Finally, the time for Race 3 arrived, and it could not have happened soon enough, as I’ve been itching to get back on the car after more than a month. Thankfully, Alex was well enough to be at the track, and with the help of his wife Sonia and the AGR staff, we were more than ready to take on the challenge. And did we ever!
Alex was able to get the SRF wheel bearing fixed, which mean I had a car that would be 100% ready. I would also be able to count on some moral support from my parents, who had come up from New Jersey that week to visit. There was rain in the forecast, so we were constantly watching the weather for any changes that would require choosing a different tire, technique or strategy. I was especially concerned, as I had not been feeling 100% during the last few days. It was battling the onset of a cold, and hoping we wouldn’t see some damp weather that would not only affect our driving, but also my own health!
Thankfully the rain stayed out for qualifying, and conditions were more or less normal. The handicap I would have on this day would be a change in brake pad compound, which required a change in braking technique. The new pads were very different from what I had been using, so there was a bit of a challenge for qualifying, right there.
It turns out I didn’t need to worry, as I was able to quickly adapt my braking to suit the compound, picking up right where I left off, and grabbing pole position handily without any issues. This P1 was meaningful for me, because my closest competitor was sporting new tires, which he hadn’t used in Race 2 because I was not competing. Since my own tires were several heat cycles old, it seemed I’d have a tire disadvantage going in – but once again, I was pleased that I was able to also adapt to this variable and come out on top in qualifying.
We took the opportunity between qualy and the Saturday race to bleed the brakes on the SRF in order to try and improve brake performance with this new compound, especially the initial “bite.” Hard work, yes, but it is important to be absolutely comfortable – and confident – with every aspect of the car. As with the car, my fluids situation had to be carefully looked at, and I made sure to keep battling this cold by making sure to drink plenty of water and resting here and there, when and where I could.
My Saturday race was even more dominant than my Race 2 performance. Starting from pole, I stayed ahead on turn 1 and never looked back. P2, with the new rubber, presented a challenged during the first couple of laps, but I was able to keep ahead and then work on establishing a gap.
The car felt fantastic, and I was acclimating to the brakes more and more with each lap. After I had enough of a gap, I proceeded to manage the car and try to control the race from the front, easing up for a few laps and looking after the car, only pushing periodically to ensure I maintained a strong lead. It was also a satisfying victory, as it was a matter of keeping a high-level of concentration throughout, and letting the car stretch out and run without making mistakes. I may have had a very large lead on P2, but he still had a tire advantage, knew what he was doing, and a mistake on my part could’ve changed the outcome dramatically.
Sunday greeted us with great weather and the chance to continue to build upon the momentum of the previous us. The first race went pretty much like the Saturday race, once again starting from pole and winning by another large margin of about 7 seconds or so, scoring fastest lap in the process. I was clearly pleased with the car and with my own performance, and I could not be more pleased with the results. I wish I could say that the second race on Sunday went without a hitch, but it did end up having some very costly consequences for me.
With another hefty lead and a secured victory, I accidentally seemed to over-rev the engine upon a downshift. This did not seem to have any immediate consequence and I went on to keep the lead, win the race and get even closer to the lap record. Nothing seemed wrong, but later on, upon inspection, and oil leak was found. Since the SRF engines are sealed, per the regulations – and no telemetry was available – we cannot determine if the over-revving episode directly caused this, but it was almost certain that it was a contributing factor.
This certainly “throws a wrench,” so to speak, into my season, as it means that I have to miss Race 4 due to the engine being swapped and also the impact those repair costs would make on my budget. We simply do not have the budget to do Race 4, and we may be faced with the unusual situation of having simply dominated every race I’ve been in, and still lose this SRF club championship for having missed two race weekends.
Still, I have the realization that I’ve basically dominated SRF here, which means I am in need of seeking greater competition. You need to be challenged in order to grow – as a driver, and as anything. Obviously, what I do is controlled with what I can afford, and what alternatives and opportunities are there for me. One thing is for certain, I will continue to look forward to Race 5 and 6, and hopefully the momentum will continue. Thanks for reading!
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