Pocono North Track day 8/28/09 by Liam Dwyer

Friday August 28th, the Connecticut Autocross and Rally Team took over the North Course at Pocono Raceway for its fourth track day of the season. As has been the case all season long, rain was an issue, actually it was one of two weather related issues that would hamper us in the day. It rained all morning long forcing tech and registration to move into the garages. The rain would let up for a bit allowing a somewhat dry line to develop but right when you thought it was going to get good, it would open up and rain again. This had many people keeping their street tires on or not even swapping to their race tires. Those that only had race tires were left at the mercy of the weather gods. This didn’t hamper close to forty drivers from venturing around the track.

Drivers at first took their time learning the track again and because very cautious of the wet conditions. Eventually people started working up their confidence and carrying more speed and coming closer to the cars limits, with some even stepping over just a bit. A few spins and heads up driving by other others kept the day running smoothly, although there were some hold your breath situations during time trials.

Speaking of time trials, rain wasn’t the only mother nature induced issue. After lunch was over, it was decided by the officers to run time trials right away. The track had started drying out and we figured this would be the best and fastest time to do this. But as we got ready, the timing equipment went haywire. Nick Fandacone and Liam Dwyer worked on the timing as Joerg Bode, Bob Doiron, Paul Omichinski and Kevin FitzMaurice all played weatherman. The collective amount of hot air that comes out of those 4 couldn’t keep the fog from rolling in. Fandacone and Dwyer finally got the timing system fixed but not before the fog had rolled in deep enough to where we couldn’t see Nascar turn 3. It was decided at that point we would run an autocross. Bill Evans laid out a very simple course that was modified by Omichinski and Dwyer. As luck would have it, the fog started rolling out. As the weather cleared, your four weathermen came together and made a decision quicker than congress (that’s not really anything to brag about) to run the time trial. This of course meant we would be able to run the Team Relay.

Fandacone and Dwyer quickly got timing set back up as the cars lined up to run. EMRA was holding a Sunday event and thus a few of their cars were running with us on Friday. This meant stiffer competition for FTD.

All wheel drive was the power train of choice for the drying track. Super Stock was lead by German AWD Turbo power as Rick Huntoon’s Porsche lead the way over Bill Evans Corvette. A stock was also lead by AWD as Jerry Jones took his STI to class win. In BS, low torque got it done as Thomas Tremper kept the rear end in check better John Margaritas’ 350z. Tremper took a 2 second class win. Miata’s were the car of choice in both CS and ES. Nial Mccabe was quickest in CS and Jim Duphiney was quickest in ES. Jim posted a very quick 71 second run on street tires nonetheless. In FS, a class usually reserved for big American V8s, a Mercedes CLK350 was the class winner. It also helps it was the only car in class. Jared Doran beat friend and co driver George Tsionis by 2.5 seconds for the win. In GS, an AARP card holder beat out the young whipper snapper for the class win. The AARP card holder is none other than current FSP class leader Joe Rathbun. Rathbun’s Neon was able to get around (sideways at some points) 1.5seconds faster than Michael Kazlauskas.

Street Prepared saw quite a few cars in it thanks mainly to the Pennsylvania Corvette Club. A slew of Corvettes showed up and ran in the rain. Fortunately the track dried out for them so they could put their power down. Glenn Musselman drove his C6 Z06 to the class win and FTD on the day. His 500whp beast and monster tires were good enough for a 58.3 second lap time. Musselman gave the organizers a good scare as he came through the finish on his last timed lap sideways almost taken out the Armco barrier. His skidmarks (on the track) came within 6 inches of the barrier and about 1ft from the timer (the only working one we had). Jim Roberts ran a 59.6 to finish second and was one of only 4 cars to be under 60 seconds. In BSP, Timothy Brownawell, and EMRA Time Trialer came in with his 320whp AWD Evo and eeked out a class win over Dwyer’s 350z. The margin of victory… .081 seconds. CSP saw the return of Mr. Omichinski’s Porsche. Omichinski took the class win beating out fellow weatherman Kevin FitzMaurice who finished second. In DSP, Mike Raver held down the class once again beating Allen Briere’s wide bodied Corrado by a full second. Mike Rohr was your winner in ESP with a Subaru WRX. Steve Tracy couldn’t improve on his track record he set back in May, but was still able to earn the FSP win in his Sentra.

B Prepared always brings and interesting battle as Gabe Pettner and Nick Fandacone fight for the win every track day. The thought of the day was Pettner would be able to use his AWD to earn the win. Fandacone waited to be the last driver out which got him a slightly drier track and allowed him to take the win. F Prepared was Corrado vs Fiero. (Somewhat newer) engineering took the win as Jason Christiansen piloted his Corrado to a class win. Joerg Bode finished second in his Fiero. Dana Robbins was the only car in A mod but still ran one of his best laps, a 63.4, to take the class win.

Now that Time Trials are over it was time for the Team Relay. 5 teams entered: the usual participants Mixed Nuts, and Team Fiero were there. The Corvette guys formed a team and were just as creative as the Fiero guys in choosing their name….Team Corvette. Two other teams entered, unfortunately their names don’t register with me anymore. Times were calculated and the order set, one of the unknown teams set off first and was given a huge headstart, some were left grumbling as the headstart seemed much too large. Team Fiero mounted a furious comeback that was until one of its drivers was run off the track by another relay racer. This left Dwyer stuck behind one of the Corvettes. Fortunately FitzMaurice couldn’t quite catch Team Unknown. Team Unknown won the relay thanks to its huge lead, Mixed Nuts second, Vette third and Fiero fourth. Mixed Nuts possibly could have won it if one of its (premier) members had remembered to do 5 laps and not just 4. Thanks to that, Joerg Bode jumped around like a high school cheerleader as he was able to get rid of his Team Relay Loser hat. Mr. Omichinski will have to hold onto the hat until at least Circuits Maximus. The Team Relay award standings goes into Circuits Maximus II with Mixed Nuts leading Team Fiero, but the Fiero drivers still have a chance at winning the whole thing. Cart would like to thank the PA posse and all those that came out to make this a great day. Mother Nature offered a helping hand to allow this to be a great day. Next event is and autocross in Hartford, CT Sunday Sept 13 and our next (and final) track event is Circuits Maximus Monday Sept 28.