After a low turn out at Cresson, myself included, it was nice to see a lot of regulars show up and a few new guys. The weather was perfect for all of us track gypsies that sleep at the track, as usual half of the TXMC guys sleep in tents The lows were high 60's all weekend and the highs were in the 70's. We were all set for breaking records except for the 30mph headwinds :(

I know a few guys were able to get some practice in on Friday. I sure wish I could have got to the track earlier Friday but due to work I arrived Friday night and was locked out. Thankfully some resourceful TXMC competitors (JG&KK) were able to help me slide in through the secret back gate and pick me up so I didn't have to walk through that creepy scorpion tunnel of death.

On to the action. We had a great little battle in street class. It was a battle of old guy vs new guy vs seasoned vet. The times started off in the 2:10's for Jake, 2:13's for Bill, and a 2:17 for Kevin.. In the first session Ryan Logan and Jake Groves were paired up in TT. They came in shaking their heads in frustration. Some how they got stuck behind a newb in a GTR for the entire drag race session. I think Jake almost traded paint with him in turn 9 when he brake checked to 40mph while Jake was entering at 70+. Bill Groves and Chris Kearns had a similar situation take place a couple of spots back in TT with a 2:30 paced Spec Miata. Second session Jake ran a 2:09.145 vs Bill 2:12.695 vs Kevin 2:13.423. Bill and Jake were not able to improve for the rest of the day and Jake even skipped his last TT to play in DE3 with Kevin. In the very last session Bill loaned me his car and I went out with Kevin and we duked it out all session with Kevin hitting a best of 2:09.968 vs my 2:09.597! Kevin gets most improved as he laid down a 2:26 in his STI last time at TWS. Watch out Jake! Newcomer Richard from the big easy had a clean NB on track. Hope to see him at the next event in Houston as it's closer to home.

In modified we had a great battle between Ryan Logan in a 1.8 loaner miata vs Chris Kearns in his beautifully prepared 1.6 car. In the first session due to all the people dropping anchors in the corners Ryan and Chris laid down very close times. Chris came in at a 2:10.747 vs Ryan's GTR drafting 2:10.678, now that was close. Between sessions Chris was feeling that with Friday's practice he should be dipping into the 2:09's if traffic cooperated. As it turned out Chris had slight problems on every flier and could not beat his first session time. Ryan just to seal the win laid down a 2:09.968 in the third session of the day. Great battle with Chris on the NT01's and Ryan on the RS3's. Chris will be bring the heat with our next visit to TWS simply due to the fact that he was the only one running data this weekend. Everyone is jealous of his new racepak data aq. with multiple camera's sync'ed to it. Paul (pgporto) made his first spec race this weekend. Wish i could have had a chance to catch up with him. Maybe next event. Robert C. was unable to attend to a water pump failure. However he did manage to show up and snap a few pics of us, I'll try and post a few below. Thanks Robert!

In unlimited it was a huge fail for John Roberts and I. JR struggled with tire problems all weekend. First with a puncture of one of his NT01's, then a second, then cording his Formula Atlantic slicks. He was also on loaner shocks and a new Crawford Racing 2D wing. Needless to say he was off his game. Same story here with my car. The last track event saw my 100,000 mile down pipe blow apart. I have since replaced it with a front fender exit seperate wastgate and exhaust. Due to my limited testing on the street the car was running rich despite trying to lean it out between sessions, so i was way down on power. I'll need to port the wastegate to match the flapper door and try and retune or go back to a full exhaust. I Lent JR my Conti's for the last session of the day but due to all the new hardware and having a passenger that session, only managed a 2:01.198. I scrapped together a 1:58.159 in the third session and called it a day to preserve my motor with a newly weeping water pump. did i mention my hood flying open in the pits due a big wind gust? Not good as it tore my hood hinges in half! lol. luckily i found some hood pins at the track shop and now my hood must be removed to mess around in the engine bay. Hustler was a no show due problems with his rear end. Hope you get that fixed and can join us soon.


Unlimited class:
1st place: John Z. (spoolin2bars) 1:58.159 10pts.
2nd: John R. (zx-tex) 2:01.198 8pts.

Modified class:
1st place: Ryan L. (rlogan) 2:09.963 10pts.
2nd: Chris K. (CKearns) 2:10.896 8pts.
3rd: Paul P. (PGPorto) 2:14.110 6pts.

Street class:
1st place: Jacob G. (jacob300zx) 2:09.145 10pts.
2nd: Kevin K. (xxxxxxx) 2:09.876 8pts.
3rd: Bill G. (xxxxxxx) 2:12.695 6pts.
4th: Richard L? (xxxxxx) 2:19.2xx 5pts.

 

Wow, what a troublesome weekend for you all! =/ I was wondering why the times were at or above the 2 minute mark for JZ and JR; that 30mph headwind had to have been killer. I hope to join you all out there next time.

 

Good weekend. As it turns out I did throw away the weekend winner - I was on a 2:08:5-2:08:8 pace on the final lap of Sunday session 1 when I spun entering turn 12. I never got the car squared up after 11 for the braking event into 12 and looped it.

I think I just need to go off at 7 and 11 so I can get it out of my system and just be able to run flat through those two corners. They're keeping my times up - big time.

And yeah, the head wind sucked. Last November when TXMC and NASA ran TWS, there was a 20mph tail wind. That's an easy couple seconds per lap. The tow home was nice with that tail wind though.

And with good video comes good video - there are cameos of most everyone in E trim at one point or another, but I spent most of my time running with Jake's dad.

http://vimeo.com/41299014 <- my fast lap from Sunday morning with the win it to bin it spin.
http://vimeo.com/41309120 <- Spoolin leaving me so far behind even the dust clouds had cleared.

 

I think that is me in the second vid.

 

It seems like I got screwed almost every session out..., not that I was perfect in my driving by any means. I still haven't had much track time in miatas surprisingly...and the last time I ran TWS it was in a 400hp car...slightly different circumstances.

If it wasn't that damn E46 M3 holding up the starts on Sunday, or the Nissan GTR in the way, it was the E36 M3 (not his fault, just fast in different places). For what would have been my best lap, Jacob and I had gotten a draft down the front straight and made a wicked flying lap only to get held up by the GTR in Larry, Moe, Curly. Without a draft at TWS, you are losing a couple of seconds at least. It takes 11-12 seconds alone to get form the exit of 15 to start finish...that is a long time!

 

I was hoping you would bump draft me lol.

 

I miss you gays. If you ran 15 minute sessions, I understand the frustration on dirty laps. You basically get 2, maybe three laps to put down a time in that format.

 

Aww, Trey, that's so nice. I saw JZ's fender mounted glory hole and I thought of you. Hot, dark, dirty and smells just a little bit.

Hustler's cup of tea.

 

I also don't have a turbo back from Europe yet, which sucks. I think I'll be able to join again later this year.

 

Rear end problems

Here are the pictures that Robert took.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1...83743652112033

 

Free rectal exams for TXMC2012 participants.

 

Wish I could have been there, but I have so much crap going on right now between getting everything ready for our 24 hour race and work that I just couldn't make it out. Glad to hear everyone stayed safe and the heat wasn't too bad for you guys.

 

One question though, where the fu©¢ is everybody? Unlimited used to be the biggest class. Where's jeff's "will kill all" s/c nb? I know sixace doesn't want to deal with nasa tt classing. Mike eastep? Tanners v8? Steve p had a motor problem last time out. Where's quan in mod?

 

I had an autox that weekend. Tanner is still building his v8 and I think it will be ready for the Miatas @ Hallett event.

 

I have long-since repaired the damage, and just a couple of weeks ago, I paid off my debt. However, I am a whipped husband; father of a three-year-old daughter and a one-year-old daughter; and can no longer come out and play on the weekends.

But, if there is ever a TxMC on a Friday afternoon (a la TWS open track day), I will definitely be there to dominate the Super Modified class.

 

:(

 

Great! We'll see you this fall Steve.

 

Is it fall yet?

 

do you have an engine again?

 

I guess you missed post #17.

The 0086 is up and running, and I'm considering re-joining the TX Miata Challenge in Unlimited in order to take the pressure off.

No longer will I concern myself with foolish mortal aspirations like finishing on the podium. I'll be happy to provide back marker services just like I did in 2010.

I'm thinking the Super Modified class will disappear, since Trey and I were the only participants in January, and Trey clearly is building a car more suited to Modified.