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2011 SEASON
Sept 10-11, 2011 Round 14&15 –
ICAR Mirabel Quebec
Hoping I
could get back on the pace at ICAR, but some changes had been made to the
track since my last visit here so first I had to lean the new layout first. Managed to get down to 1:47 in qualifying,
still a bit off the pace of the Touring Car pack but felt I was at least in
touch. Clean race on Saturday and got
into the 1:46s. Made a few setup
changes after the race and car felt like it had more front grip. Was chasing #77 (Fecteau)
for most of the race, he was struggling with his brakes near the end and
managed to get by on the last lap for 7th place. Overall felt like I was at least in the
game this final weekend of the season, but I’m sure the car has more in it. (photo credit D.Sirois)
In car videos :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhwbTg16njI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wA8FYwtTgCs
http://vimeo.com/28957379
Aug 18-19, 2011 Round 13 – Montreal
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
After
being away for several months, finally had the car ready to race again for
the Montreal race on the F1 track. Car
was running well but in practice went into the hairpin and the brake pedal
went to the floor. I suspect a
combination of the caliper pistons being knocked back from using too much of
the stepped apex curbing in turn 9 and the brakes being a little over heated,
left me beached in the gravel trap.
Thanks again to Fantin for heads up driving
and not turning in on me. Negligible
damage from nudging the tire wall except to my confidence. This along with some cobwebs from having
not raced in over a year, my inexperience at this track and still getting
used to the new tires left me way off the pace of the other Touring
cars. But great to be back out and had
a fun battle with Bergeron towards the end of the race.
In car videos :
http://vimeo.com/27975809
http://vimeo.com/27990055
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvpwCNnuC0g
2010 SEASON
Sept
11-12, 2010 Event 7 – ICAR season finale
Not enough time to fix Mosport
damage so had to sit out the final race weekend.
Mosport video from Touring Car TV…
Aug
27-29, 2010 Event 6 – Mosport ALMS
Weekend got off to a good enough start, a personal best
lap time in Friday practice despite a failing CV joint. Borrowed a spare from Blanchet Motorsports
and found another few tenths in qualify for 9th in class, not great but I
figured as long as my times keep coming down things are moving in the right
direction. But then things started
going down hill.
At the start of the Saturday race Sallenbech
spun in turn 1. I went for the gap
opening up on the inside but the Mini swerved back across the track, Thompson
had nowhere to go and I got caught out too.
Hit the Civic square on the back
end, not that hard, but didn’t realize that his tail pipe had punctured my
oil cooler and so I kept going spinning on my own oil before parking it.
Turtle helped me out with a new
oil cooler and after some make shift body repairs was ready for the Sunday
race. I suspect that the oil loss on
Saturday did some damage to the engine because it let go big time on lap 1
with a 3” hole in the side of the block.
So zero racing laps, one point, one
blown engine and will need a visit to the body shop. With the final round at
ICAR less than 2 weeks away, not looking good.
Aug
13-15, 2010, Event 5 – Trois-Rivieres GP3R
A bit off the pace, was here only once before in the
Sentra a couple of years ago. This
track is notorious on brakes, pedal felt long all weekend
and also had to change out a suspension bearing on Sat. evening. Managed to turn 1:18s but finishing
positions of 9th and 12th left something to be desired, bad starts and
restarts. But a great venue and most
importantly kept it off the walls.
In car video :
Saturday
Sunday
July
16-18, 2010, Event 4 – Honda Indy Toronto
Unforgiving walls and damp practice but the car felt good
right away especially under braking.
Qualified 6th, kept it clean during the Saturday race, took
advantage of the usual ‘concrete attrition’ to finish 5th with lap
times down into the 1:26’s Sunday got
turned around on lap 3 in turn 1 but worked my way back up as best I
could. Again attrition worked in my
favor, finished 6th and brought the car home (relatively)
unscathed.
In car video :
July
3-4, 2010, Event 3 – ICAR Mirable
Car wasn’t ready so missed event 2, got the new engine
installed just in time for Mirabel. Taking it easy during the first practice session when lost all
the gears. Fortunately just the
shifter linkage (probably forgot to tighten the bolt after the engine swap)
so an easy fix. Saturday times were a
little slower than last year, probably a combination of the mild engine tune
I was running and still trying the winter cob webs out. But had a great battle with Dargis, PJ and Blanchette
finishing 9th. Was running 8th on
Sunday when the red flag came out, might have been able to improve my
position with a few more laps.
In car video :
Sun restart http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqEekS52uT4
May
22-23, 2010, Event 1 - Mosport Victoria Day
Engine let go on lap 4 of race 1, dropped and exhaust
valve, crack in cyl 3 wall, weekend over, engine is
done. Not really sure why, a few mis-fires, was losing time, some signs of detonation.
In car video :
April-May
2010, Pre-season testing
Testing and preparation for the 2010 season has begun,
rule changes mean a stock rear wing and 94 octane fuel. First race is May 22 at Mosport.
2009
SEASON
Sept.
5-6, 2009, Event 8 – Mirabel ICAR Season Finale
Second visit to this track this year and car seemed to be working
well. Had hoped to get some new tires
but none available so would have to pick out the best of my used rubber. Qualified 7th more than 1.5s faster than my
best time in June finishing 6th in the Saturday race.
Was running a solid 5th on Sunday when a late race caution came
out. On the restart car popped out of
second allowing #77 Fecteau in the Corolla to get
right up on my bumper (literally).
Shift lights on my dash stopped working after the caution then botched
a shift which allowed him to get by in the carousel. With only 1 lap left couldn’t find a way by
so had to settle for 6th.
Ended the season 8th overall in the Touring Class points,
not too bad considering I missed four of the 16 races and had a DNF. Learned a lot and had a blast
!
In car video :
Sat start http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGK1Z2IP6UA
Sat restart http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9d0eL7zHpg
Sun start http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZubW8rQm1Y
Sun restart http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTPDQOy3cH0
Aug.
21-23, 2009, Event 7 – Grand Prix of Trois Riviere
L
After the poor start to the season top 5 finish in the points seems
out of reach. GP3R is a 3 day event
(plus travel). Super busy with work
and other obligations so decide to skip this one - Saturday DNS, Sunday DNS.
July
25-26, 2009, Event 6 – Calabogie “Ted Powell
Memorial Weekend”
Managed 4th in qualifying with a 2:25.9 on my first and best timed lap
thanks to new front tires and some lapping day experience. Lost a few places at the start of the
Saturday race but managed to keep up with the Lauziere
in the #47 Mini and Kwok in the #55 Civic as they
battled it out for 4th and 5th and so was happy with my 6th place.
Sunday was another poor start, really need to
work on this. Was keeping up with the
#58 Civic in the opening stages but fell back during the light sprinkles of
rain and the #89 Integra got by. As
the rain let up started closing the gap but was too late and would have to
settle for a disappointing 10th.
In car video :
Sat laps 1-2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcNX7GJhStk
Sun laps 1-2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCzclO75ISk
July
10-12, 2009, Event 5 – “Honda Indy Toronto”
With concrete walls all around I find this track daunting. Feeling off the pace during the first
fairly uneventful race (at least for me) and had to settle for 8th. On Sunday, after getting passed by Seguin
in the #80 Civic got busy and was more or less keeping up, but then followed
him right into the run off in T1 despite the waved oil flags. Reversed out and managed to get ahead of
him but tires were flat spotted and limped to the finish. In the end 2 seconds faster then on Sat so relatively happy with another 8th.
In car video :
Sun start-yellow http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xd7eqbF9fg
Sun restart http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wryXcPQLli0
Sun oil !!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqqRRcwfFdo
June
27-28, 2009, Event 4 – ICAR “Grand Prix of Mirabel”
After crashing in the rain here last
year, took it easy during the damp practice and end up a dismal 12th. Start to get it figured out in the first
race and finish 8th with a best lap of 1:40.5. Sunday is a good battle with the Civics of
#57 Belanger, #51 Laporte, #55 Kwok, and Shooner in the #3 RSX.
Good fun and relatively happy with my 7th and 1:39.1.
In car video :
Sat start http://www.youtube.com/user/rbowes11.../4/jSEQfXzV3FM
Sun start http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDxE8_8vp_Q
Sun get by #51 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CXUeWrnbeg
Sun near rear ender
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OSutZuS1mc
Sun passed by #55 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXXrWrKBP2o
Sun #3 runs wide http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbIXXoEZCKI
Sun finish http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDVm-1gmst8
June
13-14, 2009, Event 3 – Mosport “High Octane
Weekend”
After a few gentle laps and the engine seems OK. Quick oil change and ready to go. Lost a lot of places in the mess on lap 1
in T3 and after the long yellow and drama from #48 Integra’s plume of smoke
on the back straight never quite got back into it and ended up 11th.
Sunday proved a bit better, good racing with #77 Fecteau
in the Corolla and #26 Bork in the Protégé but disappointed with my best lap
of 1:40.1 and 8th place.
May
30-31, 2009, Event 2 – Shannonville
Oil, oil everywhere – out the tail pipe, catch can overflowing,
compression down a bit on a couple of cylinders. Despite all this still secured 4th place
(my best CCTCC finish to date) on Saturday by being patient, keeping in touch
with the mid-pack and taking advantage when they started banging. Sunday was more smoke screens and an early
retirement when the gas tank strap broke, maybe for the best, loosing a lot of oil and this race was 40min.
Tear down revealed broken ring lands, I
suspect a result of detonation.
Amazingly only other damage was a slight score on the wall of cyl #1 which I did my best to hone out. Managed to get new pistons and rings in the
nick of time, not sure my neighbors appreciated the midnight tests but engine
is back together just in time for Mosport.
May
16-17, 2009, Event #1 – Mosport “Victoria Day Speedfest”
Bad start to the season, engine let go on lap 1 of practice session,
Sat DNS, Sun DNS. Dropped a valve
which led to cracked cylinder walls, engine is
destined for the scrap yard.
Compression was down a bit on the culprit cylinder, maybe over-reved it during pre-season testing, can’t be sure. New engine, some late nights but the swap
goes smoothly.
April
2009, Pre-season testing
Having lots of fun learning about
the new car and each new lap puts a smile on my face. Acceleration and handling so much better
than the Sentra !
No power steering so quite an upper body work out,
might have to start going to the gym.
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