Norcal News
By Jeff Galletta
Published: October 13, 2006
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Thunderhill Aug 12-13th Recap
On August 12
th and 13
th, the Norcal contingent of NASA Time Trials returned to California for a two-day smackdown at Thunderhill Raceway Park in scenic Willows, CA. After a 4-event series of away-games at Buttonwillow (Socal crossover) and Reno-Fernley coupled with a mid-season break in July, many drivers were itching to see old friends as well as getting back behind the wheel and let’er rip. And, on this particular weekend, Thunderhill did not disappoint. With clear blue skies and an ambient temperature of about 95°F (with a steady westerly breeze that made it feel more like 92.5°F), the conditions were almost perfect. (Actually, it was sort of chilly for Willows in August. Nearly everybody in the paddock was forced to put on T-shirts in order to keep warm!) And, when I say “everybody,” I mean it. On this particular weekend, we hosted a record-setting 51 drivers – not only a Norcal record, but a
National record as well. In addition to our usual cast of characters, we had 22 new competitors join our ranks. Please join me in welcoming the following newcomers:
Louise Sousoures Boris Berman Brandon Yugovich
Michael DiGiacomo Bob Blackwood Don Pylman
Tasha Bigelow Chris Hartman Joe Osha
Robert Breton Mark Welch Brad Biggerstaff
Archie Snyder Gary Faules Joey Brasil
Neil Yonk Jon Cox Michael Kelley
Neil Day Team Shed Racing Vu Barnes
RJ Reeves IV
And, it should be noted that these folks helped us raise the total number of Norcal Time Trials drivers to 94 participants in this season alone (135 total participants within the past 2 years).
With all the pleasantries aside, the track in perfect condition and the cooperation of Mother Nature, it was time to go to work on the clock. Much to the chagrin of our coveted pre-grid team, 43 drivers took the starting grid on Saturday. (I think I actually saw our Umbrella Girls, Jen and Julia, breaking a sweat from waving and smiling at so many drivers!) After the morning warm-up session, it was Joe Osha (TTR) in his dialed-in Porsche 996 Cup car who drew first-blood by laying down a white-hot 1:57.4! This time was not only best of the day, but it was the best of the entire weekend. Only Jeff Leaver (TTR) in his home-built Ford GT (a.k.a. the “Leaver GT”) was able to get close with a ripping 1:59.7. Hot on their heals was Steve Reader (TTR) with a 2:00.2 and Louise Sousoures (TTR) with a 2:02.8. Not even a full tick off that pace was Team Griggs Racing (TTU) with an apex-sizzling 2:02.9. Big, bad Ryan Wilson (TTA) damn near drove the wheels off his Ford Mustang Cobra with a smoking 2:03.4, as did Michael Neujhar (TTU) with a 2:04.8, Brad Biggerstaff (TTU) with a 2:05.6, Robert Breton (TTB) with a 2:05.3 and Boris Berman with a 2:05.7. Kevin Smith (TTA) in his Griggs-prepared Mustang and newcomer, Mark Welch (TTB), in his BMW M3 made their presences felt by each laying down a rousing 2:06.4 edging out Team Antihybrids (TTC) by only 1-tenth of second (2:06.5). Team Z Car Garage (TTB) pedaled their Nissan 350Z to a 2:07.1 as did John Anderson (TTB) with a 2:08.2. Close behind was the recently wedded Jeff Cavano (TTC) (congratulations, Jeff) with a 2:08.5, Team GSR with a 2:08.8, Ken Baer (TTC) with a 2:09.0, Dave Snelson with a 2:09.2 and Tasha Bigelow (TTA) with a 2:09.6. Mike DiGiacomo (TTU) and Archie Snyder (TTB) both edged out Lowell Fennie (TTU), Neil Yonk (TTB) and Team3S (TTB) by a mere 2/10’s of a second (2:10.2 vs. 2:10.4). Next across the line was Mark Callaghan (TTB) with a 2:11.1, Team Brown-Heyer (TTD) with a 2:13.7, Will Dunbar (TTD) with a 2:14.4, Vu Barnes (TTC) with a 2:15.1, Gary Faules (TTU) with a 2:15.7, Greg Barron (TTE) with a 2:16.2, Team Shed Racing with a 2:16.8, Steve Fuss (TTF) with a 2:17.0, Jeff Galletta with a 2:19.0, Sanjeev Bajwa (TTE) with a 2:21.0 and Jim Shen (TTF) with a 2:22.7. Jon Cox (TTE) and Dave Rowsey (TTF) each turned in a pair of 2:26.2’s.
On Sunday (and with only 40 drivers on grid) it was Steve Reader and Louise Sousoures (both in TTR) who made their ways to the top of the heap by laying down a pair of track-scorching 1:58.4’s. (Looks like these two are going to have to arm-wrestle for top honors of the day and collect the 100 points.) The real interesting thing about these times is that both were scored in the second session which was under full-course caution for much of the time. It just goes to illustrate that it pays to be at the head of the line in pre-grid! The next fastest group was Team Griggs Racing (TTR) with a 2:04.5, Ryan Wilson (TTA) with a 2:04.7 and Michael Neujhar (TTU) with a 2:05.3. Mark Welch and Team Z Car Garage (both in TTB) each delivered enviable 2:06.2’s. John Anderson (TTB) with a 2:07.1 was able to hold off Team Antihybrids (TTC) with a 2:07.4 and at the same time walk all over Kevin Smith (TTA) with a 2:07.6. Michael DiGiacomo (TTU) was able to muscle his Z06 past Ken Baer’s (TTC) 2:09.0, Dave Snelson’s (TTC) 2:09.5, Lowell Fennie’s (TTU) 2:09.6, Tasha Bigelow (TTA) and Don Plyman’s (TTB) 2:09.9. Next up was Team 3S (TTB) with a 2:10.0 edging out fellow TTB’ers Neil Yonk and Mark Callaghan who both turned in a 2:10.1 as well as TTU combatant, Gary Faules, with a 2:10.8. Next was Team Brown-Heyer (TTE) pushing that Spec Miata past fellow SM racer, Ben Brandt (TTE), with a 2:13.0, Vu Barnes (TTC) with a 2:13.1, fellow TTD’er Will Dunbar with a 2:13.6, Marc Chambers with a 2:14.2, newcomer, RJ Reeves IV with a 2:14.6, fellow SM racer, Mario Lento (TTC), with a 2:15.5, and Brad Biggerstaff with a 2:15.7. Team TNL (TTE) who tuned in respectable 2:16.0 pedaled their Mazda Miata past the likes of Steve Fuss (TTF) with a 2:16.6 and newcomer Brandon Yugovich (TTF) with a 2:16.7, Team Shed Racing (TTB) with a 2:18.1, Sanjeev Bajwa (TTE) with a 2:20.4, Chris Hartman (TTF) with a 2:20.8, Dave Rowsey (TTF) with a 2:22.8, Jim Shen (TTF) with a 2:23.7, Joe Osha (TTR) with an unusually slow 2:24.9, Jeff Galletta (TTD) with a 2:26.5 and Greg Barron (TTE) – who broke in the second session – with a 2:36.2.
Standings
With 16 events in the books and 4 left to go, the standings now look like this:
TTR
Steve Reader is on top with 385 points followed by Joe Osha (185), Jeff Leaver (180) Louise Sousoures (170) and Vageli Karas (100). Steve is the only competitor who has a chance at the season honors. In order to claim the title in TTR, he needs to compete in the next 4 events. C’mon Steve, it’s yours for the taking!
TTU
Team Griggs Racing (1090) leads the point’s race by a slim margin over Michael Neujahr (945) and Lowell Fennie (795). All three have completed the required 8 events and it’s now a literally a race to the end. Both Team Griggs and Neujhar are accustomed to winning against on another, so this will come down to the wire. Fennie has comfortable lead over 4
th and 5
th place contenders, Brian Evans (380) and Andy Sutak (370). So, he is well-positioned for the Bronze.
TTA
Ryan Wilson (1140) is the current points leader over Kevin Smith (1075), Jim Black (625) and Don Templeton (604). There are actually two battles going on in this group. The first is for 1
st place and the second is for 3
rd. Both Smith and Templeton are within striking distance of these positions. This is a game of Motorsport Musical Chairs, my friends. Who’s going to have a seat when the music stops? It’s anyone’s guess!
TTB
John Anderson (1080) is holding on to 1
st place by a thread over Team Z Car Garage (1070) with Team 3S (995) not far behind. Team Z seems to be mounting an attack for 1
st late in the season. And, if it continues to turn in faster lap times than Anderson, John could find himself in 2
nd place when all is said and done. Team 3S had also better check his mirrors for Team RFR (705) who could mount an attack for 3rd when we return to Infineon in October. I wrote it before and I will write it again….this is a nail-biter, folks. Stay tuned!
TTC
Team Antihybrids and Ken Baer are both tied for 1
st place with 1100 points with Jeff Cavano (995) and David Snelson (925) hot on their heals. As we saw with TTA, there are two battles for 1
st and 2
nd places. All four of these guys are solid performers as well as fierce competitors. Who’s going to be able to reach down and find that extra 1/10 of a second within themselves just when they need it the most?
TTD
Team Brown-Heyer (1080) has a 100-point lead over Jeff Galletta (980) – and it looks to remain that way as we head off into the home stretch – with John Bachan a distant 3
rd. Out of 7 competitors only Galletta and Team Brown-Heyer have attended the minimum number of 8 events and are eligible for season honors. Bachan will need to attend the next 4 events (2 weekends) in order to salvage the season. (C’mon John…get to the track!)
TTE
Don’t look now, but there has been a lead change for 1
st place in TTE! With his group-win on Saturday and participation points on Sunday, Greg Barron (965) accumulated 180 points to edge past Ben Brandt (935). Brandt (who briefly departed from TT to pursue a Spec Miata racing career) has unexpectedly rejoined the chase and will give Barron a run for his money. Both Ben and Greg are accustomed to winning against one another. So, it will be a blood-feud to see who emerges on top. Team TNL is sitting pretty in 3
rd place with 825 points with the nearest competitor ~350 points away. Keep your eyes on this one, everyone – this is going to be sweet!
TTF
Dave Rowsey is sitting squarely in 1
st place with 1195 points – 415 points over No. 2 man, Steve Fuss. Even as Fuss continues to mount his attack on Rowsey’s times, he is statistically prevented from usurping Dave for the lead. Both drivers have met the minimum number of events to be considered for the season’s honors. Congratulations to both Dave and Steve for producing and exciting season this year and for their respective first and second place finishes. Well done, gentlemen!
TTG
Hugh Carter, baby! Hugh Carter.
NASA Norcal News and Events
OK everybody, while I have your attention, I wanted to just briefly mention a few things that actually do bear..umm…
mentioning. They are as follows:
NASA Nationals – Mid-Ohio
Unless you’ve living under a rock all season, you are keenly aware that NASA will host its inaugural National Championships at Mid-Ohio Raceway Park on September 9-10
th. In addition to the NASA race groups, Time Trials will be on the schedule. In fact, we have over 60 competitors (20 of whom will be from the west coast) coming from around the country to compete for a national title in their respective classes. The drivers who proudly hail from the Norcal Region are as follows:
Steve Reader (TTR) Lowell Fennie (TTU)
Bud Harris (TTA) David Standridge (TTA)
Tasha Bigelow (TTA) John Anderson (TTB)
Steve Fuss (TTF) Dave Rowsey (TTF)
Joe Craven (TTF)
Please join me in wishing each and every one of them the very best of luck.
(Oh, I hear this is going to be televised, so, you know…
no pressure!) J
Time Trials “Kegger” at the Golden Pheasant Inn (Best Western)
I would like to say a quick “thanks” to everybody who came out to the pool party at the Best Western on Saturday night. It was awesome to see people from so many different groups and factions that comprise NASA on any given event weekend. In addition to practically every TT’er at the track that weekend, people from Safety, Timing and Scoring, Pre-Grid (including the U-girls – Jen and Julia—who actually “stopped by” the entrance to the pool for all of 30 seconds before running to the safety of their rooms), HPDE Instructors, NASA Officials and Race Announcers as well as many drivers and crew from the various race groups as well. (It was a pretty tough sell trying to get the Porsche guys to put down their Chardonnay and pick up a Budweiser they actually had to pump out of a keg. But, we did it!) (By the way, Van Halen sends their regrets about missing the gig. They say that next year will be HUGE – so don’t miss it!)
Next Time Trials Events – October 7-8th at Infineon Raceway
The next points-paying events will be at Infineon Raceway on October 7-8
th. This event will SELL OUT early. I repeat…these events 100%, ABSOLUTELY, HONEST-TO-GOD, SWEAR-ON-MY MOTHER’S-LIFE, BET-THE-FRIGGEN-FARM…WILL SELL OUT EARLY!!!! So, please register TODAY (like, right now) for these if you plan to drive with us on that weekend. I know a lot of people like to “back-door” their way into TT by registering for HPDE 2-4 and then switching groups on raceday. Let me warn you that Infineon Raceway will not adequately support +70 cars. As such, we will be forced to turn you away if you attempt to group-hop. We will police this one very closely. If you register for any HPDE group other than Time Trials…that’s were you will stay. Trust me on this one.
For those of you planning to drive both days on that weekend, the Time Trials gang will be heading off to
Smitty’s in Sausalito for a few drinks and shoot pool Saturday night. For those of you have never been to this place before, this is a local hangout that features the best in what a dive-bar in an upscale (dare I say “exclusive”) neighborhood can offer. For those of you who miss the NASA-hosted BBQ at the track or those who just need a little more recovery carbs before bed, they are the one and only bar I know that will order a pizza for you and have it delivered right to your barstool before midnight! I will send more information about this as we get closer to the event.
Also, we are planning to reserve a HUGE spot in the paddock just for the Time Trials. This will help with the communication with respect to pre-grid, session time and the like. Plus, there is strength in numbers. So, plan on parking with us this weekend.
Next HPDE Events – September 9-10th at Infineon Raceway
For those of you who are not going to the NASA Nationals this weekend, there will be a regional NASA event at Infineon. Unless you plan to drive in a sanctioned race, you can still register and drive in one of the HPDE run groups (presumably the newly reformatted HPDE 3-4 group). If you plan to run in HPDE we request that you either remove or cover any Time Trials (“TT”) designation on your car. The purpose of this to keep a low profile while driving this group. As you know, HPDE 3-4 has been changed to accommodate drivers who have just graduated from HPDE-2 (as well as HPDE-4 drivers who desire a more throttled-back run-group than TT) and who are just getting their feet wet with respect to an open-track environment. As such, the group will start out with strict passing rules for the first few sessions on Saturday, then progressing to an open-track environment late Saturday afternoon and all day on Sunday. As responsible TT’ers, we
must respect and abide by the rules of this group. By removing the “TT” from our cars we will blend in and draw less attention to ourselves. (Please feel free to reach out to me directly if you have any questions or concerns about this.)
Transponders
As more drivers are joining TT, the demand for transponders is at an all-time high. The rental idea is simply not working. As we saw at Thunderhill a few weeks ago, the assigning (and re-assigning, and re-re-assigning) of transponder numbers created absolute chaos in Timing & Scoring. And, there will be no way to effectively manage multiple trips to the tower at Infineon. If you are a regular competitor in TT or you are planning to be one, it is
imperative that you have a proper AMB transponder. We have three (3) rechargeable transponders for sale at the moment. They are priced at $295 ea. (includes original packaging, warranty and charger). These normally list for $360 ea., plus tax – so this is a sweet deal. Please contact me or John Anderson if you are interested.
Now Hiring!
As many of you know, John Anderson will resign as Time Trials Director at the end this year. As such, the search is on for his replacement. As Director, you will get a rare and highly sought-after opportunity to effectively help shape the future direction of the Northern California contingent of NASA Time Trials. Additionally, you will be embraced by NASA’s top brass (brought into the “inner circle,”
per se) as a card-carrying NASA Official. Did I mention the perks? There are far too many to list here. But, let’s just say that membership has its privileges (wink-wink, nudge-nudge). As far as qualifications go, you need not have any direct race group or track management experience (although those skills are desired). However, you will need various business management, organizational and soft (people-handling) skills in order to find this role enjoyable and to be successful. If you are interested and believe that you have the proper qualifications, please feel free to contact John Anderson, Jerry Kunzman or me, directly.
Final Note
One of our fellow TT’ers, Andy Sutak (TTU), was noticeably missing from the grid this past weekend as a result of a work-related accident. Evidently, he fell off some scaffolding and injured himself bad enough to keep him out of the driver’s seat. Please join me in wishing Andy a speedy recovery. And, if anybody sees Andy, tell him that he owes me $50! (Just kidding, Andy – get well soon!)
Jeff Galletta
NASA Time Trials
Norcal Region
