April At Mid-Ohio
The ASR Racing, Autobahn Garage prepared NASA GTS-1, Porsche 944 team arrived at Mid-Ohio Race course on Friday April 20th for a test and tune day. The goal for the day was to scrub in two sets of new Kumho V710’s and to bed in the new brakes that we installed in the off-season. The weather was great, in the low 70’s and not a cloud in the sky. Had a great day.
On Saturday, we had another great day. I had a personal best lap time of 1:48:702 during the morning practice session. During qualifying there was an incident on the out lap and consequently we never saw the green flag, so they used our morning practice times to set the race order. My morning practice time placed me in the poll position for GTS-1, another first. Jim Ginter driving a BMW 325 stared in second place, Bill Edwards and Vince Masse and Korey Deason rounded out the field. We had a good clean start, I took the inside line and picked up three positions, Jim followed right with me. Things settled down for 5 or 6 laps, then Jim got a run on me coming out of the keyhole, we went side by side the whole back straight then under braking I though I could move back over on him, but he had me clean, so I let him go. We went nose to tail for a few laps, some faster cars separated us for a while, then a late race yellow on the front stretch allowed me to catch him and we went at it hard for the last two laps. On the white flag lap, some faster cars again separated us at turn 11. In the end I took the checker flag in second place, another first. Even though we took second place, I was happy, because Jim’s fastest lap during the race was 1:48:430 and mine was 1:48:434. This is what NASA is all about, good clean racing with great people.
During Sunday’s practice I spent time working on braking points and gear changes. I qualified just behind Jim this time and Bill Edwards, Korey Deason and Vince Massey made up the class. The start was faster this time, not as bunched up as in the Saturday race; Jim was on the inside and I was on the outside. We were side by side all the way through to the Carousel, then on the front stretch he pulled me just enough to get in front at turn one. We ran nose to tail for a few laps then Mike Osborn in a Spec E-30 moved up behind me a we did battle for a lap or two, then he got by me and him and Jim raced hard just ahead of me for the balance of the race. Other than a close call with a 944 Cup car coming out of the Keyhole, where I had to drop two wheels off to ovoid an incident, the balance of the race was uneventful. Finished in second place in GTS-1.
I want to thank Tab Tanner and his team at Autobahn Garage for the race prep work over the winter and also Kumho Tires for stepping up and offering a contingency program for the GTS Program, with two second places finishes this weekend, I racked up $400 Kumho Bucks.
posted by NASA138 @ 6:17 AM
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