Laze-Fox Racing 2009 results

[LazE1]

As you may know, Doug Haymes and I purchased a old worn out race car in early-summer (94 BMW 325i). Doug and I did a shake-down run at Reobling, then off to Road Atlanta for NASA Competition License School in August! I passed the class on Friday, and then raced Sat & Sunday...and won my class...but without any other competitors in class (I will take it) Road Atlanta still scares the pee-turkey out of me...and maybe will for life. Doug ran in HPDE 3/4, and was quick...but still feeling the car out.

Then I ran CMP last month with no issues...nice clean run and was the last in class each day (a 3rd, 2nd and 2nd)...But those races completed my Rookie period of 4 races. If you screw-up during this period, you may not get the regular Comp license. Therefore I took it easy, drove smooth and stayed out of everybody's way. The car ran fine again, just kinda slow even discounting the driver. The car's open diff just lets the tires spin-spin-spin, just can't get any power down exiting a corner. And we only have 156 RHP...http://www.s2katlanta.com/forum/images/smilies/frown.gif

So this last weekend I ran Road Atlanta. As you know it was as cold as a Mofo...way too cold for me. Anyways I ran pretty good, and got down to 1:53 laps during the race. Not real fast as my 350Z ran 1:45s with some more speed left in there, maybe 1:43. But the previous owner who was a very experienced racer ran 1:53s in the BMW, so I felt pretty good. I think I can get to the very low 1:50s in the next outing @ RA as I am starting to "trust" the car more now. I had complete trust that the Z-car would "behave" well no matter the conditions...but I don't have that yet with the BMW. The car has some more speed in it...and I think I can get some out of it here and at the other tracks on the NASA schedule. Doug ran HPDE 3/4 and said he is getting a much better feel for the car too. With any luck Doug and I will both be running in competition next year, both Enduro and Sprints.

I have a couple of major mods in mind that should really help the car: install a LSD and go to much higher spring rates. The open diff is just a joke on slow corners. I get big wheel-spin in T2, T7, and 10B @ RA. CMP was just a mess in the slow corners. Same for Roebling...just wheel spin. The stronger springs should help with the body-roll.

Today the car handles like the almost stock E36 that it is. It has Bilstein sport shocks, and H&R sport springs...but they are just HiPo street quality. When I see pics of the car it looks like it is gonna flip-over.

OK, so some BIG news is that I took 1st place overall in PTE for the 2009 NASA-SE season! This is pretty cool, but frankly there was very little competition. I just ran more events than the other PTE racers. But i will take it !

But I did receive another award that was a complete surprise, and a HUGE HONOR: 2009 NASA-SE Rookie of the Year! WOWOWOWOWOW!

This is voted on by the NASA Officials and Directors...I am humbled and yet VERY PROUD! My plan this year was just to buy a race car, get a Comp license, and not tear up mine or anybody else car up! I was very focused on NOT getting in the middle of an "in class" race battles between the experienced guys. i.e., don't screw up somebody's race if/when I inadvertently block them when they are chasing a competitor in the the same class. So it looks like my plan worked very well (if i do say-so myself) http://www.s2katlanta.com/forum/images/smilies/eclipsee_steering.gif

So I want to say thanks to the following folks for their help this year:
My wife Doe who puts up with me
Doug Haymes - co-owner and race team partner (who puts up with me)
JMAN @ RedLine Auto Club for Sponsorship and a laugh
Karl Kondor - good advice during the season
All the other racers who took time to give me good advice and didn't "take me out" in any events
And Ross Bentley for writing the book "Speed Secrets"...as I learned to drive fast by reading this book about 5 times, and I still read it.

I hope to see you guys/girls at a track next year!

Happy Holiday!
__________________
NOOB Racer http://www.s2katlanta.com/forum/images/smilies/grinning-smiley-003.gif

http://www.atrhoads.com/gallery/zenphoto/albums/motorsports-photography/NASA-Road%20Atlanta-December%202009/JohnEvans/JohnEvansProfile-Web1.jpg

[Elbow]

Sorry about the MVP event I thought you said you couldn't restart.

Did you do HPDE before the comp school? I want to do the comp school but don't get why you need a certain amount of HPDE time to do it, SCCA doesn't require that to do their schools. I may try to run a couple year end NASA events next season. Congrats on a fun successful season!

[LazE1]

My race team partner Doug ran the MVP event, and went off in 10B almost hitting the bridge...and scared the complete shiate out of himself :eek: So He just packed the car up and came home after the 1st run on day 1. No damage to the car, he just soiled his nomex underwear. :D

Yes, since 2005 I have completed about 30 HPDE events and 4 NASA Time trial events before I moved to W2W. I now have completed 3 NASA race weekends! And I still feel like a complete novice to be on track with "serious racers"..it is HPDE + TT x 10 = OMFG W2W racing!!

I do agree that someone needs a great deal of seat time before moving to W2W! How much depends on many factors...we should talk sometime to discuss.

BTW: I am 56 now, and raced in the early 80's in IMSA is a POS Pinto RS car. But I still needed to go thru a good HPDE-TT-W2W process to be successful.


Sorry about the MVP event I thought you said you couldn't restart.

Did you do HPDE before the comp school? I want to do the comp school but don't get why you need a certain amount of HPDE time to do it, SCCA doesn't require that to do their schools. I may try to run a couple year end NASA events next season. Congrats on a fun successful season!

[Elbow]

My race team partner Doug ran the MVP event, and went off in 10B almost hitting the bridge...and scared the complete shiate out of himself :eek: So He just packed the car up and came home after the 1st run on day 1. No damage to the car, he just soiled his nomex underwear. :D

Yes, since 2005 I have completed about 30 HPDE events and 4 NASA Time trial events before I moved to W2W. I now have completed 3 NASA race weekends! And I still feel like a complete novice to be on track with "serious racers"..it is HPDE + TT x 10 = OMFG W2W racing!!

I do agree that someone needs a great deal of seat time before moving to W2W! How much depends on many factors...we should talk sometime to discuss.

BTW: I am 56 now, and raced in the early 80's in IMSA is a POS Pinto RS car. But I still needed to go thru a good HPDE-TT-W2W process to be successful.

Yeah I was working that weekend at 11 right under the bridge haha. It was CLOSE.

Yeah I raced karts for years and have done lots of track days and such, just one with NASA though. I'm getting my comp license with SCCA in February if all goes well.

I saw you at the enduro on Friday at the last NASA event I was working at 5.

[LazE1]

NASA will accept your SCCA license...so that is a good way to do both by starting with SCCA. And I plan to run 1 or 2 races with PBOC and maybe SCCA next year. NASA will NOT run Barber in 2010, so I will run PBOC for that. And I would like a "taste" of a SCCA weekend...as I have never run with them other than Auto-x

BTW: I only ran one HPDE 3/4 event with NASA, and that was to get a check ride for Time Trials, then ran 3 TT events, then Comp School > W2W. The rest of my HPDE where PCA, Chin, Seattime, local club events @ Little Tally...I am also a PCA certificed DE Instructor (I ran many PCA DE events). So when I got to NASA, I had a documented story of skills development and track related references.

[Elbow]

Yeah I have lots of references and am signed to run solo in most groups and have instructed, it's just NASA seems they want you to have ran with them before running their comp school.

You should do an SCCA weekend, it's good stuff.