Race #2 Novice Race #2 Pacific Raceways

Scott Norton

Epic Win, I push limit
This weekend was an emotional roller coaster of back luck and good luck. We were really looking forward to being at our home track were we have lots of laps.
On the way to the track our tow rig spun a rod bearing and seized up. The Motor is toast.

A very good friend and a new sponsor to the team came to our rescue. It was decide since we were 5 minutes from the race track we need to go racing. We unpack the rig, camper, and hooked up to his truck and made it to the track.

Saturday morning it is raining steady. We decide to go out on rain tires (high performance street tires in our case) and just stay on the track.
Run very cautiously, and end up with the fast time of the session! Weird.

The second practice/qualifying is wet but trying to dry out, no rain is falling. We qualified 5th out of 20 on a drier track then before as we lowered the tire pressure which was the wrong way to go. The car is was very skaty and hard to drive. We still were 7 seconds faster then the first session!

The License Director fully inverts the field again except for me. I am closer to the front by a few spots.
Something was not right on the start so no green flag for the start.
We come around again and we get the green. I jump to the inside passing cars before turn 1.
We are 3 rows wide in turn 2 passing more cars.
Before the end of lap one I am in the lead with my Nemesis Bart House in his BMW E30 right behind me.
We pass each other back and forth for 4 or 5 laps then he pulls out a few car lengths lead on me.
He is much braver/better then me in a part (5a/5b/6) of the track then I am. Lose the car there you destroy the car and will get an ambulance ride.
I was not willing to go there.

About the ½ way point we get a full course caution for a car wrecked right in the area I just described.
On the re-start we hit the gas at the same time. I draft him then pull out and we go ½ lap side by side door handle to door handle.
I pull him on the back stretch just a bit and lead that lap. I continue to just pull him slightly as I put my head down and concentrate on hitting my marks. I run my 3 fastest laps, the fastest being a 1:42.805, backed by a 1:42.823 and hold on to win the race.

I know it is just a novice race and the goal is to make no mistakes and get your novice credits. We are not suppost to be racing as the goal is to finish, run a clean race with no violations.

But I am a racer and only have 2 speeds, fast and flat out. A win is a win and you never know if that one will be your last.
It is too bad all novices or drivers cannot experience the feeling. It is freaking awesome! To pull in off the track to your pit and find 10 people all there clapping is a wonderful experience. I had to fight to control myself and not cry. I have dreamed of this day my entire life since I was 5 yrs old playing cars in the dirt at Pacific when my Dad raced. That was for you Dad. Thanks for looking down and holding the weather off for us. We miss you.

Thank you to my brother Cam for his help. It would not be the same without you there.

The tow rig will be fixed thanks to a great friend and sponsor. Without him our season would be over. We would not even had been at this race of not for him. Then we get a win for him for his first time on the car. Thank you Steve and Gracie Castillo.

Next race is back to Portland on Saturday June 6th, this time we use the “Festival Chicane”. Hopefully we will finish our 3rd novice race cleanly and then pass our written test so we can upgrade. Then we can run our first point’s race of the season on Sunday in Radial Sedan Class in Group 4. That will being phase two of the never ending learning process.

We need to thank all of the ICSCC, IRDC Officials, workers, and volunteers. Without the effort all of you put in we would not be able to have this fun. Thank you to all of my fellow novices for playing nice. Thank you to all of the Senor Race Observers for your comments and suggestions!

Thank you to our ICSCC License Director. Your advice is invaluable and I am doing my best to listen, remember and put to use.

We have some front strut issues (need rebuild I believe) as I was told my front wheels were coming completely off the ground in turn 9 bumps! I will admit it felt weird but I did not feel dangerous as the car went straight and was fantastic everyone else. We noticed it was “different” (but not bad) in 5b/6 complex but we drove around it. On the RA1s the car would turn in and take a set and drift in 2 and 8 really nicely. And the brakes are fantastic. We are still a bit off pace for Radial Sedan class but we are learning and getting better.

We have 32 days to get a rebuilt motor in the tow rig and rebuild the struts. We will work hard and get it done for Portland.

Hope to see you there.

P.S. Data logger shows consistant .8 g's in turn 2, and 1.13 g's in turn 3a! Braking was peaking at over 1.0 g all so. Surprisingly we are topping out at only 122 mph through turn 1. Sure feels faster.
 
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+1 to what Scott said.

Again, thanks to Randy (License Director) and all the great people at Conference/IRDC for making this race happen. Special thanks to all the volunteers (flaggers, registration, grid, tech, etc.).

I had a blast during the race and found competition with some of the E30s, Spec Miatas, and RX-7s. Good, heads-up racing all around. Here's a video of me chasing some BMWs and an RX-7:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgYde3ZzQUM
 
I too had a fantastic time. And a big shout out to all the volunteers that made it possible, thanks again!

I don't know what the hell Scott is talking about for session #2 though! The only dry part of the track I saw were tire tracks down the front straight. I'll admit session 2 was not nearly as icy (or flat out scary through T1) as the first session, but dry... MY ARSE!
 
Mike- When you move up at the next Portland race be aware of those pesky RX-7's. Hopefully there we will have 5-7 to play with...
 
Great write-up! Sorry I missed the race, sounds like it was challenging and great fun.

Looking forward to June! :D
 
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