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Team WTF?! is a loose association of a handful of Washington, D.C. area
autocrossers. The name was hatched when two of the founding
members were doing a course walk in the rain at the DC ProSolo in June
2004.
The Answer is the question.
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Oak Tree National and CCPS |
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Written by Pinecone
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Wednesday, 16 August 2006 |
Much better weekend for the Team WTF?! Spec Racer Ford at VIR August 12 – 13, 2006. The weekend consisted of the Oak Tree National SCCA event and a Carolina Cup Pro Series enduro race (45 minutes). With the test day, practice, qualifying, and two races made for a lot of track time. The test day went well with things coming back together and lap times getting down to a reasonable level, but with more on the track.
Saturday dawned with a damp to wet track the worst possible conditions for the current tire choices, too wet for drys (say SLIPPERY) and too dry for wets (say burn up a set of tires). So the first practice was run on drys, but VERY cautiously. Still managed a nice slow spin into the infield at turn 10 and decided to call that session done. The second practice was dry and things wet much better. Qualifying had one of the other Hagerman cars girded right beside and as he is a bit faster, let him by and followed best as I could. For the CCPS enduro that netted a nice 7th place starting position. For the National race the HOT shoes were out. The pole was in the 2:15 range and the top 20 all under 2:18. Team WTF?! managed a best lap time of the weekend of 2:20.1 to take 26th on the grid of 33 cars.
The CCPS format is a 45 minute timed enduro with a mandatory 2 minute pit stop. The race group includes SRF, SM, ITA, ITB, ITC, ITS, SRX7, IT7, and I think some others. Fast ITS cars are the fastest, but as a group SRF are the fastest, leading to LOTS of passing of slower cars and having them be a real factor in making or reducing the gap with other SRFs. The start went well until another Spec Racer decided that he wanted to move outside, never mind there was a car already there. That bump cost 2 places. Later an ITS car that mush have had horrible qualifying session came storming by on the back straight. And thus the race settled down to circulating and passing the many slower cars. One of the two cars that got past at the start spun and was behind, but a Spec Miata caused some trouble and gave him the chance to catch up again and finally pass, so no net gain or loss. Near the end of the race, a spin caused the guy I used as a rabbit in qualifying to fall into my clutches. The last several laps were very nicely fought with one almost pass that discretion, and the desire to finish, thwarted, and the race ended before another good passing chance came up. Although the last couple of laps saw some slower class cars get seriously dive bombed as the front SRF didn’t want to get held up and passed, and I was not about to let the slower traffic give him a gap to use. Great race, with a final finish of 10th overall 9th in SRF out of 56 starters.
The National race on Sunday was on a beautiful day for racing. The new start rules for SCCA keeps even large fields closed up making for a more interesting first corner, especially with truly spec cars. During the run to turn 1 got bumped a bit and went two wheels off to the left, but kept it together and made it through, although not any significant movement up or down the field. Later one car did get by, but I was able to pass him and open a gap up. Then circulating dealing with the fast guys running off the track and rejoining. One not so great moment in using some faster cars that were coming past to draft and show me a faster line I managed the famous 4th to 3rd upshift and buzzed the engine a bit. It ran rough a bit and I let the guy that we had swapped back and forth before by, but then the engine came back and the race was on. Had a nice dice going with me a bit faster, but in spec cars, passing isn’t easy. With 2 laps to go I had him exactly where I wanted, right in front, with virtually no gap. Running down into turn 1 I figured to give him a scare and moved to the inside like to pass, although I did not want to pass at that point and give him too many chances to get the place back. But what does he do? He brakes early and I shoot past. Oh well, now drive hard and stay in front. Of course, I botched Oak Tree and he got the place back in the back straight. So one lap to do the deal. I managed to hang down the front straight and close up the gap going into Oak Tree. A PERFECT shot off of Oak Tree to catch the draft, sling past and outbrake him into the roller coaster for the position. Nothing like taking the position at the last passing opportunity on the last lap. Final results 15th after starting 26th in a National. That means Team WTF?! SRF is two top half finishes in two Nationals.
Of course there HAS to be the WTF moment and after the GREAT race, I go to review the video and a connection was loose so only got about half of each lap and missed most of the great moments. Oh well, I will take the rest of it even without the video.
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