60 PLUS Racing Adventures-Strout hears Fangio's Voice at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

60+ Racing Adventures-7^th Round at Montreal-Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

The 7^th Round of the 60+ Racing Adventures League for drivers age 60 and older ran Wednesday, 7/26 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, running the Pro Mazda.  27 drivers participated. Pennsylvania’s Donald Strout posts his first win of the Season in a Group 1 race by following Fangio’s advice.

Juan Manuel Fangio, aka El Maestro, 5 Time World Champion, who won over 46% of the F1 races he entered, once advised, “Drive a slowly as possible, while still finishing ahead of all the other cars.”  Seems that Strout also values starting at the front, as he qualified on the Pole with a lap time of 1:34.8. But, once building up a 3 second lead with a 1:34.9 second lap on the 3^rd lap, he intentionally “slowed down” and still managed to finish with an 8 second gap ahead of the three cars of Team# 1, Bill Lawrence, Steven Carkner, and Mark Robertson.

According to Strout, “Most people recognize that reaction times get slower as we get older. But, often they forget that we are not only slower, but we also get less accurate as we age. So being 66 years old, my car placement accuracy is not what it used to be, making it very dangerous to try for absolute maximum speed through those dangerous chicanes 9-10 and 14-15 with their big white sausage curbs and unforgiving walls. During more than 200 laps of practice, I was able to get my “optimum” time down into the low 1:34.x range, but I was crashing almost every lap. So, I just decided to concentrate on trying to be able to turn 15 laps in a row at around 1:35.2 (almost 0.8 seconds per lap slower) with no draft—with no mistakes that anyone would notice.”   

Welcome to Quebec!  Strout broke the draft on first lap and led the rest of the way.

It was not a good day for Jos van de Ven, from the Netherlands. Running in 2^nd place, his internet connection failed in the first race after 6 laps. It happened again in the Group 2 race.  It has been said, “Sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you.”

Jos van de Ven makes early attack and passes Lawrence

Despite turning the fastest lap of the event, a 1:34.4, the UK’s Andrew Fidler could not overcome the Team #1, threesome in the Group 1 race. And, despite improving his average speed in the Group 2 “Second Chance” race, he finished 2^nd to Portugal’s Antonio Reis.

The three car Team #1 “Wolfpack” accelerates out of the Hairpin followed by the Morgans

Barely missing the Podium in the Group 1 race, Florida’s Mark Robertson earned his first Pole of the Season in the Group 2 race.

The black marks on the wall exiting T5 were a warning to the over exuberant. Robertson missed the apex in T5 and had to correct a loose car, steering toward the wall there. He maintained control and did not hit the wall but lost his position after leading van de Ven and John Morgan the first lap and part of the 2nd. His over exuberance was not in T5 though as the cause of Robertson's problem was contact with the infamous "Wall of Champions" exiting the chicane in T15 at the end of the first lap. The contact damaged his front suspension, allowing fast right turns but creating a huge understeer when turning left--hence the cause for his missing the apex in the left turn T5. 

                    John Morgan moving left in T5 to avoid Robertson who almost hits the wall

Once, van de Ven was out because his mysterious and surely frustrating internet failure, the rest of the race in the front was between John Morgan, Antonio Reis, Andrew Fidler, the UK’s Andy Morgan and newcomer from Ohio, Joe Renn.  Reis and Fidler would pass Morgan with the five cars then pretty well holding their positions for the rest of the race. 

Renn, now on Team #5 with Strout would earn 20 points for his 5^th position, and when added to Strout (27) and Wayne Galloway’s (10) points in the first race, would vault Team #5 to within 16 points of P2 in the Team Championship.

                                                          Antonio Reis makes the pass for the lead.

After seven events, the Team #1 of Carkner, Lawrence, Robertson, and Andy Morgan still holds a substantial lead. (Actually Morgan being added to Team #1 increased their dominance—they earned a record 97 points together in this event!) Team #8 with John Morgan, Marcel Guiterrez, Ron McManus, and Richard Coulombe jumps into 2^nd, but with only a 1 point lead over the Team #4 of  Remigio di Pasqua, Jose Campodonico and Antonio Reis, now in 3rd. Only one point behind them, in 4^th is Team #2 of Fidler, Raspaldo, Bonasera, and Dummer.    Team #6 of John Unsbee, Jim Oliver, Michael Key and P J Salley is in 5^th. 

The series maintains a Driver Championship and a Team Championship.  Team assignments are determined by the League Organizer to pair up 3 or four drivers that together have a “fair” chance compared to other teams.  In other words, less experienced or accomplished drivers are paired with the more experienced so each team is deemed to have a “fair” chance to win the Team Championship that pays $100 to the Winning Team, $50 to the 2^nd Place Team and $25 to the 3^rd Place Team for the Season. In an effort to insure this continued “fair” chance, three teams that have had members unable to participate/contribute were combined for the second half of the 12 race season—this changed tightened the race considerably with only 20 points separating 2^nd from 7^th.

In the Driver’s Championship, Bill Lawrence jumps into 1st, with Steven Carkner and Jos van de Ven tied for 2^nd.

Winning drivers this Season:

Steven Carkner (2) Grp 1

Bill Lawrence (2) (1 in Grp 1, 1 in Grp 2)

Andrew Fidler (2) (1 in Grp 1, 1 in Grp 2)

Antonio Reis (3) (1 in Grp 1, 2 in Grp 2)

Donald Strout (4) (1 in Grp 1, 3 in Grp 2)

Jos van de Ven (1) (Grp 1)

The next event for the 60+ guys is at Road Atlanta, on August.

60+ Racing Adventures-6th Round at Suzuka

60+ Racing Adventures-6^th Round at Suzuka

The 6^th Round of the 60+ Racing Adventures League for drivers age 60 and older ran Wednesday, 7/19 at Japan’s Suzuka, running the Pro Mazda.  26 drivers participated. This event proved the accuracy of the league’s name--an adventure! So much so, this report is in two parts-one for the Group 1 Race and another for the “second chance” Group 2 Race.

Part 1..

Portugal’s Antonio Reis, aka “James Bond” in the 007 car won the first race.  But unlike at Laguna, he would not start from the from row or set the fastest lap time.  Canada’s Bill Lawrence seemed unbeatable as he was fastest in practice and earned the Pole with a time of 1:56.676, a third of a second faster than the UK’s Andrew Fidler. Lawrence would hold his lead for the first five laps. Lawrence pulls away thru the esses on the first lap below.

With the exception of contact between Reis and Steven Carkner entering the Hairpin on lap 1, with Reis suffering wing damage, the first four laps was pretty much a Conga Line of Lawrence, Fidler, Carkner. Reis, van de Ven, Strout and Unsbee.

In Lap 5, things started to heat up. First, Netherland’s Jos van de Ven, nearly spins in T1, but recovers by taking a “country drive” way off track, but remaining in control and returns losing only one spot as he is passed by Strout who gives chase to Reis. (Note that Reis’s wing damage from lap1 contact with Carkner is miraculously “healed”.)

As the Conga Line of six approach the Casio Triangle after flying thru the 130R, Carkner (P3) boots Filder (P2) during braking sending Fidler thru the corner so fast that he actually passes the leader, Lawrence. Lawrence ”T bones” Fidler and is launched into the air.

Remarkably, Lawrence lands safely and retains the lead thru the corner. Reis assumes P2, and Carkner is able to hold off Strout, keeping P3. Reis is able to pass Lawrence for the lead before the start finish line and he would lead every lap thereafter.

Carkner, Strout and van de Ven also passed Lawrence who found himself now in P5.  Donald Strout and Jos van de Ven would overtake Carkner and battle for P2. After passing Strout, van de Ven spun again in T1 on lap 9, this time going to the inside and again recovering to rejoin without damage, but loses two positions.

On lap 10, Carkner uses the draft to pass Strout for P2. Note, like Reis, Carkner’s wing damage from contact with Fidler is now miraculously “healed”!

But, on lap 12, Carkner loses it exiting the Esses, just in front of Strout who is chasing him as they both turned in very fast 1:56.xx laps. Strout was able to avoid getting damage but did show a 4X contact. He would cruise five seconds behind Reis to finish 2^nd.

Just behind, another “drama” was unfolding between five cars battling to reach the Podium. Bill Lawrence had clawed his way back to P3, with Canada’s Bruce Poole close behind. Just behind them was Jos van de Ven, John Morgan, and Remigio di Pasqua.

Cool as a cucumber, with great resolve, Poole passed Lawrence on the last lap with an astonishingly difficult move around the outside thru T1/T2 corners.

The Podium: Antonio Reis P1, Donald Strout P2, and Bruce Poole P3. The first Group 1 Race this season where Team #1 did not have at least one team member on the Podium. And, the first Podium for Strout and Poole in a Group 1 Race this season. (Strout has won 3 Races-more than any other driver this season- but all have been in Group 2 “second chance” races.) Reis shown below.

Part 2--Group 2 "Second Chance" Race

The Podium from the Group 1 Race is ineligible for the “second chance” Group 2 Race, but it too proved to be VERY exciting. Again, Bill Lawrence proved to be the “class of the field” qualifying on the Pole, again, with another remarkable 1:56.6 second time. This time, his Team # 1 Teammate, Steven Carkner shared the front row.

Team #1 is known for their “team racing” strategy and tactics. Carkner slingshots past Lawrence approaching the Spoon on the first lap.

Clearly the Team #1 tactics are in place as UK’s Andrew Fidler’s inside pass attempt approaching First Turn on lap 9 is discouraged by Lawrence.

But, as everyone knows, Fidler races with a symbol of a Fox on his car for good reason. As Lawrence defends the inside line entering the Casio chicane, he is surprised by a masterful and clean “outside” pass executed by Fidler.

Now, Fidler applies pressure on the race leader Carkner by “lurking” in wait of a mistake. And, sure enough one lap later, Carkner goes wide exiting the Spoon, allowing Fidler to take over the lead.

  

But, as mentioned, Bill Lawrence knows how to go particularly fast at Suzuka, and this time, on the attack on lap 12, he outbrakes Fidler on the inside entering the same Casio chicane where Fidler had passed him on lap 9. Payback!

While Lawrence and Fidler battle for the lead, Carkner and Jos van de Ven are dueling for P3. On lap 14, van de Ven becomes a bit over exuberant and unintentionally violates Carkner’s corner rights entering the Hairpin. As expected, they make contact.  (The 60PLUS League has very strict rules defining “Corner Rights” as belonging to the car that is ahead at the “corner turn in” point.) Being the good sport he is, van de Ven allowed Carkner to retake his position ahead.

Fidler was able to retake the lead and hold off Lawrence as they both turned blindingly fast laps. Lawrence turned the fastest lap of the entire event on the last lap (15)—a 1:56.5 second lap--but still came up 0.126 seconds short as Fidler took the win.

  

As Carkner and van de Ven were battling, John Unsbee was able to catch up and overtake them both to finish P3.

A frustrating day for sure for Bill Lawrence. He sat on the Pole for both races. He was clearly the fastest car, setting an incredible 1:56.5 second lap. He was the clear leader in the first race until he suffered damage from an incident he did not cause. He missed wining the second race by just a few feet.

And, a sweet and sour day for Andrew Fidler, clearly in contention for the lead in the first race until he too suffered damage from an incident he did not cause. But, he did achieve victory and vindication at the end of the day.

Finally, a frustrating day for Steven Carkner, the winningest driver in the league. Starting P3 in the first race and P2 in the second race. Leading 9 laps of the second race. Just not “his day”. It is part of what makes racing fascinating. Outcomes are always uncertain.

An incredibly competitive league! 

After six events, the Team #1 of Carkner, Lawrence and Robertson still holds a substantial lead over the Team #6 of John Unsbee, Jim Oliver, Michael Key and P J Salley.  Moving into third place in the Team Championship is the Team #7 of Bruce Poole, Joel Martin and Jay Freels . Team #3 of Jos van de Ven, Rolf Just, Mark Lison and Gerard Florissen falls back to 4th.

Team #4 of Remigio di Pasqua, Campodonico and Reis remain in 5^th place, only 29 points behind the second place Team #6.

The series maintains a Driver Championship and a Team Championship.  Team assignments are determined by the League Organizer to pair up 3 or four drivers that together have a “fair” chance compared to other teams.  In other words, less experienced or accomplished drivers are paired with the more experienced so each team is deemed to have a “fair” chance to win the Team Championship that pays $100 to the Winning Team, $50 to the 2^nd Place Team and $25 to the 3^rd Place Team for the Season. In an effort to insure this continued “fair” chance, three teams that have had members unable to participate/contribute will be combined for the second half of the 12 race season.

Despite not placing on the Podium at Suzuka, Jos van de Ven remains in the top spot.  Bill Lawrence jumped into 2^nd, with Steven Carkner falling to 3^rd as he failed to add any Driver Championship points in this event. John Morgan is in 4^th  with Andrew Fidler very close behind in 5^th.

Winning drivers this Season:

Steven Carkner (2) Grp 1

Bill Lawrence  (2) (1 in Grp 1, 1 in Grp 2)

Andrew Fidler (2) (1 in Grp 1, 1 in Grp 2)

Antonio Reis (2) (1 in Grp 1, 1 in Grp 2)

Donald Strout (3) (Grp 2)

Jos van de Ven (1) (Grp 1)

The next event for the 60+ guys is at Montreal, aka Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on July 26.

60+ Racing Adventures-5th Round at Mazda Laguna Seca

60+ Racing Adventures-5^th Round at Mazda Laguna Seca

The 5^th Round of the 60+ Racing Adventures League for drivers age 60 and older ran Wednesday,7/12 at Lagina Seca, running the Pro Mazda.  25 drivers participated. The event at Laguna Seca was broadcast live and memorialized on YouTube by RaceSpot.TV.  The stars of the day were Portugal’s Antonio Reis and Canada’s Bill Lawrence while the two leaders of the Drivers’ Points Championship, Canada’s Steven Carkner and the Netherland’s Jos van de Ven, both struggled.

The man from beautiful Aveiro, Portugal, the 60 year old Antonio Reis is fast with an iRating of 4071, the highest iRating of all the 60PLUS Racing Adventures drivers. He drives the 007 car. In the Group 1 race, he set the fastest qualifying lap of 1:17.7. Starting from the Pole Position, a bit like he did at Brands Hatch, he overestimated the grip on “cold” tires on the first lap and lost control in the infamous “Corkscrew”, despite an early warning of a loose race car in Turn 2, where he was able to recover. Unable to catch the spin at the Corkscrew, Reis turned the lead over to Steven Carkner.

Above, Reis showing great skill catching a loose car in the Andretti Hairpin on lap 1.

With tires still a bit cold in the first lap, Reis in unable to save the car and spins in the Corkscrew.

Canada’s Steven Carkner, leader in Drivers’ points standing going into the race holds the lead until lap 14 when downshifting on the entry to the Andretti Hairpin, he blew his engine.  While this is not a common occurrence, it is easy to overrev the Pro Mazda during fast downshifts—especially when downshifting from 6^th to 2^nd gear under heavy braking. The last downshift to 2^nd often needs to occur while turning and it is easy to downshift a split second too early—leading to a race ending engine failure.

With the demise of Carkner, the lead was inherited for a short time by Jos van de Ven. But, like many drivers here, van de Ven spun in Turn 6 leading to the Rahal Straight.  The lead was then inherited by Bill Lawrence who went on to win the first Group 1 race.  Below, Lawrence leads on the last lap thru the Corkscrew. The shot shows the dramatic elevation change thru this iconic corner.  Lawrence was joined on the Podium by UK’s Andrew Fidler and Florida’s John Morgan.

There were quite a few spins during this event. The League Organizer and Fixed Setup Engineer, Donald Strout was on vacation and missed this event, but he did issue this “warning”.  “In order to keep the fastest drivers in our League challenged, we are running setups with lower downforce. The cars no longer have significant ‘extra’ rear downforce and require very precise steering and very accurate throttle modulation---sometimes referred to as ‘maintenance’ throttle. In this state, the car can be very loose—this is fast but dangerous.”   

You could see this “fast but dangerous” scenario play out in several corners but nowhere as apparent as Turn 6. Turn 6 leading onto the Rahal Straight is taken in the Pro Mazda at around 106-110 mph. Some drivers slow more and use 4^th gear, while others are able to use 5^th. In either case, the left wheel must be precisely placed at the apex with a perfect line to the far right track out point.  Here Steven Carkner and Jos van de Ven show almost perfect execution.

Actually, they could have placed the car about 6 inches closer to the red “sausage” curb.

But, if the driver misses the apex, going too “wide” and is not driving slow enough to have some “reserve” grip, the required lift or extra steering input will lead to the spin as experienced by highly talented Jos van de Ven, more than once. So, when you have highly talented drivers pushing the limits of control and competition with a setup not having a lot of extra grip, even small mistakes lead to a loss of control.

After blowing up the engine in the first race, Steven Carkner experienced more frustration, spinning in the exit of Turn 3 in the second race. Sort of the same phenomenon as in T6—lift or add steering to avoid tracking out too far here and you get a spin.  John Unsbee was unable to avoid contact and suffered wing damage, but was able to finish 2^nd in the Group 2 race.

Not every incident is a spin. In some instances, the challenge of threshold braking leading to the Corkscrew locks up the front brakes and the car just sort of runs off to the outside like Wayne Galloway demonstrates below (Shortcuts are not allowed!)

It was noteworthy Florida’s  Mark Robertson, was the only driver to run a complete race with zero incidents here. After a 21^st finish in the Group 1 race, he drove a conservative “Second Chance” race moving up from 21^st at the start to finish in P8.

The Group 2 “Second Chance” race was dominated by Antonio Reis. He earned the Pole (As he did in the first race.) and led every lap.

Reis sat on the Pole for both races. He won the second race with a 9 second lap lead over P2. He set the fastest lap in both races with a 1:17.2 in the first race and a 1:17.4 in the second race.

Perhaps the next most remarkable performance of the day was by Canada’s Bruce Poole, who in the second race moved up from P9 at the start to finish on the Podium in 3^rd, behind John Unsbee. Below is a shot of Poole skillfully powering thru the highly banked Turn 10. Note the suspension compression with the left side pod almost touching the pavement.

After five events, the Team #1 of Carkner, Lawrence and Robertson still have a substantial lead over the Team #6 of John Unsbee, Jim Oliver, Michael Key and P J Salley.  Not far behind in third place in the Team Championship is the Team #3 of Jos van de Ven, Rolf Just, Mark Lison and Gerard Florissen. Team #7 of Bruce Poole, Joel Martin and Jay Freels remain in 4th.

Team #4 of Remigio di Pasqua, Campodonico and Reis moved up to 5^th place.  

The series maintains a Driver Championship and a Team Championship.  Team assignments are determined by the League Organizer to pair up 3 or four drivers that together have a “fair” chance compared to other teams.  In other words, less experienced or accomplished drivers are paired with the more experienced so each team is deemed to have a “fair” chance to win the Team Championship that pays $100 to the Winning Team, $50 to the 2^nd Place Team and $25 to the 3^rd Place Team for the Season.

Steven Carkner and Jos van de Ven swapped the leadership in the Drivers’ Championship, with Jos van de Ven taking back the top spot.  Bill Lawrence jumped into 3^rd with his win in the Group 2 race, but the Andrew Fidler and John Morgan are very close behind, tied for 4^th.

The next event for the 60+ guys is at Japan’s Suzuka International.