Mid Ohio July 09 report

[SVTBuckeye]

C Kisner and Sonic Blue


Five SF in a row


Mark & Mr. Yellow


Chris Capaldi and the newest Spec Focus #22


Lowell & Big Red


Craig was putting his drawers on so he missed the photo op.
These pictures were taken as the camera guy was dodging a line of cars coming off the track. We were all needing to change for the race, times a-wastin. click and go

Mid Ohio July 11,12, 2009
Weather was good! Cold front moved through Sat with rain about 12:00PM, track was dry for our 1:25 race. Sunday was beautiful, not too hot with a light breeze. aaahhhh

We had five cars for the SF racing, Chris Capaldi has finished his own car, built from just a body shell. Really impressive! He did 10 on tracks in three days with not one failure. As he increased his speed he found he had to roll the rear fender lip to give the tires clearance. New speed leads to new revelations.

Chris Capaldi didn’t compete for points as he used unapproved tires (Hankooks). Thus he disqualified himself from the official results.

Thursday saw all of us getting good practice from four on track opportunities. No one broke, no gravel traps, not much excitement there.

Lowell bet on rain for qualifying and went out on RA1’s with full tread. No real consequences as no rain and P2 were the results. RA1’s are smaller in diameter, and Big Red will run to the redline and stay for some time, and at several places in 4th and 3rd gears at MO. R888’s don’t do that!

Saturday Qualifying results:
Craig 1:46.137
Lowell 1:49.491
Mark 1:50.175
Chris K 1:50.592
Chris C 1:50.972
Saturday’s race started with a false radio transmission of green to Mark Zemnickas. He jetted off leaving the rest of the field to watch and wait for the green. The starter pretty much messed up our wave of the race group. With three waves, and three green flags, the starter left the flag hang off the stand after wave two had “left the building” such that as we (wave three) approached the stand we saw a hanging green flag. Mark’s Crew Chief, his father Gordon Zemnickas gave the “green” radio message before the starter used the flag to wave it for our start. Confusing!

It was a crazy start, I think maybe they all are, with the four BMW’s (GTS 1) in front of the SF barely moving at the flag. Lowell had to get completely off the gas and when he did move forward could count FOUR spec focus ahead of him. This from the P2 position. Not good little shaver.

Lowell was able to move around Chris and Chris in traffic for third pretty early on. But then there was a lot of traffic to manage. The worst were the fifth place and below Factory fives. REAL slow in all the corners so after they passed us they held us up in the next several corners. Lowell was inches from kissing their A$$ on several occasions in turns with his left foot on the brake and right half throttle. They run about a second a lap faster than us but all that is on the straights and given up in the turns. Booo

On the white flag lap Lowell managed to catch Mark and tried a pass into turn one. Didn’t happen. Mark is taking that turn very fast and did little or no braking. Big Red’s bumper got just past the rear wheel of Mr. Yellow and when Mark moved into the turn… that was the end of it. Pulling back into line cost about three car lengths going up hill to the key hole and only one or two car lengths were made up in the final lap.

Craig Capaldi mean while was off in the lead with another win. Forth was Chris Kisner and Chris Capaldi followed the field home. Best Race laps were:
In lap
Craig 1:47.393 9
Mark 1:48.905 17
Lowell 1:48.385 16
Chris K 1:48.590 15
Chris C 1:48.740 14

Sundays race was more of a routine craziness. This time we all saw the green, bumped into the BMW’s and fought around some of them. Kisner got a great start just behind Craig into second. On the second lap going into the carrousel Chris K went right to go under a slow 944 “Porcha” and was shoved into the dirt. Lowell, witnessing this carnage went to the outside and was followed by C Capaldi as we pushed the toilet contents brown 944 out of the way going onto the front straight. Craig was just ahead and we took after him. Lowell was able to stay in sight with Craig for the first time ever for the entire race. Not close however, but 3 seconds close sometimes. A factor of traffic and slippery conditions is speculated. Craig actually slid off at the exit of Thundervalley in the fast left hander. and this allowed Lowell to close considerably on him. Meanwhile Lowell was able to gain about 3-4 seconds gap on Chris and Chris who were engage in their own battle. A distance of about the length of half the front straight was the gap at some point in the race. Late in the race, Lowell’s car and tires seemed very slippery and Craig later report the same conditions. Their fastest laps were in lap 13 for Craig and 12 for Lowell, Craig C and Craig K of 17 laps. About lap 14 the new flat black FR2.3SF (Ford Racing 2.3L Spec Focus) of Chris C and the Sonic Blue FR2.0SF of Chris K started to get larger in Lowell’s mirror. Yes they were closing, and they continued to. At the white flag Chris C was only about 1 second behind and at the checker, right at Big Reds bumper. (.08 Sec gap) Too close I’m thinking! Given the tire situation Chris C’s results were void for the record. We will have to wait till next on track to get the true measure of this new hot driver from the Capaldi family but he looks fast. :-O Final official results were Craig C, Lowell, Chris K, Mark, and Chris C with Chris Kisner turning the second fastest lap of the race!
In lap
Craig 1:46.739 13
Lowell 1:47.919 12
C Kisner 1:47.766 12
Mark 1:48.613 7
Chris C 1:47.964 12

Next stop is Mid Ohio August 14-16, see you there.

Mark, Chris, Chris, Craig send a PM with edits and additions or an e mail

[lapp4sm]

Sounds like a lot of fun. I always enjoy reading your reports Lowell, keep it up.

[BadIdea]

Thanks Lowell!

Chris K - are you in 2nd or 3rd for the right hander into thunder valley?

[CCapaldi]

John, you gonna come race with us next month or what?

[sleeperlove]

Originally Posted by BadIdea

Thanks Lowell!

Chris K - are you in 2nd or 3rd for the right hander into thunder valley?

if you are using second there you are going to slow

[BadIdea]

Originally Posted by sleeperlove

if you are using second there you are going to slow

With the gearing of a svt? 3rd is real dog and I was thinking of trying 2nd after talking with a gt3 guy who has to grab 2nd to get over the hill. (the car not the class)

[sleeperlove]

How fast does 2nd gear go in the SVT?

I am seeing ~60mph at the inside curbing there.

[lepak91]

Great write-up Lowell.

[ckisner]

i'm in 3rd there. you don't want to drop down to 2nd. you'll get way too much wheel spin going over the corner. i'm basically in 3rd from turn 3 all the way around until after turn 1. plus like jeff said, you'll be going too slow.

Originally Posted by BadIdea

Thanks Lowell!

Chris K - are you in 2nd or 3rd for the right hander into thunder valley?

[ckisner]

65 at 6824rpm is max in 2nd gear according to a gear calculator i have.

i peak around 75-78 there before i brake

Originally Posted by sleeperlove

How fast does 2nd gear go in the SVT?

I am seeing ~60mph at the inside curbing there.

[ckisner]

dave, we gonna see you at a race this year?

Originally Posted by lepak91

Great write-up Lowell.

[guitarseth]

I wish I could have been there, sounds like some great racing! I'll make sure to show up in August (even though its a work weekend for me).

[ckisner]

i've uploaded the first couple of laps from sundays race:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j81xn-MNiGQ

see craig go off-roading at the start. i got a pretty good start and holy crap i end up behind craig. so thats what he looks like . you'll see the porcha cut me off at the carousel. i eventually pass him going into thunder valley but the damage was done. craig and lowell were off and chris and i played catch up the remainder of the race.

[SVTBuckeye]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

((i've uploaded the first couple of laps from sundays race)

Cool, thanks "C Money"
I thought it was the first lap you got door slammed??
Worked for me!

[CCapaldi]

Originally Posted by ckisner

i peak around 75-78 there before i brake

Brake? lol

When I pull my data I'll have to see where I'm at mph wise, I looked at it with Mark a little and that is one spot it looks I make some time. I gotta thank Leo for that one, when you get through there good once you'll know.

In all the Foci I used to down shift there depending where I was in the rpm's, now I'm actually faster through there leaving the car in lower rpm's even though its out of its power band. Trick is not to overslow the car when you leave it in the higher gear but carry the same speed which sometimes is easier said than done.

[BadIdea]

Originally Posted by ckisner

i'm in 3rd there. you don't want to drop down to 2nd. you'll get way too much wheel spin going over the corner. i'm basically in 3rd from turn 3 all the way around until after turn 1. plus like jeff said, you'll be going too slow.

What is the rev limit for SVT? I thought it was 7400. That's what I had focus sport do my tune for but I think it still cuts out at 7200.

I'm 2nd in keyhole, madness and carousel. I hit 3rd at the apex of 10A.

I've never tried 2nd in 11 I was just wondering. Lots to wrong there if you unsettle the car.

I found what appears changing it from 7000 to 7400.

Re: Technical Bulletin 2008
Technical Bulletin for RPMs for SVT Motors.

The RPM limits for the SVT Motors have been changed from 7,000 to 7,400 rpms.

NEW RULE for 11.20 RPM Limits
The following RPM limits shall apply:
• Duratec 2.3 6800 rpm
• Duratec 2.0 7200 rpm
• Zetec 2.0 7200 rpm
• SVT Zetec 7400 rpm

[BadIdea]

Originally Posted by CCapaldi

John, you gonna come race with us next month or what?

Wish I could but I'm out of cash. I think the only thing on the schedule is a weekend at the nelson ring in september for the all club renaissance run event.

[sleeperlove]

wow, I didn't realize how long the SVT gears are. I never see second gear.

I'm in 4th through 1, 3rd in the keyhole and through the esses, 4th through 11/14 then third through the carousel.

[ckisner]

Originally Posted by CCapaldi

Brake? lol

us mortals must brake

[CCapaldi]

Originally Posted by ckisner

us mortals must brake

You guys saw the cloud of dirt I left behind when I tried to use less brakes! Although when you go straight off there you can almost connect it back to the front straight, might be a new speed secrect!

[lepak91]

Originally Posted by ckisner

dave, we gonna see you at a race this year?

I hope so. I won't make it to Mid-Ohio in August because I'm on call that week. The schedule shows a race on September 5-6 2009 @ Gingerman. I'll be able to make it to that one if anyone is going to be racing that weekend.

[ckisner]

Originally Posted by lepak91

I hope so. I won't make it to Mid-Ohio in August because I'm on call that week. The schedule shows a race on September 5-6 2009 @ Gingerman. I'll be able to make it to that one if anyone is going to be racing that weekend.

all 5 of us will be at gingerman

[lepak91]

Originally Posted by ckisner

all 5 of us will be at gingerman

Great! I'll see you there.