SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge Race #10 October 9-11 2009
Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey CA
Kip Olson and Shad Huntley, aka the Driving Ambition Acura NSX race team will be taking on 20 other SCCA Pro racers tomorrow at the 10th and final World Challenge (WC) contest of the 2009 season.
The most remarkable fact about this newbie team is that the D.A.’s recent Super Production Qualifying track record is quicker than the WC race track record that has stood for 3 years. Well, not to get too excited since SP runs on slicks and WC runs on Toyo R888’s. Kip and Shad figure that tire handicap is worth about 1.5 seconds based on recent tests they snuck in at Laguna during the last ITE race. Soooooooooo, even though D.A. will be up against quintessential pro drivers like Andy Pilgrim, Randy Pobst and Boris Said, they should be competitive; competitive enough that it’s not a stretch to say that it’s too bad the Rookie of the Year title has already been decided.
Earlier in the week, Kip was predictably relaxed saying he felt no particular pressure and was setting the bar fairly low. Long time observers of KO know that he won’t tell you what he’s really thinking; his wife and Shad probably don’t even know. “I just want to finish and not embarrass myself.” Typical KO. Odds are pretty good, though, that some eyebrows will be raised this coming weekend.
Shad, also non-plussed, was rushing around busy as a bee. When asked, “What’s on your To-Do list ? Got any new whizzy bits to install?” Shad yawned, “Naw, it is what it is. The only big deal is we have to run a single plane wing instead of the old cheese slicer dual plane. Got it from a good source though; it should be an improvement. Then there’s these dad-blamed stickers. You ever seen so many stickers? I have no idea what half of them mean.” (Being an engineer, I began to wonder/calculate how much weight and drag the stickers would add. Being a mechanic, Shad just followed the detailed bureaucratic directions on where and how to put them on.) Figuring the bureaucrats would worry more about stickers, he didn’t change out the tucked in racing mirrors for those “all important” stock side mirrors, like the rules say. He didn’t discuss it with the Kipster since he didn’t think the 49 would be scrutinized in impound while Kip was standing on the podium. For a mechanic like Shad to make assumptions like that, that’s “living on the edge.”
Practice on Friday was safe and predictable. In the first practice session early in the day, the D.A. car was 13th quick with a time of 1.32.216 compared to James Sofronas in a 99 GT3 doing 1.29.660. OK, good enough for first time out, especially with the full Touring Cars on track at the same time. One might wonder what PD
Cunningham thought when Kip’s 49 passed his Touring Car TSX. :tongue:
In the 2nd session, late in the day with the sun going down, the #49 Sweet Pea picked up 2 tenths for a best of 1.32.044, which was only good enough for 16th. This, compared to a 1.29.309 set by Randy Pobst in the K-Pax Volvo
And KO was OK with that. Early Saturday, he beamed; “I’m having a boatload of fun. These guys are so hardcore, all I can say is WOW, this is another world. But hey, the car is good and we’ve got no major work to do before qualifying later this morning. And the best news is that Shad’s dialed back the boost to a measly 6 lbs. If he gives me more, up to 13.5 lbs, I’ll be making good headway, and picking up at least a second. Shad is just amazed at the quality and sophistication of these front running cars. They’re almost Trans-Am cars more than the production cars they’re supposed to be.”
Qualifying. Late Saturday morning with a cool 52F air temp and the sun just peeking out of the Pacific marine layer, all 21 GT cars rolled out for a 20 minute Q session. Kip flogs Sweet Pea right out of the gate and clocks a flying 1.30.211 on Lap 2. “Damn, just like the big dogs!!!” Only Randy Pobst in the top 8, took 8 laps to get up to speed. On lap 4, Sweet Pea starts to smoke and KO immediately backs off and pulls in. “Geez, I was just getting started !!” But as the checkers came out, you’re not going to believe this, the D.A. time was good for 7th …………………… 7th??? And right behind Randy Pobst and 3 spots ahead of the likes of Andy Pilgrim? Get out !!!! See it for yourself. Check it out; the 18 year old NSX run by that shoe-string team out of …………where? Gold River?..........is in the top 1/3 of the field!!! And Kip is only 6 tenths behind the quickest time of Boris Said. That’s about 100 feet difference in one lap. And in a grid of some serious mega-buck teams and pro drivers, where 1 second covers the top 12 starters.
Man, who would’ve predicted this amazing debut?
You can bet there’s some whispering up and down pit road; “Who are those guys?” 
More than a few eyebrows were raised today, you can be certain. But probably not those crusty old SCCA corner workers who have been watching the D.A. team smoke the field all season. :wink: Ha!! They’re loving it.
If you want to see NSX history made once again, get on down to Laguna for the tomorrow’s 2:45 PM race.
Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey CA
Kip Olson and Shad Huntley, aka the Driving Ambition Acura NSX race team will be taking on 20 other SCCA Pro racers tomorrow at the 10th and final World Challenge (WC) contest of the 2009 season.
The most remarkable fact about this newbie team is that the D.A.’s recent Super Production Qualifying track record is quicker than the WC race track record that has stood for 3 years. Well, not to get too excited since SP runs on slicks and WC runs on Toyo R888’s. Kip and Shad figure that tire handicap is worth about 1.5 seconds based on recent tests they snuck in at Laguna during the last ITE race. Soooooooooo, even though D.A. will be up against quintessential pro drivers like Andy Pilgrim, Randy Pobst and Boris Said, they should be competitive; competitive enough that it’s not a stretch to say that it’s too bad the Rookie of the Year title has already been decided.
Earlier in the week, Kip was predictably relaxed saying he felt no particular pressure and was setting the bar fairly low. Long time observers of KO know that he won’t tell you what he’s really thinking; his wife and Shad probably don’t even know. “I just want to finish and not embarrass myself.” Typical KO. Odds are pretty good, though, that some eyebrows will be raised this coming weekend.
Shad, also non-plussed, was rushing around busy as a bee. When asked, “What’s on your To-Do list ? Got any new whizzy bits to install?” Shad yawned, “Naw, it is what it is. The only big deal is we have to run a single plane wing instead of the old cheese slicer dual plane. Got it from a good source though; it should be an improvement. Then there’s these dad-blamed stickers. You ever seen so many stickers? I have no idea what half of them mean.” (Being an engineer, I began to wonder/calculate how much weight and drag the stickers would add. Being a mechanic, Shad just followed the detailed bureaucratic directions on where and how to put them on.) Figuring the bureaucrats would worry more about stickers, he didn’t change out the tucked in racing mirrors for those “all important” stock side mirrors, like the rules say. He didn’t discuss it with the Kipster since he didn’t think the 49 would be scrutinized in impound while Kip was standing on the podium. For a mechanic like Shad to make assumptions like that, that’s “living on the edge.”
Practice on Friday was safe and predictable. In the first practice session early in the day, the D.A. car was 13th quick with a time of 1.32.216 compared to James Sofronas in a 99 GT3 doing 1.29.660. OK, good enough for first time out, especially with the full Touring Cars on track at the same time. One might wonder what PD
Cunningham thought when Kip’s 49 passed his Touring Car TSX. :tongue:In the 2nd session, late in the day with the sun going down, the #49 Sweet Pea picked up 2 tenths for a best of 1.32.044, which was only good enough for 16th. This, compared to a 1.29.309 set by Randy Pobst in the K-Pax Volvo
And KO was OK with that. Early Saturday, he beamed; “I’m having a boatload of fun. These guys are so hardcore, all I can say is WOW, this is another world. But hey, the car is good and we’ve got no major work to do before qualifying later this morning. And the best news is that Shad’s dialed back the boost to a measly 6 lbs. If he gives me more, up to 13.5 lbs, I’ll be making good headway, and picking up at least a second. Shad is just amazed at the quality and sophistication of these front running cars. They’re almost Trans-Am cars more than the production cars they’re supposed to be.”
Qualifying. Late Saturday morning with a cool 52F air temp and the sun just peeking out of the Pacific marine layer, all 21 GT cars rolled out for a 20 minute Q session. Kip flogs Sweet Pea right out of the gate and clocks a flying 1.30.211 on Lap 2. “Damn, just like the big dogs!!!” Only Randy Pobst in the top 8, took 8 laps to get up to speed. On lap 4, Sweet Pea starts to smoke and KO immediately backs off and pulls in. “Geez, I was just getting started !!” But as the checkers came out, you’re not going to believe this, the D.A. time was good for 7th …………………… 7th??? And right behind Randy Pobst and 3 spots ahead of the likes of Andy Pilgrim? Get out !!!! See it for yourself. Check it out; the 18 year old NSX run by that shoe-string team out of …………where? Gold River?..........is in the top 1/3 of the field!!! And Kip is only 6 tenths behind the quickest time of Boris Said. That’s about 100 feet difference in one lap. And in a grid of some serious mega-buck teams and pro drivers, where 1 second covers the top 12 starters.
Man, who would’ve predicted this amazing debut?
You can bet there’s some whispering up and down pit road; “Who are those guys?” More than a few eyebrows were raised today, you can be certain. But probably not those crusty old SCCA corner workers who have been watching the D.A. team smoke the field all season. :wink: Ha!! They’re loving it. If you want to see NSX history made once again, get on down to Laguna for the tomorrow’s 2:45 PM race.
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