Grand Am at Mid Ohio Aug 26-27

[billnchristy]

Session Times: (all times EST i believe)

P1 08/26 9:30 AM
P2 08/26 2:10 PM
Q 08/26 4:30 PM
P3 08/27 10:25 AM
R 08/27 5:30 PM

entry list:
http://www.grandamerican.com/Events/...asp?EventID=87

All the usual suspects + a Ferrari 360 returning to the GT fight...BMW vs Corvette vs GTO vs Ferrari vs Porsche...should be cool!!

47 cars overall.

live timing (only active during sessions)
http://grandamerican.vfx.com/Rolex/G...erican_800.asp

live audio will be available for the race.

track link:
http://www.midohio.com/



Even if you don't like the series, check out this. Its a 161 page media guide and has great information about the drivers and some really cool stats about mid ohio and the drivers in the series.

http://www.grandamerican.com/Tracksi...kside_8_26.pdf

Again, even if you dont like the series its your chance to slag on it for how "slow" the cars are! Although with probable rain throughout the event, the crowd and speed comparisions will be moot...must be the Grand Am Weather machine kicking in to avoid any direct series comparisons!!

The race will be showed tape delayed on speed noon Sunday.

[19dodge]

my race preview is up

This will be a very interesting race, for both classes. Will we see the Riley's dominate again, on a twisty, high downforce track thats Mid-Ohio, or will the Crawfords be able to shine? How will Ron Fellows do in the Pontiac GTO.R? They may be able to make it 2 in a row with some help from Ron!

[C6R Racing Fan]

Does anyone know if there is a trackside scanner broadcast similiar to radio lemans (454.000)?

My father is going to the race, and probably would like to listen if there is one.

Thanks guys.

[Danske]

There are some scanner freqs at http://www.racingfanatics.com/GARRA%...annerGARRA.htm . Looks like that dates from the 24, but some of them may still be accurate. I hear you can also pick up the Speed TV commentary, including what is said "off the air". I think a list of the frequencies is available at the track for a fee.

Back to the race. Last year the #01 did walk away at the start and led every lap but four. I'd be very surprised if they repeated that performance this year. Hmm, I'd put Ganassi at the top of the list of teams most impacted by the testing restrictions if I were to speculate on such a list.

[cds_uk]

Not really up to speed with the series but i have been a fan of Jonathan Cochet for a long time now, it sounds like he made a good impression over there, can you guys confirm this, does he have a chance of a win here, can you tell me anything about his team, good, bad or other, do the single seater series pay any attention to Grand Am, if JC keeps impressing is there a realistic chance of an outing in Champ cars, IRL, thanks for your help guys.

[billnchristy]

He was impressive in his first run, but his Co-driver is an amateur racer, so his chances of winning are slim, but not impossible.

As for single seaters paying attention, I would think so since their feeder series' seem to be feeding Grand Am more than what theyre intended for.

[Danske]

Yeah, I'd say Cochet made a good impression. He was in the top four in all the practice sessions and fastest in the last one, on a track and in a car he had never driven before. He qualified eighth and drove up to second at one point in the race. The order in which cars pitted under yellow may have helped with that high position, but only four other cars put in better laps during the race than he. He also collected a one-minute penalty when he drove Memo Gidley (I think it was) into the grass for second position or the car may have finished better. People noticed. (Oops, I just nearly repeated the press release word for word there.)

I think this is only the third or fourth race for the Tuttle team, so they were very encouraged by the speed Cochet got out of the car at Barber Park too.

A chance to win? I'd say the biggest impediment to a win is the speed of his co-driver, the owner/driver. After that it's a question of how well the team sets up the car and how their luck is during the race. It would help if lightning struck a few other cars (maybe with the weather forecast I shouldn't say that), but it wouldn't require a miracle for him to be in the hunt at the end. The root of it is that the car itself is capable of staying on the lead lap, with the rest up to the drivers, crew and luck. Quite a few of the other teams find themselves in the same position, though. He would have a better shot with a professional co-driver, but he's not ruled out of a win for not being paired with one.

I haven't heard of any open-wheel teams scouting Grand-Am, but I don't really follow those series other than watching some of the races. Cochet might get a permanent ride in sportscars though.

Along those lines, someone has said that Joao Barbosa is rumored to be testing for a DP team.

[Danske]

Ouch. Tuttle is slower than I thought he was. At qualifying speeds he's going to be lapped in 16 laps or just 22 minutes.

Qualifying was interesting, but I'm sure there'll be a qualifying report. Bad Taylor, no biscuit!

[Danske]

Oops, Taylor's problem was a little more serious than just getting stuck in some gravel:

5:02 p.m. - The No. 10 Pontiac has caught fire on the back straightaway, between Turns 3 and 4. The driver, Wayne Taylor, is out of the car and reports no injuries. The incident ends the qualifying session.

[billnchristy]

Amazingly enough, the car is already out and did a full practice session.

[cds_uk]

I have been checking the practice sessions for the Tuttle team, they have been struggling a bit to say the least, way off in Q as well, bit better in final practice though, hope this bodes better for the race, go JC.

[billnchristy]

Grand Am announces today a partner race with the IRL at Sonoma in 06

http://www.grandamerican.com/News/Article.asp?ID=4889

[Danske]

Yoick. Messy race so far.

[Adam43]

Yes, it looks like a few have been eliminated. Any idea what happened?

[Danske]

Per chatting live with someone live at the race, Milka Duno spun and set off a multi-car pileup. Since Andy Wallace didn't get in a single lap she extends her point lead over him. I'm sure the race notes don't quite capture the carnage, but one can imagine:

Lap 15 - 27:52 (6:00 p.m.) - FULL-COURSE CAUTION as the No. 2 Pontiac spins in Turn 5 and is collected by the No. 6 Pontiac. A few seconds later, the No. 81 Porsche makes contact with the No. 2 Pontiac. The No. 81 Porsche is then collected by the No. 96 Porsche and the No. 23 Pontiac. All cars involved are stopped on the track. All drivers are out of their cars and are OK. The No. 67 Pontiac was also slightly involved in the incident.

After that I don't think there was anything more serious than cars stuck in the gravel.

Just to follow up on Cochet, after a restart he was in 14th place, 25 seconds behind the leader. Forty-five green-flag minutes later with no pit stops he was in 10th place, 30 seconds behind the leader. Wasn't the same leader, btw.

[cds_uk]

I see the Tuttle boys got the car home in 9th, they will be happy enough with that i should think, especially after what happened in qualifying, i was more impressed with the fastest lap time though, only about half a second of the ultimate pace, not to shabby, wonder if they will give JC another race, do any of you guys know who got in touch with who to sort out the two races in the first place?

[cybersdorf]

Originally Posted by Danske

I'm sure the race notes don't quite capture the carnage...

Or the post-race statements of those drivers involved!

[Fiorentina 1]

What is the story with Mai Van Wyck? She is the slowest GT driver in every session the last two seasons and keeps crashing. She took out the Flying Lizzard car under yellow (yes, under yellow) at the Daytona 24 and now this deal. What's the point?

I know there are a lot of amateurs in GT, like the guys in the #94, the guys doing one-offs with the Nonnemakers, some of the guys in the #23 or #32 GTO and the Alhadeff guy in the #05, but after two season, you'd think she'd improve a little.

[billnchristy]

On TV they said Cochet had some food poisoning or flu symptons so that could explain why he wasnt setting good times again.

As for Mae...I dunno, shes nice to look at but I wouldnt want to be on track with her.

[Danske]

Originally Posted by cybersdorf

Or the post-race statements of those drivers involved!

Wayne Taylor was interviewed in the pits after he got out, so he didn't have to wait that long to express his thoughts about Milka Duno and Tracy Krohn.

The broadcast mentioned that Cochet was also suffering from the flu.

Terry Borcheller drove two and a half continuous hours and on one set of tires. That makes his staying in the lead for so long quite impressive. He was staying out that long hoping for a FCY so he wouldn't have to pit under green. Race control didn't oblige him until it was too late to do any good.

Bob Stallings in the GAINSCO #99 was also suffering with failing power steering and stayed out longer than the team wanted. The lack of a safety car period foiled their plan of two driver changes with enough time at the end for Alex Gurney to charge back to the front.

The coolbox in Max Papis' car came loose and spilled ice and water all over. He threw the box out the door. Under caution.

Heck of a fight between Leitzinger and Pruett at the end. Pruett was faster in the areas where he couldn't pass, but slower where he might have otherwise been able to.

Pretty amazing for the SunTrust car to come back from the fire in qualifying and the total rebuild overnight to finish third.

[cds_uk]

I didn`t realise JC had the flu, i know his cool suit packed up on him, i think he was setting ok times though, fastest lap quicker than that of the winner and it was only the 4th race for his team, having not seen the race i can`t really say but i did read had it not been for a late race yellow the Tuttle boys could have finished a bit higher still, can you guys clear this up for me, thanks.

[Danske]

Looking over the timing from the race I didn't see that the last FCY affected Cochet's finishing position. The #67 passed him after, but it was gaining on him before and wasn't that far back. Maybe the #67 wouldn't have both closed the gap and made the pass without the FCY, but I think it would have been close.

There's a gallery of the shamozzle with Milka Duno in the #2 Crawford here: http://www.racingfanatics.com/MOGARR...ingredient.htm . The photos may not capture how blind that crest at the turn was, however.

[cds_uk]

I read on Cochet`s web site that he was fueled to the finish and they thought some of the runners ahead of him were not, the team was of the opinion it may have picked up a couple of places when the others came in, as i said, having not seen the race i can`t really comment one way or the other.

[cds_uk]

This may seem a silly question but was there a reason for Tuttle qualifying the car, was he ever going to Q it higher than the late teens therefore leaving a lot of work to do, surely better to let the quicker driver get it probably into the top 10 or am i missing something here.

[Danske]

I had considered that some of the cars ahead might have needed to pit, but then I accidentally closed the window and didn't want to retype it all. It was only three laps under yellow for that last one, so it wasn't a humongous fuel savings. Let's see if I can figure out who pitted on the next-to-last yeller. Looks like the #4, #01, #10, #19, #66, #8, and #77 all pitted then; that's all the cars but one that finished ahead of the #7. The #67 pitted later in the lead under green, came out on the lead lap without making a driver change, and was making ground on the race leader till the end. Also looks like the #7 pitted twice under that penultimate yeller, presumably to top-up the tank at the last moment as it was a lengthy caution period (I think that's the one where the tow cables weren't long enough to reach the cars from the trucks and the tractor got stuck in the gravel ). Some of the other cars fuelled earlier in that period, so that may be why the #7 team thought they shouldn't have made the distance. Eh, it's possible. Without an admission from those teams on how close they were to running out of gas it's hard to tell, and everyone lies like rugs when they might be quoted anyway.

The #99 GAINSCO car tried the fast/slow/fast driver strategy and it really came back to bite them. Basically what happened is that the last yellow came too late for a driver change to do them any good. If they could have gotten Gurney back in the car with an hour to go instead of ten minutes that strategy could have worked out like gangbusters. While it was great for them to take the pole and lead the race early, they ended up finishing 11th, although the power-steering failure also played a part in that. Sometimes you get lucky; sometimes you don't.