Ron Earp
Admin
<o
> </o>A little CMP Feb 2008 Race Report<o></o>
<o> </o>
This past weekend we raced down at Carolina Motorsports Park, one of my favorite tracks here in the SE.
CMP is not a particularly fast track, but it is very “racey” in that cars don’t get strung out and you are typically door to door with someone for the entire race. We headed down on Friday for a test day and boy did it turn out to be a testing day.<o></o>
<o> </o>
In the span of about 8 hours we fixed a failed mag pickup on my Z, an oil leak on my Z, a leaking intake manifold on the TR8 (required complete R&R), a loose suspension bushing on the Z, and adjusted the carbs on both cars for good response and power. For two cars that were essentially “ready to race” there sure was a lot of work involved……If not for Jeffrey Rousell our crew man extraordinare we would never have made it.<o></o>
<o> </o>
We’d come down to CMP to check out the new configuration and to race the Carolina Cup, a SE series with some money payout. The Carolina Cup is cool because it features a large mix of cars and are medium length races, 45 mins, with a 2 min mandatory pit stop.<o></o>
<o> </o>
Qualifying went pretty well and it is the only in-car Z track video at CMP for the weekend that I have. You can have a look at me following Jeff’s TR8 on track here:<o></o>
<o> </o>
Ron Earp 260Z Second Qualifying Session
<o> </o>
Yep, the microphone is still screwed even though I covered it - my motor sounds much better than that. Lap two managed to land me a third place grid position, right behind Jeff Young in the TR8 and Steve Parrish’s extremely well prepped 240Z. Lots more speed in that 8, look for it on a pole before long.....Watch the video on the third lap where I about pee myself and lose it, hate to show that but at least I didn't go off.
Times for Jeff and I were in the 1:51.XX range, I was 0.6s behind Jeff, while the pole setter broke into a high 1:49.XX. This is the best ever starting position I’ve obtained and was looking forward to seeing how things go when you can actually SEE the green flag.<o></o>
<o> </o>
Race time came around and I was a bit nervous. The steward had indicated we’d get the green late, meaning we’d be close to turn one and we’d get it at about 40 mph. I liked this idea because I could put my torque to use over the 2<sup>nd</sup> gen RX7s that populate the class as well as the 944s, one of each was directly behind me in position 4 and 5.<o></o>
<o> </o>
Well, the green came early at like 60 mph and we were clipping along pretty well into turn one. Fortunately Jeff and I were far enough head to not get caught in the start melee, some of which you can see from a buddy of mine’s rear view camera.
Ron Munneryln's SM Rear Cam at CMP Start
The racing was tight on the first lap and things didn’t break up at all. I was staying with Jeff pretty well and we were both staying away from the 4 and 5 cars, actually putting some distance on them on the straight.<o></o>
<o> </o>
Lap two goes by and things are still doing okay but tight. On lap three in turns one and two Jeff manages to get by some of the traffic and put some distance on the pack of front runners. About that time between turns three and four the Spec Racer Ford (SRF) in front of me makes a move on some traffic. I figured I’d follow him in the gap, but, that was not to be. In turn four he was about ¾ of the way round the traffic car and I was right behind him, but, something happened – I either didn’t see him brake or couldn’t brake with him, I can’t remember, and BAMMO! Next thing you know a yellow clip is flying over my car, I’m out of control and headed for the outside of four, and the spec racer spins in four.<o></o>
<o> </o>
I beach the car in a sand trap and can’t move so I shut down. The spec racer gets off track with waving double yellows and debris flags a waving. When safe I head to the corner worker station at 7 to wait the race out and spectate. Everyone else was okay, it was just me and the SRF that I tagged which were taken out of the race.<o></o>
<o> </o>
Well, on the next lap I spy a driver that looks a lot like Jeff waiting at the corner station about 1/10<sup>th</sup> a mile away, turn four. Turns out it is Jeff, the TR8 had to retire because of low oil pressure. The 944 I was running with blew up a couple of laps later. And, Steve Parrish, the front runner, peels off at my corner with a transmission failure! Steve was doing wonderfully out front and you can have a look at his in car race experience here, especially there at the end of his video is exciting where two SRF’s take themselves out.
Steve Parrish in the Lead at the Carolina Cup
If I’d only not been a bozo and farked up I might could have pulled out a win just due to attrition. Win is a win, even if ill deserved. I had the 4-5 place and the other cars covered on lap times, I just needed to finish the race.<o></o>
<o> </o>
Anyhow, I apologized to the SRF driver and all is good there. First car I've ever hit on track and it was 100% my fault. SRFs are hard to see from the sorts of cars we race and I need to exercise caution as well as keep my head level. Still no excuse, I made a bad judgment call. That red mist and all…<o></o>
<o> </o>
It was a good weekend though and the Z is largely okay. Some body damage we’ll have to pound out, that is about it. TR8 is torn down in my garage, heads off and all, and we’re sorting through the oil pressure issue there. <o></o>
<o> </o>
Next race is VIR in two weeks, hope to have a better result!<o></o>
<o> </o>
> </o>A little CMP Feb 2008 Race Report<o></o><o
> </o>This past weekend we raced down at Carolina Motorsports Park, one of my favorite tracks here in the SE.
CMP is not a particularly fast track, but it is very “racey” in that cars don’t get strung out and you are typically door to door with someone for the entire race. We headed down on Friday for a test day and boy did it turn out to be a testing day.<o
></o><o
> </o>In the span of about 8 hours we fixed a failed mag pickup on my Z, an oil leak on my Z, a leaking intake manifold on the TR8 (required complete R&R), a loose suspension bushing on the Z, and adjusted the carbs on both cars for good response and power. For two cars that were essentially “ready to race” there sure was a lot of work involved……If not for Jeffrey Rousell our crew man extraordinare we would never have made it.<o
></o><o
> </o>We’d come down to CMP to check out the new configuration and to race the Carolina Cup, a SE series with some money payout. The Carolina Cup is cool because it features a large mix of cars and are medium length races, 45 mins, with a 2 min mandatory pit stop.<o
></o><o
> </o>Qualifying went pretty well and it is the only in-car Z track video at CMP for the weekend that I have. You can have a look at me following Jeff’s TR8 on track here:<o
></o><o
> </o>Ron Earp 260Z Second Qualifying Session
<o
> </o>Yep, the microphone is still screwed even though I covered it - my motor sounds much better than that. Lap two managed to land me a third place grid position, right behind Jeff Young in the TR8 and Steve Parrish’s extremely well prepped 240Z. Lots more speed in that 8, look for it on a pole before long.....Watch the video on the third lap where I about pee myself and lose it, hate to show that but at least I didn't go off.
Times for Jeff and I were in the 1:51.XX range, I was 0.6s behind Jeff, while the pole setter broke into a high 1:49.XX. This is the best ever starting position I’ve obtained and was looking forward to seeing how things go when you can actually SEE the green flag.<o
></o><o
> </o>Race time came around and I was a bit nervous. The steward had indicated we’d get the green late, meaning we’d be close to turn one and we’d get it at about 40 mph. I liked this idea because I could put my torque to use over the 2<sup>nd</sup> gen RX7s that populate the class as well as the 944s, one of each was directly behind me in position 4 and 5.<o
></o><o
> </o>Well, the green came early at like 60 mph and we were clipping along pretty well into turn one. Fortunately Jeff and I were far enough head to not get caught in the start melee, some of which you can see from a buddy of mine’s rear view camera.
Ron Munneryln's SM Rear Cam at CMP Start
The racing was tight on the first lap and things didn’t break up at all. I was staying with Jeff pretty well and we were both staying away from the 4 and 5 cars, actually putting some distance on them on the straight.<o
></o><o
> </o>Lap two goes by and things are still doing okay but tight. On lap three in turns one and two Jeff manages to get by some of the traffic and put some distance on the pack of front runners. About that time between turns three and four the Spec Racer Ford (SRF) in front of me makes a move on some traffic. I figured I’d follow him in the gap, but, that was not to be. In turn four he was about ¾ of the way round the traffic car and I was right behind him, but, something happened – I either didn’t see him brake or couldn’t brake with him, I can’t remember, and BAMMO! Next thing you know a yellow clip is flying over my car, I’m out of control and headed for the outside of four, and the spec racer spins in four.<o
></o><o
> </o>I beach the car in a sand trap and can’t move so I shut down. The spec racer gets off track with waving double yellows and debris flags a waving. When safe I head to the corner worker station at 7 to wait the race out and spectate. Everyone else was okay, it was just me and the SRF that I tagged which were taken out of the race.<o
></o><o
> </o>Well, on the next lap I spy a driver that looks a lot like Jeff waiting at the corner station about 1/10<sup>th</sup> a mile away, turn four. Turns out it is Jeff, the TR8 had to retire because of low oil pressure. The 944 I was running with blew up a couple of laps later. And, Steve Parrish, the front runner, peels off at my corner with a transmission failure! Steve was doing wonderfully out front and you can have a look at his in car race experience here, especially there at the end of his video is exciting where two SRF’s take themselves out.
Steve Parrish in the Lead at the Carolina Cup
If I’d only not been a bozo and farked up I might could have pulled out a win just due to attrition. Win is a win, even if ill deserved. I had the 4-5 place and the other cars covered on lap times, I just needed to finish the race.<o
></o><o
> </o>Anyhow, I apologized to the SRF driver and all is good there. First car I've ever hit on track and it was 100% my fault. SRFs are hard to see from the sorts of cars we race and I need to exercise caution as well as keep my head level. Still no excuse, I made a bad judgment call. That red mist and all…<o
></o><o
> </o>It was a good weekend though and the Z is largely okay. Some body damage we’ll have to pound out, that is about it. TR8 is torn down in my garage, heads off and all, and we’re sorting through the oil pressure issue there. <o
></o><o
> </o>Next race is VIR in two weeks, hope to have a better result!<o
></o><o
> </o>
