4-3-2005 - Fontana Grand Am report

FONTANA GRAND AM

4-1-2005 to 4-3-2005

Colin and Brad  were back in The Racers Group Porsche for the Fontana round of the Grand Am GT season.  The race was not smooth sailing with pit stop problems and some bad luck keeping the team one lap down most of the race.  In the end 13th place was all they could achieve.  That would normally be a let down, but from a personal satisfaction viewpoint Colin was pleased.

Practice on Thursday was canceled due to high winds that prevented the emergency helicopter from being useable.  Friday started with frustration as the car was very difficult to drive.  After many changes and Brad and Colin not getting a handle on the problem it was found that the set up was way off.  The team spent time on the set up pad and corrected the problems.

Saturday the car was much improved.  The problem was that all the other teams had a one day head start.  Working fast, Colin was able to dial in the car closer.  Brad was happy with the set up and qualified the car 6th in the 24 car field.

Brad started the car and was able to move to 4th.  The team took advantage of a early yellow and changed tires.  During this pit stop problems with the rear tire change put the car a lap down.  Just after 1/2 way, Colin got in the car and the team tried to make it to the end on fuel.  It was very tight and Colin was asked to conserve as much fuel as possible.  He did a great job and it looked like all the other GT cars would have to stop and Colin would not, giving him his lap back.

The yellow came out at the right time and Colin was all set to get the wave by when the lead DP car pitted.  Well he did not pit and Colin was stuck behind the DP leader.  This allowed all the other GT cars to pit and resume in the same spot they were in.  On the restart the lead DP car pitted 2 laps later under green! (big mistake by them).

Now Colin had enough fuel to make it to the end and he drove out the laps one lap down for a 13th place result.

In the end it was a good weekend for Team 16 and Colin impressed many people at the track.  It was hard to know the car was better and the team was better than many who finished ahead, but a bad break in the pits is always part of racing.