2008 Progress
(Updated 08 Aug)
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02 August - Greg takes a shot at the Pro-IT weekend at LRP. Figured it was time to knock some more cobwebs off, and see if the Integra could be made to go faster. Plus, it was a new track surface, so everyone was curious...
The event was fun! I like the 1-day Saturday format (no days off from work, home for "honey-do's on Sunday) and while I would have liked to have had more than 15 minutes for practice/qualifying, it really was "enough" if you went into it with the right preparation and mindset.
I had a couple of altercations during the race, and a vehicle equipment surprise 18 minutes into the 45-minute race. Most people behaved, and the results reflect that. Start watching the below video at ~24:00 when we came up to lap a "Make And Model That Must Not Be Mentioned" (MaMTMNBM - tm) nearly like we were beamed down by the Starship Enterprise. Notice said MaMTMNBM making blocking moves to keep both ITS cars (ours and the green RX-7 that was chasing me) in arrears. Caution: language. Hey, just sayin'...
The other "incident" happens at 41:45 when I let a lapping ITS car** pass on the left side of the exit of the left-hander, and I could See Andy Bettencourt was going to take me on the inside of the right-hander on exit. Then, a MaMTMNBM (tm) decides to try and pass me on the outside of the subsequent right-hander. I was taken totally by surprise by such a bonehead (IMO) move, and was left with very little options. TINK! and off you go...
And, scroll to the very end of the video to see exactly why I was driving like ass starting about 18 minutes in. It's definitely one of those cases where "ignorance is bliss"...
** After the first incident, I got the car collected, but things didn't "feel" quite right. I was evaluating the situation (while still pulling 1:04s and 05s) when up comes the overall leader; I let him by. A lap later we got a full course caution and all my competitors up front gained a lap on me, and my race was Well and Truly Over at that point. Thank you, come again. As competitors came rolling up on me I simply let them by, while simply trying to nurse the car home for a finish.
LRP Pro-IT Results and Greg's In-Car Video
Greg's Mid-Season Recap... A few descriptive words? How about: Wow. Confusing. Exciting. Successful! Inconsistent. Frustrating. Unsuccessful...fun? This has been an odd year. Really odd.
First, there's the "new" car for me (Greg Amy), the Integra. We set '08 goals for the project, primarily to see "what it could do" and use the year to develop the chassis, then decide if we were going to keep it in ITS or re-engine for ITA for '09 . The year started "OK" but sooner thereafter things got complex, in that I was asked to do data acquisition for a Koni Challenge team (APR Motorsports' three-car GTi program). While to date I've gotten in 3-1/2 race weekends (the "half" being a Sunday-only DP appearance with Jeremy at NHMS) I really don't think I've gotten a real handle on that car; I'm confident I'm leaving a lot on the table there. And, we've not gotten any closer to that class answer for '09...add in there some work- and personal-related conflicting priorities, and I'm beginning to wonder if just isn't one of those years where we enjoy when we can and not worry about it when we can't...? There is, truly, always "next year", no matter what, and I am glad to be working with Jeremy as partners in this Integra. I've no doubt the program will come to fruition soon. Watch this space?
Speaking of Jeremy, well, he's gotten on the track exactly once this year. He's got a lot of personal priorities hanging out there - recall the whole point of my getting into this car with him was because we was selling - but he's been invaluable when it comes to managing and implementing a lot of the details on the Integra progress. He single-handedly mounted and installed our new Race Technology DASH-2 and DL-1, and has been kicking tail on suspension updates. We'll get him in the car a time or two before the year is out, if for nothing else than to let him keep his license.
Then we come to Jeff Lawton and Joe DiMinno. Here's the "wow". And the "ugh". These boys have been on, seemingly, opposite tracks lately. Joe started the year STRONG - I mean, really strong - to the tune of 5 wins right off the bat, whereas Jeff had some early tribulations, such as a "hood pin wardrobe malfunction" at the opening weekend at NHMS. Joe was winning race after race, and we began to wonder if this wasn't another Kakashi Racing repeat of The Great Romp of 2006. But, just as mid-season began to approach, Joe began to display chinks in his armor: a skirmish with a wall at NHMS, equipment failures, minor driver mis-steps. Soon that dominant NARRC points lead began to fade. Then, at the same time, Jeff began quite the charge, tallying up a couple of strong, well-deserved wins; we had to wonder if he couldn't take the lead, when he had a transaxle failure at New Jersey.
Now, here we are at mid-season, and both Kakashi team members are finding their duffs getting chewed on by a newly-resurgent Integra driver, Geoff Branscombe; as we turn the corner into August Joe still had the NARRC lead, by a slim margin, but it's not nearly the slam-dunk it seemed to be just a month ago. What's going to happen during the charge to the NAARCoffs at the end of the year? Watch this space!
Matt Kessler has been keeping busy, busy, busy. He's now finding himself with a full stable of regular customers, with folks always lined up to have him prep a car or build an engine. As usual, he wants us to think he's unhappy with life, but I think we all know better: he's never satisfied 'cause he's constantly striving for more, and we all know he's eternally grateful that he's not trying to make a living replacing brakes and wheel bearings on rusty Dodge Caravans. "Never happy, but never been happier", if you know what I mean...
Then, there's Tim Rogers, or as we affectionately call him, Sir Edmund Timmerly. Timmy had a whale of a time in his new-to-him #33 NX2000 at the April driver's school and the subsequent Regional at NHMS. Then, we managed to arrange quite the leap-frog delivery of that car to his home in Atlanta. Unfortunately, during his first Regional race in that car at his home track, Road Atlanta, Tim had "significant misfortune" in Road Atlanta's infamous Turn Five which left the NX in a state of significant "disrepair". Will Timmy be able to repair the chassis in time for the ARRC in November? Watch this space...
We've got a couple of events coming up soon: I (Greg) am competing in the Pro-IT race at Lime Rock the weekend of August 2nd; this will be the first SCCA event on the newly-paved track, so it should be interesting. We've also got the big IT Fest coming up at Mid-Ohio, but only Joe will be attending: I am joining APR at Iowa Speedway to support their Koni Challenge efforts, and Jeff is taking a well-deserved wallet break. August has a couple more events that we're all on the fence about, and no one's planning much further into September. You'll no doubt see us at the NARRCoffs in late September and I'll be managing Team Conover's VIR 13 Hour effort again, but no one's yet ready to commit to driving all the way down to Atlanta in November. But we're thinkin' about it.
There's an old saw about "you never know what's going to happen; that's why we run the race". Never is that more apparent than this year in the Kakashi camp. Same bat time, same bat channel?
27 July - Jeff and Joe make the trek to Watkins Glen. Details unlikely to follow, since I can't get those guys to do write-ups for the web (or, they won't admit to me that they can't read or write...) Anyway, both got their butts handed to them by a Miata, Jeff got into a little on-track contre-temps with a buddy, and Joe didn't crash (as far as I know). All surprising accomplishments in their own rights...
In-Car video: Jeff Lawton and Joe DiMinno
20 July - Team Kakashi drivers Joe, Jeff, and Greg take a shot at the new Lightning course at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Neat track, seriously rewards bravery, trust in the race car, and consistent momentum. But it's FAST, so it's also a power track. The weekend was HOT, HOT, HOT, HOT, HOT. Broiling hot. DIRT AND DUST: I know it's new, and I know they're trying to grow grass in that sandy soil (we called that place the "Hair Club for Men" because of the planted grasses). But, it's this very fine dust that gets everywhere, and ANY dropping of wheels, even the slightest, causes a massive seriously opaque dust cloud to drift across the track; several times I went into a blind cloud at speed and could not - literally - see the front of my car. Where there wasn't dust, there was gravel across the track. Dropping off a wheel (guilty!), even the slightest, shot handfuls of these marble-sized round rocks onto the surface. But, the event ran silky smooth. SNJR and all stewards, volunteers, etc should pat themselves on the back for an event well-run. If you had landed here from another planet, not knowing this was a new track, you'd never know they were working with a new-to-them facility.
Some race notes: unfortunately, Jeff had a short week in that he fragged his tranny during qualifying. Greg managed to pull out a third in class and fifth overall in a strong ITS field, and Joe got a hilariously hard-fought second place, despite driving with a shredded tire for 2-1/2 laps!!! You just GOTTA watch the last two laps and the cool-down on Joe's video (caution: language)!!!
In summary, a neat track, a "Mecca" in terms of value-priced hotels, food, stores, fuel costs, friendly townsfolk. A "PITA" to get to from CT (NJ roads SUCK!!!) though well worth the drive. Big thumbs-up to all!
Results:
D Prepared,
ITS and ITA
(combined)
In-Car Video:
Joe DiMinno (ITA) and
Greg Amy (ITS)
06 July - Kakashi Wins 'em Both at Pocono!
Joe's writeup: "I won on Saturday. Jeff won on Sunday. It was a good weekend." Indeed.
Joe's In-Car video (with brake failure!): http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3127918522643288270
Greg was at Watkins Glen doing data acquisition, supporting APR Motorsports' Koni Challenge efforts...
July 5 - Greg was at Watkins Glen with APR. Thea drove up to join him they really kinda enjoyed seeing the Indy Cars there...excellent spectator track.
June 22 - Greg supports APR's K-C at Mid-Ohio.
25 May - Lawton Leads the Memorial Day Weekend Pack at NHMS!
23 May - Greg Amy supports APR Motorsports' Koni Challenge efforts at Lime Rock Park with data acquisition and driver consultation...
11 May - DiMinno Grabs a Pair at Pocono! Kakashi comes home with two wins, four seconds...
13 April - Joe DiMinno Wins ITA!
Welcome to 2008!
Yep, here we go: another racing year. We're all sitting around -- in the sub-freezing Northeast temperatures -- wondering what's in store for us this year, and trying to set goals. Or, just simply trying to get motivated to work on the cars...
2007 was a fun year. We didn't have quite the success we had in '06, but that didn't damped our spirits or our fun factor. Hey, "fun" is why we do this!
We start '08 with one big, big announcement: the venerable NX2000 has been sold. Long-time Friend of Kakashi Tim Rogers has agreed to purchase the #33 ITA Nissan NX2000 and will be making Road Atlanta the NX2000's new permanent home!
This was not a decision taken lightly. Though we'd offered the car for sale after winning the '06 ARRC gold medal, in hindsight it really wasn't that serious. The car was priced at what we thought an ARRC-winning car should bring, but it was more of an "I'll sell it if I can get this much, but otherwise I'm keeping it" kinda thing. In '07 we recognized that the team had pretty much developed the NX to its full extent; short of dropping in mucho-dinero Koni 2817 struts there wasn't a whole lot of room to grow. Engine was full-tilt with a broad torque range, the transaxle had all it could get, the Kessler Engineering 8611-based suspension was an excellent compromise, and even the chassis was about as good as we could reasonably expect. So, the project had morphed into "maintenance/repair" rather than a development mode. As a result, we soon found ourselves bored with a static situation; it was time to move on.
Of course, we're going to miss the car; we've got a long history together. Though, it's not like the car is simply disappearing; Tim has lifetime technical email and phone support and even though he's a thousand miles away we consider him part of the Kakashi Racing family. We'll be with Tim in a supporting role for the NX2000. We'll report his racing exploits here, too, starting with him running a driver's school/Regional in April at NHIS before he takes the car home.
As for other team members, ace drivers Jeff Lawton and Joe DiMinno are continuing in their trusty steeds (ITA Saturn SC and Sentra SE-R, respectively) and will, no doubt, "come together" for success more than once in '08. So, where does that leave our #1 driver, Greg Amy, and engineer, Matt Kessler? Matt, of course, will continue to offer his race build/prep services, and Greg will continue to support Conover Motorsports' enduro efforts, both in the pits managing and with an occasional arrive-and-drive.
However,
in 2007 friend and team member Jeremy Billiel was selling his ITS-prepared Acura
Integra GS-R to pursue other personal goals. He really didn't want to
sell the car; but he knew he was going to cut back on his racing significantly,
if not entirely for the short term, and didn't want his car sitting around
gathering dust and rust. The car, on paper, appeared to have potential in that
class, depending on how many ponies one can extract from the mill...
Therefore, we've agreed to pursue the Integra in ITS as a team, with Greg as the primary driver, Jeremy as the occasional driver, and Matt Kessler offering his top-notch build and prep services. Everything we've developed/learned over these few years will still be there and we'll get to learn and develop a new platform. And, with the SCCA's "VIN rule" changing next year, we may even find ourselves back in ITA with a re-engined Integra, competing against the very rockets we created (gulp!)
You'll hear from other "voices" as the year progresses; hey, everyone says that I talk too much, time for them to contribute! 2008 is shaping up to be yet another wonderful milestone; be sure to stop by on occasion to see what we're up to!