David Pintaric
Viper Owner
On October 21-23 I headed down south to race in the North American Road Racing Association (NARRA finale at Daytona International Speedway.
I had reached out to the organizers during the summer to see if I would be welcome at their final event. My reason for asking if there would be an issue with me joining them is that with the races being held at DIS, and it being such a “magnet” –like track, they might object to me “cherry-picking” this event. No such concern; they were more than welcoming.
So, I promised myself if I got through the month of September without burning up the car too badly, we’d all head down to Daytona.
The NASA National Championship went well with me winning that race, and because it was held on a rainy track, the abuse of the car was held to a minimum.
Later in September, the SCCA Run Offs went almost as well, with me finishing second. Again, with me only running a few laps in qualifying on one day, sitting out the other days, and then the race only having 7 green-flag laps, the car was in real good shape at the end of the month. So…change the oil and wash the car! We’re south ‘bound and down…Daytona here we come!
Friday was a quasi test day combined with a 90-minute endurance race. A mandatory 5-minute pit stop was instituted so a driver change, as well as fueling, could be safely accomplished. I elected to run the car until we ran out of fuel, and then park it. I didn’t want to out too much wear on the car.
My first session on Friday morning had me clocking a 1:58.756. I was shocked, as I really didn’t know what to do on this track. After that session I predicted I could get into the 1:51-1:52 range before the weekend was over. I was 14[SUP]th[/SUP] on the grid after the first session.
The endurance race qualifying had we gridded 14[SUP]th[/SUP] again after I ran a 1:56.113 during the session. I felt pretty good, as I think I was the only car in the upper part of the field on DOT tires.
I started 14[SUP]th[/SUP], and before I brought the car in when the gas tank went to “almost” empty, I managed to take the overall lead. I did 20 laps (the winner did 35), finished 27[SUP]th[/SUP] out of 59, and my best lap was a 1:54.878. I was improving.
Saturday’s schedule was similar: a practice and a qualifying session of 25 minutes each, then a 30-minute race. I qualified a disappointing 9[SUP]th[/SUP] with a 1:54.182 because on my best lap I was held up on the back straight between turn six and the bus stop, feathering the throttle the entire time. I really think if I had a clean lap a 1:52 was possible. Oh well, it’s not like this hasn’t happened before…To give some perspective to this effort, Eric Curran, in what I think was a Whelen Engineering Rolex GT Corvette had the pole with a 1:50.594.
Saturday’s race results (I am guessing at the “type” of car these were):
1. Eric Curran Rolex GT Corvette 1:51.459
2. George Whelen World Challenge GT Corvette 1:51.100
3. Jim Stout World Challenge GT Viper Comp Coupe 1:50.804
4. Michael Hartley World Challenge GT Viper Comp Coupe 1:52.534
5. David Pintaric SCCA STO Viper ACRX 1:53.080
6. Russ Oasis World Challenge GT Viper Comp Coupe 1:54.131
7. A.R. Hoshmandy World Challenge GT Corvette 1:52.420
There were a total of 40 cars in this race; not all in the same class. I was in the USGT Unlimited class.
Of note was Stan Wilson in my car’s “brother,” a SCCA STO Dodge Viper. Good old Stan was going to use some old Toyo 888s. When I heard that, I threw some used Hoosier A6s mounted on a set of Forgelines and told him to have some fun. The SOB had the nerve to out qualify me! I’ve heard of ubber-talented drivers taking another person’s cast-off parts and whipping them. This is the first time it has happened to me; I need to reconsider my generosity…Stan broke his transmission when I was right on his rear bumper, so he finished as a DNF. But still…
Sunday’s qualifying grid was set by combining our best lap times from Saturday’s race and Sunday’s practice session. I elected not to go out Sunday morning, so they used my results from the race. I started the second race from the 7[SUP]th[/SUP] spot.
Sunday’s race results (I want to reiterate, I am “guessing” at the type (Rolex/WCGT), don’t know for sure on some of these entries, but some I am very certain):
1. Jim Stout World Challenge GT Viper Comp Coupe 1:49.738
2. Eric Curran Rolex GT Corvette 1:53.012
3. Sonny Whelen World Challenge GT Corvette 1:53.036
4. George Whelen World Challenge GT Corvette 1:50.704
5. Russ Oasis World Challenge GT Viper Comp Coupe 1:54.938
6. David Pintaric SCCA STO Viper ACRX 1:52.949
7. Michael Hartley World Challenge GT Viper Comp Coupe 1:53.526
8. Bernie Katz World Challenge GT Viper Comp Coupe 1:53.688
Again, the field was pretty big, with 31 cars taking the green flag (the reason for the smaller field on Sunday was that this event was a NARRA/PBOC combined effort, and the Porsche and BMW drivers had their own race just before ours on Sunday, on Saturday we all raced together.).
Stan Wilson again was ahead of me before finding some bad luck. Him and I were nose-to-tail (me chasing) when I saw he was getting “black flagged,” so I wasn’t going to try anything aggressive to get by him. But for some reason he didn’t see the flag, so he kept on racing. Entering turn one he cut a tire, and while watching him fight the car I was distracted enough that I put the transmission in to the wrong gear, causing me to spin. I lost a spot to George Whelen, and tried to catch him, but a Full Course Yellow came out. It helped bunch the field up, but we had some slower cars just in front of us, so I got held up a bit and lost two spots at the restart. I was able to retake one, but couldn’t pass the well-driven car of Russ Oasis.
All-in-all a successful weekend; met some new friends, and reconnected with some old ones. It has been a long time since Stan and I shared a race track, and it is a treat to see him wheel a car. Also got to spend some time with Cindi and Fred Lux; great, great people. I really don’t know Cindi all that well, but she is such a warm and genuine person it is hard not to like her.
I am looking at NARRAs schedule for 2012, and it is very tempting. I think my focus is going to be in that direction, maybe in a Viper Cup ACRX…we’ll see. But going to VIR, Watkins Glen, Texas World, Monticello, and two other tracks that are “rumored” but not contracted at this point, sure looks like fun.
Fields like what I experienced this weekend sure get the competitive juices flowing.
I had reached out to the organizers during the summer to see if I would be welcome at their final event. My reason for asking if there would be an issue with me joining them is that with the races being held at DIS, and it being such a “magnet” –like track, they might object to me “cherry-picking” this event. No such concern; they were more than welcoming.
So, I promised myself if I got through the month of September without burning up the car too badly, we’d all head down to Daytona.
The NASA National Championship went well with me winning that race, and because it was held on a rainy track, the abuse of the car was held to a minimum.
Later in September, the SCCA Run Offs went almost as well, with me finishing second. Again, with me only running a few laps in qualifying on one day, sitting out the other days, and then the race only having 7 green-flag laps, the car was in real good shape at the end of the month. So…change the oil and wash the car! We’re south ‘bound and down…Daytona here we come!
Friday was a quasi test day combined with a 90-minute endurance race. A mandatory 5-minute pit stop was instituted so a driver change, as well as fueling, could be safely accomplished. I elected to run the car until we ran out of fuel, and then park it. I didn’t want to out too much wear on the car.
My first session on Friday morning had me clocking a 1:58.756. I was shocked, as I really didn’t know what to do on this track. After that session I predicted I could get into the 1:51-1:52 range before the weekend was over. I was 14[SUP]th[/SUP] on the grid after the first session.
The endurance race qualifying had we gridded 14[SUP]th[/SUP] again after I ran a 1:56.113 during the session. I felt pretty good, as I think I was the only car in the upper part of the field on DOT tires.
I started 14[SUP]th[/SUP], and before I brought the car in when the gas tank went to “almost” empty, I managed to take the overall lead. I did 20 laps (the winner did 35), finished 27[SUP]th[/SUP] out of 59, and my best lap was a 1:54.878. I was improving.
Saturday’s schedule was similar: a practice and a qualifying session of 25 minutes each, then a 30-minute race. I qualified a disappointing 9[SUP]th[/SUP] with a 1:54.182 because on my best lap I was held up on the back straight between turn six and the bus stop, feathering the throttle the entire time. I really think if I had a clean lap a 1:52 was possible. Oh well, it’s not like this hasn’t happened before…To give some perspective to this effort, Eric Curran, in what I think was a Whelen Engineering Rolex GT Corvette had the pole with a 1:50.594.
Saturday’s race results (I am guessing at the “type” of car these were):
1. Eric Curran Rolex GT Corvette 1:51.459
2. George Whelen World Challenge GT Corvette 1:51.100
3. Jim Stout World Challenge GT Viper Comp Coupe 1:50.804
4. Michael Hartley World Challenge GT Viper Comp Coupe 1:52.534
5. David Pintaric SCCA STO Viper ACRX 1:53.080
6. Russ Oasis World Challenge GT Viper Comp Coupe 1:54.131
7. A.R. Hoshmandy World Challenge GT Corvette 1:52.420
There were a total of 40 cars in this race; not all in the same class. I was in the USGT Unlimited class.
Of note was Stan Wilson in my car’s “brother,” a SCCA STO Dodge Viper. Good old Stan was going to use some old Toyo 888s. When I heard that, I threw some used Hoosier A6s mounted on a set of Forgelines and told him to have some fun. The SOB had the nerve to out qualify me! I’ve heard of ubber-talented drivers taking another person’s cast-off parts and whipping them. This is the first time it has happened to me; I need to reconsider my generosity…Stan broke his transmission when I was right on his rear bumper, so he finished as a DNF. But still…
Sunday’s qualifying grid was set by combining our best lap times from Saturday’s race and Sunday’s practice session. I elected not to go out Sunday morning, so they used my results from the race. I started the second race from the 7[SUP]th[/SUP] spot.
Sunday’s race results (I want to reiterate, I am “guessing” at the type (Rolex/WCGT), don’t know for sure on some of these entries, but some I am very certain):
1. Jim Stout World Challenge GT Viper Comp Coupe 1:49.738
2. Eric Curran Rolex GT Corvette 1:53.012
3. Sonny Whelen World Challenge GT Corvette 1:53.036
4. George Whelen World Challenge GT Corvette 1:50.704
5. Russ Oasis World Challenge GT Viper Comp Coupe 1:54.938
6. David Pintaric SCCA STO Viper ACRX 1:52.949
7. Michael Hartley World Challenge GT Viper Comp Coupe 1:53.526
8. Bernie Katz World Challenge GT Viper Comp Coupe 1:53.688
Again, the field was pretty big, with 31 cars taking the green flag (the reason for the smaller field on Sunday was that this event was a NARRA/PBOC combined effort, and the Porsche and BMW drivers had their own race just before ours on Sunday, on Saturday we all raced together.).
Stan Wilson again was ahead of me before finding some bad luck. Him and I were nose-to-tail (me chasing) when I saw he was getting “black flagged,” so I wasn’t going to try anything aggressive to get by him. But for some reason he didn’t see the flag, so he kept on racing. Entering turn one he cut a tire, and while watching him fight the car I was distracted enough that I put the transmission in to the wrong gear, causing me to spin. I lost a spot to George Whelen, and tried to catch him, but a Full Course Yellow came out. It helped bunch the field up, but we had some slower cars just in front of us, so I got held up a bit and lost two spots at the restart. I was able to retake one, but couldn’t pass the well-driven car of Russ Oasis.
All-in-all a successful weekend; met some new friends, and reconnected with some old ones. It has been a long time since Stan and I shared a race track, and it is a treat to see him wheel a car. Also got to spend some time with Cindi and Fred Lux; great, great people. I really don’t know Cindi all that well, but she is such a warm and genuine person it is hard not to like her.
I am looking at NARRAs schedule for 2012, and it is very tempting. I think my focus is going to be in that direction, maybe in a Viper Cup ACRX…we’ll see. But going to VIR, Watkins Glen, Texas World, Monticello, and two other tracks that are “rumored” but not contracted at this point, sure looks like fun.
Fields like what I experienced this weekend sure get the competitive juices flowing.
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Wondering what the other 2 track may be....
