Barber Race

Boy what a great Track. I had a very good time even with the rainy saturday. I was surprised by the checker on Saturday at lap 7, but I guess there was a little relief mixed in as well. Maybe a lot of relief! I had 4 year old rains and little experience driving in the rain and at this track. Very interesting to break the tires loose on a 3, 4 upshift in my 1.6L miata!

All the workers and stewards were very friendly and deserve a BIG thank you for sticking it out all day saturday and then coming back for more Sunday!

I do hope to race at Barber again - soon. Maybe 3 or 4 (or 40) more weekends and I'll be able to put down some good laps.

Neal Norton
 
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Chuck,

..... Thanks for all the help on Friday. I enjoyed the drive and hope to pay you back someday soon.

..... To bad they stopped us early on Saturday, I was really enjoying the rain and the challenges it creates.... lol

..... Had to hold my breath on Sunday going into the hairpin after the start. I drove off track to avoid an ITS Acura doing a banzai on my left side. Sure was glad I checked my mirror before I turned in. The driver was able to hold it on track but a few turns later his luck ran out. I was a couple car lengths behind him when he forgot that he had cold tires and tried to go full tilt through the chicane on the back straight. That is a hard way to learn a very important lesson. Just glad he is okay, it could have been much worse if he had gotten collected by oncoming cars.

..... Maybe if I can get some real springs on my car with some camber adjustment ( like you have) I can go faster in the dry.

..... Rick Thompson #99 ITR
 
Overall, I think it was a good weekend. The people were great and parking was easy. Registration could use some work, but that's to be expected when it hasn't been done at the track in a while.

I tend to agree with David Plott that perhaps safety was sacrificed somewhat for the races on Saturday in an effort to try and meet an artificial deadline set by the track. David's car and the RX-7 were left where they were and a CRX was left in the gravel trap in 1. Somebody could have easily gone off and hit one of those cars. A car did go off during the SRF race and hit a parked car. I'm guessing that during different conditions a full-course yellow would have been thrown to collect those cars. Time management on Saturday was somewhat less than spectacular.

Sunday went much better from an organizational perspective. I'll have to say that the "Thanks for coming - get your ass out by 7" announcements were rather annoying. Perhaps somebody should tell the Barber people that we don't have big crews working for us and sometimes it takes us a little longer to get things put away and ready to go. It's not like we want to be there.

Joe, I had fun racing with you (again) on Sunday. Once the NX passed me I tried to keep up with him and you gave me a little push to go faster. I think we would've caught him if it hadn't been for the leaders lapping us. Sunday was fun.

David
 
I agree with Jeff. A placard would have been much appreciated - at the station before T11.

David, it was good running with you as well. I spun on lap two in the carousel and was fighting to get back in. I made up a lot of time and got close to 4th. I caught up to you and the other ITA B13 with Durward about 20yrd up. I couldnt get past you guys and lost Durward. The Rex doesnt have the tq (at least mine doesnt..thanks Paul Yaw). So if you see me coming up and I earn it, show me the point by. I'd greatly appreciate it and will return the favor.

Here are some highlights from Saturday - Group 6.

http://media.putfile.com/Barber-Motorsports-SARRC-July-2007
 
David, it was good running with you as well. I spun on lap two in the carousel and was fighting to get back in. I made up a lot of time and got close to 4th. I caught up to you and the other ITA B13 with Durward about 20yrd up. I couldnt get past you guys and lost Durward. The Rex doesnt have the tq (at least mine doesnt..thanks Paul Yaw). So if you see me coming up and I earn it, show me the point by. I'd greatly appreciate it and will return the favor.
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Yeah. I was thinking about letting you by, but we were catching the NX and I was racing him for position. I didn't want to lose ground to him. If it was an IT-7 car in front of me I would've let you by no prob. Of course, I wound up getting hosed when I let the leaders by anyways.

David
 
Here are my lap times from Sunday. I spun in lap two - hence the slight increase in lap times :blink: Then I picked it up. Got behind a Miata on Lap 10. Then came upon David and the NX on lap 11 to 13.
Not that I am asking for a handout - just a point by. It's racing, and I totally understand its every man for himself when we're on the track. But if another driver catches me, and he's not in IT7, then I gladly give him the racing room he needs to get by. Just my two cents.


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If I am racing for position in the last 2 or three laps of a race and someone from a different class catches us up, I hate to tell you but I am not going to make it easy for you. If you can get me cleanly that is great, but I am working on my position first and foremost.

My race for position in class is more important to me than your attempt to make up some overall spots. Just my opinion in the matter. It doesn't sound like David did anything wrong.
 
I'm not suggesting that he did anything wrong. Nor am I suggesting that his race (I believe he was 12th) was any less important than mine. What I am saying is, if we could have worked together - I would have returned the favor. On the very same lap.

David and I have raced like this before and we both know this isnt a big deal.
 
... Not that I am asking for a handout - just a point by. ...[/b]
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Now, having driven some of the slowest cars in any given group over the years (ITC Renault Alliance - not even the rat motor version), I know me some point-by. Since this has become a philosophical discussion, I'm with Bowie: What's described here ain't no "point-by" situation.

Now, "working together" is another issue. If I can latch onto the bumper of the guy in front and make both of us go faster to catch a third car up ahead, by all means I can do it. The trick is having the discipline to pursue that strategy rather than working for the pass myself.

On the OTHER hand, if my definition of "working together" requires the guy in front to compromise his lap time to let me by - so HE can push ME down the straight, or so I can run off after Guy Three - then I'm going to be disappointed more often than not.

Of course, this whole conversation presumes we are talking about cars on the same lap.

K
 
David and I have raced like this before and we both know this isnt a big deal. [/b]
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Okay. So why even bring it up?

But since you did bring it up, I feel compelled to make a couple of comments, with all due respect of course... I'm just trying to understand why you're discussing this publicly, or at all, for that matter.

- First, the position in which you found yourself during the last few laps of the race would be the result of what? I believe that would be the spin on lap 2, which was apparently of your own doing, correct?

- Be that as it may, for reference, your best lap was a 1:54.05 on lap 9. So, let's do some math... let's say you blow by the Miata on lap 10, David and the other ITA car both inexplicably wave you by, and you miraculously run 1:53.0's on the last 4 laps. This still puts you 5th in class, and 27th overall instead of 29th.

Hmmm?
 
I only brought it up because by Lap 11, Durward (4th - IT7) was 20yrs ahead of the B13 and David. There was a valid shot at 4th - and maybe 3rd. Who knows. I'm not concerned with overall rankings. Who is in IT7?

Just be to clear, I'm not critizing anyone's driving. Only putting in my two cents.
 
Hmmmm..probably best to take this one off a public board.

Both of you guys are good guys, good drivers, and on your way up in the IT world. Discuss it privately if you can; airing it out here can cause more problems than it solves.

See you guys at teh track; Joe I still need to introduce myself and apologize for the near miss at CMP. David, missed saying hello to you as well at Barber. Also need to figure out how you convince your wife to go to every race...that's a nice feature....lol.....
 
See you guys at teh track; Joe I still need to introduce myself and apologize for the near miss at CMP. David, missed saying hello to you as well at Barber. Also need to figure out how you convince your wife to go to every race...that's a nice feature....lol.....
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She actually likes to go. I think she likes being crew chief. She's the only person I have at a lot of the races and she does everything she can to help. I got her started watching racing many years ago and for whatever reason she likes it. :)

David
 
David, wow!!! How much would it cost to have your wife talk to my wife? Chuck (That is, of course, if I can drag my wife to the track kicking and screaming all the way)
 
Be careful what you wish for!! 48 foot trailer--2 cars--lots more tires. :D Actually she is the perfect crew chief and she drives a few races a year too.
 
I've brought women "to the track" exactly three times. Twice was at Savannah, and they demanded a room at that Westin resort across the river from the city. Cheap! Yeah baby. Once was at VIR, and the talk on the way back was about how it would be nice to have a beach house instead of spending money and time at the track......

Needless to say, I'm still single. The concept of the wife who likes racing, or (gasp!) races, is rather furrin' to me.
 
She actually likes to go. I think she likes being crew chief. She's the only person I have at a lot of the races and she does everything she can to help. I got her started watching racing many years ago and for whatever reason she likes it. :)

David [/b]
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Ditto here Dave, she started to watch me race GP Bike about 33 years ago. She was at the my very 1st bike race which was a 4 hr race and that Eric Buell (you may recognize the last name) crashed my Honda 750 @ Nelson Ledges. She tries to make as many races as she can now and she helps a lot including changing tires even to this day. We were married 30 years this May......I guess I'll keep her. ;)
 
Be careful what you wish for!! 48 foot trailer--2 cars--lots more tires. :D Actually she is the perfect crew chief and she drives a few races a year too.
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..I hear its especially bad if your wife is faster than you, right Steve? :P
 
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