Trans Am VIR 2015 Report
09-28-2015, 07:28 PM
#1
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Trans Am VIR 2015 Report
All,
I have been pretty quiet about my Trans Am season, and for good reason, it's been tough the last two Rounds as we experienced an engine failure before the Green Flag at Mid Ohio (DFL finish) and a faulty alternator at Road America (16th or something like that). Going into Round 9 at VIR I wasn't all that hyped up to race, but things could turn around.
We tested on Thursday to get a feel for things, and right away the car felt good. We changed the spring/sway bar set up back to something more "generic" (versus something unique) and I was worried the car would understeer too much. This set up was similar to what we had on my first TA car two years ago and I could barely drive it as it understeered so much. Now, after acclimating myself to what these cars like, I found this set up to be pretty cool.
Thursday's four practice sessions were all in beautiful weather, and I found I was fast from then start. We estimated I was running times with 1/2 second of the top cars, so I was cautiously optimistic about things...but I've been there before so I stifled any enthusiasm.
Friday came to us with rain, and two more days of steady rain. Driving these cars on a wet track is never fun, but since we knew the weather was going to stay this way, we decided to "enjoy the suck" and get used to it. Someone said driving a GT1 racecar in the rain is like surfing on an alligator...you know you're going to get wet and you're likely going to get bit.
We made a few changes in the set up to make the car better for the rain, and funny thing...it wasn't so terrible to drive on the wet track. I actually started to enjoy it. But, again, I stifled any enthusiasm or optimism.
Trans Am waived qualifying because of the wet track, so we started Sunday's race in single file (I am not a fan of this) and gridded by season points. Because of what happened at Mid Ohio and Road America, I am in 9th place (from 6th in July).
Green flags falls and going through Turn 1 I see two cars off the track driver's left...I am in 7th place. I get by Simon Gregg entering the Uphill Esses and am in 6th. Lap 2 I see another car go off Turn 1 and I am in 5th, and later in the lap another car goes off. We go Full Coarse Yellow at the end of Lap 4 and I am in fourth place. So far, so good, but it's along race so I again stifle any optimism.
Green Flags flies again and we all get passed by a hoard of TA2 cars (faster in the rain because of better rain tires), but I take off after 3rd place, and by the end of the lap he's off the track...3rd place.
Now it's me, Amy Ruman, and Paul Fix in the lead.
Next Green Flag and we go at it, and off goes Amy...second place and no one really near me behind. So I set my sights on catching Paul.
The track starts to dry out so Paul and I start passing the TA2 cars that got by us when I was wet. I get by Cameron Lawrence, who is leading TA2, and start to bear down on Paul. I need to be patient, though, as I don't want to burn up my tires with the drying track. So I bide my time waiting for a good time to pass. But another Full Coarse Yellow comes out because a TA2 car goes into the wall entering Turn 3.
The race is checkered early because the officials determined they could not clean up the mess and fix the tire wall in time for a last Green Flag run to the Checkered. So I finish second.
I had my first Trans Am victory in my sights...I was sooo close.
I will post in-car videos soon.
The finishing order was:
1. Paul Fix
2. David Pintaric
3. John Baucom
4. Cliff Eben
5. Amy Ruman
6. Simon Gregg
7. Keith Grant
8. Jim McAleese
I have been pretty quiet about my Trans Am season, and for good reason, it's been tough the last two Rounds as we experienced an engine failure before the Green Flag at Mid Ohio (DFL finish) and a faulty alternator at Road America (16th or something like that). Going into Round 9 at VIR I wasn't all that hyped up to race, but things could turn around.
We tested on Thursday to get a feel for things, and right away the car felt good. We changed the spring/sway bar set up back to something more "generic" (versus something unique) and I was worried the car would understeer too much. This set up was similar to what we had on my first TA car two years ago and I could barely drive it as it understeered so much. Now, after acclimating myself to what these cars like, I found this set up to be pretty cool.
Thursday's four practice sessions were all in beautiful weather, and I found I was fast from then start. We estimated I was running times with 1/2 second of the top cars, so I was cautiously optimistic about things...but I've been there before so I stifled any enthusiasm.
Friday came to us with rain, and two more days of steady rain. Driving these cars on a wet track is never fun, but since we knew the weather was going to stay this way, we decided to "enjoy the suck" and get used to it. Someone said driving a GT1 racecar in the rain is like surfing on an alligator...you know you're going to get wet and you're likely going to get bit.
We made a few changes in the set up to make the car better for the rain, and funny thing...it wasn't so terrible to drive on the wet track. I actually started to enjoy it. But, again, I stifled any enthusiasm or optimism.
Trans Am waived qualifying because of the wet track, so we started Sunday's race in single file (I am not a fan of this) and gridded by season points. Because of what happened at Mid Ohio and Road America, I am in 9th place (from 6th in July).
Green flags falls and going through Turn 1 I see two cars off the track driver's left...I am in 7th place. I get by Simon Gregg entering the Uphill Esses and am in 6th. Lap 2 I see another car go off Turn 1 and I am in 5th, and later in the lap another car goes off. We go Full Coarse Yellow at the end of Lap 4 and I am in fourth place. So far, so good, but it's along race so I again stifle any optimism.
Green Flags flies again and we all get passed by a hoard of TA2 cars (faster in the rain because of better rain tires), but I take off after 3rd place, and by the end of the lap he's off the track...3rd place.
Now it's me, Amy Ruman, and Paul Fix in the lead.
Next Green Flag and we go at it, and off goes Amy...second place and no one really near me behind. So I set my sights on catching Paul.
The track starts to dry out so Paul and I start passing the TA2 cars that got by us when I was wet. I get by Cameron Lawrence, who is leading TA2, and start to bear down on Paul. I need to be patient, though, as I don't want to burn up my tires with the drying track. So I bide my time waiting for a good time to pass. But another Full Coarse Yellow comes out because a TA2 car goes into the wall entering Turn 3.
The race is checkered early because the officials determined they could not clean up the mess and fix the tire wall in time for a last Green Flag run to the Checkered. So I finish second.
I had my first Trans Am victory in my sights...I was sooo close.
I will post in-car videos soon.
The finishing order was:
1. Paul Fix
2. David Pintaric
3. John Baucom
4. Cliff Eben
5. Amy Ruman
6. Simon Gregg
7. Keith Grant
8. Jim McAleese
09-28-2015, 08:35 PM
#3
Le Mans Master
09-28-2015, 09:21 PM
#4
Melting Slicks
You must be happy!! Or happier anyway.
Curious to the lap times in those "favorable" conditions say when you're having to use the wipers? Must require a good bit of patience.
I should know this but what type of wets are you allowed as compared to TA2? I have a set of Hoosier wets and they always surprise me with how much grip they have. My car is similar in power and weight to a TA2 car.
From here it looks awesome. Nice job. Thanks for posting the video!
Curious to the lap times in those "favorable" conditions say when you're having to use the wipers? Must require a good bit of patience.
I should know this but what type of wets are you allowed as compared to TA2? I have a set of Hoosier wets and they always surprise me with how much grip they have. My car is similar in power and weight to a TA2 car.
From here it looks awesome. Nice job. Thanks for posting the video!
09-28-2015, 10:19 PM
#5
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
In the dry, we run times in the 1:48-1.49 range. The beginning of the race was the wettest, and my laps were in the 2:18 range, but as the track dried I saw 2:07s and would have gone faster if I wasn't trying to save the tires.
Last edited by BuckeyeZ06; 09-29-2015 at 08:05 AM.
10-01-2015, 09:43 PM
#11
Le Mans Master
GREAT drive, David. I loved wet GT-1 races because I felt it gave me an advantage. Looks like you are a "MUDDER" too!
CONGRATULATIONS!
JIM
CONGRATULATIONS!
JIM
