early in the morning. It’s damned cold. The crew is working on the car and getting the last things done that need to be done. Typical morning of race prep. All the drivers got suited up and we climbed in the car one at a time to get our seating position perfect. Once each driver was strapped in and comfortable, the seating position would be marked and initialled. These marks would be used during driver changes so the person helping the entering driver would be sure of getting the new driver’s position just right. Continue Reading »
Well, qualification went OK, but not as good as I had hoped. By the time I got in the car it was just getting dark. Not completely dark, but mostly dark. Dark enough that it got really dark really fast. But not fast enough to hide the spin I had on my out lap. Well, more like my out exit. Really like the very first time I turned the steering wheel even a little bit, I spun the car. Not a full spin, mind you. But enough to watch the apex pass by the nose of my car as I slid 90 degrees off the direction my car should have been pointed. Go Gary!
Seriously, cold tires on this thing are no joke. Not even a snicker. I “thought” about turning the wheel to the right in turn 3 and the ass stepped out. This was while I was on the radio to Marshall bitching about how bad it was driving on cold tires. While putt-putting around the outside of the corner letting cars go past. I was in full on counter steer mode at about 2/10ths, I kid you not. I vote for leaving the same set of rear tires on the car the entire 25 hour race. Continue Reading »
I’m going to try to blog through the 25 Hours of Thunderhill this year. Try and keep everyone up to date here and let you know how our weekend is going.
We’re way ahead of the game already. Last year by this time today we were wrapping up a rebuild of the MPME Scion Racing tC after it barrel rolled in practice on Thursday. So far, zero barrel rolls. We’re going to try to keep it under 3 inversions this year. Fingers crossed.
Today was my first time in the car since the last 25 Hours. Dave McEntee had the car out at Buttonwillow last weekend and the team got to shake the car down a bit and uncover a couple of issues. Yesterday, Mark Hotchkis and Rob Holland got to drive, as did Dave. All got to turn at least a few laps and start to get acclimated to the car. Continue Reading »
Grand-Am Cup and USTCC driver Gary Sheehan of Martinez, CA has helped earn Subaru its first-ever podium finish in a North American Endurance race, with a 3rd place overall finish in the #66 ART/ESX/Car & Driver/TC Design/JustRacing.com Subaru STi, at the 25hrs of Thunderhill. Racing in the highest car class (ES), against proven powerhouse GT cars such as Porsche 996 and BMW M3, Sheehan qualified the all-wheel-drive, turbocharged, four-cylinder car 4th on the grid, (with a lap of 1:58.447 on DOT street-legal Toyo tires). In his first-ever 25-hour endurance race, Sheehan drove the team’s first, middle and final stints, a total of 7 hours, on the way to helping the team secure their unprecedented high overall finish. Continue Reading »
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The time just before the start of the race is an event all by itself. Every crew member is on the starting grid, it’s literally packed with people. Everyone stands facing the flag for the national anthem, the guys playing the bagpipes walking past the cars all gridded up, the fly-over by the fighter jets, just a few hundred feet up. It’s an awesome site. So I’ve heard. I wouldn’t know. I’m always in the race car getting settled in for the opening stint of the race. Not once have I actually SEEN the jets fly over. I’m always kind of bummed about that as I hear them scream overhead, but that feeling fades as fast as the sound of their engines, because my focus comes back to the start of the race. Easily my favorite part.
