POC does Cal Speedway Infield!

[Gburner]

Sandy what day did you go to SOW with PCA and how much track time did you get with them?
How's that compare to POC?

[SandyI]

I ran both days and it was AWESOME! About half as many cars as a normal POC event at Streets -- 50ish. Three runs groups per day. Saturday was (6) 25 minute run sessions. A normal POC event at Streets is (5) 20 minute run group because there are (5) run groups. Sunday was (4) 25 minute sessions plus the traditional 2 solo Time Trial laps. POC uses this format for their Time Trial series at the big track but for the POC Short Track event at Streets, it's basically your fastest lap of the day, class wins are handed-out for both Sat. and Sun.

Everyone was well-behaved but aggressive. A great combo that I think pushed everyone to their best driving. I tied my personal best, 1:35.5. Slow cars pointing by the faster ones (which was me for sure). Point-by passing could be done on either side of the slow car which was fun because you drove off the race line to make the pass then returned to it before the braking zone. Jack did a great job of walking the track and putting out cones in the messed-up curb areas. One driver cracked a relatively new wheel ALL THE WAY THROUGH because he found one of the curbs with no dirt on the back side. Ouch. Anyways, a great time was had by all, especially me. I will definitely try to make their next event in the summer.

[Gburner]

Sandy glad you enjoyed the PCA, I hope to do a couple TT events with them this year.

Weather looks good for the weekend, I'm signed up for both days.
Sounds like a busy weekend at the track, the Super Chevy show/drags will be held in the parking lot.
Petty school flying around the oval all weekend.
Saturday Speed Ventures http://www.speedventures.com/3-24-2007_event.asp will have a seperate session on the infield.
Sunday they will be replaced by a bunch of Mopar owners?

I was informed the infield will be open Friday from 5pm (maybe sooner) to 8pm for those that like to get an early start setting up pit.
This weekend I'll bring extra chairs for those that travel light, please do grab a chair under the trailer awning.
I have heard no camping, anyone hear different?

Anyone else showing up Friday?

[SandyI]

I'll be arriving some time (probably only seconds) before the drivers meeting begins on Saturday. I'll look for you there.

[Chuck Miller]

Well, we survived another track day...

Actually it was a lot of fun at the POC's first 'Short Track Series' at the California Speedway's infield...

The track was flat, FAST, and challenging... I was hitting about 7000 in 4th on the front straight ... probably around 115 ... or about 10 mph faster then coming down the hill on the 'Streets' going counter clockwise.

I was pitted with Chris Tallon and this time he was in the same 'orange' run group as me so we went out together for all 4 sessions... Our times were incredibly close all day... sometimes down to the hundredths... Chris was really working it, and after being so close, by the end of the day, Chris's best bettered mine by an impressive almost 5 full tenths....... GREAT driving buddy...

We also hung with Sandy I. and Mike G. ... Mike was in the 'Fast time of the Day' territory turning 1:12's to our 1:20's... Mike also supplied the beers at the end of the day ..... cheers Mike...

Our own ESSES editer, John Dilger (even with a bad cold) was super fast turning a 1:19 in his beautiful Early 911S... fantastic !!!

Sean Patrick was out with his beautiful viper green RS clone with a SuperTech 3.2-short stroke/twin plug/MFI motor, running 7's and 8's x 15's with Hosier 225x50 on front and 245x50... to me it's the PERFECT look for a flared car... Sean was fly'n, turning in the 1:16's ........

My new Toyo RA-1's worked just fine... in fact I think I'll just keep'm on the street for a while...

The engine temps were up, the tires got slippery, and some caution cones got run over... but all and all it was another good safe day of driving your early car to the track ... running it hard ... and driving it home...

In the pits...
Sean's car...
All cleaned up...
Da-boys:
- Maybe I was standing in a hole
- Lars, who didn't race but came out to cheer
- Mike G.... with the beers
- Chris T. ... w/trophy from last event

Cheers,

[Chris Tallon]

Thanks for posting the great write up and of course the pictorial journal Chuck. It was an excellent day for driving, and for hanging with the boys. This first STS at California Speedway by most accounts was a huge success. All the comments, and all the "post race weekends" write ups are very positive. This course definately pushed the cars to their mechanical limits. I was on the limiter in 2nd and 3rd all day long, and the car temps were higher than I've seen them. Brakes, clutch etc. etc. all worked HARD!!! A very fast course. Where we average 60 MPH lap averages at the streets of Willow, here we were averageing 80 MPH averages....quite a difference. It really was a blast!!!!

It took me several run sessions to understand the track and as usual, I was learning all I could from Chuck. I followed him most of the day and picked up many valuable pointers as I watched his line. Johnny D was rippin it up in his Black S with a fast time of 1:19 flat....YIKES!!! Great driving John...and of course Mike G in his well sorted 69 that tore away with quick times in the very low 1:12's and 1:13's....Most excellent.

Looking forward to the next two days, June 2 and 3 at SOW for STS 4 & 5, and of course our April 17th track day also at the SOW with the R Gruppe. See you all at the track.....

Chris

[Gburner]

Fun weekend!
Good visiting with you guys.
Chris way to make Chuck work his suspension, look out Chuck's gonna tweek the suspension another click!
We stayed so busy on the track the only thing missing was more beer/wine and bench racing.
John Dilger and I did close the hotel bar both nights.
We had fun discussing RIR.
The R Gruppe guys were having a blast at the track.
I'm looking forward to the next infield event.
At SOW I hope you guys jump in for rides, I really have no reason to run solo.
I'll have the in car chatterbox system on so we can bs.
See you at SOW.