EMRA – Eastern Motor Racing Association

Friday, October 5, 2012

Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, PA

This was the first race that my father couldn’t make it to.  I went at it alone, but it wasn’t as much fun flying solo.  It didn’t help that I didn’t care for the track that much (dat transition!), and that it rained the night before (does puddles!).  I threw the car off the track 2x… like an all-4-wheels-flying-through-the-mud trip.  Clearly, this was the day I’d bin it…

…but it wasn’t.  I kinda muddled through the sessions, never really being happy with my driving, but not sucking terribly.  Besides, I was the only Miata Challenge car there! LOL.  Hopefully I won’t lose!

Best time; session 2.  1:06.582. Since this track is like a transformer and there are a million variations (North? South? North / South?  New pavement?  Old Pavement?), I only found this NASA record:

SM – Eric Gebhardt  01:04.602  9/6/09

Crikey. 2 full seconds off that small track?  Yikes.

EMRA – Eastern Motor Racing Association

Sunday, Sep 9, 2012

New Jersey Motorsports Park Lightning, Millville, NJ

This was the second stop at New Jersey Motorsports Park.  6 cars showed up, 5 were in MCS.  I think I like the little Lightning circut – lets see if I can get some better lap times than last time.  My time previously was 1:25.010

My session times:

• 1:26.222.   nope.
• 1:25.702.   nope.
• 1:26.006.   seriously?
• 1:24.872.   finally!

I know it was cooler out and the track conditions were different… but a guy at my level is mostly improving with seat time alone.  Hmmmm.

I don’t have video for this event either.  Also, I have no excuse.

EMRA – Eastern Motor Racing Association

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Lime Rock Park, Lakeville, CT

This was actually the 2nd MC race at Lime Rock Park; at the first one, I was not eligible for points or a trophy due to having to test for a license that day.

This was an exciting one for me.  After getting 3 trophies at the last 3 days (WGI had 2), I wanted more!  Rick Pfeiffer was there to keep me in check.

Session 1:

• Rick Pfeiffer (MCS)  1:10.288
• Chris Chemidlin (MCS)  1:11.137

Damn.  Almost a full second.

Session 2:

• Rick Pfeiffer (MCS) 1:07.716
• Chris Chemidlin (MCS) 1:08.028

Damn. Still .3s

Session 3:

• Chris Chemidlin (MCS) 1:07.660
• Rick Pfeiffer (MCS) 1:08.257

Oh Yeah!  But I have a feeling he’ll be coming like gangbusters next session!

Session 4:

• Chris Chemidlin (MCS) 1:07.053
• Rick Pfeiffer (MCS) 1:07.822

I thought this was a great lap.  MCM was won with a 1:06.024 – a full second faster, but the MCS win felt good.  I think I found my time when I found my guts at the bottom of the downhill.  If I trusted that the car would stick, and not breathe on the brakes/ let off the gas, I could carry more speed down the main straight.  I just had to man up.

Interesting Miata track record stats:

• SSM – Clifford Collins  1:03.022  9/27/2008
• SM – Michael Lo  1:02.135  5/30/2009

Still, I’m way off the pace, but I’ll keep tracking these numbers for my own amusement.  I can’t find the video for this race. <shrug> I’ll keep looking.

EMRA – Eastern Motor Racing Association

Sunday, Jul 29, 2012

New Jersey Motorsports Park, Lightning track, Millville, NJ

NJMP is close to home, and a great facility. Lightning is the shorter of the 2, and is well suited to the nimble (and very slow) Miata.

There were 3 timed sessions, I think 1 untimed session.  My best time for the day was 1:25.010.  The next fastest session was a 1:25.023; so I was pretty consistent.  These times were enough to get the Miata Challenge win.

Another day without the car breaking.  Awesome.  There was a C4 ‘vette that had an issue being passed by a little Miata.  He gave me some grief,  but the final word from the officials was: “was the Miata in your mirrors earlier in the lap?  No?  Is he in your mirrors now?  Yeah?  Well, that means he’s faster than you.”   LOL.  “Fernando is faster than you, Can you confirm you understood that message?”

Interesting Miata track record stats:

• SM – Tosh Desai  1:17.511  10/19/08
• SMT – Steve Rollo  1:20.182  6/29/14
• SSM – Darrell Lapointe  1:17.879  10/18/08
• SM2 – Jason Livingood  1:20.062  7/01/12

Again, my car is not a Spec Miata (I don’t have slicks, but I have wider wheels…),  and this is a cheapie suspension setup, but more seat time will get me closer to these numbers.

Another view from the ‘shake cam’.  This time the mount was held together with zip ties.  I wish I had bought my Ram mount earlier.  I don’t think I have my fastest lap recorded, so this’ll have to do.