Good day/night/whenever you’re listening to this! The gang is all here, and they’ve got a mountain of stuff to tackle. Before we get into it, we want to thank all of you for listening to us ramble. We sit in this basement, talk cars, and drink beer and eat pizza because we like it. We grab the mics and record our chats because we like you, and think you’d be down here if you could. Anyway, Mike, Dave, Gavin, and Brandon talk about:
BMW M8 is a thing
Liberty Media wants to do more F1, and make America care about it
Lewis Hamilton insults IndyCar drivers
Brandon waxes poetic about the VW Atlas
We get emotional over some listener questions
There’s a winner of the $3k KSL Challenge!
Again, thank you for listening to us ramble and get misty. We talk for us, we record it for you. Stream the episode in the player above, subscribe via RSS, or download the episode right here. And we’d appreciate it if you’d head to iTunes and Google Play and rate us and leave us a comment. We’d do the same for you if you have a podcast, no joke. Let us know if you have a podcast! We’ll support you, because you support us. Please share the episodes, word of mouth is the best way for this to grow. We’ll be back next week with more CAMcast goodness!
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May the 4th be with you! That’s the only Star Wars reference you’re getting on this episode, because neither Pizza Dad, The Professor, P-Car, nor Fearless Leader realized that this episode would be dropping on May 4th. What they lack in Star Wars, they make up for in discussion topics! On this episode:
Formula 1 stuff!
Could we be getting 100 octane at the pump?
Everyone needs technicians
The next GT500 is testing in Detroit
The Driving Experience!
Listener Mail
And more!
Thank you so very much for listening to this little podcast of ours. You can stream the episode above, find it on iTunes, or download it here. If you haven’t subscribed, rated, and commented on iTunes: why not? We’d do the same for you if you had a podcast. While you’re at it, share this episode! Let the people know where you got it, and send them our way. We’re friendly. We’ll be back next week!
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It feels soo goooood to be back! Just look at how happy Ty is! HE’S SO HAPPY!!! Probably because we’re back to racing, but also because Shawn set another track record. Speaking of, let’s talk about that
Time Trial
Yes, everyone’s favorite cowboy set another record. Well, two actually. On Saturday he went around the West track in 1:34.252, which was a record. Then on Sunday he pulled a 1:33.639. Good enough to win TT2, good enough to win TTU on Saturday
David Bradshaw, and his yellow Beetle “Bumblebee” Lyfe prepared 996 Porsche Cup Car took home the win in TT1 with a best time of 1:39.810. His luck wouldn’t hold into Sunday, as Daren Jorgensen, in the Rearden/Strom Motorsports M4 ran a 1:36.762.
We already talked TT2, so let’s move on to TT3. On Saturday, John Calvin (theologian, father of Calvinism/Reformed Protestantism, and driver of an orange and black Mustang) turned a 1:45.969 to bring home a win. Sunday saw another Rearden BMW take home a TT class win, this time it was the M235iR of Andrew McCubbins, an adorable animated teddy bear… Probably.
The 2017 season sees the debut of TT4, replacing TTB. Mike Bratsch kept his sucking low and pulled off the first win in the new class on Saturday with a 1:45.131. On Sunday Nam Yoon (not pictured) ran a 1:41.868, and took the class victory.
TTC is still around, having yet to be replaced by an as of yet undeveloped TT5, and had a few competitors on the weekend. Two to be exact! On Saturday, with a 1:44.955, Lynn Hodges in the red chrome Lotus took the win over John Butcher. Johnny boy would get his win on Sunday, with a 1:47.497.
Kenneth Russell, noted bon vivant and man about town, was the sole TTD competitor on the weekend. Him and his trusty Civic pulled a best time of 1:48.471 on Saturday and, like myself, weren’t around on Sunday.
A pair of hardtop NA chassis Miatas split the wins in TTE over the weekend. Todd Green, in Ol’ Blue or the Smurf or Babe the Tiny Blue Sports Car, ran a 1:46.473 on Saturday. On Sunday Tyler Nisonger took the win with a 1:48.074.
We had a TTF competitor this weekend! It was one Eduardo Acurero, in a black CRX that would lift the inside rear wheel during hard maneuvers. Eduardo, as he will always be referred to as on these pages, turned a 1:45.316. A time on par with the TTC field. Good going Eduardo!
Rounding out TT is Andrew Smith, who trotted out the Rearden/SilencerCo/FourFoods Group/maybe R&R Barbecue? Audi R8 LMS Ultra and turned a 1:36.606, outpacing even the likes of the UVU Miata.
Lightning
Tom Rogers, Thom Rodgers to his friends and Peruvian officials, beat out Chris Haunold for the GTS2 win on Saturday and Sunday. Will the BMW-Porsche battle end with the Bavarian car on top? It’s too soon to tell, but LET’S RECKLESSLY SPECULATE AND SAY YES!
Carl Marx, the great nephew of the legendary Zeppo Marx, in one of the Rearden BMW M235iR’s claimed a pair of GTS3 wins on the weekend.
Troy Duffin, in a cruel twist of fate, managed to get the PTD victory, but lose his gorgeous red Datsun 510. The car broke loose going into turn one, and as a result damaged some of the rear suspension. He managed to get the car going again, but only to limp it back into the pits. I speak for a lot of people who are glad Troy is ok, and are wishing for the car to make a speedy recovery!
Speaking of broken cars, Todd Green’s blue Miata decided to spin a bearing. It managed to do this AFTER Todd took the PTE win on Saturday. On Sunday Todd turned to an old friend, one who’s always been there when called upon: Paul Mitchell. Despite sitting since October, and on old tires, Paul answered the call of his old friend. After an oil change, Todd ran just over a tenth of a second off the track record on his way to another win.
With a spring in his step, a song in his heart, and a fresh new livery; Matt Williamson took to the track for another year of Spec Miata competition. Joined by newcomer (to Spec Miata) Andy Moench, who finished second on both days, Matt claimed the first two wins of the 2017 season.
Super Touring 4 was ruled over by benevolent hamburger overlord Blake Troester, aka Mayor McCheese. Under his stewardship, sightings of the Hamburglar have been greatly reduced, while acceptance of Grimmace is now commonplace. We salute you, kind mayor!
Our two (for the moment) Thunder Roadster drivers traded wins over the weekend. Jihn Han took the season opening win, and JD Stull took home top honors on Sunday. Big Bob Evans has said he’ll be in one of these cars this year, which would be amazing for many reasons. We hope he hops in soon, but in the meantime we’re more than content with watching JD and Jihn duke it out.
944 Spec was its usual, robust self. When Otto Silva (Saturday’s winner) and William Kendall (Sunday’s winner) were on track together, they were quite racy. Otto posted a better fast lap, but not by a whole lot. This would be a good class to hop into. 944’s are still Porsches, but don’t have any of the astronomical costs of 911’s. Plus it’s just two guys, it’s not like you’d be jumping into a massive field, filled with fast drivers who are getting lapped by even faster drivers…
Thunder
Normally the Spec Z field runs in the Lightning group, but not this weekend. No, they were on grid for the Thunder races. Yeah. the group with the Huracan Super Trofeos, 911 GT3R’s, Cup cars, and other fast stuff. Despite being a herd of rolling cones (there were 14 cars on grid for Saturday’s race, 11 for Sunday), they had quite the race. As is tradition, Arthur Golebiowski grabbed the season opener, with Tom and Chad in tow. Sunday was a different story. Someone going by the handle of “LYFE Motorsport” hopped into Kyle Schick’s #22 car and took the win. With Chad and Tom in tow.
GTS4’s dual wins were taken by Darrell Troester, and this leads me to a question: what’s with the Troester’s and McDonald’s? Do you own a franchise? Are you forever indebted to Ray Kroc? What is the deal? I DEMAND ANSWERS! Feel free to send them in to [email protected]
He managed to race, and remove his thermostat all in the same day! It’s the one and only Toby Crawford! Despite having a wounded car, Toby still went out and ran a full race in ST2, getting a win.
A Minion was spotted running in ST3 on Sunday. I wasn’t there, but it’s on the official results. It’s actually listed as the winner… Curious…
ST1 was populated exclusively by Ginetta G55’s. The little GT4 cars were prepped by Ian Lacy Racing, and driven by Frank “You’re my boy, Blue!” Gannett and Drew Staveley. Drew took home the wins for the weekend, and now I have to figure out either a nickname or a weird non sequitir for him.
Steve Burns, Texan and driver of a car that barely qualifies as a Mustang anymore, claimed Saturday’s Super Unlimited win. Jeff Kearl, pictured in a different car from a different round from a different month from a different year, took the SU win on Sunday.
GTSU was a bullfight all weekend! Except without the cultural relevance, animal cruelty, or goring. A new Huracan Super Trofeo appeared, fielded by DXDT Racing, and driven by Paul Terry. It wasn’t one of their cars that they use for the Super Trofeo series, at least this one wasn’t sporting the livery anyway. They faced off against the tried and true Makes & Models Huracan. Despite Paul having slightly faster fast laps, he couldn’t overcome the cagey driving of Derek Wolthoff. The Makes & Models team returned to the shop in Layton with two more victories under their belt.
And there we have it! The season is off to a rousing start. The East track is the venue for next month, and the weekend of that is April 21-23. We’ll be out there, for the whole thing this time! Come out and join us!
*Article, Photos, Videos, and Audio clips are copyright of CAMautoMag.Com and their respective owners.
Ahoy hoy folks! We’re so glad you could join us for another episode of the CAMcast. This week we were down a Pizza Dad, but chock full of stuff to talk about:
Geneva Auto Show highlights
Lamborghini’s video shenanigans
Salt City Drift schedule
Driving a BOSS 302 Laguna Seca in Las Vegas
And why you should probably avoid the Hooter’s Hotel and Casino
We appreciate you guys subscribing, rating, commenting, sharing, and interacting with this podcast. Please keep doing all of that, and maybe pitch this to someone who doesn’t really listen to podcasts? The #trypod campaign is in full swing this month, and it’s main purpose is to introduce podcasts to people who don’t listen to them, or don’t know what they are. Odds are that you know someone who’d like us, but doesn’t know the how’s and what’s and all of that. Spread the word!
Like most people, I spent my Sunday evening at a Super Bowl party. Gorging myself on wings and cocktail shrimp, and half-watching the game. I also managed to half-watch the commercials, and since this is an automotive enthusiast site, we’re gonna take a look at the eight automotive commercials that aired. Let’s start with Audi.
Audi
It’s called “Daughter”. The daughter is in a soapbox derby, and she’s the only girl in the field. The voice-over is the father asking himself what he is going to tell his daughter about her value, because she (and the rest of us) live in a world where women, on average, make less than men. It’s not selling a car, although they show an S5 sedan at the end. It’s promoting them being committed to equal pay for equal work, which is a very noble thing. As a car ad, it’s not that great. Considering that they showed off a sedan version of one of their coupes, which means that they’ll be making sedan versions of their coupes, which makes me irrationally angry. As a PR piece, it was ok.
Buick
Buick is still trying to convince people that they’re not building transportation for the elderly. An admirable goal, but Buick is always gonna have that stigma. The ad is funny: Cam Newton destroys pee-wee football players, and Miranda Kerr shows up. I still think Buicks are sleds for the elderly, and this ad doesn’t really change that.
FCA
They came out with two 1 minute spots, and a 30 second spot for the Alfa Romeo Giulia. One is about returning to greatness, Riding On The Backs of Dragons, another is about predictability, Dear Predictable, and the last one is all of the cliches you could want when talking about an Alfa, Mozzafiato. It’s pretty hard to make the Giulia look bad, and it’s a trick to make the Quadrifoglio sound bad. Thankfully the car looks and sounds amazing in the spots, and I want one even more now. The spots show off the car really well, and hopefully this means we’ll see more of them running around in the wild.
Ford
Like Audi, Ford didn’t show off any particular vehicle. This was them showing off how they’ll help you (or whoever) get around in the future. Bike sharing, Transit vans on call, vehicles that can hard park themselves. The future is looking bright for the Blue Oval! Or whatever. All I know is that they’ll be pounding out F-Series trucks until the sun expands and engulfs our little, blue marble. Did anyone else relate to some of those bad luck scenarios in the first half of that commercial? A few of those hit too close to home for me…
Honda
The Honda ad, which was slinging the new CRV, was inspiring and creepy. Using technology, they animated various celebrities’ year book photos. That was the creepy part. The inspiring part was what the celebrities were saying. And I’m not sure the CRV, while a decent little crossover, is not the most aspirational vehicle they could be pitching… Meh, it still works.
Kia
Melissa McCarthy, a treasure, keeps trying to defend nature. And nature absolutely wrecks here. Up to this point, this is the ad that is the most cohesive. It’s pitching the Niro (pronounced Nee-ro), which is apparently the most fuel efficient crossover. It fits with Mrs. McCarthy trying to be an eco-warrior, although hopefully it doesn’t fail like she did. The Niro looks pretty good, and I’m curious to see what the interior looks like.
Lexus
Lexus showed off the LC500, a damn fine looking vehicle. There was something about emotion in there, but all I remember is hearing the glorious engine noise. And the dancing, but mostly the engine noise. Again, damn fine looking vehicle.
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz knows that your dad and his golf buddies are probably going to buy the new AMG GT Roadster, so they got Peter Fonda to reprise his role from Easy Rider for their ad. They also know that you’ll be watching this along side them, so the tapped the Coen brothers to direct it. It’s not a bad ad, has some humor, and Peter Fonda is still pretty bad ass. And odds are that if you were on board for the AMG GT, then you’re on board for an al fresco version.
And that’s the lot of them. Let us know which was your favorite, which you hated (I’ve got an idea where some of you will go with this), and if you’ve made it this far you deserve a treat. So, here’s the Logan ad:
*Article, Photos, Videos, and Audio clips are copyright of CAMautoMag.Com and their respective owners.
Can you make a 911 better by shoving an LSx in the back of it? What were the cars that Dave, Gavin, and I spent time wrenching on, are working on, and would like to turn into future projects? And just where the hell is Pizza Dad? All of those questions, and an actual reader email are in this week’s episode of the CAMcast!
Stream the episode above, go grab it on iTunes and other fine purveyors of podcasts (please rate, comment, and subscribe while you’re there!), or download it here. We’ll be back next week with a new episode, and a new voice! We welcome Dan Chilinski, owner of Old Man Yellow, and driver of a twin engine Toyota in the 24 Hours of LeMons.
*Article, Photos, Videos, and Audio clips are copyright of CAMautoMag.Com and their respective owners.
With a total time of 7:24.302, Max Dufford claimed a big TTC win. Having to drive three different tracks in one day, including one that nobody has driven on in a couple of years, is a test for anyone. Max rose to the occasion, and drove his Boxster to the limits set forth by the modifications allowed in the rulebook!
Taking home a shiny piece of silver neck wear was Rod Kujaczynski. Still rocking a RaceCo decal, but sans cowboy hat, Rod’s total time was an impressive 7:29.662!
Bringing home the bronze was Joe Evers, with a total time of 7:30.852. Three medals went to three people who drive German cars. Coincidence? I THINK NOT!
Time Trial D
Trever “with an E” Pope managed a combined time of 7:53.343, not too bad for running around in a more practical Miata. Trever is one of the many drivers who helps out, and instructs the HPDE drivers. The young up and comers, or older up and comers, can learn some things from Trever. He may be alone in TTD, but he’s consistent and he doesn’t get caught up trying to run down someone in a faster class.
Time Trial E
Piloting his trusty Mazderati, Tyler Nisonger threw down a total time of 7:41.375. As you can see in this photo, Tyler saves weight by only having one door mirror. These are the little things that separate the winners from the “also ran” crowd.
Erick Gerday also ran, but wasn’t an “also ran”. His combined time of 8:02.322, while not stellar, is nothing to sneeze at. Explore the limits of the rulebook a little bit, and get some more seat time, and Erick should start knocking seconds out of that time.
Time Trial B
Darin Beaudoin, the goofy fella in the best Miata ever, took home the TTB gold. How? NO CLUE! But I do know he waved at me on one of his out laps. Did I get a picture of it? NOPE! Blame Andy Moench. He was ahead of Darin on track, and waved at me first. Quick PSA: If you’re going to wave at a photographer do it on an out lap, a pace lap, or a cool down lap. Don’t do it when you’re trying to set a flyer, or mid race. It’s one of those things that’s cool for the two of us, but will be infinitely embarassing if I have to write “and as they waved at me, the accidentally dropped two tires off track, which caused them to spin, which got them stuck in the sand trap”. Ok, with that out of the way we can move on.
Jan Gerday, running both TT and Spec Z, had a combined time of 7:32.775. Running six total session in the same car is quite the feat, and it’s validated when you get a medal at the end of the night.
Another Z getting a medal. The 350Z is a useful tool in a racing situation, if you know how to use it. And Justin Jones knows how to use it. His 7:38.607 was six seconds off the pace of the Spec Z driver Jan Gerday, but eight seconds ahead of fourth place finisher David Muskovitz.
Time Trial 3
James Pasquier was back, after some noticeable absences in the recent past. The lack of a doctor’s note notwithstanding, James’s combined time of 7:06.328 got him another gold medal to add to the sizable pile. I assume it’s a pile. What I’m trying to say is James wins a lot.
In a stunning upset, Mechanic Mike Bratsch beat out Andy Moench! This after Mike helped Andy fix his car between sessions. Sponsored by crippling instruments of debt, AMEX credit cards, Mike pounded out a 7:08.188. You can’t drive fast enough to out run your debts Mike. You just can’t. Sounds cryptic, but really is absolutely meaningless.
Andy Moench, with a car fixed by the skilled hands of Mechanic Mike, drove slower than Mechanic Mike. He did drive all of the sessions, and he wasn’t that much slower than Mike. His total time was 7:09.727.
Time Trial 2
Shawn Murphy continued to set records. He reset his record on the Outer Loop, and took over the East and Full track records. His car still has a full interior, and he drives it around on the streets. His total time was 6:37.029. It was the fastest of the TT drivers. His car, and how fast it is, hurts my brain. I don’t understand it, I never will understand it, and I’m ok with that.
Finishing in second place was Jenn Wolthoff in the Makes & Models Porsche 911 GT3. Her total time was 7:09.621. I understand that time, and how fast that car is. There is no witchcraft involved in it. Just good, clean, wholesome, pure, unadulterated speed.
Time Trial 1
TT1 had two drivers who drove in all three races AND all three TT sessions. And they did it in different cars. David Gilliland hopped out of his Spec Z and into his Viper T/A. His 6:58.015 was deserving of a gold medal at the barbecue. I agree with the decision to give him a gold medal.
David Bradshaw was a nother Spec Z driver who was jumping between cars all day. He would jump out of his Spec Z, get some feedback on his race, then hop into his 996 Cup car for a TT session. Then out of the Cup car, feedback, into the Z, and race. His game of musical cars didn’t hurt his times, as he ended up with a 7:03.08.
Time Trial Unlimited
Mike Kresser got himself a gold medal, after playing musical cars like his Lyfe teammate David Bradshaw. Mike drove like a man possessed and posted a total time of 6:48.304. Not too bad for a guy with a bad back and another race car to drive.
Greg Warnock, and his widebody M3, came up just short against Mike’s 997 Cup car. His total time was 6:58.414. Again, not bad for someone who was pulling double duty all day. And if you’re someone who says “I hate flares!”, then you haven’t seen this car turning laps. It needs those flares to cover the massive slicks it uses to grip the tarmac. You don’t hate flares, you just hate useless and/or ugly flares.
Rounding out the top three is James “1000% not Jordan” Collier. Less than two seconds separated him from Greg. James’s total time in his Viper ACR was 7:00.335. Notice how a lot of the photos are with the headlights on? That’s because they got way behind schedule at some point. So far, in fact, that the final TT session got underway AFTER sunset. I made the most of it, and got some very cool pictures. The corner worker at Tooele Turn had a brief, but loud meltdown. We were all out of our comfort zone, corner worker. But we survived.
And there it is, at least for TT. Looking for Thunder and/or Lightning coverage? I’ve got them in separate posts.
*Article and Photos are copyright of CAMautoMag.Com and their respective owners.
It was a crowded weekend, and it was a good weekend. We had the good ol’ boys and the plucky series from California joining our local heroes: the NASA Utah drivers, crew, and hangers on. We’re going to start our recap of the races, at least Saturday’s races, in the Lightning group. Specifically in the GTS2, where Chris Haunold drove like a madman to take the win. He didn’t have to drive like a madman to do so, because he was all by his lonesome on that day.
Papa SMurf is wise, but Papa Smurf also has had some issues with his Smurf mobile. This Saturday it was some unintended three wheel motion that sidelined the blue Miata, but thankfully Todd Green has access to the legendary, mighty, and all powerful Paul Mitchell. With the noble steed betwixt his thighs underneath him, he secured himself the win in PTE.
In a tight Spec Miata race, Chris “three measures of Gordon’s; one of vodka; half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it over ice, and add a thin slice of lemon peel” Bond somehow held off Matt Williamson. Matt was on a mission the whole race, but couldn’t get anything to stick. So great to see this race happen. I’ve been telling you people to watch Spec Miata!
Our lone Thunder Roadster entrant, JD Stull, ran a solid race and turned a fastest lap of 2:16.545. Not too bad.
944 Spec has a new driver! Otto and Sam have a new challenger: Greg Troester, and he made his presence known by taking the class win by over nineteen seconds!
We’ve now come to Spec Z, which was insane. Not because it was a close race, but because almost everyone felt the need to test the off-roading prowess of the Nissan 350Z.
There were a lot of Z’s covered in dust at various points in the day, and plenty had some after the race.
Speaking of, Arthur Golebiowski took the win. He dominated, because that’s what he does.
Jeff Burton, in his Cayman R, hung a 50 second lead on Mark Reichman to take the GTS3 win. Now, we need to have a chat Jeff. You seem like a nice enough guy, but you need to do something about the looks of your car. It’s too understated. Hear me out! Throw a classic Porsche livery on there. Not Matrini, not Rothman’s, definitely not Gulf. No, you need the Pink Pig. Think about it…
Anywell, in GTS4 we had Byron Smith and Darrell Troester battling it out. Unfortunately, Byron retired from the race. Having the win in hand, Darrell kept getting good laps in. His best time in the race was a 2:03.079.
ST1 had the closest finish of the day, and maybe of the season. Bob Evans and Michael Eifling had a close battle all race, with neither one giving an inch. Bob, being cagey, got the nose of his Sprint Cup Ford Fusion JUST ahead of Michael’s C5 Corvette at the line. Bob’s margin of victory was .045 seconds! This battle was good enough for Bob to win Racer of the Day honors at the barbecue. Recognizing the hell of a drive Michael had, Bob decided to give the award to Michael. It was a great act, but not without a touch of Bob-ness: Dave Kizerian made the announcement that Bob was giving his award to Michael, Michael came up and gave Bob a hug. Bob, while still hugging Michael, spun 180 degrees. They let go of each other, and Bob began making his way back to his seat… with the award still in his hand. He gave it to Michael, but it was a fun little sequence.
Despite not having a splittler, due to it coming loose and disintegrating during an earlier TT session, Toby Crawford took home the ST2 win.
Todd Ainsworth, in the Minion mobile, defended himself against a herd of Ford Performance Racing School Mustangs in ST3. He held of the colorful ponies, and got himself the win.
We had a new challenger in Super Unlimited. Well, a new car. Steve Burns hopped in this former Trans Am Mustang, and went toe to toe with the likes of the Makes & Models Huracan ST, the Air Power Racing 911 GT3R, and Swamp Thing. He did well in the new car, beating out Swamp Thing for the class win, and coming in P2 overall.
In P1 overall, and setting a new class record in the process, was Derek Wolthoff in the Makes & Models Huracan ST. He ran away with the race win, with a 29.990 second gap over second place.
Lyfe Motorsport had a few drivers out in some Porsche Cup cars. In the yellow 996 Cup car was David Bradshaw, who took TT1 with a best time of 2:06.481.
We had a dramatic upset in TT3! Mike Bratsch, taking advantage of James Pasquier’s absence and Andy Moench being a new daddy (congrats buddy!), ran a fast lap of 2:09.044 and got himself a shiny new piece of hardware.
We had some Miata on Miata violence in TTB! Darin Beaudoin, in his white S2000, faced an attack from Nam Yoon, in his white S2000. Less than a second separated them, but in the end the affable Darin got himself another win. Does this win prove that the S2000 is the ultimate TTB machine? YOUR GUESS IS AS GOOD AS MINE!
Max Dufford, in the wrong-from-a-purist’s-POV-but-right-from-a-physics-stand-point Porsche, ran a 2:16.078 en route to a TTC win.
Trever with an E Pope took home another TTD win, and hit the kerbs in the Attitudes like they owed him money.
Pictured above is Papa Smurf, winning PTE with a best time of 2:15.343 and before he drove a wheel off of the Smurf mobile.
In the second of the Lyfe backed Porsche Cup Cars was Mike Kresser. He was driving it in TTU, and took home a win with a 2:01.452.
This f*ckin guy. I mean, seriously. Shawn Murphy set a TT2 record last month AND became the first Subaru to break the 2 minute mark on the Outer Loop, and now this month he breaks his own record by over half a second. Is it not good enough for you Shawn? WHY CAN’T YOU JUST BE HAPPY?!? But seriously, this is a hell of a feat. He didn’t just break his own record by a little but. The .6whatever it is he broke it by, is a a decent margin. And this is still a “full interior street car”. Imagine if it were lighter…
And that’s that. We have one more round coming up, the legendary TresDuro! Keep October 7, 8, and 9 open, because there will be multi track configuration racing on Saturday, and FULL TRACK MADNESS ON SUNDAY!!! You best be out there.
*Article and Photos are copyright of CAMautoMag.Com and their respective owners.
It was the beginning of the best ten days on this year’s calendar. Acting as the meat in a sandwich where the delicious bread is a Salt City Drift event and Pirelli World Challenge, and the condiments are a NASA Utah weekend, was the annual Utah 6 Hour. Now a staple on the NASA Utah calendar, the Western Endurance Racing Championship stop provides a unique opportunity for the drivers and fans to drive into the night, and see nothing but lights piercing the dark Tooele night. And if you were out around turn 5 around 10:30-11, you would’ve seen me with a string of LED lights strewn about my torso. I was easily identifiable, for safety! Anywell, let’s talk about who took home a trophy!
E0
Lyfe Motorsport was out with one of their own Spec Z’s (the Towne Storage Z) and supporting the #99 DLG Racing Z. Showing that 350Z is life, the Lyfe backed teams finished 1-2 in E0! The Towne Storage Z completed 147 laps in the 6 hours, with the DLG Z four laps behind them.
E1
In E1, completing 153 laps in the allotted time, was the #65 E46 BMW of Strom Motorsports. It was the teams second win of the day, having taken the win in the GTS5 class during the Lightning sprint race earlier.
E2
The Fit is fucking go! The #12 Honda Fit of Honda Performance Development completed 143 laps in 6:01:09.257, and probably had to stop for fuel once.
E3
It was a battle of the Miatas in E3: the mighty and legendary Paul Mitchell versus the bug-eyed RJ Racing Miata. I mean bug-eyed in the nicest way. Look at those lights! Those lights lit the way for 147 laps, and lit their way to victory.
ENP
The ENP had one entrant, the Valkyrie Autosport Elan NP01. Despite the teams best efforst, the little prototype went behind the wall after 29 laps.
ES
This was a battle: the TruSpeed Autosport 997 Cup car versus the Makes & Models Huracan Super Trofeo. A tried and true chassis versus a sprint race car. WERC class leaders one win away from clinching their championship versus a team with multiple regional championships under their belt? If you’ve been paying any attention to how these posts go, you know that by seeing the picture of the TruSpeed car that they won. Not only did they win the Utah 6 Hour, they locked up the ES Class championship. Congratulations to them!
ESR
Now we arrive at the car I was most excited to see running. Toby Crawford, driver of the Pink Ribbon Racing/Makes & Models Subaru BRZ, told me that there was a Ginetta G57 at UMC and that it was racing in the enduro. It was the Ryno Racing team, sponsored by Design Masonry. The G57 is based on Ginetta’s LMP3 design, and is probably a lot the same.* The big difference is that the LMP3 spec Nissan engine, rated at 420bhp, has been replaced with a Chevrolet LS3, which makes 150 more horsepower than the LMP3 engine. I was excited to see and hear the 900kg prototype tearing through the night, but unfortunately the car was retired after just 72 laps.
And there it is, another six hour race in the books! I’m already looking forward to next year. A tremendous shout out to all the race officials, corner workers, and safety crew for sticking it out until midnight. A big thank you to the family, friends, and well wishers who came out and watched the race and cheered the teams on. And all of the congratulations to all of the drivers and crew members for racing in the longest race on the NASA Utah calendar! There were over thirty cars entered in the race, and they all took the green flag. It was, as always, an amazing experience.
We can’t wait for next year.
*Article and Photos are copyright of CAMautoMag.Com and their respective owners.
It was hot. Very hot. So hot, in fact, that some competitors ended up being less than competitive because of it. Andy Moench’s and Mike Bratsch’s TT3 cars were feeling the heat, as were some of the Spec Z cars. Greg Warnock’s E92 M3 racecar succumbed to overheating issues, but he just hopped into his Cayman GT4 Clubsport and got some more laps in. I mean, who doesn’t have a back up race car in this day and age? Speaking of Greg’s race…
THUNDER
That’s where we start our coverage. Surprisingly, it was pretty drama free. At least from where I was. We had one GTS3 competitor, and that was Mayor McCheese himself: Blake Troester!
Byron Smith was back! Unfortunately for him, Darrell Troester was still there. He finished a lap up on Byron, and claimed another GTS4 win.
Despite going spin cycle early in the race, Gerry Shear (who gets it) got everything straightened out and took home a GTS5 win.
NASA Utah’s own BFG, Bob Evans, took the Snickers Ford Fusion NASCAR Sprint Cup High Downforce Prototype to the top of the podium in ST1.
J.R. Smith, proving that good things can be made better with the addition of an LSx, claimed another ST2 win.
Benevolent Overlord Matt Guiver hopped in the Minion (or banana mobile) and out drove five of the Ford Performance Racing School Mustangs. Five! That’s a lot of Mustangs to beat out.
In the Super Unlimited class, Pirate Supreme Les Long threw down some blistering laps and took home the class win. Could he take home the overall win?
Well, no. Makes & Modesl had their Huracan Super Trofeo back on track, and Derek was a man on a mission. Despite rising temperatures setting off alarms, he managed to claim the GTSU win AND the overall race group win. Speaking of that white, German/Italian super-weapon…
TIME TRIAL
Brendon Stewart hopped in the driver’s seat for the TT sessions and threw down a best time of 1:35.580 to take the TTU win.
TT1 saw a few Vipers. Definitely not a bad thing, especially given the news that FCA will be killing the big snake after 2017. Topping the podium was one of those snakes, the one driven by David Gilliland. He slithered around the East course of UMC in 1:41.8.44
Shawn Murphy wasn’t there that long on Saturday. He had a wedding to go to. I suggested someone Facetime him in, but that one didn’t fly. My brilliant idea didn’t fly, but Shawn did. And in the crowded combined session to boot. His best time in his “street car” was 1:40.988.
As mentioned earlier, Andy and Mike’s cars were feeling the effects of the heat. The heat didn’t seem to be a problem for James Pasquier, and his reliable as the sunrise 993 911. He set his best time in the last session of the day! Clearly we should all get 911’s, and be immune from heat.
Darin Beaudoin barely escaped the day with a win in TTB. He had Stephen Martin hot on his heels. Stephen posted a best time of 1:47.795, which was so close to Darin’s time. Darin, in his Honda Miata, posted a 1:47.760.
For those keeping score at home, Porsches have claimed five wins on the day so far. After this, they will have claimed six. Max Dufford, in his Boxster, ran a 1:48.977 in TTC.
Todd Green, listed in the #60 which I don’t have a picture of nor even see, took home the win in TTE. He posted a best time of 1:47.335 in the second TT Storm session. I don’t have a photo of that car, but I do have a photo of the mythical beast that is L’oreal! I MEAN PAUL MITCHELL!!! Speaking of things that you could hear about later…
LIGHTNING
Things got a little spooky, then kinda violent. Some Spec Miata drivers got too close coming out of Release, and one spun. Later in the race: a couple of Spec Z drivers got together, sending one into the dirt. Aside from those events, and another Spec Z losing an engine over the course of the race which left the car stranded at pit in, the race was fairly straightforward. Let’s start with Spec Miata, where Chris Bond returned! He took home with win, and managed to stay clear of any sort of shenanigans.
Otto Silva wasn’t the only 944 Spec driver this weekend! He was still the winner, but he wasn’t alone!
We haven’t had any open wheel races this season, which has meant that the usual drivers have been doing other things to occupy their time. Apparently one of those “other things” for Troy Duffin is getting a hold of a Datsun 510 racer. He brought it out this weekend, and took home the win in PTE.
Here we see the GTS2, PTB, and Thunder Roadster winners, all at once! Tom Rogers got himself a win in GTS2, Nathan Rohner in his RX7 (which was originally built as an autocross car) got another PTB win, and JD Stull took the win in Thunder Roadster. This was JD’s first race, and it was great seeing him out in competition.
We had one, lone GTS1 competitor: Steve Burns. He and Chris Bond had a solid battle all race, which was great to watch.
And in Spec Z, we had the #42 DXDT car, driven by David Askew, atop the podium.
PHEW! What a day! On to some miscellaneous stuff:
Todd Green usually dominates PTE, except this race. Why? Because he had a dead battery. He got a push start, but ended up being two laps down. Wouldn’t know it by the way he drove.
The Spec Z that lost an engine was the #46 DXDT car, driven by James Burke. It was smoking on every downshift from what I heard from some of the other drivers
It was Kyle Schick who wound up in the dirt. Can’t quite remember who hit him though, but I do have footage of the contact!
I ran around and slapped some CAM stickers on to some competitors cars. If you’d like one, shoot me an email and have some space on the passenger side of your car clear.
For those of you who want to purchase photos: go to here
And that is that! We’ll be back for Round 6, and the 6 Hour Enduro on August 6.
*Article and Photos are copyright of CAMautoMag.Com and their respective owners.
