25 Hours Update - non-Pfadt
12-06-2008, 01:20 AM
#1
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St. Jude Donor '09
25 Hours Update - 2nd place ES finish!!!!
I hate that the great guys on the Pfadt are having trouble with the car - that thing is CRAZY quick and sounds as mean is it looks!
I'm running with a different team in the same ES class - the Prototype Development Group driving a highly modified Factory Five Racing GTM-R.
Two of us were able to run right around 1:55 flat today running single hot-laps in practice - an improvement of nearly 5 seconds per lap over what I ran in August. That's a testament to all the hard work that the Prototype Development Group has put in on their GTM-R since then. This thing is so much fun to drive - everybody oughta get to do it at least once!
David Ray - owner of Hooked On Driving - qualified the car for us since he has thousands of laps at Thunderhill and was able to muster a 1:56.7. Not as fast as we were running earlier in the day, but good considering it was dark and very crowded out there!
That puts us on the inside of the 3rd row for the start, not a bad place to bel.
Weather is great, car is running great, team is psyched, we're going to drive smart, slow (2:01 is our target pace), and try to nurse this machine through 25 hours of craziness.
I'll try to add some notes after the start tomorrow, and after my first stint which should be from around 4:00 to 6:30 - the transition from light to dark... fun times!!
I'm running with a different team in the same ES class - the Prototype Development Group driving a highly modified Factory Five Racing GTM-R.
Two of us were able to run right around 1:55 flat today running single hot-laps in practice - an improvement of nearly 5 seconds per lap over what I ran in August. That's a testament to all the hard work that the Prototype Development Group has put in on their GTM-R since then. This thing is so much fun to drive - everybody oughta get to do it at least once!
David Ray - owner of Hooked On Driving - qualified the car for us since he has thousands of laps at Thunderhill and was able to muster a 1:56.7. Not as fast as we were running earlier in the day, but good considering it was dark and very crowded out there!
That puts us on the inside of the 3rd row for the start, not a bad place to bel.
Weather is great, car is running great, team is psyched, we're going to drive smart, slow (2:01 is our target pace), and try to nurse this machine through 25 hours of craziness.
I'll try to add some notes after the start tomorrow, and after my first stint which should be from around 4:00 to 6:30 - the transition from light to dark... fun times!!
Last edited by mikahb; 12-08-2008 at 12:19 PM. Reason: Title change.
12-06-2008, 07:42 AM
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Mikah,
A little different ride from your T1 car I know you are having a blast! Tough luck for Aaron and his team though. Be safe and keep us posted on your progress.
Bob
A little different ride from your T1 car
I know you are having a blast! Tough luck for Aaron and his team though. Be safe and keep us posted on your progress.Bob
12-06-2008, 10:44 PM
#6
Melting Slicks
It appears there is currently a 3 hr red flag delay due to fog ...
just extended another hour and a half...
just extended another hour and a half...
Last edited by ERND IT; 12-06-2008 at 11:27 PM.
12-07-2008, 02:00 AM
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St. Jude Donor '09
Well - I'm at the hotel and getting in bed - which isn't great. The fog has set in hard here and we've been under red flag since 7pm - that's the bad news. The worse nes is that most folks from around here agree this fog ain't going anywhere until the sun comes up, so I expect we'll be stopped all night.
The good news is that our team is currently running 2nd (out of 22 starters) in our ES class and 4th overall!! So far, the GTM has been reliable and as quick as we need it to be. We're targeting laptimes around 2:01 which is about 6 seconds off the pace we ran in practice.
When I got in the car around 3:45, I immediately noticed that the rear bodywork sounded like it was scraping under power. As the laps progressed, the problem worsened to where the frame was bottoming out pretty badly not only on the back side of the Bypass, but also coming out of Turn 15. Then, it stopped geting worse, but the car was driving kinda funky. Now, we put on a set of Kumho 710 scrubs at the start of the race at 11AM, and I was taking these tires on their 3rd stint - so I thought maybe that was the issue. Anyway, I sucked it up and tried to find a way to get my laptimes where they needed to be. I ended up running about 95% of my laps between 2:00 and 2:02, so I was right in there - but it seemed like I was having to work pretty hard for it.
I was happy that I got the stint that would transition us from daylight to dark - that was a lot of fun and everybody should run at night at least once, it's a WHOLE different perspective on racing for sure! Just as dusk turned into real dark, we blew a right rear tire just as I crossed start/finish. I limped the car all the way around and into the pits for some new shoes and they decided to do a driver swap as well since I'd been in 90 minutes already (we are planning 2 1/2 hour stints). Well, it turns out the left rear shock mount had bent and deformed, and since we're running coilovers that meant I was 1" low on ride height on that corner - no wonder I was scraping frame!! So, as a temporary fix they adjusted the ride height back up, and sent the next driver out to see if it was workable. Meanwhile, they sent a mechanic up to another FFR GTM in the parking lot to remove the left rear shock mount.
Well, about 15 laps after Dave went back out in the car, the fog came in fast and furious. As it was rolling in - I mean within 2 minutes of the fog starting to get thick - the left rear shock mount failed all together! As Dave was limping the car around, they threw a full-course caution for fog, and closd the pits. After some rapid review of the rules, we realized even with pits closed we could pull the car back into the paddock and work on it. So, our Crew Chief Ted made the call and Dave came in. As we got the car up on jacks and the first wheel removed - they red -flagged the race.
The great part was that - per the rules - since we were already in the paddock, we could do all the work to the car we wanted!! So, we used some metal bar and a welder to reinforce the shock mounts on both sides, slapped all new (pre-bedded) brakes on the car, reset the ride height and now we're all ready to go. We did all of this without losing a lap!! Now, when the race does start again, I think we will be at the back of the line, but it's no biggie - we'll drive right back up there and be in great shape.
Anyway, the fog is a bummer, but our team is doing great and we're well positioned for a podium finish. The car that is beating us in ES is the V8-powered M3 and it's a SERIOUS machine He ran a 1:50 in practice and already has a 1:51 in the race. I think he's 3 laps up on us now. So, we need him to have a problem of some sort to give us a shot at the win, but we're going to fight hard to the finish!
So, we're catching some Z's while we can, getting reloaded, and ready for what I expect will be a 7-hour or so shootout to the end tomorrow.
The Pfadt boys have their rocket ship back on track, which is great news! I just move over when I see them coming - that car is REALLY quick.
I'll try to update again in the AM
The good news is that our team is currently running 2nd (out of 22 starters) in our ES class and 4th overall!! So far, the GTM has been reliable and as quick as we need it to be. We're targeting laptimes around 2:01 which is about 6 seconds off the pace we ran in practice.
When I got in the car around 3:45, I immediately noticed that the rear bodywork sounded like it was scraping under power. As the laps progressed, the problem worsened to where the frame was bottoming out pretty badly not only on the back side of the Bypass, but also coming out of Turn 15. Then, it stopped geting worse, but the car was driving kinda funky. Now, we put on a set of Kumho 710 scrubs at the start of the race at 11AM, and I was taking these tires on their 3rd stint - so I thought maybe that was the issue. Anyway, I sucked it up and tried to find a way to get my laptimes where they needed to be. I ended up running about 95% of my laps between 2:00 and 2:02, so I was right in there - but it seemed like I was having to work pretty hard for it.
I was happy that I got the stint that would transition us from daylight to dark - that was a lot of fun and everybody should run at night at least once, it's a WHOLE different perspective on racing for sure! Just as dusk turned into real dark, we blew a right rear tire just as I crossed start/finish. I limped the car all the way around and into the pits for some new shoes and they decided to do a driver swap as well since I'd been in 90 minutes already (we are planning 2 1/2 hour stints). Well, it turns out the left rear shock mount had bent and deformed, and since we're running coilovers that meant I was 1" low on ride height on that corner - no wonder I was scraping frame!! So, as a temporary fix they adjusted the ride height back up, and sent the next driver out to see if it was workable. Meanwhile, they sent a mechanic up to another FFR GTM in the parking lot to remove the left rear shock mount.
Well, about 15 laps after Dave went back out in the car, the fog came in fast and furious. As it was rolling in - I mean within 2 minutes of the fog starting to get thick - the left rear shock mount failed all together! As Dave was limping the car around, they threw a full-course caution for fog, and closd the pits. After some rapid review of the rules, we realized even with pits closed we could pull the car back into the paddock and work on it. So, our Crew Chief Ted made the call and Dave came in. As we got the car up on jacks and the first wheel removed - they red -flagged the race.
The great part was that - per the rules - since we were already in the paddock, we could do all the work to the car we wanted!! So, we used some metal bar and a welder to reinforce the shock mounts on both sides, slapped all new (pre-bedded) brakes on the car, reset the ride height and now we're all ready to go. We did all of this without losing a lap!! Now, when the race does start again, I think we will be at the back of the line, but it's no biggie - we'll drive right back up there and be in great shape.
Anyway, the fog is a bummer, but our team is doing great and we're well positioned for a podium finish. The car that is beating us in ES is the V8-powered M3 and it's a SERIOUS machine He ran a 1:50 in practice and already has a 1:51 in the race. I think he's 3 laps up on us now. So, we need him to have a problem of some sort to give us a shot at the win, but we're going to fight hard to the finish!
So, we're catching some Z's while we can, getting reloaded, and ready for what I expect will be a 7-hour or so shootout to the end tomorrow.
The Pfadt boys have their rocket ship back on track, which is great news! I just move over when I see them coming - that car is REALLY quick.
I'll try to update again in the AM
12-07-2008, 08:33 AM
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good luck man, sounds like you got a break with the fog.
Be safe and bring home a podium finish.
Be safe and bring home a podium finish.
12-07-2008, 01:51 PM
#14
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Thanks for the updates Mikah. Good luck today!
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12-07-2008, 02:04 PM
#15
Safety Car
If I've followed along correctly, 3pm Pacific time. It was supposed to end at noon (start was 11am), and they added 3 hours due to the 7.5 hour (?) red flag period.
12-08-2008, 12:44 AM
#16
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St. Jude Donor '09
Yep - the official end time was to be noon, with up to a 3-hour extension in the case of fog contingency. So, 3:00 was the official end.
Let me say that I am THRILLED and so proud that our team brought home a 2nd place finish in ES, and we were running strong at the finish! It was a wonderful and emotional moment for this team who - like everyone - has poured so much into getting ready for this race.
We had a few small things go wrong for us towards the end of the race that took us from what would have been 1st in class and 1st overall back to 2nd in class (behind the overall winning car) and I think 11th overall.
We cut another tire down - this time a left front - about 20 minutes after a scheduled pit stop, so that cost us almost 3 laps by the time we limped the car around the track and got it back out with new rubber. The rest of that stint went great, ran about 2 1/2 hours with no issues and good, steady pace.
Then it was my turn again.
So, I strap in, fuel is in, and they tell me to start it. I hit the start button and... nothing. Try again - nada. So, we immediately opt for plan B and we push-start it out of the pits. I run for about 10 laps and then the motor loses power - sputtering badly and won't run. I look at the voltmeter and it's reading zero - D'OH!! So, I limp around - again - and bring the car to the pits where they change out the battery and have me back on the track in about 3 minutes. I run for about 2 hours - really feeling good and the car handling really well, and then the new battery starts to run out of juice too - so back into the pits, and this time I have to get out.
They pulled an Optima blue-cell deep-cycle battery out of my Dad's 5th wheel and installed it in the car as I climbed out, and between that battery and the other matching one (also from Dad's trailer) that carried us to the end.
All in all, the cut tire and the battery deal cost us probably 7 or 8 laps in the end. We finished 9 laps behind the winner, so it could have been REAL close. But - coulda, woulda, shoulda... We're really happy with this result and are already planning upgrades for 2009!
I have to also say that it was a true pleasure meeting and chating with the Pfadt crew. A truly class-act group of folks who got about 20 times their fair share of adversity this weekend. At one point during the race, we thought we had a front wheel bearing going out - and we didn't have a spare. I went over and asked the Pfadt team if they had one, and not only did Aaron plop a spare bearing assembly into my hand immediately, he offered me 2 complete spindle assemblies ready to go and told me they're faster to change that way. We ended up not needing them, but what an awesome, sportsmanlike move to step up and offer that even after these guys had been thrashing on their own car all weekend. Thanks again, Aaron!!
I'll summarize the weekend later and get some of the great pics we have pulled in too - maybe even some video. We're beat - ready to head back home and get ready to move... ouch!
Let me say that I am THRILLED and so proud that our team brought home a 2nd place finish in ES, and we were running strong at the finish! It was a wonderful and emotional moment for this team who - like everyone - has poured so much into getting ready for this race.
We had a few small things go wrong for us towards the end of the race that took us from what would have been 1st in class and 1st overall back to 2nd in class (behind the overall winning car) and I think 11th overall.
We cut another tire down - this time a left front - about 20 minutes after a scheduled pit stop, so that cost us almost 3 laps by the time we limped the car around the track and got it back out with new rubber. The rest of that stint went great, ran about 2 1/2 hours with no issues and good, steady pace.
Then it was my turn again.
So, I strap in, fuel is in, and they tell me to start it. I hit the start button and... nothing. Try again - nada. So, we immediately opt for plan B and we push-start it out of the pits. I run for about 10 laps and then the motor loses power - sputtering badly and won't run. I look at the voltmeter and it's reading zero - D'OH!! So, I limp around - again - and bring the car to the pits where they change out the battery and have me back on the track in about 3 minutes. I run for about 2 hours - really feeling good and the car handling really well, and then the new battery starts to run out of juice too - so back into the pits, and this time I have to get out.They pulled an Optima blue-cell deep-cycle battery out of my Dad's 5th wheel and installed it in the car as I climbed out, and between that battery and the other matching one (also from Dad's trailer) that carried us to the end.
All in all, the cut tire and the battery deal cost us probably 7 or 8 laps in the end. We finished 9 laps behind the winner, so it could have been REAL close. But - coulda, woulda, shoulda... We're really happy with this result and are already planning upgrades for 2009!
I have to also say that it was a true pleasure meeting and chating with the Pfadt crew. A truly class-act group of folks who got about 20 times their fair share of adversity this weekend. At one point during the race, we thought we had a front wheel bearing going out - and we didn't have a spare. I went over and asked the Pfadt team if they had one, and not only did Aaron plop a spare bearing assembly into my hand immediately, he offered me 2 complete spindle assemblies ready to go and told me they're faster to change that way. We ended up not needing them, but what an awesome, sportsmanlike move to step up and offer that even after these guys had been thrashing on their own car all weekend. Thanks again, Aaron!!
I'll summarize the weekend later and get some of the great pics we have pulled in too - maybe even some video. We're beat - ready to head back home and get ready to move... ouch!
12-08-2008, 08:26 AM
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Yep - the official end time was to be noon, with up to a 3-hour extension in the case of fog contingency. So, 3:00 was the official end.
Let me say that I am THRILLED and so proud that our team brought home a 2nd place finish in ES, and we were running strong at the finish! It was a wonderful and emotional moment for this team who - like everyone - has poured so much into getting ready for this race.
We had a few small things go wrong for us towards the end of the race that took us from what would have been 1st in class and 1st overall back to 2nd in class (behind the overall winning car) and I think 11th overall.
We cut another tire down - this time a left front - about 20 minutes after a scheduled pit stop, so that cost us almost 3 laps by the time we limped the car around the track and got it back out with new rubber. The rest of that stint went great, ran about 2 1/2 hours with no issues and good, steady pace.
Then it was my turn again. So, I strap in, fuel is in, and they tell me to start it. I hit the start button and... nothing. Try again - nada. So, we immediately opt for plan B and we push-start it out of the pits. I run for about 10 laps and then the motor loses power - sputtering badly and won't run. I look at the voltmeter and it's reading zero - D'OH!! So, I limp around - again - and bring the car to the pits where they change out the battery and have me back on the track in about 3 minutes. I run for about 2 hours - really feeling good and the car handling really well, and then the new battery starts to run out of juice too - so back into the pits, and this time I have to get out.
They pulled an Optima blue-cell deep-cycle battery out of my Dad's 5th wheel and installed it in the car as I climbed out, and between that battery and the other matching one (also from Dad's trailer) that carried us to the end.
All in all, the cut tire and the battery deal cost us probably 7 or 8 laps in the end. We finished 9 laps behind the winner, so it could have been REAL close. But - coulda, woulda, shoulda... We're really happy with this result and are already planning upgrades for 2009!
I have to also say that it was a true pleasure meeting and chating with the Pfadt crew. A truly class-act group of folks who got about 20 times their fair share of adversity this weekend. At one point during the race, we thought we had a front wheel bearing going out - and we didn't have a spare. I went over and asked the Pfadt team if they had one, and not only did Aaron plop a spare bearing assembly into my hand immediately, he offered me 2 complete spindle assemblies ready to go and told me they're faster to change that way. We ended up not needing them, but what an awesome, sportsmanlike move to step up and offer that even after these guys had been thrashing on their own car all weekend. Thanks again, Aaron!!
I'll summarize the weekend later and get some of the great pics we have pulled in too - maybe even some video. We're beat - ready to head back home and get ready to move... ouch!
Let me say that I am THRILLED and so proud that our team brought home a 2nd place finish in ES, and we were running strong at the finish! It was a wonderful and emotional moment for this team who - like everyone - has poured so much into getting ready for this race.
We had a few small things go wrong for us towards the end of the race that took us from what would have been 1st in class and 1st overall back to 2nd in class (behind the overall winning car) and I think 11th overall.
We cut another tire down - this time a left front - about 20 minutes after a scheduled pit stop, so that cost us almost 3 laps by the time we limped the car around the track and got it back out with new rubber. The rest of that stint went great, ran about 2 1/2 hours with no issues and good, steady pace.
Then it was my turn again.
So, I strap in, fuel is in, and they tell me to start it. I hit the start button and... nothing. Try again - nada. So, we immediately opt for plan B and we push-start it out of the pits. I run for about 10 laps and then the motor loses power - sputtering badly and won't run. I look at the voltmeter and it's reading zero - D'OH!! So, I limp around - again - and bring the car to the pits where they change out the battery and have me back on the track in about 3 minutes. I run for about 2 hours - really feeling good and the car handling really well, and then the new battery starts to run out of juice too - so back into the pits, and this time I have to get out.They pulled an Optima blue-cell deep-cycle battery out of my Dad's 5th wheel and installed it in the car as I climbed out, and between that battery and the other matching one (also from Dad's trailer) that carried us to the end.
All in all, the cut tire and the battery deal cost us probably 7 or 8 laps in the end. We finished 9 laps behind the winner, so it could have been REAL close. But - coulda, woulda, shoulda... We're really happy with this result and are already planning upgrades for 2009!
I have to also say that it was a true pleasure meeting and chating with the Pfadt crew. A truly class-act group of folks who got about 20 times their fair share of adversity this weekend. At one point during the race, we thought we had a front wheel bearing going out - and we didn't have a spare. I went over and asked the Pfadt team if they had one, and not only did Aaron plop a spare bearing assembly into my hand immediately, he offered me 2 complete spindle assemblies ready to go and told me they're faster to change that way. We ended up not needing them, but what an awesome, sportsmanlike move to step up and offer that even after these guys had been thrashing on their own car all weekend. Thanks again, Aaron!!
I'll summarize the weekend later and get some of the great pics we have pulled in too - maybe even some video. We're beat - ready to head back home and get ready to move... ouch!
Thanks for the update, to bad about your bad luck. Aaron & the whole Pfadt crew are truly a Class act.
12-08-2008, 09:26 AM
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Mikah,
Congratulations! It must have been an awesome experience. Also very sorry to hear that we'll be losing you as a "neighbor" here in the South. But southern California ain't so bad, especially where you're headed. Looking for the pix of the weekend.
Bob
Congratulations! It must have been an awesome experience. Also very sorry to hear that we'll be losing you as a "neighbor" here in the South. But southern California ain't so bad, especially where you're headed. Looking for the pix of the weekend.
Bob
12-08-2008, 05:28 PM
#20
Le Mans Master
,....I have to also say that it was a true pleasure meeting and chating with the Pfadt crew. A truly class-act group of folks who got about 20 times their fair share of adversity this weekend. At one point during the race, we thought we had a front wheel bearing going out - and we didn't have a spare. I went over and asked the Pfadt team if they had one, and not only did Aaron plop a spare bearing assembly into my hand immediately, he offered me 2 complete spindle assemblies ready to go and told me they're faster to change that way. We ended up not needing them, but what an awesome, sportsmanlike move to step up and offer that even after these guys had been thrashing on their own car all weekend. Thanks again, Aaron!!
I'll summarize the weekend later and get some of the great pics we have pulled in too - maybe even some video. We're beat - ready to head back home and get ready to move... ouch!
I'll summarize the weekend later and get some of the great pics we have pulled in too - maybe even some video. We're beat - ready to head back home and get ready to move... ouch!
way to go