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+--- Thread: ReidSpeed Race Track Combat Docudrama/Race Report Recap from NJMP Lightning (/showthread.php?tid=2797)
- fasthonda - 05-23-2011
hey guys!!!
i had a great time at the Race Track Combat Race/Docudrama show at NJMP Lightning racetrack Friday (www.racetrackcombat.com); it was extremely well run and filmed by Ken Stadt, and was fun and exciting! the racing was exciting (and tough!). below please find my brief synopsis:
results of the final race as follows:
1 Todd Reid Ford Probe GT
2 Alan Wilzig Subaru Legacy ex-Grand Am racecar
3 Scott Barton BMW E30
4 Sean Curran BMW E30
5 Jon Baker Integra ITR
6 Steve Katz 944 Turbo
7 Mike Piera 911
8 Peter McIntosh C6 Corvette
9 Spencer Anderson Civic w/B18C
10 Frank Celenza 944 Turbo
11 Ron Cohn 944 Turbo
12 Jonathan Vasquez BMW E36
13 Zephyr Belski CRX
This race was a handicapped race; in order to do that, all the cars were classified by power to weight class (mine is classed NASA PTE, and i dyno at 163 whp and weigh 2700 lbs with me in it at the end of the race). there was a fairly even mix of slower vs medium vs fast cars (tons and tons of the NE HC guys showed up -- it was so cool to be hanging with them again (super special thanks to Eric Olsen -- he was so nice to invite everyone over to his rig and eat and hang out and use the electric and air and everything -- thanks Eric!!!!!). the way the day was run was as follows: there were two qualifying races run in the morning, and people who weren't fast enough in the first race (the first 10 moved on to the final race straight away; i was one of them) were eliminated throughout the day. in the second qualifying race, all the guys who did not move on in the first race got another chance, and i believe 5 of them got to move onto the final race -- so, the final race was to be run with the fastest 15 competitors. The fastest raw driver by far was Schwartz, in a worked to the bone 911; he was FLYING!!!! i believe he declined to do the final race due to conditions (read more about that below). there was also a very fast black modern Porsche (996 I think?) and a very fast Cayman (white in color). I don't believe either was in the final race though.
in the final race, we were each standing started from the pits, and set out depending on our handicap (or if there were multiple cars with the same handicap, as it was with me, the fastest qualifying car was in the front of the group, and they all went on 'GO'. the track started wet, then dried somewhat, then last portion of the race it was really raining HARD. i pressed 105% from the instant they said 'Go!'. there was only one slower classed car in front of me (my car is classed PTE; i am dynoed at 163 hp, and weigh 2700 lbs; Ford Probe GT). i caught and passed the slower car by about lap 5 or 6; the conditions were wet going to drying line at that point; every single corner you had to evaluate the track and 'feel' it out because it was getting faster every second; i had gone out on my dry tires (as had most of the field); car was constantly slithering around, but i kept it right up on the edge and was pushing very hard (much harder than i did in the qualifying race). i eventually got down to within exactly 1 second of my qualifying time (hair raising going that fast during that dicey condition!). as we got towards the 3/4 point, it sprinkled for a lap (track started to degrade immediately) and then full on rain. i knew that Alan in the AWD Subaru grand am car was on full wets and that he'd be coming RIGHT NOW!!! i pushed at 100% for the rest of the race, catching the Corvette and having him spin right in front of me at the left hander after the bridge (he did an amazing job of not going off somehow!!). i finished the race skating around (track was fully soaked and puddled up). Alan was behind me and charging, but was a 39.7 sec difference.
i believe this is the toughest kind of race to run -- changing conditions every damn second of the race; evaluating the track and testing every corner every time through and pushing it to the edge was the key. Also, i am EXTREMELY comfortable racing the Probe in any condition; I've had it forever, and know it intimately, like an old pair of jeans. the Probe and i showed everyone that the Probe isn't a car to be taken lightly (most of the guys that didn't know me at all, when i unloaded the Probenstien came up and asked what it was, and then to a man said 'i've never seen a Probe being raced, EVER!!!!). the docudrama should hopefully be televised sometime in the not-too-distant future; i will let you guys know when it will be on!
__________________
Todd
#11 Ford Probe GT
2011 Race Track Combat Champion
2009 NASA MA PTE Champion
2007 NASA MA PTE Champion
Need driver coaching? Need a hired driver? contact me at: www.reidspeedinc.com
- Black_S2000 - 05-24-2011
Nice write up - thanks for sharing! And congrats on the win!!!:dude: