C.A.R.T. Track Day at Monticello South by Liam Dwyer

On July 19, the Connecticut Autocross and Rally Team traveled to Monticello, NY to try out the South course of the Monticello Motor Club. The South course is a tight course requiring precision over power and being such a ‘green’ surface, there really isn’t one line to run. The front straightaway is all of maybe an 1/8th mile long with many cars not quite hitting 100mph. The end of the front straight is the tightest part of the track requiring many cars to drop down to second gear. You are hard on the brakes for a very tight left hander and right hand corner. A late apex on the left hander is required to get properly set up for right hander as the right hander leads to a right hand sweeping bend. Allow the car to track out left on exit then bring it back right to apex the sweeper and allow the car to track out left for the start of the esses. Brake hard exiting the sweeper and have a late turn in for the fairly flat right hander just clipping the last part of the inside curbing. As you start to turn left to enter the esses, the track starts dropping downhill. Right at the bottom of the hill the track bends right and starts to climb uphill into the 270 degree left hander. This turn has many different lines that can be taken. The only requirement is to make sure you can get the car back to the left side of the track by exit so you can set yourself up for a double apex 180deg right hander. The first apex is somewhat open but the second apex is a bit tighter. You can carry some speed into the first turn, but you need to scrub it off to make the second. A short straight ensues after the second apex and a slight climb uphill. Hard on the binders again for a 90deg right hander leading onto the back straight; this turn required patience as a slightly later apex allowed more speed to be had on exit. This was important as this corner lead to the back straight. The back straight curved right and uphill and lead to a downhill blind apex bend and onto the front straight. A tight technical course that favored precision driving and car placement over power. The track offered lots of runoff room in case you didn’t get a section right and the new surface allowed for lots of grip.

C.A.R.T. hasn’t had a whole lot of luck that past two years with weather on its track days. Rain has been a part of EVERY track day for the last two seasons and Monticello was no different. The day before we all checked the weather and rain was expected in the afternoon. But at 830am on Monday, the skies opened up and soaked the track. Fortunately the rain stopped about 30min later. Maybe the rain was a good thing as everyone was new to the track so the wet kept everyone honest for their first sessions. Drivers were broken into 2 run groups. Run group A took to the track first and did 3 laps under yellow before the green flag was waived. After 10min or so, the run group A came in and run group B went out on track. A dry line was starting to develop and by the time the track was opened for all competitors, the track was nearly dry. Lunch was taken at noontime and at 1, the track was opened back up again. At 2pm the track was shut down for time trials. Of the forty-five paid entries, thirty-three took their timed laps. A few cars didn’t make their timed runs due to mechanical failures…cording of tires, tires falling off, wheel bearings making funny noises or even drive shafts completely shearing themselves.

In the stock classes, Bill Evans had the fastest time in his Super Stock z06. B stock saw 2 entries and the closes battle of the day. Steve Joroff’s M5 beat Sean Hughes Evo by just .094 seconds. Mike Demaio couldn’t make a timed run in D stock due to a mechanical failure. In E stock, Jim Duphiney again wore the bridesmaid dress as Andrew Connelly took the class win in his Miata by six tenths of a second. Jerry Jones ran his 2010 Mustang in F stock and posted an impressive 88.312 lap on street tires. Thaddeus Dalenta was the lone driver in H stock and thus the class winner.

In the competitive class of B Street Prepared it was all 4 cyl turbo AWD vs V6 RWD. Two Evo’s and an STi battled Liam Dwyer’s 350z. Dwyer showed how AWD wasn’t the fast way around as he posted an almost 4 second class win. Dwyer’s time of 80.693 on cording tires was good enough for FTD. Warren Elliott’s Evo was second in class. Austin Golankiewicz won CSP in his street tired Miata, and was a full two seconds faster than second place Gary Frankel. Phil Breault took his stab in DSP in his BMW 325. Breault picked up 1.3 seconds on his second lap to beat out Richard Del Mazzio’s Gti for the class win. Sam Krauss posted a huge gap for a win in ESP. His evil AWD huge tired Eclipse beat out American v8 iron (Sam Derjue’s Mustang) for a five second class win. Jon Coffin was the lone competitor in FSP and took the class win with a 91.3 second pass.

X-prepared saw a good turn out as five drivers took to the timed runs. Todd Doiron gladly accepted his Dad’s keys and earned a 1.3second class win. John Santos was second followed by Andy Breault in his MR2. Gabe Pettner was the lone driver in BP as Nick Fandacone also suffered mechanical issues. Pettner lost count in his time trial and was granted a one lap rerun. He used it to his advantage and posted a very quick 83.647 second lap. C-prepared saw more attrition as the co-driven Mustang belonging to Marc Boerma also suffered mechanical issues. Justin Baltrucki and his uber Gti just decimated the FP class. Baltrucki fought with traction issues all day, but he still posted a time that was in contention for FTD. Baltrucki’s Gti run a lap of 82.346 seconds, third quick on the day. Mike Denis-Rohr was second in class in his WRX. A modified saw one car, two drivers take to the track. The ValedeSera 914 was quick all day and was in contention for FTD. Son Adam was second out in the car and turned a lap of 82.269 seconds, just edging Baltrucki for second in the FTD battle. Bill Rainey took his Le-mons Saturn to the track and had it sliding around for a 95.299 second lap, quickest in E mod.

The team relay was not run due to safety concerns on the part of track management, so after the time trials, the track was opened back up for open session. Around 4pm, the skies opened up and wet the track once again, but that didn’t stop the new energizer bunny from turning laps until he ran out of gas.

Thank you all for coming out. C.A.R.T.'s next event is an autocross 7/26 in Bristol. The next and last track day is August 27 on the Pocono North course where the only Team Relay of the season will be run.