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[924RACR]

PUB Racing was back out last weekend, June 3-4th, for Race 2 of our 6 race season at Waterford Hills. We were coming off a great opening weekend where we'd won both Class races and took a second in the Feature. However the Bimmer of last year's ITB Champion, doug Spencer, was back on hand with a fresh motor (after blowing it up last weekend) and ready to play.

Long story short, we took 2nd in both Class races, maintaining our lead of the championship, but finished 10th in the Feature after putting it into the back wall at 72mph with two laps to go. So we've been working on the bodywork, and there's some suspension parts to be replaced as well. Pics and video are all uploaded, including the not-to-be-missed crash video (on the Video page)!
http://www.vaughanscott.com/Races/2006/race2_06.htm

We got out quickly for qualifying, first on the grid actually (important since qualifying is very short and crowded, getting a clean lap is a challenge), and the car was quick right off the blocks - we shaved a tenth off our previous best lap time for a 1:20.5. However we were still half a second off the Bimmer's pace, as he set a 1:20 flat to take the ITB pole.

After the morning's qualifying sessions were over, the skies opened up mid-race on one of the race groups (leading to some exciting racing!) and continued to be spotty for the rest of the afternoon - alternating between stiff showers and drying conditions. Predictably, while the track had dried out, the showers reappeared again in time for our grid. The race started out on a fully wet track (though with everyone on dry tires, as there was no standing water and we knew it'd dry up soon), but with the sun showing. Due to conditions, we chose to not push too hard, just maintain our position, keep it on the track, and finish in second. We were also lacking in recent wet experience, so bringing it home in one piece was a good thing. Half-way through the race, the track started to dry, and we were on a full dry line with 3 laps to go. Again, we took a distant second with no complaint.

Sunday morning was clear and dry, happy to say, and we were again gridded right behind the BMW, 3rd overall. Tightened the rear swaybar back up to qualifying config - we'd loosened it up to be safe in the rain - and proceeded to hang right on the bumper of the BMW through the opening laps. Even better, we set a new fastest lap of 1:19.97 - our best ever, and in fact our first 1:19! After dropping a few wheels and spotting the BMW a few tenths of a second, we were able to close back up and threaten, though never really had much of a chance to make a pass. Again finishing second, but only 1/10th of a second behind the BMW: our closest finish ever, and we'd finally matched his pace!

The Feature promised to be especially exciting; Doug had not managed to turn such a fast lap time, so we'd actually out-qualified him for the Feature and started on the outside pole next to the GT-Lite Mazda GLC of Mike Patterson. That was a whole different experience, and much appreciated! The race was ours to lose... but we did.

After holding Doug off for the first two laps, on lap 3 we lost the rear coming into the esses, looping it into the grass and falling back a number of positions. Setting to work, we proceeded to move back up through the field, ending up in 3rd in class - but still well adrift of the 2nd place Capri of Todd Lincoln. While pushing really hard to catch up in the closing laps, we ran wide exiting Turn 5 (onto the backstraight) after failing to make the apex, pushing out into and contacting the tires (with the driver's side). As tire walls will do, we got wrapped up and spun around hard. Continued on to the corner station at the end of the straight, but could tell that the car was driving all wrong and parked it there.

Drove it in at the end of the session and assessed the damage; the obvious sheetmetal, with a very wrinkled left front fender, front lower valance, and some light dishing of the driver's door and rear quarter. Mechanically, there was plenty of grass in the wheel beads (though thankfully none lost air), the LF a-arm was pretzled pushing the wheel well back in the wheel well (and contacting the fender). The swaybar end link was also bent, the strut mounting plate took some damage from the angle of the strut, and the brake caliper was broken at the bridge! The stub axle, no surprise, was also bent.

So, since then, most of the bodywork is complete, and we're awaiting parts delivery to replace the brake caliper... and have some work to do to prep a new a-arm (swap in spherical bearings and replace swaybar mount). Once the car's back together, we'll be shaking it down at a PCA DE 6/20 - my wife Merritt will be taking her first lapping day then. Our next race is 6/24-25th, and we expect to be back on the pace and running with Doug again!
_________________
Vaughan Scott
Webmeister
'79 924 #77 SCCA H Prod racecar
'82 931 Plat. Silver
#25 Hidari Firefly P2 sports prototype