Gateway National

[jimwheeler]

There were 7 cars at Gateway. One Mustang was an IT-R and one was an AI car, that ran in ITE, I think. One car, Bill Gray's 92 Firebird, only ran the regional, with new driver Bret Volkamer at the wheel. So, that left Jim Stevens, in his GenIV Firebird, (who sat out last season, racing a SM), John Lechner and me. It was good to see the 92 car out there. Jim ran on Friday and Saturday, testing suspension, etc. He was turning consistent 1:09's. John Lechner was down from Ohio in the ex-Freddie Mustang.
I practiced Saturday and had a hell of a time trying to keep the car on the track. Went off once and came close to hitting the tractor tires (filled with dirt). When I came in, early, I found the pressures were 35/35/37/10.
Sunday qualifying was very wet, so I went out on Hoosier rains. I have had them for three seasons and they had never been on the car. Jim Stevens did not go out.
I got AS pole behind the overall pole sitter in a new T1 Corvette.
wheel 1:25.884
John 1:27.981
Jim No time
With the exception of Charlie Clark, in an EP RX-7, everyone started on slicks. I was on sticker Hoosier "A" compound.
There were only 14 cars in the group, so, even though he Jim had to start from the back, we were all close together going into turn 1. John was right on my ass, but spun in turn 2, leaving it to Jim and me. Jim ran on my bumper for 8, or so, laps. He is fearless on the banked oval and even though there was water seepage all around the banking, he would go through the oval section much faster than I wanted to, so I waved him by going into turn 1. He had a great run on me and, even though he backed off to give me my turn in, I waved him by because it was gonna happen then or on the next lap. I sat on his bumper and just cruised. I could stay with him everywhere except on the banking. The car would do it, but I just couldn't put my foot down enough to stay with him there. The track was still very wet, with puddles at most apexes and running water across the track at two or three spots. On lap 13 he moved inside coming through the left onto the banking (NASCAR turn 3), and I got a great run on him, keeping my foot down more than normal, to stay with him coming onto the front straight. A bit of smoke came out his tail pipe and I made the pass as he pulled to the inside with some type of mechanical failure.
This is my first win, ever, at Gateway. It has always been an unlucky track for me. No more. As usual, I was alone for the weekend, so all the tire changes in the rain, unloading, putting up the canopy, tearing down, reloading, really wears me down. But the win put a little spring in my step.
Thanks to Hoosier, Red Line, Pro System carbs.

Oh:
wheel 1:15.073
Jim 1:15.952
John 1:17.322
wheel

Loved the play by play...with such command of the Kings English, you should be an announcer...oh wait you are.

Thanks for the shout out.

Congrats on the win wheeler. I love Gateway and wish SCCA would have made my car AS legal two days earlier. Glad to here Stevens is back. To bad about the mechanical failure.

[jimwheeler]

Here are a couple of interesting things that have come up about the St. Louis race. Jim Stevens passed me on lap 10. In the three ensuing laps, before he blew up, I thought it had started misting. In fact, most of what was on my windshield was oil. There might have been a bit of mist, as well, but the entire front of the car was covered in a fine oil sheen. Also, as I found out at our region meeting on Tuesday, Jim had busted the sound meter on three laps, with readings around 107, and they were set to black flag him the lap his car broke. I guess it was just my day.
wheel

You can't buy wind tunnel time that good Wheel.

We had that happen in front of us and those oil drops taught us alot about what was going on with the car.

We used those traces to place some winglets and a more aggressive chin spoiler and SNAP the push was gone, I had awesome brakes all the time and ran 10 degrees cooler from then on. 195 to 200 all the time.

Patrick James