Daytona KONI Challenge - January 2009
Motorsports Technology Group (MTG) Porsche 997
Here's how it went down...
We Get In
We fly in Wednesday night and get into the hotel pretty late. Mike, Dad and I need to get to registration early since we don't have our 2009 Grand Am credentials yet, and there is typically long lines. We get there at 7:00pm...it is FREEZING, but we get through pretty quick.
Now I gotta find my helment since I mailed it down there a few weeks earlier to get the new mandatorty air lift system (or whatever they call it) installed. Grand Am is now making all drivers have this air pump system that expands the helmet so they can take it off you without movining your head and neck. Hey...I've got a wife and kids...sounds good to me and it's only $100.
We make our way over to the garage and meet the team. Of course I know Steve, but the rest are all new to me. Seems like a good bunch and they are certainly excited about getting the car on the track. They've spent a lot of time getting it ready, and it looks awesome!
Rookie / Driver Meetings
First order of real business is to go to the rookie meeting. Here all the people who have not raced Grand Am, or Daytona (in my case) get a good walk through of the danger spots from the series officials. I see a boat-load of people in there, which doesn't inspire a ton of confidence if 25% of the field are Daytona rookies. This is not the place you want to make a mistake
After that, the rest of the drivers come in for the more formal official meeting to kick-off the weekend. Everybody has high hopes for the new year. Most did the test days a few weeks ago, so they've got a big leg-up on us, but Motorsports Technology Group (MTG) has run good here in the past, and has Billy Johnson under the tent. He's got lots of experience in these things, and he ran the test days with another team...we should be all good!
First Practice
Billy takes the car out on old tires to shake it down. After a few hot laps, he brings the car in for me to get in. First laps....Awesome! I leave the pits with caution, and start to get up to speed. Man this thing is light in the front-end...and that rear really moves around! That's what you get with the motor hung over the rear wheels I guess. What a wiered feeling...that will take some getting used to.
Before the end of lap one, I get a call from the pits, it seems we are dragging the floor pan. I come in, and the team jacks up the car to take a look. Yep, some of the bolts came loose alright, and they quickly get it addressed. Unfortunately, we are now serving a time penalty. Grand Am pit rules say that the car must be on jack stands before the crew gets under it. Well...they definetly had the jack stands under the car, the the car was not "settled" on the jack stands. No worries, we wait a couple minutes and head out again. Next out lap...black all for a crash. Back in again. Nice. First session out, we QUALIFY TODAY, and I don't have a timed lap yet.
Next Practice
The team makes some changes for Billy and gets some new rubber on the car. He goes out again and is in the 2:01s! That's pretty awesome since the fastest race lap they did last year was 2:02.7. They get him in pretty quickly so I can get some time. Here we go again...out lap...black all. Then we go back out and get a couple timed laps. First one was a 2:15, largely because I missed the cicane by being too agressive on the brakes. They crew has to be thinking "Oh my God...what did we get ourselves into with this guy". OK, next lap...concentrate...there's a 2:05. Next lap 2:04 flat, now were are getting somewhere - but you know what, session is over....now it's time to qualify.
Billy and I look at the data and he's got some good feedback, mostly around backing-up a few of the corners to get a better exit.
Qualifying
Check this out, it makes sense for me to qualify since that guy needs to start. We'll put the ace in during the race for a strong finish. Sounds good...but we've got 35 cars, a 15 minute session, and only a few timed laps so far - this should be fun!
I go out last to get a gap. Run a few laps, turn a 2:03 flat, which is good enough for 21st place. Damn, that was pretty fast last year....now these guys are turning 59s in the Mustangs!
Race Day
By now, we've seen some more data, I actually beat Billy a little bit in a few places and he beats me A LOT in two (turn 6 and the cicance). If I get those right, we are in the low 2:02s, high 2:01s for sure. That will be a good race pace.
Also visible now is the fact that Dad and Mike, who are really only spectating, are about to go crazy since they are on the sidelines. Steve quickly steps in and give Mike the "lolipop" job before he chews his arm off...and Dad gets to spot for the race. It'll be nice with a familiar voice on the radio.
One more practice session for Billy and I, he does a few laps and I do some as well. I get into the high 2:02s and feel confident I can race this thing....NOW WHAT ARE THE OTHER 34 GUYS GOING TO DO ON THE START?
The schedule is hectic on race day, we do practice, quickly get over the an autograph session, to the drivers meeting, right to the grid....heck it's 1:00pm and I haven't even eaten yet!
The autograph session was great though. Steve and the MTG team gave out hats which showed the committment to the Morris Animal Foundation. A great Charity that helps a number animals with various diseases. Everybody loves the car with the dog bones and paw prints...they find their dogs name that they put on last year and get excited. Billy and I sign probably 400-500 hats and people are having a great time. The fans truly make the sport!
The Race
OK, last year I could see the pole man every time I took the green...not this time. Billy is on the radio telling me to watch out for turn 2. The track funnels down there and it is usually a mess on the start. Well, he is a prophet. We go in to turn 1 two and three wide and sure enough, I start to see cars sinning and parts flying all over the place. I get is slowed down and make it through. Whew! That one... Jesus, my only jobs here are to keep the fenders on it, move up as far as I can, and turn the car over with plenty of brakes to make a run. Almost got taken out in the first lap!
The next few minutes are a series of starts and stops with more crashes...man these cars are getting torn up! We finally get some green flag racing and it's time to get on the move. The car is great and we start picking them off one-by-one. Inside, outside, on the oval, in the infield...now this is getting fun!
More cautions...that sucks, but Scott tells me to conserve fuel as much as I can riding around there. We are not in the fuel window yet, and the more we can stretch it, the better. We get some more green and I'm in a pack of all kinds of action. Lap times are slow because I'm defending in some corners, but we are still moving forward, now into the top 10!
Another caution and several cars pit in front of me. Now we are 5th in GS, 7th in the queue behind 2 ST cars. Now we're talking! It's an hour into the race, we are almost in the fuel window and Scott tells me we will come in on the next caution. Cool, maybe we can turn a few heads for a few laps before the next yellow...be smart tough...Billy is waiting patiently to make a run for the podium.
Well, best laid plans I guess....the ST car bottled up the whole field, caused a big mess on the restart, and while I didn't hit anything I lost a few spots. You guys should've heard Dad's call on the radio for that one....INSIDE...OUTSIDE....YOU'RE THREE WIDE IN THE MIDDLE. Usually, those are followed by a "Oh SH&*", but not this time.
OK 1:15 into the race....time to pit.
I was making fun of Mike for getting the lolipop job, but it turns out to be a very important job. The crew is drilling into my head not to go past the board. If I do, the fuel hose won't reach and we'll be up-a-creek. Right now I'm thinking, OK, you did your job, no mistakes now....no pit speed violations and hit the marks perfectly. Get out quick and get Billy in there ASAP so he can join the fight.
All good...Mike holds the board like a Pro, I hit the marks and get out of there in a hurry. The team has a problem with one of the tires, so that costs us a little. No worries, lots of time left.
I get over the wall, start high-five'ing Mike and the crew and start to take my gear off. Couldn't have asked for much more that that. No damage, moved up, and put us in a position to fight.
Wierd feeling now, however, I am a spectator for the remaining 1:45min. That's new to me...not sure exactly what to do. I eat some food, debrief with the crew and watch the monitors to see Billy's progress. My Dad calls on the cell phone. He is on the spotter's tower across the track. I thank him for keeping me out of trouble and he says "great job". Now it's up to Billy, this would be fun to watch.
After the pit stop, he is back in the pack and moves forward with ease. The whole field is jumbled up now with all the pits stops so it's hard to keep track of what's going on without the monitors. The ST traffic is playing a big part and he uses their draft masterfully.
Billy get's up to 6th after several green flag and caution laps. Now we are in the window again. All of the leaders are in a row and they all come in with a little less than an hour left. What's the call? Should we do tires or not? Billy and Scott talk about it on the radio and decide that we should take them. We need him to have the best he's got to make the final run. OK, they all enter the pit lane....this is the race! Every car in the top group takes tires. We do as well...Oh no, the left rear tire changer is having problems! Not sure if a lug got crossed or what...but a very slow stop. Billy goes out 14th!
Scott apologizes on the radio and what does Billy say very calmly, "no problem, we'll just drive around them". And drive wound them he did....gets us up to 4th in sight of the leaders before the last caution ended the race. I know he could've made some more ground as the Mustangs were getting loose. Auberlen was not to be denied in my opinion...so we end up 4th.
- Best finish for MTG at Daytona
- Highest finishing Porsche
- Highest finishing Mustang Challenge driver
All good stuff. This starts out Billy and MTG in a great position for the championship. Glad I was able to be a part of it!
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