BuckeyeZ06

Round 3 of the 2016 Trans Am Series was held at Watkins Glen on May 15th.

This is the first time Trans Am has been back to Watkins Glen since 2013. I was excited about the return because I have always liked the track and have experienced some decent success there. In fact, I had the pole for the Trans Am race in 2013 and led the first three laps until I suffered a broken transmission that caued a DNF, so I was anxious to get back there.

Friday was a day for testing. The first session was rained out, so the first time on-track was in the afternoon. The track is neewly paved and very smooth, but I had a hard time getting a clean lap so I didn't get a real feel for suspension set up.

Saturday started the "offical" Trans Am weekend. The TA2 class went on-track first for their Practice session. A really bad wreck caused this session to be cut short, and the delay in the repairs to the guardrails caused our session to be shortened to two laps...not ideal.

Qaulifying was held in a rain-threatening environment. The track was a bit damp so the game plan was to feel my way around the track the first "hot" lap and then, if possible, run harder. My second somewhat fast lap put me fourth on the grid, but three seconds off the pace. No problem as I was still feelign my way around the track, and that second lap did include some traffic that held me up. But exiting Turn 1 I got wide and ran onto the rumble strips and while doing so got the throttle down a bit too early and the car go turned around. I was able to avoid hitting the guardrails so the car was not damaged. But I did flat-spot my two front tires. I reamined fourth on the grid because rain hit the track very soon afterwards.

So starting fourth is a good thing, right? Yes, but that's not where I grid for the race. Because I flat-spotted my front tires I had to replace them, and because of that I lose my qualifying time. So I have to start at the back of the field...17th.

At the Green Flag I hold back just a bit, but I do want to pick off a few cars as soon as possible. Exiting Turn 1 a car is already spinning, but I am able to avoid hitting it and am actually able to get by a few cars that checked up.

Still on Lap 1 exiting the boot Joe Freda spins in front of me. I was able to avoid hitting his car, but two cars behind me were not. This was a pretty big crash, as it caused a 7-8 lap Full Coarse Caution. Mickey Wright and Connor Flynn (TA5) were the two other cars involved. Both are ok.

So I am now in 10th place waiting for the Green to fly again. While circling the track under caution Allan Lewis pulls off, so now I am in 9th. This is starting to work out...

We go Green again and immediately in Turn 1 Paul Fix, who was a favorite to win this race, is turned around and spinning. I avoid a third wreck and get by him. I also get by Claudio Burtin and am behind Simon Gregg as we both set our sights on Kerry Hit. We get by Kerry in his Caddy CTS-V going into the Bus stop. I think this gets me to sixth (I haven't reviewed my video yet and Race Monitor only has laps 11-28 showing right now).

Me and Simon Gregg go at it, like we always do. I get by him on Lap 15for 5th, but on Lap 22 he repays me the favor. Simon is able to build a fairly healthy lead on me, but in laps 25-27 I start realing him back in. ON he last lap, number 28, he and I enter Turn 1 nose-to-tail. He goes a bit wide on exit and I am able to sneek under neath and get on the throttle sooner than him. I got him! I run a defensive line for the remainder of the lap and finish ahad of him.

Here's the kicker: that pass was for the final spot on the podium...3rd. I went from 17th to 3rd, not bad.

Final Results:
1. Amy Ruman Corvette C6 1:49.355
2. Jim McAleese Corvette C5 1:53.251
3. David Pintaric Corvette C7 1:52.661
4. Simon Gregg Corvette C7 1:52.792
5. Claudio Burtin Corvette C7 1:53.646
6. Kerry Hitt Caddilac CTS-V 1:53.474
7. Denny Lamers Mustang 1:55.238
8. Charles Wicht Corvette C7 1:55.561
9. Tim Rubright Mustang 157.897
10. Henry Gilbert Corvette C7 1:56.007

In defense of my rather off-pace best lap, it was done on lap 27, so the tires were pretty shot by then. I was tied up in traffic when they were at their best.

I will share in-car videos later this week.

z28lt1

Nice! Thanks for sharing.

Captain Buddha

Congrats, David! Thank you for sharing! Even though I read it on Facebook, reading it here still gets my heart racing! What a comeback!!

z28lt1

Not as detailed, but at least a mention!

http://www.racer.com/scca-home/item/...es-at-the-glen

BuckeyeZ06

The drive home from the track (4 hours) was a good one. The sense of accomplishment ran through me. I put my head down and did what I needed to do. I can't tell you how many people came up to me after the race and said, "wow." Then the comments on Facebook. Very gratifying.

I am anxious to see my in-car video. It should fund to watch. I missed three cars that spun in front of me, and everu one of those misses was by "inches" (Ok, maybe 72 inches LOL)."

Me and Simon go at it almost every race. I saw him looking like he was having mechanical issues, and he blew through the Bus Stop without stopping. I got by him soon after and thought he was falling back, so I knotched the effort down a bit to save the car in anticipation of a FCY that would bunch the field up again. It never happened and he caught me. But I got him back! Good stuff.

I can't wait to share the video.

Captain Buddha

Looking forward to watching it!!

BrianCunningham

Glad for you

Also nice to see more races coming back to the Glen

Hows the repave?

JerryTX

Great job!! Love reading your write ups!

raff

Congrats -- can't wait to see the video.

BuckeyeZ06

Fast and very smooth, but my set up was off....suffered through a bad push the entire race. The qualifying set up was pretty good, I just didn't get a chance to use it. But the race set up didn't work.

BuckeyeZ06

Laps 1 & 2:

BuckeyeZ06

The laps right after the long FCY:

BuckeyeZ06

The last five laps.

johnny c

man you can see all the down force just by looking at your hood.

BrianCunningham

Hope you don't mind I shared this thread

https://m.facebook.com/groups/220463...54288584239255

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1592235357

BuckeyeZ06

Not at all. In fact, a bit honored that people find this interesting enough to share with others.

johnny c

any word on that brand spanking new TA car that got wadded up? the aftermath looked like a dumpster.

BuckeyeZ06

There was a TA2 car that went head-on into the Aarmco entering the top of the shoe on Saturday morning. It was shortened quite a bit. I heard the driver suffered a broken wrist, but otherwise is fine.

froggy47

Great video, lots of incidents, congrats.



Are these races on cable tv?

BuckeyeZ06

Just two, Mid Ohio & Road America.