April 2004 - Formula TR 2000 race - Buttonwillow CA

Buttonwillow Formula TR Race

April 2,3,4 - 2004

This weekend the Buttonwillow track used the full length configuration but unlike when we were here last year, this time it was run in the clockwise direction.

We had done some testing a few weeks before on the East loop and that uses some of the full track.

Friday was practice and we got 5 sessions working on figuring out the new Yokohama tires. 

A new tire can really change the set up and handling of a race car.  By the end of the day we had started to get it figured out.  The tire has more grip than the tire we used last year and produces faster lap times. 

It was nice to see another 2L car show up this weekend so it would be more than a test weekend for Colin.  Bret Mac Donald was in the CT Motorsports car that Tim Barber drove last year.  Bret was a veteran of the Barber Dodge series and had done some testing in the CT Formula TR.

Qualifying on Saturday went well and Colin was on pole position.

Colin got the jump on the start and never looked back taking the win by 1:21 over Bret.

We were happy that the car was quick the whole race.  Colin's best lap in the race only .2 seconds off his qualifying time.

During the day Colin was looking for a ride in the NASA 3 hour enduro race that night.  He was given a chance to drive a Mazda RX7 to see if he wanted to race it.

Here Colin is about ready to take it out for a drive.  Having never driven a sedan, or a car with an H pattern shift (the formula cars are all straight shift), or for that matter a car that required using the clutch to down and up shift, it was a big learning curve.

He only got 2 laps and decided that it would be better to take a pass for the race.  This car had a very long throw on the shifter and some problems with the steering shaft moving around in his hands.

So it was a great experience but it was better to skip the race..............

Well not quite. 

With 1 hour before the start of the enduro, John Siau owner of CT Motorsports came to Colin and asked if he wanted to drive his New Mini in the race.

Colin jumped at the chance to drive the Mini.  Steve Henry, president of Formula TR thought it would be great to get Ace Cario and Adrien Herberts to join Colin making it 2) 15 year olds and a 14 year old in the car.

As Mark from CT, John, and many others pitched in to get the car ready (mount lights, radio, etc.), Danny from Speed Secrets gave the drivers a lesson in how to shift a H pattern car and use a clutch on shifting. 

All the drivers have driven shifter karts and Formula TR cars only and these are sequential shift cars that you don't clutch to shift.

Danny was still coaching Ace on the pace lap as he practiced his shifting.  After 30 min, Adrien got in and 20 min later was stuck on track with no drive to the rear wheels. 

This picture shows Colin about to get in as the problem was found.  Turns out the clutch plates were worn thin before the start and the clutch gave up.  Colin never got to drive......welcome to endurance racing!

The next day the drivers presented John and Steve with clutch disks they had signed as a way of saying thanks for allowing them to have a chance.  (See picture here)

John was fired up and plans are being made to run the 3 drivers in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill in December.

All 3 drivers plan to get some H pattern practice and if things go well they may enter some 3 hour races together this year.

On Sunday Colin again took pole and won the race with fast time.  We decided to continue to run the same tires we practiced on Friday and raced on Saturday.

This gave us a chance to work on the set up and see how the tires "went off".

Colin was able to run within .4 seconds of his fastest lap in the Sunday race.  The car was loosing grip but not bad, showing that we had found a set up that was working well for the tires.

It was great to have George Latus racing with the team this weekend in the 1600 class.  George has supported Colin for the past 2 years and this year is a big part of our program.

In addition Colin signed a deal to represent Gatorz Eyewear.  Look for him to appear with people like Sam Hornish in print ads in Racer and other publications soon.

The next race is in early May in Thunderhill CA.

Travis has been working hard with Formula TR to do the race reporting and help with the web site.

Here he interviews Derek Sabol after Sunday's race.  Travis will have his reports in Formula Car, and many web sites.

Steve and Patty of Formula TR have said that this is a development series and they want to develop not just drivers, but mechanics and reporters.

Travis works harder than any of us.  He reports, takes pictures, interviews, does data, takes care of the fuel, writes all the changes and comments, and is in change of all the tires.

I may have to pay him at some stage!