13th is great, staying on the lead lap!

Live timing is OK for times but not for additional (e.g., pit stop) info.

I'm pleased that they had a clean race, that nobody duffed them up.

 

The #197 finished 13th after running as high as 2nd. A late stop for fuel dropped us the 16th. We worked our way back to 13th at the flag.

It was exciting to see the Mini at the top of the board for a considerable amount of time.

We were hoping for a late caution, but were forced into a green light stop about 10 laps from the end.

It was a good run for the 'veteran #197'. The 'rookie' #198 was not so lucky . . .

The #198 struggled all weekend with setup issues. This was the first time out for this car and it actually ran very well all things considered. However, the car got crashed out on lap 10 when a Mazda "shut the door" at the end of the straight. The left front control arm and shock were bent too badly to continue.

More details later . . .

 

Starting a New thread for Watkins Glen . . . .

Schedule: http://www.grand-am.com/CONTENT/Docs...al%20Sched.pdf

Now that we are running two cars, we could use some volunteer crew to assist with non-technical stuff. If you are going and don't mind getting your hands dirty, drop me a PM.

Randy

 

If I had one word for Mid Ohio, it would be WILD. That was the craziest race I have ever seen.

Randy did really well in an ill handeling car, the illness was clarified by the photo Alain posted. Yikes !!

The 197 ran great all weekend. We lost second gear on Saturday but we only use that gear during pit in and out plus for restarts. Driving with B.J. was an honor, that guy can drive. By race end, the front rotors were shot and had very deep grooves and cracks. Maybe Grand Am will see we really need help with brakes.

All in all a great weekend everything is moving in the right direction and the 198 should be much better at The Glen.

Thanks to all for the support and positive comments, the cars and drivers are getting faster !!

Mark

 

Courtesy of Wes Duenkel Photography

 

Courtesy of Wes Duenkel Photography

 

I have filled one spot and could use 1 maybe 2 more people.

The commitment to crew will earn you a Grand Am credential and 'all access' pass for the GA events including the Indy cars at least through Saturday. I suspect it will be good on Sunday too.

You will have lots of time off. We need fill-in crew for practice, qualifying and the race. There will be no technical, or 'over the wall' work but you will be in the 'hot pits'.

Long pants, closed toe shoes, and a regular shirt are required. Any other gear needed, will be supplied by the team.

This is an opportunity to get up and close. I need to register you soon. If you are interested, please send a PM ASAP.

Thanks again

Randy

A Volunteer crewman at Mid Ohio . . . note the $200 free pass hanging around his neck!!

 

Heading to the Glen on Wed.

Driver line up for two cars:

Mark Congleton
Richard Cullin
Randall Smalley
Robert Smalley

All experienced Mini Pilots.

Cars are prepped and ready to go. Looking forward to a fun and successful weekend.

Randy

 

Have fun. oh and make sure you keep the Rubber side down

 

..... unfortunatly the Glen is not so Mini friendly. Good luck to you guys Randy. Have a great time.

 

I disagree and here are some publically published facts to support my opinion.

Watkins Glen International raceway - Long Course

2005 SCCA National Showroom Stock C Mini Copper S podium finish set 2nd fastest race lap in class.
http://www.flr-scca.com/race/2005/na...p1_Results.pdf

2005 Grand Am Cup ST Class Mini Cooper S podium finish - MINI's first professional podium.
http://www.grand-am.com/Events/Sessi...?SessionID=515

 

I stand by it Tony. If you want to put links up to the "facts" then put all of them. That GA race was a fiasco with many cars off the track due to poor track conditions. Only one other car ran a slower "fastest lap" then you guys. These are the facts that I stand by.
As far as SSC, your talking apples and oranges as far as I'm concerned. Has nothing to do with GA.

But anyway, good luck to Randy and crew. I hope to be proven wrong by this well run and well organized team.

 

Just checked the weather, and it appears that it won't get too hot, about 80 F max. Looks like no rain...

From what I recall of last year's success there, and watching videos at this track, it would seem that keeping your nose clean is the way to go here. Of all of the cars competing, we're the most like a brick, and with the least power; so I would guess.

I'll be following along, as always. Best of luck guys!

 

Are saying podiums mean nothing? If you have other links you'd like to post post them. The results are the results whether you like them or not.

Scca and Grand am are two separate sanctions. The point that escapes you is that two different MINI's in two different races had podium finishes at the same racetrack.

 

Nuzzo, ... you are so way off base here with your input. I said that the Glen is not Mini friendly, ... and by the results of the times that you posted in the link (the same as I printed below), I think I am right on by saying so. If by chance a mini does well because others get in trouble has absolutely nothing to do with my statement. The mini is SLOW at the Glen.
Not to mention that you qualified 27 and 28 out of 29 cars! With this alone, why are you refuting my statement???

List of best lap times of the 2005 ST class at the Glen
2:12.874
2:13.172
2:13.319
2:13.326
2:13.335
2:13.612
2:13.826
2:13.849
2:13.881
2:13.992
2:14.043
2:14.449
2:14.861
2:14.885
2:14.929
2:15.001
2:15.034
2:15.170
2:15.425
2:15.701
2:15.883
2:16.130
2:16.372 Mini
2:16.921
2:17.442 Mini
2:17.553
2:18.772
2:18.967
2:22.260

 

So going from second to last to finish 3rd in a class of 29 and 19th overall out of 74 and one of just 20 cars on the lead laps means the MINI is uncompetitive at The Glen. Overall lap times don't paint the whole picture at tracks like The Glen. The MINI is so much faster in various segment of that track than most of the other cars with the exception of the straights. It can out brake and out handle most of its competitors.

You keep alluding to others getting in trouble, in racing stuff happens, when two cars take each other out in lap one and we move up a position because of it well thats racing.

I'll repeat the MINI was 1 of only 20 cars on the lead lap and 1 of only 4 in our class on the lead lap. And at the time there was no second chance or lucky dog get a lap back rule.

 

...... whatever .....

 

Every reference I heard of the Glen is that it's a high horsepower track. Being that the MINI is relatively challenged in this area, I believe Greg was just stating that it's not a MINI-friendly track; which is hard to argue.

The podium in 2005 was incredible for sure! I'm certain if one would have been asked at the begining of that season to pick a track where the MINI would first do this, the Glen would not be the logical choice. Laguna Seca or the likes of LRP would top such a list or poll as tracks where the MINI could really shine...

As revealed by the practice sessions in 2005, the MINI's were running next to last or in the bottom 5 or so. In qualifying, out of 73 cars, they placed 70 and 71, about 7 or so seconds off the class lead qualifier. The 3rd place race finish was amazing, especially with a best lap times in the bottom 7, consistent with practice and qualifying. I am not a race junkie, but with what I've been following in recent years, this is atypical or an aberration when a car is one of the slowest on the track (practice, qualifying & the race), yet gets a podium. Running a clean, strategic race, taking advantage of situations, seems to be the reason why we placed 3rd; and I'm totally fine with that, at least at the Glen or similar tracks.

I'm a big sports fan, namely of football. There have been games that my team has lost where they dominated all relevant stats, with the exception of the final score, of course. Then there were times where they won, and for the life of me, it was hard to be all that excited because the other team just seemed more deserving. I take a Karma approach in that we got back a win that we should have had in a previous game, where our play was without question better, but we didn't finish on the right side of the score...

While I take a certain amount of pride that the MINI podium'd at the Glen, I am much more satisfied with the fastest race lap of the day at Laguna Seca, where we unfortunately had a failure in lap 10 or so though. There were other instances where the Nuzzo MINI's shined, like when it was impounded for setting a track record during a practice or qualifying. It was sometime in Jan or so I believe (cool weather), but I forgot the track. The Glen was a make-up call if you will, where we sort of came-in through the back door. Again, maybe a type of karma, but not something for which I can feel very good about...

Randy and team, I, and probably we, apologize for the slight OT discussion! I wish you guys the best.

 

Just want to say good luck guys. Your friends in the Old Fart Motoring club will be cheering you on. Wish we could be there to see you.

Have fun, be safe, now go get em!!!

 

Good luck this week-end guys!

 

^ +1,000,000

 

May "no fear" and good luck be with the team at Watkins Glen!

Go fast - no brakes

 

Qualifying should be happening now, but the Live Timing & Scoring seems to be down... Drat!

During the practices, we were running 2:19 laps. ST leaders seem to running in the 2:12's. As with Mosport, top speeds for GS are about 98 mph on this track, with ST leaders hitting 92 something. The lap time deltas at Mosport were were about 5 seconds between the class leaders, where it's about 7 seconds at the Glen though...

If someone gets the rusults of qualifying, please share. Thanks.

 

The two RSR cars qualified next to each other in 18th and 19th in class.

#197 Rich Cullen, was at 2:18:314, 88.949 mph while the #198 car of Randy Smalley was at 2:18.966, 88.079 mph.

Pole went to HART Honda Accord at 2:12.507, 92.372 mph.


Have a great race guys!

 

Friday night . . .

Same recurring issues . . . Aero and Horse Power. WG is very fast. Most of the track is 4th & 5th gear . . . a few random 3rd gear runs, but in general, 4th is the gear of choice.

This is a combined race so we will have the GS cars on track . . . plus the race is 3 hours. This changes some of the strategy. Most cars will require two stops for fuel . . . including us. The track is boxed in with Armco so I suspect there will be lots of cautions to clear the 'debris'.

Our plan is to run a safe, stay out of trouble race. This race will be about survival. Even though the times don't show it, the cars are good. We are probably a little more confident than we should be . . .

As always, thanks for the support. I will update went I can.

Randy