ST2 NASA Championships Results

[Greg G.]

As some of you may know, there was some controversy in the ST2 class in regard to the #212 Audi of Patrick Lindsey. A protest was filed by a competitor that believed that the car was under it's legal adjusted weight/power ratio. NASA Officials sealed the car after the ST race, and ordered that the car get dyno'd the following day. However, the competitor that filed the protest withdrew the protest, and the order to dyno test the car was withdrawn, and the ST results were made official. However, the request was still present to dyno test the car for TTS. The competitor was very confident that the car would pass the dyno test without any problems, and proceeded to cancel plane reservations, and at great expense take the car (along with myself) to get dyno tested on a Mustang AWD dynamometer yesterday morning.

 

Those results confirmed our GPS data collection during TT/ST sessions that the car was likely overpowered for it's weight in TTS/ST2, and the car/competitor were D/Q'd in TTS. It is very clear that the competitor believed that the car was legal until after the dyno testing was competed. And, it is also clear that accusations of sandbagging and/or using hidden switches/timing-fuel maps were unfounded, as evidenced by the failure of the car to pass dyno testing. Patrick was very distraught to find that the car was in-fact not legal, and although the ST2 results were made official, and the protest was withdrawn, he has asked NASA to declare him as a DNF, and he is declining the championship that he was awarded. So, congratulations to Tony Buffamonte, our 2007 NASA ST2 National Champion, as well as Robb Holland and James Wagaman for their second and third place finishes.

 

I would also like to commend Patrick Lindsey for his honesty and integrity. It is very clear to me and NASA that he thought that his dyno testing at home prior to the event was accurate, and that the dyno testing we did yesterday would vindicate him from the myriad of accusations on both the car and his character. Unfortunately for him, both the NASA GPS data and some of his fellow competitors were correct regarding the weight/power ratio of the vehicle. Those that attacked Patrick and his crew's character, and accused them of having hidden "cheater modifications" have hopefully learned something about Patrick Lindsey, and are reminded that just because a car is not legal, it does not mean that the competitor is intentionally cheating. In fact, it is my experience with NASA, that the majority of vehicles that are found to be non-compliant are due to honest mistakes made by competitors.

 

Also, it is very nice to have validation of our GPS monitoring system of all-wheel drive vehicles.

Edited December 25, 2007 by Guest

[ViperRacer]

Was his Dyno Testing Done at home at a certified NASA location? or was he just guessing on the HP/weight ratio.

 

What a stand up guy to admit a mistake was made.