May 3, 2012                        

Hey Folks!     Well, we are at a home race (for me) this week.    Yep, I get to sleep in my own bed, and I don’t have to put my dogs, Ceasar or Elliot in boarding, so, this is a big treat!!!   Thanks Paul, for putting this one on our schedule!!!

Last year, this was the only race we really struggled with.   A misfire we never were able to fix.   It was our worst race of the year and didn’t even complete a lap in the race!!    So, anything would be better this year, we thought!    LOL!    Turns out on Test Day (Thursday) we had 5, 20 minute sessions and we had strangely similar problems as last year!    We couldn’t get her to run without cutting out or misfiring!!!!  All the sessions!!!  (OH NO!) Yeah, not good, but we have a successful year of racing under our belts so, it shouldn’t be a big deal right?    Well, since we only had one car this weekend there was plenty of help for Richard, Nick, Nathan, Robert, JC and now my old crew chief from my Lotus Espirit years Joe Grassi!   So, we had a big crew this weekend and EVERYONE ended up working their tails off! 

   We tried everything we could think of , all day long and still we had this problem or combination of problems????  Won’t bore you  with all that we tried  but, it just continued through Friday practice & qualifying….we even requested a few hard ship laps during the day and it still persisted!   I was beginning to think maybe it was something in the air (Chicken methane gas) that was messing us up……..but, no one else was having our problems so, it was obviously something with just us.    Now this was a fresh engine that at times felt strong and quite capable but we just couldn’t run through the slow or medium speed corners with out it cutting out!   It was impossible to try and set the car up because it wasn’t driveable through the corners!!!!!   Oh Boy, this was frustrating….not just for me but for the guys working on “Baby Blue” our Lotus 23B!   Well, you know….for the most part no one got down on this and we were determined to make her run even it took all weekend! 

  So, again Saturday morning it was still misfiring through the corners but, would clear up somewhat down the straights.  It was difficult because of all the cars out on the track (close to 30 cars) and even though there was quite a mixture of cars the 23B was still fairly fast and a car like ours was fastest….just wasn’t ours!  LOL   It was a car we had run against once or twice last year and was able to beat but, we just couldn’t get off the corners now……!!!      For the race Saturday after we lined up 5th and I got a decent start and by the end of lap one was running second and the misfire was marginally better but still hurting me a lot off Turn #7 (leading onto the long back straight) and out of  Turn #10B at the end of the straight and up the hill and under the bridge down to Turn #12 and across the Start/Finish Line.   But, the other Lotus 23B with me chasing him kinda left the rest of the field….but with about 4 laps left in the race  a car spun off at Turn #5 and couldn’t restart….they put out the safety car and bunched the field up.  My main concern was  I knew we would maybe only have a lap or two of racing left and the cars behind me were fast and maybe could get by me and hold me up.   So, I knew I had to get a good start and wanted to be as close as possible to the other 23B  and try and at least finish 2nd and somewhat salvage our week.   I got a very good start and stayed with him down into Turn #1 and up the hill to #3 and the following esses……I had noticed he wasn’t very precise in esses and was usually a half car width off the apex on the right hand ess……so, I got close and this time he was almost a full car wideth too wide and got the car sliding….”I thought, this is a good opportunity” and began to try and pass as he was trying to save his car from spinning….which he did, but, also realized he could come back across the track and take me out if I went up beside him…..so, I held back just in case and sure enough he shot across my nose as we went to Turn #5, the up hill corner….but, he had lost a lot of momentum and I had adjusted and was prepared for a good exit out of #5 and up the hill and I moved to take him on the left up the hill, he blocked that by moving over in front of me and I quickly shot back to the right side, (though not much room left), I got up beside him and out excelerated him down to Turn #6 and then #7 and got out onto the straight fairly good and ran away down the straight!.     I called the guys on the radio back in the pits and said, “I may have a little surprise for you guys!” and was able to maintain enough pace that he couldn’t get me back and came around and took the checkered flag for a much unexpected WIN!!!     (Big Smile)    It was a gift for sure, but, the changes we made to the engine before the race was a slight improvement and we knew if we did that again, we would be better.   

ENDURANCE EVENT:

Now, we had already entered the car in the one hour endurance race which was scheduled one hour after the sprint race.   We had done that to take advantage of the track time to continue to work on the car and besides my F1 (Lotus 79/1) mechanic,  Nathan, is also an up and coming race car driver, as fast as I am and a good & safe driver, and we are trying to award his hard work on the Formula One car with some drives with me in the 23B.     So, they prepared the car for that race which includes a mandatory 5 minute pit stop so we put more fuel in the car and change drivers.    We also took the time to make another change to the carbs, to improve the performance off the corners (the cutting out of the engine, the only place the car was lacking) so, we entered that race thinking we would be better.  We entered that race starting 4th and feeling pretty confident about how we would run.   We had a good start and came out of Turn #1 in second place behind the other Lotus 23B….we raced hard for the next few laps swapping the lead back and forth, running a very aggressive pace.    The driver in the other 23B made some very aggressive passes on alot of the other cars and a couple dangerous manuevers on me….which kinda irked me….so, I picked the pace up and went by and kind of left him…..!!   lol   I think he must have felt like he was running for a Million dollar prize…..hahaaaa!   Our car was very good now, still cutting out but much less off the slow corners  where we struggled before!   “Baby Blue” was singing much clearer now and we moved out to a good lead and I backed off to save brakes for Nathan’s stint in the car.   We had few dramas in my stint….a few cars spinning off in front of me but, was watching closely so no one caught me unprepared……lol!    We made our pit stop around 40 minutes into the race and it went pretty well, even though we can do it better next time with our fueler having the required gear.   Nathan went out and drove a very good race going back into the lead and maintaining a good pace and remembering to save brakes for the end in case he would need to race hard for the finish.   All went as planned and we ended up winning our second race of the day and this time it wasn’t a gift but one that we won on our own merits!!!!    Now THAT felt GREAT!!!!   That was the first victory for us in an endurance event and Nathan’s first in “Baby Blue”………… we will do some more of these when we can, hopefully not because we need more track time!  

 I even did a little bragging in Victory circle that the car would be even better for the Sprint race on Sunday because we had located our problem and was quickly dialing it out of the car!!!!!    It was a fitting end to the day for all the problems we went through the previous 2 and a half days.   I was proud of the crew and I feel like they learned a valuable lesson, that if you never give up and keep working hard you can turn misfortune around and come out a winner in spite of the odds!   I know Paul was very proud of the Team and it can be seen in the Pictures taken!!!   Well done Regogo Racing…………..!!!

SUNDAY:    We only had the Sprint Feature race on Sunday, in early afternoon, in the heat of the day.   We felt good, as Richard, Nick, Joe, & Nathan all got Baby Blue ready for the final showdown of the weekend for us.    This time (because of my Victory on Saturday’s Sprint race) we started on Pole Position (first place) for this race.  It was somewhat delayed (so, really needed the umbrella girl to shield some of the hot sunshine while waiting….thanks Drenda & Kc), the race before a car had blown an engine the last part of the long back straight & down the hill to the slow turn #10A….it was right in the middle of the road, where all the outbraking / passing is done!!!!   I took note of that on the pace lap, it had oil dry on it but it was still slippery, so, I wanted to avoid it if at all possible.  Now, you must know, the other Lotus 23B  didn’t show for this race (don’t know why) but, we were prepared to run harder this time anyway.  We got a very good start and immediately began to leave the field (nearly 30 cars).  I wanted to open as much space as possible before the end of that fast back straight a way…….. I didn’t want to have to defend or try and late brake in that section.    My plan worked and we continued to open a safe lead and was able to back off and save the brakes and tires just in case someone caught up and wanted to challenge us.   We actually ended up making it a boring race because I was so far out in front with no action other than cars I was catching at the back of the field.   I was cautious and took my time working through them all the way to the checker….and again we took First Place, winning the race.   Now this was vindication for the Race Team, for the car ran almost flawless and we won impressively, so, they have much to be proud of….we had worked our way out of the first few days of sweat and hard work to tears of joy!!!   “Baby Blue” was dominating!  

 We don’t ever expect that but we work hard to make it difficult to beat us….we know we can be but, we want to establish ourselves as one of the better teams and we are going along ways towards accomplishing that for Paul Rego!   When we pull into the paddock at the beginning of the week, they know the Big Blue Rig is there and yeah, they can come have meals with us (we have a great Chef,  William Guthrie) and we are very sharing, but, they also know they will have to be at their best because we will be on our best out there on the track….. Paul Rego likes to WIN!!!   That is why I love driving for him, he loves to WIN!  And he wants the cars the best they can be and I am expected to get all they have in them to try and Win!!   There is no better way to go racing my friends…..in a winning TEAM!

WRAP UP!      We are looking forward to making some announcements about the Formula One JPS Lotus 79 soon, we are waiting on our engine from the builder now.   She doesn’t actually race until August but we want to have her out sooner than that….we have lots to do to get her on the top step of the podium!!!   Will keep you posted.

The Lotus Elite is near her restoration and we are hoping to take her with us to Watkins Glen (our next race June 7 -10).  Its going to be touch and go if we can make that event but, that is the Team’s goal.   Keep watching and see…..hopefully she too will come out Blue…..lol!