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2005 Inter-Regional 944 spec class Championship


Tim Comeau

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Hey drivers,

Remember this post?

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New for 2005!

The Series Directors in NASA SoCal and NASA AZ have agreed on a 4 race series to determine a South West 944 spec Champion!

THE FIRST EVENT WILL BE AT FONTANA ON MARCH 12-13. Registration is open now. Do you guys want to pit by the fuel station again?

The above event will otherwise be a normal race weekend. We'll just keep track of the points for the Inter-Regional race series as well.

We'll designate 4 regularly scheduled events during the year, 2 in AZ, 2 in SoCal, as South West Championship events. These are not additional dates. The remaining 3 are to be determined asap.

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So we had our first event at Fontana and only Paluch came over and raced with us in SoCal. We had our second "Southwest" event here in SoCal during the July races at Willow Springs. Vaccarro, Gormelly, Boles, Hamden all came over from the Phoenix Group to race with us, with Hamden ending up on the podium on Sunday's race!

There were difficulties in getting dates this year for the AZ 944 guys so they weren't able to pick dates for their 2 races of the 4 total for the Southwest 944 spec Championship.

Well, it looks like now, there's a good date on December 17-18th at PIR in Phoenix. This would make the third and final event of the 2005 Inter-Regional Championship. The NASA SoCal season is over. The POC season will be over soon.

This event is one month away right now..........

 

According to my calculations, here's the points standings from the first 2 events at Fontana and Willow.

 

Dylan Scott 350

Tim Comeau 325

Mikael Weitze 318

Jim Marks 294

Jason Wilberding 216

Dwain Dement 200

Johnny Pag 166

Dennis Puddester 165

Norm Hamden 160

Mark Foley 140

Tom Spargo 137

Bill Addy 135

Vince Vaccarro 135

Jason Boles 133

Joe Paluch 104

 

We can't have a Southwest Championship unless we have at least one event in another Region (both have been here in SoCal). With 200 points up for grabs at this last event, anybody from 8th place could win it all.

I realize that it's kind of late in the year to add a date, but the event is still a month away.

This is kind of up to you guys. PIR is a great track. The weather should be great. I like racing with different drivers. It would help build the class. We can announce it as the final event asap and let the chips fall where they may, or try to build on this concept next year.

Thoughts? Any harm? Fair or not?

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Tough call for me right now, have to be out of my current place and into a new one by the 20th (Dec). If we get in early, then yeah. If not, I say we just call it over now. So, who won!

 

P.Dilly.

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Well... to be a proper inter region champion one really needs to attend 3 of the 4 events (or in this case 1 out of state event).

 

It does not seem fair to have inter-regional champ from some guy that did not race out of region at all.

 

That said... I still don't have a shot. Oh well.

 

 

PS.. the Dec 17th & 18th Event is the START of the Az 2006 Points race.

 

I plan to be there.... Oh... that is great time of year to set a track record.

 

1:13.308 is the record. Held by ME....

 

Any of you think you can beat it?

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1:13.308 is the record. Held by ME....

 

Any of you think you can beat it?

 

What do you find you drop from say May through to Dec in times? How's 14.3 in May stack up against 13.3 in Dec?

 

What's up for grabs as the Inter-Regional champion? Bragging rights? The track was fun for sure.

 

P.D.

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Tough call for me right now, have to be out of my current place and into a new one by the 20th (Dec).

 

 

Dilly,

I think I found you a place to live in Manhattan Beach. It should be perfect for you. Let's see, where is it located? Oh yes, it's on 3rd Place

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Nice one Mike!

 

Ummm, I see you updated your signature already. Awards haven't even been handed out yet? Needed to stroke your own ego or something?

 

1 Rookie Season

2 Championships

2 Track records

 

I got a couple more for you to add to it.

 

X Number of contact with other cars in the process.

X Tens of thousands of dollars getting there.

 

Still got my ass handed to me by Timmee Comeau at ButtonWillow.

 

P.D.

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Bitter about the Short Track series, I think not. Wasn't prepared to spend any more money than I had on Short Track, wasn't worth it.

 

Just giving it back to the Swede. His comment made me laugh, it was a good one!

 

P.D.

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Dilly my friend, where is the love?

I'm just trying to help you find a place. Moving is always a hassle but it should be for the better in your case, maybe bring you a few blocks closer to Victory lane, cause really, no one enjoys being on 13th St...

 

Cheers Mate, Happy Turkey Day!

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What do you find you drop from say May through to Dec in times? How's 14.3 in May stack up against 13.3 in Dec?

 

Seems to me like 1 second slower = backmaker

 

Want to find out for sure? Drop by ...

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Ahhh, so you run 1:13's in May then Joe?????

 

Hmmmm, interesting comment coming from someone who didn't come back to find out the benefits of a short 5th gear at Cal Speedway!!!!

 

But seriously. Big Willow slows down a couple seconds in the heat for me. What about you guys at PIR?

 

P.D.

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Concur.......I cut a 1:36.9 at Willow during a morning session. Did 1:38's during the races in the afternoon.

I believe my best and only time at PIR was a 1:17.xxx on old YOKOHAMA AO32 tires, disconnected rear sway bar (thanks Paul Bloomberg) stock front sway bar, 250 lb front springs, 30mm torsions, 150 lbs overweight! I bought the car in San Diego on a Tuesday in February of 2003 and raced it that Saturday at PIR with the Phoenix boys! That's the spirit, eh?! It doesn't matter if it's optimally prepared............just drive it and join the fun!

Good times............

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We can give those AZ boys a run if we come? My first weekend was Friday 1:15's, then Sat / Sun in the 1:14's. Dement ran mostly in the 14's also but squeezed off a couple 13's. For first weekend out there in May's 110 plus weather, not too bad by the sound of it?

 

P.D.

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Ahhh, here we go Joe. Some May PIR times for the AZ boys!

 

P.I.R. - SATURDAY - MAY 21st, 2005

 

Qual.

1 44 Glenn Gormley 1:14.835

 

Race.

1 44 Glenn Gormley 1:15.326

 

Glen's the super fast guy isn't he?

 

And for the SoCal boys in May;

 

EVENT: CR No 4 Phoenix International Raceway

DATE: 15-May-05

 

Dwain Dement 1:14.322

Dylan Scott 1:14.498

Pete Yousko 1:15.015

 

Not too shaby for newbies. Better watch that smack talk Joe Joe!

 

P.D.

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I read in "SoPac News", the SCCA paper about AZ spec944 running at Willow Springs Oct 8-9 with as far as I can see a best laptime of 1.45.8

There's even a 944 on the cover.

Are their cars prepared that much different than ours?

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Ahhh, so you run 1:13's in May then Joe?????

 

Hmmmm, interesting comment coming from someone who didn't come back to find out the benefits of a short 5th gear at Cal Speedway!!!!

 

But seriously. Big Willow slows down a couple seconds in the heat for me. What about you guys at PIR?

 

P.D.

 

Lets see

 

Race 7 - PIR - May 7, 2005

07 Darren Griffith 1:13.810

 

As for me...

 

I have not run at PIR in May since 2002. That was my first ever 944 spec race and I was a bit slower then.

 

I have run in the September heat, but the track in Septeber is much slicker than in May. It has something to do with all of the summer heat and rubber. Therefore a september race will always be slower than a May race even with same air temps.

 

I think Tim Remember driving at AMP in 2003 in September. Best he and Dwain could manage were 2:00 laps. Track record is now a 1:52.890.

 

To compare apples to apples.

 

Paul Bloomberg ran a 1:55.242 at AMP in May 2003

Sept 2003 he ran a 1:56.936 on a very slick track.

Both of those time were very close to best race lap of all the spec racers.

 

 

So to really know what a 1:14.3 in may a PIR really means one MUST drive in the cooler months.

 

BTW... Was that 1:14.3 in the peak heat of the day 3pm - 5pm or was it before it got hot.

 

All my numbers are from when it got really hot during the day.

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Mikael, the SCCA rules allow for "cheater" (just kidding) wheels, different tires. They've just upped their weight minimum slightly and I think they're trying to mandate a minimum ride height.

Willow is a very intimidating track for drivers new to it.

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Ahhh, here we go Joe. Some May PIR times for the AZ boys!

 

P.I.R. - SATURDAY - MAY 21st, 2005

 

Qual.

1 44 Glenn Gormley 1:14.835

 

Race.

1 44 Glenn Gormley 1:15.326

 

Glen's the super fast guy isn't he?

 

Yes Glenn is fast... Look at the results again you will see he was 2-3 seconds faster than the competition that day.

 

When you are that much faster why push hard. Plus track temp as 173F that day. Air Temps at 1:15F.

 

Last time out in sept Glen Ripped of a 1:13.9... Of course he had to to stay in front of me.

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