Fontana 5/26/19

[crash]

Had a good run at Fontana this weekend in the Mendeola FFR PDG GTM #8(4). Someone claimed our number for the weekend so we had to change to number 8.

I had never driven Fontana before, even though it is the closest track to me. The schedule consisted of one 20 minute warm up, a 20 minute qualifying, and a 15 lap race.

It was cold and drizzly all weekend. First session out I tried to pick up driving lines and braking points. Unfortunately there was no one fast near me so I was pretty much on my own. Dang the high bank is nerve wracking!

End of first session and I was about 8 seconds off the pace. Mid pack with the slower classes.

We were running old tires and the car was "skating" around a bit. Very interesting at a buck fifty! After the first session we took stock of the tires. We were thinking about running used tires all weekend because the race was so short, but after looking at the wear indicators on the used tires we had and recalling all the videos on YouTube where people ended up in the wall because of blown right rear tires, Richard and I decided that it would be penny wise and pound foolish if we were to have a blowout at 150+ so he spent the $2000 and put a new set of tires on the car for qualifying.

I had told the guys that my goal was to be 10 seconds faster for qualifying. I saw the smirks and gratuitous nods and could tell they didn't think that was in the cards. New tires are usually good for about 4 seconds, but because the track surface is so bad and because the tight corners are really slow with not much aero grip available, I estimated that the new tires would be worth quite a bit more at this track...and they were.

First lap out was a warm up and then it was time to see what the new tires would do. I had also thought that the new tires would provide enough grip that we could go to our lower down force wing and try and get as much as we could down the straights as far as speed. This was a good move and we were now topping out in 5th gear entering the banking of turn 1-2. That's just over 156 MPH.

I dropped 5 seconds the second lap and then continued to drop time every lap until I reached a 9 second decrease in lap times that put the PDG GTM on the pole for the race! We out qualified the second place Corvette with an LS7 by 1.3 seconds and went 2 seconds faster than the car had ever gone at Fontana previously!

Standing start on the pole position on the inside was good, but I screwed up the launch and spun the tires...TWICE...did I mention it was cold? Likely did not get the tires warm enough on the warm up lap as I have never spun the tires before.

So in second place and that big LS7 pulls away around the banking, but now I finally have a comparable car to judge breaking points with. I know the Vette is heavier than us so I know I can out brake him once I learn where his braking points are. Not only that, but the PDG GTM has superior grip and I pick up time on corner entry, and mid corner. The only place he has me is once we get straight and he nails the throttle on that big LS7.

So I have learned where I can beat him and am RIGHT on his tail. He does pull me about a second every lap on the front straight and I am starting to try and calculate how much distance I will need to keep him from passing me back on the straight after I make my move somewhere in the infield. I figure I need all the distance I can get so I plan to wait another 5 laps or so and try and take him under braking for turn 3 as we come off the high bank, brake hard and go from 5th gear to 2nd.

Then he starts smoking...and it gets worse lap after lap. I decide that now is the time to go ahead and pass him as I am practically running into the back of him under braking. He knows he is not going to last at that pace, moves high and lets me by. It was unfortunate because we were going to have an epic battle to the end. I was using a lot of tire since it was a sprint race, but I could have overheated the tires driving the way I was. It was simply how I had an advantage, so I was going to use it until it didn't work any longer. Definitely not an endurance strategy, but this was a sprint race so I felt it was worth the risk.

Once he dropped off the pace I decided to just cruise as there was a light sprinkle coming down from the sky and entering a corner at 155+ mph and keeping my foot down and praying on slicks didn't seem like the appropriate thing to do. Nothing real exciting from then on as we cruised to an overall win against 17 other cars.

Very exciting, and very fun weekend. Thanks to all our sponsors...Factory Five Racing, Mendeola Transaxles, Baja Designs Lighting, Chase Chevrolet, MyRaceShop.com, and all the guys at the shop that put the car together.

I'll try and get some video up, but we have to turn in our video cards to the sanctioning body after every race so I have to wait until they send them back to me before I can post anything. I believe the race will be televised on NBC Sports in some areas, and then it will also be available after airing on the United States Touring Car website...ustcc.com

BTW- PDG is trying to put together a run at this event...https://www.24hseries.com/2019/24h-c...19/start...but need to find more sponsorship $$$. If anyone wants to help out you can PM me and I will put you in touch with Carl Rydquist who is putting this together for PDG. After a significant technical review PDG just got word that They have been accepted to compete at this event. The only thing holding PDG back now is $$$.

[Presto51]

Awesome write up. Congrats on the win, you guys rock!

[beeman]

Great recap, congratulations!
That 24 hour race would be epic, I hope you can make it there. How much money are you looking to raise? Where can I buy an overpriced poster of the PDG GTM? What class would you be running in? I'd love to see you guys run against the SCG-003, man that thing is sexy.

https://www.24hseries.com/2019/24h-c...019/entry-list

[crash]

Great recap, congratulations!
That 24 hour race would be epic, I hope you can make it there. How much money are you looking to raise? Where can I buy an overpriced poster of the PDG GTM? What class would you be running in? I'd love to see you guys run against the SCG-003, man that thing is sexy.

https://www.24hseries.com/2019/24h-c...019/entry-list

We actually won the 2015 USTCC Championship when I co-drove with one of the pro drivers from the SCG team. I was unable to make the Laguna Seca double weekend and Ken Dobson stood in for me and brought us two wins, so if it happens, we would be seeing some old friends. I believe we would be running in SPX class.

Oh and as for the $$$ question...entry fees and required equipment run about $25,000, then there is tires and brakes, another $20,000 or so, and then getting there and staying in hotels, etc. another couple thousand. This is one thing I think people don't readily understand about auto racing...it is extremely expensive when the races are long. PDG basically spends a new GTM car's worth of $$$ every 24 hour race. Some people buy a Ferrari or McLaren once in their lifetimes...PDG spends the equivalent of a Ferrari or McLaren EVERY YEAR racing the FFR PDG GTM.

[Shoeless]

I love living vicariously through your racing as I work on Shoeless GTM

Keep the updates coming.

[Fraser D]

Great writeup Mike and congrats to you and the team on the Win!!
Thanks for sharing some of the on the strategy and lap by lap thinking that goes on.
If the team makes it to COTA for the 24hr series then I would love to come up to support.

[crash]

Great writeup Mike and congrats to you and the team on the Win!!
Thanks for sharing some of the on the strategy and lap by lap thinking that goes on.
If the team makes it to COTA for the 24hr series then I would love to come up to support.

Thanks for the support. I will keep everyone posted as to what we are doing.