The 2025 Racer on Rails SCCA racing program kicked off in California at The Circuit, the newly built racecourse at Buttonwillow Raceway Park. This was a weekend of firsts—not just for us, but for the entire everyone, as we took part in the first-ever sanctioned race on the new track!
Everything about The Circuit was new; new track, new tire brand for both slick and wet setups, new coaching program, new competitors, and new adventures. Our drivers and crew had plenty to learn, and we approached the weekend with specific goals and a detailed game plan for each driver. With two days of testing, racing, and strategy calls, the team made incredible strides, achieving personal bests, podiums, and a 1-2 finish in Race 2 on Sunday.
Meet the team
Ron and Reid in impound, post-session
Ron Tanemura & Car Chief Reid Morris
#63 SE46 BMW 330i | SCCA Class – Touring 3 (T3)
2024 ICSCC SPM Class Champion 🏆
First-ever SCCA U.S. Majors Tour event
Entering Racer on Rails’ SCCA Competition Program
Ron has been racing with Racer on Rails in the Pacific Northwest for a few years, but this was his first-ever SCCA Majors Tour raceand his fist season working full time with Reid. After earning the 2024 ICSCC SPM Class Championship, he stepped up to challenge himself further in national competition. This weekend was a big new challenge —a brand-new track, new competitors, and a stomach bug. But Ron came ready to party, and nothing was stopping him.
Rene getting Dave strapped in for race 1.
David Orem & Car Chief Rene Perez
#6 BMW Z4 M Coupé | SCCA Class – Touring 3 (T3)
Touring 3 podium finisher
Has mastered Heel-Toe Shifting during the off-season
Goal-Oriented approach
Dave returns to our SCCA program looking toreach the sharp end of the T3 field. With a fresh rebuild on his Z4 M Coupé including a stunning new vinyl wrap, Dave arrives fit, focused and determined. The pairing showed steady progression all weekend, culminating in a checked bag fee on the flight home for a bag containing new hardware.
Simon’s sweet Porsche GT3 Cup Car in post race impound
Simon Asselin & Car Chief Jordan Allen (“The Doctor”)
#81 Porsche Motorsport 991.2 GT3 Cup | SCCA Class – GT2
2023 SCCA Touring 3 Points Champion
Racing in one of the most competitive SCCA grids, GT2
Third-fastest GT2 lap time of the weekend
Simon and Jordan have been working together for multiple seasons, and after a strong debut year in GT2 last season, they returned to challenge for the podium in 2025. This series offers the challenge of multi-class race groups including a large Spec Corvette field, Simon’s consistency and pace kept him at the front of the GT2 field, all while navigating the pack of slower class cars.
Friday Test Day – Cold Starts and First Impressions
We arrived at The Circuit before sunrise on Friday, greeted by well-below-freezing temperatures and frost covering everything—cars, buildings, and the track. Luckily, the team had already set up the night before, allowing us to jump straight into unloading and prepping for the 9:00–9:30 AM test session.
By the time the first cars hit the track, the frost had lifted, and the sun was breaking through. This was the first real-world drive for any of our drivers on the new layout, making it a crucial day of adaptation.
Driver Progress:
Simon Asselin: Locked in the 1:45 range, pushing near the expected top pace.
Dave Orem: Improved into the 2:06 range, showing steady progress.
Ron Tanemura: Battling fatigue, made strides before sitting out the final session to recover.
With simulator prep translating well to reality, we ended the day confident in the team’s progress heading into Saturday.
Saturday – Practice, Qualifying & Race 1
Saturday morning started with feedback sheets from Tyler Campbell, analyzing Friday’s data to pinpoint one or two focus areas for each driver. The goal: apply the learnings immediately in the morning practice and first qualifying session.
Ron had an early spin during morning practice, leading to the discovery of a failing battery. Missing part of practice, he rebounded well in qualifying. Dave executed perfectly, shaving seconds off his previous best lap.
Simon struggled with traffic in qualifying but still secures a start from row 2.
Saturday Qualifying Results:
Touring 3: Dave P2, Ron P5
GT2: Simon P3
Saturday Race 1 – Making History
T3 Race 1:
The first-ever sanctioned race on The Circuit was a split start, with Spec MX-5 Cup cars leading and Touring 3 cars behind. The race brings improving track conditions and with the help of lots of data and video analysis, defined goals and executing on our action plans, Dave charges to a 2nd place finish, while Ron continues to improve despite still recovering from food poisoning, finishing the race in 4th.
GT2 Race 1:
Better track conditions and cool air set the stage for Race 1 in GT2. Simon has some great racing of his own, as he trades positions with a few GT2 cars before finishing the race in 4th place.
Sunday – Morning Qualifying, Wet Track, Big Decisions
Early morning rain rolls in leaving us with a damp but drying track. Our turn is up for T3 qualifying and mixed conditions still exist. We are forced to make a strategy call on tires, so we go to Jordo at our Weather Desk. The decision is slicks, and it pays off as the track conditions improve and we begin finding speed in quali #2.
Sunday Qualifying Results:
Touring 3: Dave P2, Ron P3
GT2: Simon P3
Touring 3, Race 2 – The 1-2 punch!
The race begins with a 6-car battle into the first corner making for an exciting start. Dave sets the pace in class, while Ron, after fending off some light contact from another competitor, sticks to the the Z4M’s bumper and RoR takes a 1-2 finish in Race 2 for Touring 3. BOOM!
GT2 Race 2:
Simon has a solid start and runs in P3, involved in a 3-car battle for most of the race. After a restart from a full course caution, several cars experience wheelspin, resulting in a loss of 2 spots. Despite the setback, he fights his way back up, improving his personal best lap time by nearly three seconds (1:44.5) and finishes in P4.
Wondering what it’s like on the new circuit? Check out a fast lap in Simon’s Porsche 911 GT3 991.2 Cup Car
Final Thoughts – Goals, Smiles, Memories
As we packed up, we reflected on an incredible opening weekend. The new track, unpredictable conditions, and intense racing made for an unforgettable event.
Dave & Ron delivered a 1-2 finish in Touring 3.
Simon clocked the third-fastest GT2 lap of the weekend.
Stop #3 in the 2024 Hoosier Super Tour took us back to legendary Road Atlanta, our 3rd year in a row and crossing our fingers for at least not a mega thunderstorm, snow, or freezing temps? It didn’t pan out like that at all but one could dream, right???
Coming into the weekend, we had Ann Doherty going for her second race in her new-to-her Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car (991.2), Dave Orem in his BMW Z4M, Gama Aguilar in his Nissan 370Z and making his 2024 debut, Thad Berger in his Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR competing in Touring 1.
Road Atlanta: A Track Like No Other
Road Atlanta is a bucket-list track for racers worldwide. Nestled in the rolling hills of Braselton, Georgia, it’s known for its high-speed back straight away, technical corners, and dramatic elevation changes. The track demands respect and skill, as drivers navigate iconic sections like the Esses and the infamous Turn 12, a downhill blind corner that tests both bravery and car setup.
The track’s layout, with a mix of medium and high-speed corners, challenges a car’s balance and requires a careful blend of mechanical grip, aerodynamic efficiency (where applicable), and driver finesse. Long straights demand top-end power, while technical sectors, like Turns 3 through 5, test the setup and throttle control. Adding to the challenge, elevation changes require cars to manage weight transfer effectively, which puts additional emphasis on precise braking and cornering. This is a fun track, a scary track, and it requires drivers be on top of their game to get the most out of themselves and the car, with high consequences on the outside of most corners due to limited runoff.
The Wild Card: Mixed Weather Conditions
The weekend at Road Atlanta was a perfect example of how unpredictable weather can add another layer of complexity to motorsport. Cold mornings, sudden rain showers, drying lines, and gusty winds all made an appearance, pushing both cars and drivers to their limits.
From a car’s perspective, fluctuating weather conditions impact nearly every system:
Tires: Tire pressures and compounds become critical as track temperatures rise or plummet. Wet or intermediate tires need careful management to avoid overheating on a drying line, while slicks can struggle to find grip on damp patches.
Braking: Wet weather reduces braking efficiency and increases the likelihood of lock-ups, especially in high-speed zones like the run into Turn 10A and 10B.
Aerodynamics: Strong winds can affect a car’s stability, especially in high-speed sections like the back straight. This requires drivers to stay vigilant and adjust their steering inputs accordingly.
Traction and Balance: Mixed grip levels from a drying track demand precise throttle and steering inputs, as any abrupt movements can unsettle the car and lead to costly mistakes.
For drivers, preparation is key to handling these challenges. We as a team are glued to various weather services and adjust the approach based on the session’s conditions.
In wet conditions, smoothness is paramount—gentle braking, progressive throttle application, and careful steering are all necessary to maintain control. When the track begins to dry, drivers need to identify and exploit the developing racing line, where grip is highest, without overworking the tires (like we did last year, going on wet tires for what ended up being a mostly dry race).
Ann’s Focus: Learning and Feeling the Car
The goal for race 1 in her new car was simply to operate the car and start to acquaint herself with how the car drove; results were a non-variable. As we covered in the last race report for NOLA – mission accomplished! The biggest take-away Ann had from the first weekend was, this thing is a BEAST and without the driver aids of her former car (Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport) her inputs had to be that much more precise, especially on brake release and throttle application.
Ann Doherty cutting up through the Esses at Road Atlanta
At Road Atlanta, we moved to a second phase of learning the car. She knows how to operate the car and where all the switches and buttons are located, now it was time to start focusing on how the car truly feels. Specifically, how the car communicates weight transfer from side to side (how do we know when the car takes a set?), the balance of the car rear to front when hitting the brakes and most importantly, getting on that throttle.
Throttle application is critical for every corner but especially at Road Atlanta which is dominated by medium to high-speed corners (the slowest corners have a target min speed of 48-50 mph!) and multiple corners with a target min-speed of >70mph, how she applies throttle, even with some of those exits going into a hill-side, would be critical.
By focusing on her inputs throughout the test day, Ann got herself into a competitive window in the first qualifying session on Friday mid-day with a 1:28.743 and P6 out of 14 in GT2 – great start and knowing there was more potential waiting to be unlocked.
Saturday AM was supposed to be a second qualifying session but with a MAJOR storm rolling through Friday overnight, the track was fully wet and zero chance of anyone going faster than the day prior. Ann and most competitors took the session off to focus on the race which would end up taking place on a mostly dry and green track. Ann had a great start to the race, losing one out-of-class position on lap 1 and holding her own through the first FCY of the race. With the cars packed back up for the restart, she lost positions trying to avoid contact and started picking her way through the field and battling an out-of-class Porsche GT3 Cup Car (running in GT1).
Multiple FCY’s ended up stopping competitors from getting into a flow and after another re-start, she got on throttle just a bit too aggressively and ended up having the rear end of the car come around on her. It also didn’t help that there was clay mud all over the exit curbs from the weather throughout the weekend.
Ann gathered herself up, got back on the track and finished in 9th place. Lots more learned and Ann is ready to keep figuring out her Cup Car at VIR!
Dave’s Focus: Better Feel for the BMW Z4M
This would be Dave’s second race weekend in his Touring 3 2023 SCCA National Championship winning car. Dave started cutting his teeth on the Z4M at Sebring but mixed weather conditions and adjusting to car that is not as heavily prepared as a Spec E46 on the drivetrain front, meant that Dave would need to focus hard on those heel-toe downshifts to maintain the car balance as he entered corners.
Dave Orem climbing the hill at the Road Atlanta Esses
Dave put his head down and started chipping away at the lap time qualifying P12 but unfortunately the ear on the rear diff cover had enough. The ear failed which started causing harsh clunking/vibrations and while we were able to locate another diff cover, it wouldn’t arrive on time for Dave to make the race.
Big Bummer for Dave but on the bright side and as preview for a future post, this was the straw that broke the camels back. Dave left the paddock determined to learn to heel-toe downshift and leave these issues behind.
Stay tuned for the lengths and efforts Dave went to become a heel-toe master downshifter!
Thad’s Unfortunate Debut
Due to scheduling conflicts, this was Thad’s first race of the season and after an off-season of sim training and building off an incredible driving experience at the previous year’s June Sprints, Thad was ready to hit the asphalt hard!
On the test day, Thad went out for the first session to just shake the dust off himself and the car. Thad came back with smiles and starting to feel it as his best lap time of the session was already near the front of the mid-pack T1 pace that we expected for the weekend! Let’s go!
Second practice session and towards the end of the session, another car loses control coming down the back straight away collecting Thad and causing significant damage to the passenger side of the car.
Thankfully, all safety systems worked properly and Thad walked away from the incident without injury. The Porsche Cayman GT4 MR will need significant repairs and will likely be the last we see the car for at least the 2024 season.
Gama’s Focus: Touring 3 Maximum Results
Quite the race weekend already, right??? For Gama, the focus was on continuing to develop the car by ensuring that we didn’t see anymore the electrical issues and fine tuning the braking system.
The car felt okay through the test sessions leading up to the qualifying sessions but the brake release continued to not feel great, especially when we got into mixed conditions. This meant that I couldn’t attack really any braking zones so the goal was to get up front and stay up front so that I didn’t have to get into too many out-braking duels.
Welp, that plan didn’t pan out too well. haha! Ended up P2 in the Qualy 1 session and P1 in Qualy 2 session, but combined and overall across both qualifying sessions, I’d start race 1 in P3 overall, behind Simon Foweather (Spec E46 in T3) and a Ford Mustang in T2 (out of class car).
Below is a link to a compilation of what would end up being nearly all our green flag running across both races. Each race had multiple FCY incidents where the net result was a P2 in Race 1 and P3 in Race 2. Race 1 started in wet conditions and eventually got to mixed, so it was a game of traction and requiring full wet tires.
Race 2 was full dry but due to the FCY, we simply didn’t have enough green flag laps for anyone to get into a groove and show any sustainable pace.
Was a bummer to not be standing on the top step when we believed the car had the potential and just needed more green flag laps. But all things considered, it’s still a double podium weekend in very tricky conditions, at a fun but dangerous track, and the car is one piece. #grateful
The second stop in the 2024 SCCA Hoosier Super Tour schedule for the team was NOLA Motorsports Park – a new track for all the drivers and most of the team. Relatively flat, built on a swamp and host of SRO GT Americas race events the past few years, NOLA ended up being a decently technical track and the Louisiana weather initially welcomed us with 70F, sunny and with a breeze weather. But once the test day came, the cold air from up north and a weather system from down south decided to join the party and aside from Sunday, we had low 40F temps, rain, and wind. Why do we even leave the PNW to go racing???
Thoughts on NOLA
Flat, minor (but critical) banking in some corners, no point-n-shoot corners and not a lot of time above 120mph meant that balancing the car in the cornering bits was going to be a premium.
NOLA has 16 corners with 10-11 of them (depending on how you count the corners) are right hand corners and there are two sections of the track where you have consecutive right hand-corners, which makes those left-side tires important. From Turn 4, you are only making right hand turns until Turn 10! Turn 4 is a slower speed corner which requires a good amount of mechanical grip. Turns 5, 6 and 7 are higher speed corners where you are trying really hard to not over-slow for turns 5 and 6 but as you try to carry the speed into those corners, the left rear tire is taking a beating from the slight high-speed yaw action when trying to rotate the car and then accelerating through the corner.
The esses complex is relatively straight forward but carrying speed into Turn 9 (the first ess) is critical and sets up the rhythm through the rest of the complex.
Finally, the left side tires only get a mini-break before needing to turn hard at Turn 13 and then suffer through a long duration compound section of Turns 13-14, which leads onto the main straightaway.
If you’d like a more detailed walkthrough of the track, check out this video that came in super handy from ASM and Tom O’Gorman.
Credit: ASM + TOMO Coaching
Ann’s new baby shark! 991.2 Porsche GT3 Cup Car
As some of you may have read in past posts, Ann has been developing at a rapid pace the past couple of years and driven the wheels off a Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport, mostly in SCCA GT2 and T1 classes. At the end of the 2023 season, with the repairs needed on the car from a failed tire during the runoffs, Ann made the decision to move on from the Cayman and jump into a GT3 Cup Car. So she spent the off-season looking for options and just in time for the NOLA race, we took delivery of her new steed on the Wednesday before the race weekend. Exciting but yikes!
With her car being new to the team and her and limited information of the running state, we set low expectations for the weekend: get the car on track, have it circulate consistently and have Ann start to build confidence in the car. Any specific result was not a consideration at all for the weekend.
Look at the butt on that! Yeah – it must work out. Ann’s new 991.2 Porsche GT3 Cup Car!
Jordan got to work on the car and after completing a full inspection, we were in decent shape! There were a couple of suspension bits to monitor, some to proactively replace but aside from that, it was just work to get the car personalized to Ann’s preferences and get the car out on the track so we could know more confidently, what we had on our hands. The car was ready to test on Friday but straight up gross, wet, and cold conditions, we made the team decision we’d wait until Saturday where there was a window of potential dry weather.
Saturday started off wet but the rain started slowing around 9-10am, just in time for qualifying. Ann went out on wet tires in case it started raining again (it didn’t) for her maiden voyage and by the end of the session, we had a clean bill of health! By the afternoon race, we fitted a set of the used tires the car came with and sent her out to get more laps, see what breaks and build confidence! After race 1, she moved up several positions, finished P6, nothing broke and ended the race with the last 2-3 laps at a decent enough pace where we could actually start looking at performance.
On Sunday, we finally got a break in the weather with the system that ended up delaying the Daytona 500, moving south of us, leaving us with clear skies but COLD winds. Beggars can’t be choosers! Ann continued to take time off her lap times during qualifying and exchanged places to finish P6 out of 13 in her first race! In race 2, Ann picked right back up where she left off, took another 2 seconds off her fastest lap time to finish with 4 laps in the low 1:50’s. All again on 2 year old used tires with unknown number of heat cycles. Safe to say that Ann is loving her new Porsche GT3 Cup Car and is ready to build on this for the next race at Road Atlanta!
One last thing on Ann to put things in perspective. Just a few years ago, she had never been on a race track, let alone raced wheel to wheel. ~3 years in and developing at a very high rate in a Cayman GT4 Clubsport which is mega fast but has a lot of driver aides, she decided to move onto a monster of a platform. She not only jumped in with full confidence to drive, but she truly slayed this beast on her first outings in it. Incredible job, Ann!!!
Ann driving back into the pits from her first on-track session in her new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car!
Dave continues building on his BMW Z4 M Coupe
Dave took his new-to-him BMW Z4 M-Coupe out at Sebring for the first race weekend and made solid progress on the new platform but NOLA brought a whole new set of challenges with the weather and the gearing. The Z4M has won the SCCA Runoffs the last 2 years in a row, in large part due to the M3 based gearing. Nice and tall gears to let it stretch it’s legs out on the long straight aways. NOLA doesn’t have any long straight aways, so we knew going into the weekend that the gearing wouldn’t be optimal for the car but we’d still make the most of it.
Dave took part in all of the test day sessions but as covered previously, the conditions were horrible so they were good for getting a sense of the track from simulator preparations but gave next to no representative data for what ended up being dry the rest of the weekend.
Dave (and Gama) qualified on Saturday AM on wet tires (along with the rest of the field) but it ended up being damp to drying track surface. In race 1 Dave got out to a good start, avoided spinning on the oil left by a T4 car that dropped oil around the final corners leading to the main straight away and finished P6, one spot behind Gama who spun on that oil and had to battle his way back from last place.
On Sunday, Dave worked committing to throttle in one smooth motion during qualifying and dropped another almost 2 seconds from his personal best! In the race, which finally brought some track temperature with the sun appearing, he built on those learnings, took advantage of mistakes from other drivers and came in P5, chipping away at the gap to P4! Road Atlanta should be better suited for the powerhouse BMW Z4M with that long back straight away, two uphill sections where torque pays off big time and it being Dave’s 3rd time back to the track!
NISMO 370Z Starts to Deliver on it’s Potential
At Sebring, we saw signs that the 370z could compete for podium positions but rain in the wiring and dealing with the ice mode issue held us back from being able to truly show the car’s potential. Fast forward to NOLA where the brake vacuum controller that was requested to be allowed, was approved (yay!!) but not legal until March 1st, we had to figure out how to make due with an ABS System that could freak out at any point. We tried a few different things and while not perfect, they were good enough for us to feel comfortable running the car for the weekend.
On the morning of the test day, we decided to switch to wet tires due to the rain that had started but a wheel stud failed when trying to remove the wheel. Ugh! Memo jumped on the problem and 3-4 hours later, the car was ready to go, only to make the last test session of the day, just to make sure everything stayed together. Hats off to Memo’s effort and problem solving – as we chatted on the sidelines through the repair, had this type of an issue occurred while any of us drivers would have been there on our own – game over. Someone help me push this thing into the trailer but with Memo and or team on-hand, dang near anything can come up and as long as it’s safe, they’ll get the car back on the grid.
In the Saturday AM qualifying, we went out on wet tires like everyone else and finished P4, believing we had more pace in the car and on the second row, so all the things to play for. In the Saturday afternoon race, towards the end of lap 2, someone lost an engine, dropped oil all around the last couple corners. In the heat of the battle and with wet spots all around, I didn’t spot the oil (though the team had radio’ed it in) and got caught out when the rear tires hit the oil.
It took me a bit to get the car re-fired and out of the completely soaked grass but got going again, put my head down, worked my way back to P5 and was catching the leading group at 1-2 seconds per lap (of which I didn’t realize at the time and was somewhat frustrated with my pace).
The next day for the Sunday AM qualifying, we swapped on some lower heat cycle tires (specifically, the tires that I used during the VIR Runoffs in the installation laps/sessions) and a new tire on the front left corner. Better tires but still not a full on sticker run. First flying lap was good but I wasn’t pushing 100% and tires weren’t fully into the working window. The 3rd flying lap I let it all out and found myself a very fast Danny Stein in his Mazda STL car which provided a nice tow around the track, which resulted in a 1:55.2XX and pole for T3! On the next lap, I was slightly up on that 1:55.2XX lap time and I was going for another flyer to try and improve. I braked at the same point for Turn 1, did my downshift, turned in and then full front end lock up – sigh. This would end up being a telling sign of the rest of the day.
For the race, we decided to raise the car all around to help with compliance around the bumpy track. Thanks to fellow Nissan racers Rick Kulach and Richard Baldwin, we were able to get our hands on some taller front springs and made the change in time for the race.
Watch the Sunday Touring 3 Race where Gama Aguilar starts in P1 and leads from flag to flag.
When the race started, I focused on getting a good start and ideally not be competing for the corner going into Turn 1. Luckily that happened and after the first lap, decided to pump out the fastest laps I can could muster so that I could build a healthy gap to P2. All was going to plan until I locked up going into T13 and had to take the escape road. Lesson learned that even though I thought the tires were still fresh, it was simply too much speed for this *awesome* (sarcasm) brake system to handle. From then on, I focused on braking a little earlier and softer in all braking zones, knowing I’d be leaving some time on the table but that would be better than locking up and flying off the track.
My plan was to steadily build the gap so that by the time we hit lapped traffic, I could use that pull away. Unfortunately, the rest of the competitors were not aware of my plan. haha
Sometime about mid-way through the race, someone lost a big lip spoiler or some strip of something that was 4-5′ long and right at the exit of Turn 8 of which I didn’t see until it was too late to do anything but run right over it. There was some loud banging as it went under the car and I had to slow to figure out if anything had impacted the handling/safety of the car. No issues but I lost a solid 1-2 seconds.
The next couple of laps, I had to take Turn 8 more cautiously so that I could see where that object was and not run over it again. Perfect. 🙁
Some laps later, Richard’s 350Z had a tire failure and he pulled off to the right of the essess, causing a local yellow. I ran up on a lapped T3 Mustang right in that spot and there went my entire gap to P2. From then on, it was a battle to steadily build up that gap.
Clearly bias but look at this thing!
Another thing that I have been struggling with is the shifter and specifically, the 5th to 4th shift where the shifter doesn’t self-center and will easily drop into 6th gear, not 4th gear. That shift is critical for Turn 8 and I had to over slow to make sure I got the shift done right and even then, I screwed it up a couple of times – another .5-.75 seconds lost on each screw up.
With a few laps left in the race, started coming up fast on a T4 car going into the essess and made the judgement call to make the pass before we got perpendicular to the standing yellow flag – barely made it!
Finally, going into the last lap, I was focused on matching or improving my personal best, knowing the left side tires were struggling. Half way through the lap, I was almost matching my fastest lap but knew I was vulnerable in the essess due to the 5th to 4th shift but still had a decent run through the section. P2 car was on my rear bumper so going into Turn 13, I ran a more defensive line, braked earlier and softer, go the downshift done and when I started turning, the front end locked up again.
My only choices were to continue plowing forward and straight into the grass, of which when that happens, I would have likely lost control of the car until it hit the asphalt again OR come of the brake and straighten the wheel so I could take the escape road. I did the second path as I had earlier in the race, then focused on making sure I didn’t make contact with anyone while rejoining the course. Coasted through the escape road, looked to my right, saw no cars and then rejoined with a primary concern of not causing a wreck.
Ended the race in P1 but post-race, the stewards felt like I gained an unfair advantage by taking the escape road and while that wasn’t my intent at all, I had no argument against it. Minor disappointment but in the grand scheme of things, very pleased with the results.
We made it through a weekend without the brake vacuum regulator and no damage to the car or other cars, learned more about the car and finally got consecutive on-track sessions to build base level confidence in the car. This car is finally showing the potential we know it has!
Mega thanks to the whole Racer on Rails team that made the NOLA SCCA Hoosier Super Tour weekend a massive success! Next up is Road Atlanta in March where the team is looking to build on success and momentum in 2023. Let’s go!!!
We’re thrilled to publicly welcome Jesse Hasson to our team as the new Shop Porter and Apprentice Race Technician. Jesse started back in September and has been getting up to speed and helping the Racer on Rails wheels continue to churn. Jesse’s journey into the world of racing and car mechanics is not just a career choice but a lifelong passion that has been nurtured from a young age.
Jesse’s love for cars and racing sparked early, growing up with a wrench in hand alongside his father. “From the day that I replaced the water pump in our family truck alongside my dad, I knew that working on cars was my lifelong passion and hobby,” Jesse shares. This early experience laid the foundation for his deep-rooted love for all things automotive.
Further honing his skills, Jesse attended Renton Technical College, where he immersed himself in the world of car mechanics. His time at Renton wasn’t just about learning; it was about embracing the complexity and beauty of what makes cars tick. Jesse’s education went beyond textbooks, delving into the practical, hands-on experience that is crucial in our field along with helping on side projects around the shop and working during the race weekends for a while before he officially joined.
But Jesse’s ambitions don’t stop at just fixing and maintaining cars. He dreams of being behind the wheel, competing on the race track. “It is also my lifelong dream to one day competitively drive race cars,” he says with determination. This dream adds an extra layer of enthusiasm and understanding to his role with us.
As our new Shop Porter and Apprentice Race Technician, Jesse brings not just technical skills, but a genuine passion and understanding of the racing world. His role is pivotal in helping the shop operate properly and to help us maintain the high standards of race cars that we manage, ensuring they are in top condition for every race and event.
We believe that Jesse’s passion for racing, combined with his budding technical knowledge, makes him an invaluable addition to our team. His journey is a testament to following one’s passions and turning them into a career. We can’t wait to see the contributions Jesse will make to our team.
Welcome to the team, Jesse! The race track just got a little more exciting with you on board.
In 2023 we tried something out based on what we were hearing from our drivers and partners, how can we get quality track time outside of a race weekend to truly put in some work? Driver work, setup work, and generally car development work!
So we hosted our private run groups and even full on track days, in partnership with ProFormance Racing School at Pacific Raceways and Dundon Motorsports at the Ridge Motorsports Park. Those went over really well, so we’re building on that in 2024 with the following initial schedule.
Note that we will likely add more days for August – December and we’ll update this post as those days get finalized.
Private Run Group w/ProFormance Racing School @ Pacific Raceways
These events are held within the ProFormance HPDE days but it is our own run group, for licensed race car drivers and advanced HPDE drivers only. 30 Minute sessions every hour, for a total of at least 2 hours of track time and potentially more during the 4-5pm hour, all depending on available daylight conditions.
Check out the links to signup on Motorsportreg.com
PrivateTrack Day w/Dundon Motorsports @ The Ridge Motorsports Park
These events are entirely our own private events, with two run groups. A race car run group for all fully licensed and compliant race cars and a Dundon Motorsport Driver Street car group for vetted and experienced street car drivers. The street car group may be made up of street cars or non-licensed race car drivers driving race cars, but these cars are seriously fast. Due to how fast these cars and drivers are, we want to ensure there is not too large of a speed gap in between cars, to keep things safe.
The days are setup for 45 minute sessions for each group, alternating throughout the day and then the groups are usually combined at the last hour of day, mostly because most people have run out of human gas, gas gas, tires and/or brakes!
After a very short “off-season” coming off the 2023 SCCA Runoffs held at Virginia International Raceways for the second year in a row, the team regrouped, got cars turned and headed to Sebring, FL for the first race of the year.
With a new racing year, we have some changes on the team. For the first race, we brought down Simon Asselin in his 991.1 Porsche GT3 Cup Car, racing in the GT2 class for a second year in a row. Dave Orem has moved from a BMW Spec E46 in Touring 3 class, to the 2023 Touring 3 National Championship winning BMW Z4 M. Gama Aguilar returned in his freshly rebuilt Nissan Nismo 370Z, also competing in Touring 3 class.
Ann Doherty is in the middle of transitioning into a new car and new class for 2024 – stay tuned for updates! Thad Berger will be focusing on his Porsche Cayman GT4 MR in Touring 1 class but will miss the first couple of races and join the tour at Road Atlanta in March.
Simon Asselin Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car in GT2 Class
Simon took official delivery and got his first laps in his Cup Car at this race last year. Since last year, Simon has had several solid race weekends, upgraded suspension with Motion Control Suspension (MCS) 3-ways, experimented with different tires, and iterated on both dry and wet setups. With a stronger foundational knowledge of the car and seat time, the goal for the weekend was to build on that and maximize competitiveness.
With the changing conditions throughout the weekend, it was a challenge to iterate on the dry setup but Simon made the most of the conditions for qualifying on Saturday AM with a P5 in full wet conditions and only 1 second separating him from P2.
At the start of the race, Simon lost a couple of positions but quickly got on his horse to recapture the positions and before a full course yellow came out that ended the race, Simon secured P5 and most importantly, improved on his PB at Sebring by 2 seconds!
Simon Asselin piloting his Porsche 991.1 GT3 Cup Car at Sebring International Raceways at the SCCA Hoosier Super Tour.
On Sunday, the forecast was for cloudy skies but dry pavement. Well, the forecast didn’t pan out that way, and not at all. We awoke to passing showers and rain started properly falling before lunch. By race time, it was a full wet race and the first race group after lunch would be the GT2 race.
Right as the cars came around Turn 17 (Sunset) for the green flag, many cars moved into pit lane to change onto wet tires which shuffled the starting grid and created some confusion. A car on the second row lost control of the car at the green flag, tried to keep it together but unfortunately the car hooked right and ultimately making contact with several cars, including Simon who properly collected the other car. Simon had nowhere to go and thanks to all the safety equipment and design of the Porsche GT3 Cup Car, the energy was disbursed, eliminating major physical harm to Simon. He walked away from the incident and has been recovering well. The car took a significant hit to the front end and a more minor hit to the rear. That was the end of the race and we are actively getting the car evaluated and on a path to repair.
Dave Orem BMW Z4 M-Coupe in Touring 3 Class
Building off another solid year of driver development in the Spec E46, wanting to continue developing as a driver but also wanting to have a material chance to podium at our events, Dave couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to purchase the 2023 SCCA Touring 3 National Championship winning car.
The BMW Z4 M-Coupe is essentially an E46 M3 but with a smaller body that can punch through the air more effectively and a much lower center of gravity. At tracks like Road America where the Runoffs will be run over the next two years, where we spend a material amount of time over 100mph, this car is one of the favorites to continue competing for the top steps.
Dave Orem getting used to his new-to-him BMW Z4 M-Coupe in the SCCA Touring 3 Class at Sebring International Raceways
Dave only had limited testing before the trip and in cold/wet conditions so the goals for the weekend were simple: learn the car, build confidence and drive it into the trailer at the end.
During the Thursday Test day, Dave started building confidence in the car and getting used to the taller gearing compared to the Spec E46 but in the last session, he lost what would end up being an axle shaft (no drive), which left the team sourcing parts and getting the car fixed on Friday, thus missing practice on Friday. Saturday he qualified P7 in his first competitive wet session, while dropping time each lap. In the race, he lost a few positions in the start battling with T2, SMX and T3 cars, got himself settled in and started picking away at the cars one at a time. By the time a black flag came out that would eventually end the race, Dave had hit his best lap time in the car and feeling/seeing where the big chunks of time were left.
On Sunday, the Touring 3 race was the race right after Simon’s GT2 race, with full wet conditions. Dave started P16 overall, lost a few spots in the first few laps due to the visibility but after a full course yellow to move Gama’s 370Z that lost electronics due to the wet weather, Dave got moving and got back all but one position.
Overall given the inconsistent conditions throughout the weekend and battling through a lost day of running on Friday, Dave had an excellent first race weekend in his new-to-him race car.
Gama Aguilar Nissan 370Z Nismo Touring 3 Class
Gama debuted his 370Z at the 2023 Runoffs but unfortunately suffered from a catastrophic “Ice Mode” situation at Oak Tree corner where the car suffered significant front end damage, along with injuries that took 2.5 months to mostly recover. In that recovery time, Gama, Tyler Mayer and the team dug deep and got the car fixed and tested in time to make the Sebring race weekend.
Similar tone to Dave’s goal for the weekend, we only had a couple of goals for the weekend: first was to experiment, document, and share results on different potential solutions to better understand and mitigate the risk to “Ice Mode” and second, establish a baseline pace and characteristics to truly start leaning on the car.
Gama shaking down and testing things to figure out the brakes in his 2011 Nissan Nismo 370Z in SCCA Touring 3 Class
One of the leading theories behind Ice Mode is that the brake booster in the 370Z is WAY over-powered. That means that for every pound of pressure/pedal effort the driver makes on the brake pedal, the power assisted brake booster, magnifies that force into the braking system. This is normal in power boosted and ABS based braking systems and it makes sense for normal street driving where the cars are not being subjected to the G-forces that are seen in racing conditions and with extremely sticky tires. Normal drivers don’t need to hit the brakes very hard to get to maximum braking and they are usually on street tires with much less grip.
In our conditions, what we’ve found is that this overly powerful brake booster contributes to the ABS system freaking out and potentially locking the driver out of the braking system. Not good! So to test this theory, we installed an AIM Brake Pressure sensor and a Sakebomb Garage Variable Brake Booster Vaccum Controller. This device in installed in-line between the engine and the brake booster and can adjust the amount of vacuum fed to the brake booster and thus adjusting the maximum about of brake boosting, the booster can provide.
Learnings
After installing the vacuum controller, we turned it all the way “off” in that it didn’t apply any adjustment to the vacuum levels, we hit the brakes (with ending running) with a 10/10 brake pedal effort hit and saw the impact to the brake pressure sensor —> 2,000psi! Holy moly! That is insane. Now granted, that took a massive pedal effort that frankly isn’t realistic in any conditions but our normal pedal effort braking still resulted in ~1,800psi of brake pressure. That is still insane – not even Motorsport ABS systems can handle those levels of brake pressure in a system. We then modulated the pedal effort to see what it took to keep brake pressure below 1,000psi (generally accepted as about the max range most braking systems can handle *and* slow the car down – anything above these levels will not only make the ABS system overwork but it won’t effectively further slow the car down). The result was that it was dang near impossible to repeatedly be that gentle with the brake pedal and the modulation window from 600-900psi was even more difficult.
We don’t know 100% that this is the root of the issue behind Ice Mode but this sure as heck isn’t helping things. So we found the adjustment level where the max brake pressure we could possibly hit was ~1,000psi.
We also tested 2-piece rotors from Paragon, which have a more Motorsport focus hat design for better heat consistency across the rings and hats and we experimented with different brake pads, with all of them being in a direction of less aggressive pads.
Catching the overall theme here? All experiments were around making it harder for the OEM ABS system to freak out from sudden spikes in brake pressure and/or changes in wheel speeds.
The results? We’re going in the right direction. Prior to adjusting the controller to max ~1,000psi brake pressure, we didn’t hit ice mode but were able to get the wheels to consistently lockup in “heavier” brake application. Interesting that a functional ant-lock braking (ABS) system, still allowed tires to lock up. Hhhhmmm….
After making the adjustment and going straight into a race due to the transmission failing during the last test day session, the brake pedal was MUCH better and finally allowed me (Gama) to start building confidence in the brakes.
I started at the very back of the Touring field (split start) in P24. By the end of the race, I’d moved up 13 positions total, finished in P8, right on the tail of the next few cars in class and ending with the 3rd fastest lap of the race! Starting to cook with some real fire!
For Sunday’s race, we’d start closer to the front but in full wet conditions. The start was okay, picking up a position but not able to be more aggressive because how bad the spray was in front – literally couldn’t see more than 10-15 feet in front. Once the cars started stringing out, made up some more positions and mid-way through second lap was in P2 in class. Then suddenly the electronic controls inside the car went dead but the car was still running – clearly water had gotten in somewhere and started causing shorts.
Gama Aguilar moving to P2 before an eventual DNF due to water in electronics.
Going into T17, I broke early and soft but with the amount of water on the track and how bumpy the track is, I ended up spinning along with several other cars and thankfully, came to a stop before making contact with anything. With no functioning electronic controls in the car, I wasn’t able to get it running again and had to DNF.
Making Lemonade out of Lemons
To top things off, a fellow competitor in Touring 3 decided to protest me in the 370Z for running an illegal part, even though we had been openly discussing and sharing the testing plan, as the goal was to figure out how to make these cars safe, not to achieve a performance advantage. We were prepared and okay with this potential scenario but it was still disappointing for someone to protest the car when the focus was on safety *and* that competitor finished ahead of me on both races – e.g. no impact to his or anyone in the podium position places.
Despite that, we leave Sebring optimistic about what we’ve learned to make these cars safe for people to race in Touring 3 class. We are not only going to make a rules change proposal to allow this non-in-car adjustable controller for the Nissan 370Z and we are looking at ways in which we can still limit the vacuum to the booster, without the addition of a controller in case that proposal doesn’t go through.
What’s next? Round 2 at NOLA Motorsports Park!
The next round in the 2024 SCCA Hoosier Super Tour is at NOLA Motorsports Park in New Orleans, LA in February. Dave and Gama will be there for sure. Simon is TBD based on the outcomes of repairing the Cup Car and Ann is targeting to join at NOLA. This will be a new track for everyone so lots of time in the simulator is in store for all of us between now and the weekend of February 18th!
Big shout out to the whole Racer on Rails crew who made getting the cars ready and transported across the country, happen!
Licensed Road Race Car Driver Dyno Benefit – Annual Pre/Post Dyno Run
Our purpose, the reason we exist is to help people go racing, achieve their goals, have fun and make memories of a lifetime. The sport isn’t cheap either so as a way to help every racer’s dollar stretch the most it can, we are proud to offer a benefit for all road racers (including Time Attack) where a sanctioned racing license is required.
Pre and Post Season Power Hour for $250 + taxes
If you are a licensed (active and valid license) road racing driver or team, for an extra $55, you get two dyno power hours so that you can head into the season knowing how much power your car is making and at the end of the season, know how much the performance has changed, which can than inform your off-season maintenance, repair, or upgrade plans.
Note: Car on the dyno is in storage mode – making room of every inch of space where we can!
Details
Pre-season dyno runs must be scheduled and executed by June 31st of each calendar year
Post-season dyno runs must be scheduled between October 1st and December 31st of each calendar year
Both Pre and Post-season dyno runs should be scheduled at the same time
Post-season dyno run can be rescheduled 1x with at least a 2 week notice
No refunds if post-season dyno run is not executed by the end of the calendar year due to a no-show or scheduling issues on the driver side. If due to circumstances on the Racer on Rails side a post-season dyno run needs to be rescheduled more than 1x or past the end of the calendar year, there will be no incremental cost to the driver.
Benefit applies to a single unique driver for one race car. e.g. if a licensed race car driver has multiple race cars, this benefit can be used only for one race car per calendar year.
Any road racing or time attack/trials license where a driver must demonstrate safe operation of a race car on-track before being licensed and pay an annual due is accepted.
Examples of accepted competition licenses: ICSCC, SCCA, NASA, FIA, WRL, SRO, IMSA, AER
For the third year in a row, we headed back to Austin, Texas for the second round of the Hoosier Super Tour at the beautiful and challenging, Circuit of the Americas. Thankfully, we avoided the annual winter freeze that hits southern Texas and while it was dry all weekend, it wasn’t “warm” except for on load-in day (Thursday) and Sunday afternoon. Perfect! (Insert thick amounts of sarcasm)
Prior to the race weekend Jordan, Memo, Bryce and Mark flew into Houston, TX where we had the cars and trucks stored to whip the cars into shape. Can’t say enough how grateful we are to have friends across the country that have helped us with space to park and work on the cars. Thank you Todd Joseph Farley (TMJ Bimmers) and James Walker Jr!
Jordan taking a big swig of Green Redbull to do a full engine swap on the 81 SE46 that decided it just didn’t want to run anymore, at Sebring.
For this race report, we’re going to do something a little different. Driving at these bucket list tracks, we regularly get asked which track is our favorite, most unique, most scary and/or most challenging? So for this report, we’re going to focus a little more on what makes COTA such an awesome and challenging track to tackle.
1. COTA is Big!
At 3.426 Miles and 20 corners (using the Grand Prix layout), COTA is a long track with at least 20 opportunities to make a mistake and decent distances after a corner, so that you have ample time to relive and think about the mistake(s) you just made. All the while, watching your predictive lap timer reinforce, with math, that you made a mistake. 🙂
The volume of corners in terms of learning the track is a challenge but to be perfectly honest, in the three years that we’ve come to the SCCA Hoosier Super Tour with now seven different drivers, not once have we had a discussion about “what corner comes next” or “the line” in terms of just getting around the track.
Each driver puts in the preparation work before the race weekend with time in a simulator, watching race videos and track walks – our drivers come to compete!
So “learning the track” isn’t a thing but another aspect of COTA that is a challenge is how wide the track is. This is a blessing and a curse. The track in general is wide enough to go three wide in multiple segments, which results in multiple lines that can be taken through a corner or sequence of corners. This gives us flexibility in racing conditions but it gives the same flexibility to competitors.
Ann Doherty in the #4 Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport trying to run away from a Touring 1 Camaro in the run to Turn 12
From the approach of turn 1 through the entry to the esses (turn 3) , it’s not just feasible but it’s common to see cars going 2 and 3 wide with only a marginal drop off in lap time.
Turn 6 is wide enough that it’s possible to attack another car from the outside, which then turns into the inside for Turn 7.
The entry into Turn 11 is like turn 1, almost an open runway with a lot of space to dive bomb into the corner but with the longest straight away on the tracking coming next, going two or three wide into turn 11, will punish your straight line speed down to turn 12. There are even lines to overtake someone on the outside in Turn 1, especially at the start of the races.
Turn 12 also is wide enough for at least two cars to go side by side and while not particularly fast, it’s possible and common throughout the weekend to see cars going side by side all the way until Turn 19.
Finally, Turn 20 can also easily allow two cars to go side by side but it will impact the exit speed and thus the time that runs all the way to turn 1.
2. COTA is technical. Really Technical.
Many tracks have some kind of bias due to the natural outcome of being “lap based” – e.g. at some point, the track will return back to start/finish. If a track has a clock-wise orientation, there will usually have more right hand corners than left hand corners. If a track is counter-clockwise (like COTA), vice-versa will be true.
So while COTA has a counter-clockwise orientation, it has exactly 10 left-hand corners and you guessed it, 10 right hand corners.
And yes, the three longest straight aways are setup by left-hand corners, which would normally make a team want to setup a car to be biased for left-hand corners BUT there are 6 different corners that are either high-commitment or high-duration (you spend a good amount of time in them), so it really pushes a team and driver to have a well balanced setup for both corner types, unlike what we’d for say Portland International Raceways or Lime Rock Park – pretty much all right hand corners.
COTA also has a wide variety of corners:
Short duration, slow speed and sharp angled corners: Slow corners make it really easy for drivers to over-slow on entry and if you don’t have the car pointed just right and at full throttle at the apex, the exit and the proceeding straight away suffer. Think the exit of Turn 1, Turn 11 and Turn 20 where the minimum speeds are in the mid to high 30’s depending on the car. Teams and drivers may be tempted to setup a car nice and loose on slow speed corners to get through these as quickly as possible but…
Medium/High-Speed Corners: Turn 3 (the entry into the esses), you enter near the top of 4th gear in the Spec E46’s (~105mph) and then need a well balanced car to carve through them.
Long duration medium speed corners: Turns 6 and the Carousel (turns 16 – 18) are both right hand corners where you are in them for longer than most corners. So how do you setup a car to both be awesome on slow quick corners but not too skaty through carousel type corners?
COTA beats up cars: Remember in 2019 when Sebastian Vettel had a suspension arm break on the exit of a corner? That’s from the bumps that form and change all the time from the ground/earth under the pavement. The dirt on which COTA sits isn’t super stable to begin with due to how dry the area typically is but then when it rains, it RAINS – think flash flooding. COTA has been repaved multiple times and it was repaved in time for the 2022 season (we were there) but in that one single year, the track has gone from a pretty smooth pavement, to having bumps all over the track.
Some notable bumps exist in the braking for Turn 1, throughout Turn 6, the exit of Turn 9, breaking for Turn 11 and right as you confidently exit the carousel of Turn 18, there is a healthy sized bumped waiting to knock you off your high horse, when you get too confident.
Finally, COTA has lots of FIA curbs, of which in the dry are awesome and to be used as much as possible but the repercussion is that the vibrations from curb usage travel all through the suspension and chassis, leading to increase amounts of brake pad knock-back and as I personally found in 2021, damaged suspension components. Expect to do a deep inspection of your wheel bearings, control arms, shocks and a full nut and bolt.
Thad Berger in his Spec E46, looking where he wants to go and hitting those apexes as hard as he can.
3. COTA is ROUGH!
Remember in 2019 when Sebastian Vettel had a suspension arm break on the exit of a corner? That’s from the bumps that form and change all the time from the ground/earth under the pavement. The dirt on which COTA sits isn’t super stable to begin with due to how dry the area typically is but then when it rains, it RAINS – think flash flooding. COTA has been repaved multiple times and it was repaved in time for the 2022 season (we were there) but in that one single year, the track has gone from a pretty smooth pavement, to having bumps all over the track.
Some notable bumps exist in the braking for Turn 1, throughout Turn 6, the exit of Turn 9, breaking for Turn 11 and right as you confidently exit the carousel of Turn 18, there is a healthy sized bumped waiting to knock you off your high horse, when you get too confident.
Finally, COTA has lots of FIA curbs, of which in the dry are awesome and to be used as much as possible but the repercussion is that the vibrations from curb usage travel all through the suspension and chassis, leading to increase amounts of brake pad knock-back and as I personally found in 2021, damaged suspension components. Expect to do a deep inspection of your wheel bearings, control arms, shocks and a full nut and bolt.
So, how did we do?
Ann Doherty was at COTA for the second time, having done the Hoosier Super Tour in 2022 as well and not only did she improve on her personal best lap times from a year ago, despite the track being in worst shape but she continued her streak of finishing right behind some experienced and very accomplished drivers! The raw pace is there, she’s getting faster and now we shift our focus to a little more on race craft as on the Sunday race, she lost positions on the start and got stuck behind a group of slower cars (in and out of class) and with a couple laps left in the race, she turned it up and got past them all.
Ann also showed serious grit as she got hit decently hard in race 1, lap 1 and turn 1! With a car that had a bent suspension and rear bumper falling off, she finished the race. We got the car put back together the best we could and she finished P5 but with lap times towards the end that would have been in contention for P2 and P3. Awesome job!
Thad Berger not just raced but drove COTA for the very first time at this race weekend! He made solid progress throughout the weekend, improving on just about every session and by the end of the day on Sunday, he was solidly in the mid-pack (P8 out of 13) and battling with MX-5 Global Cup cars and 350Z’s!
Simon Asselin had another busy weekend, doing double duty in his Touring 3 Spec E46 and GT2 Porsche GT3 Cup Car. In Touring 3, he finished P4 in race 1 and P3 in race 2 with AMAZING battles the entirety of both races. Check out his race video below!
In GT2, Simon was busy as well! He started from the back in Race 1 as a cone ended up destroying one of his front tires on the outlap but made his way through to P8 and in race 2, he continued his march forward and ended up P3 for two podiums throughout the weekend. Great job, Simon!
Dave Orem had to last minute pull out of the race weekend due to a family situation but we ran his car during the test day and it was a ripper! Dave will be back for Road Atlanta!
Thank you to the entire team who is behind the scenes and making it all happen! Memo Calderon, Bryce Allen, Jordan Allen, Reid Morris, Tyer Mayer, Tyler Campbell, Mark Farmer, Harry Mineer and our amazing coaches, Seth Thomas and Ray Phillips!
We made it! Last year (2022) we had Sebring as our first race of the year and first stop on the SCCA Hoosier Super Tour but epic levels of snow across the mountain passes had us locked in the Pacific Northwest but this year, the snow hit earlier in December and by the first week in January, the passes were clear!
The January 12 – 15 race weekend which included a test day on Thursday, qualifying on Friday/Saturday AM and two feature races on Saturday and Sunday, would not only be the first race of the year for the team, organizing body and the drivers! We came prepared with patience, positive attitudes and a singular goal: improvement.
Each of our drivers put in serious hours of training on the simulator, studying historical race videos and watching track walk videos from the likes of Ross Bentley, so that when they got on the track for the first time, they could focus on getting comfortable leaning on the car and not worrying about where to turn next!
Let’s just be honest; racing is just an excuse to get together with friends and have several meals in an empty parking lot/temporary village and an occasional restaurant like Chicane’s in Sebring, FL!
2023 Driver Lineup and a new addition!
For the 2023 tour, we continued with the same driver team from 2022 with Ann Doherty in her Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport but now competing in Touring 1 class (versus GT2). Starting in 2023, the Touring 1 SCCA class has changed to allow the GT4 race cars that are currently competing in SRO and IMSA series, a place to race in SCCA Club Racing. You might ask, but why? They are professional level race cars – shouldn’t SCCA club racing be about non-professionally built race cars?
Historically, that has been true and most would agree but a couple things are happening that have forced the hand of SCCA and we are in full support. First, for many years as Pro level cars have aged out of the pro series (new cars have shown up and the “old” cars are no longer allowed to compete in the pro leagues) they have been sold to amateur drivers and teams, who then drive them at track days and increasingly, club racing leagues. For example, many of the old IMSA/Grand Am Continental Tire Series Grand Sport (GS) cars that were retired from pro racing, trickled down into SCCA Touring 1. IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge GS class is the new version of the old Conti Challenge and the top class (GS) is made up exclusively of FIA homologated GT4 race cars.
Second, and the biggest variable, is that newer street cars come with advanced electronics that need to balance performance with emissions and safety regulations. These systems are so advanced that it has become increasingly difficult, cost prohibitive and in some cases, impossible to tweak the OEM controllers so that the car can run reliably in race conditions.
The net result is it is equally as expensive to build a Touring 1 level car from a street car and less reliable than simply buying a factory built race car, like the GT4 race cars. So in an effort to save the Touring 1 class, SCCA has moved to allow these cars in T1. Not only do we fully support the shift to the future for the class but specifically for the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport, it’s inline with the spirit of Touring class cars (race on Sunday, sell on Monday) and it has a much better chance to compete at the front, compared to GT2 cars that have thrown most connections to the street cars, out the window (along with the windows!).
Ann Doherty piloting her Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport in the SCCA Touring 1 Class
In the Touring 3 class, we had Dave Orem returning in his #44 2001 BMW 330ci in Spec E46 trim, Simon Asselin in his #81 Spec E46, Gama Aguilar in his #109 Spec E46 and joining the group is Thad Berger in his #60 Spec E46! As you can probably tell, we love them BMW Spec E46’s at Racer on Rails!
Dave Orem in his #44 Spec E46 in T3Thad Berger in his #60 Spec E46 in T3Simon Asselin driving the 109 at Sebring
Unfortunately for Simon, his engine developed an issue on the very first test day session which sounded like an engine throwing the white flag so he jumped into Gama’s #109 to finish the weekend. Gama would end up sitting out the weekend and focused on coaching.
Speaking of coaching, we welcomed back Ray Phillips from Precision Driving Analytics and Seth Thomas, who coached the 2022 team to significant improvements, multiple podiums, some race wins and personal bests that simply couldn’t have been possible for drivers coming to the bucket list tracks we drove at in 2022.
Finally, Simon Asselin was not just piloting a Spec E46 but on the way to Sebring, we made a detour stop to pickup his new (to him) 991.1 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car that races in the GT2 class! While we normally would not advise anyone to pickup a race car on the way to running said race car in a competition weekend, we worked with Autometrics Motorsports out of Summerville, SC (who was the previous custodian of the car) to get it as prepared as possible for competition in SCCA GT2 class. A big thank you to Adam, Gordon and the Autometrics team for helping it a smooth transition process for Simon and our team!
Simon Asselin in a heated battle in GT2 with another Porsche GT3 Cup Car
Ramping up on new tracks fast and competing at the front
One of the biggest challenges of going on the Hoosier Super Tour, being based out of Seattle, WA and generally, the Pacific Northwest, is that these are all new or relatively new tracks for each driver. Drivers can’t lean on their thousands of laps at local tracks like Pacific Raceways (that is literally our back or front yard now!). The competition tough, the fields are big and track time is limited. Even with a test day.
So the drivers and we as a team have to figure out how to get up to a respectable pace fast and improve every session. As mentioned above, each driver put in 10+ hours on the simulator before the race weekend and little by little, each driver progressed, chipping away at lap times and every once in a while, taking large chunks.
The grid had a lot of HRSRS in the GT2 and T1 group!
Over time what has happened, especially for the drivers that were part of this tour in 2022, is that they got a lot of experience learning new tracks and they got better throughout each weekend. Over the races, they started developing not a library of tracks that they reference, but instead a library of corners. So a new track isn’t a completely new thing they haven’t driven before, but instead a track that is a collection of corners that some they have driven before. So for example, turn 1 at Sebring is a lot like turn 1 at the Ridge (high speed left hand corner where you float as much speed as possible into the corner). Turn 7 (Hairpin) is similar to Turn 11 at COTA – slow speed corner where there are multiple lines that can be taken and the exit is paramount due to the straight away that follows. The bumps at Sebring, especially the exit of Sunset Bend (respect the bumps!) is similar to the exit of Turn 9 at Pacific Raceways (respect the bumps!).
We find (and found!) that when drivers start thinking about new tracks in that way, they are able to anchor themselves to a familiar feeling of what the car should feel like and a sensation for the speed. It doesn’t mean that you treat the corners the same but it’s a high informed starting point to begin really leaning on the car and the tires. Because until a driver really starts leaning on the car and tires, the lap times won’t drop materially.
Touring 3
With a solid day’s worth of practice, Thad, Dave and Simon were set to go after a solid qualifying position to start the races. Qualifying 1 was rained out and with no further rain expected the rest of the weekend, most of the grid didn’t quality for T3 including Dave and Thad. In qualifying 2, Simon locked up P3, Dave had a time good enough for P4 but his transponder decided to quit on us so he would start race 1 from the back and need to make his way through the field. Thad started P6 and knew exactly what he needed to to gain positions and lap time.
Race 1 was close battling from start to finish! Simon lost some positions on the start but jumped back in, regained positions and while simultaneously battling T3, T4 and T2 cars, mustered out a P2! Dave let the lap 1, turn 1 mayhem happen and then got to work, moving his way through almost the entire T4 field, five T3 cars and came home in P3, on top of improving on his personal best time of the weekend!
Thad was in the thick of the front T4 battle but he took no prisoners, held his ground and took out 2.6 seconds off his qualifying 2 lap time. Let the big dog eat!
Simon (P2) and Dave (P3) sharing the podium at Sebring AND special bonus, Todd Clarke, also a PNW driver in P1. A full PNW podium in T3, in Florida!
For race 2, everyone started in better positions and the themes were similar. Hard racing the entire race for each driver, further improvements in personal bests and not a moment to catch your breath! Thad dropped a further .9 seconds off his personal best to a 2:32.7 and finished P4 in his second ever Hoosier Super Tour.
Thad Berger, riding into the sunset after an amazing first stop of the Hoosier Super Tour at Sebring International Raceways.
Want to pause here and emphasize what Thad did. Thad has been wheel to wheel racing for less than 1 year. He jumped into the deep end of the pool, competing against experienced/fast drivers, at the Hoosier Super Tour and at a bucket list track that he had never driven. On top of all of that – in qualifying 2, on the first flying lap, he had a real big moment at Sunset Bend (Turn 17) where legitimately almost put the car into the wall. But he didn’t. He gathered the car up, drove through pit lane for a quick visual check on the car – everything looked good and he immediately got back at it. That is something he and we all, will never forget. Great job, Thad!
Dave continued his progress through the field after losing a couple positions on the start, focused on consistency and dropped another .5 seconds off his fastest time of the weekend for a 2:31.4 and with Simon’s DNF, a P3 and a double podium weekend!
Dave Orem holding off a Global MX5 Cup Car in Touring 3 class.
Finally, Simon had one of the most intense races ever, battling T2, T3 and T4 cars again! And while he also took almost a full second out of his fastest time of the weekend for a 2:30.1 lap time, with a lap to go, he went a little hot into a corner, got the car sideways and was unfortunately collected by a really competitive out of class car. That unfortunately ended the race for him but he sustained no issues and the 109 has already been repaired – the incident did not detract from the weekend as a whole. Watch Simon’s race below (with picture in picture of the SCCA broadcast!)
Race 2 of the SCCA Hoosier Super Tour for Simon Asselin in the RoR #109 in Touring 3 class
Touring 1 and GT2
Lucky for us, both Ann and Simon race in the same group but in two different classes so we got lots to follow during their group race!
While Ann hadn’t been to Sebring, she has developed a reputation for ramping up quickly at each new track and by the end of the race weekend, competing towards the front of the grid or the front of the mid-pack and that was last year, in GT2! Well she did not disappoint! After missing qualy 1 as it was also a wet session and no forecasted wet sessions for the rest of the weekend, she qualified P6 out of 10. And while she finished P6 in both races, she finished only about 1.5 seconds off the race pace of the podium finishers and the five drivers in front of her were ex-professional IMSA drivers, current SRO drivers, multi-national champions and seasoned (and fast) Touring 1 cars/drivers. Lots of work left to get close to the top 5 type of drivers but her performance coming out of the gates and through the weekend were amazing!
Ann takes the green flag for the Touring 1 race and in the mix with a combination of new GT4 and historical Touring 1 race cars.
This was Simon’s first weekend with the Porsche GT3 Cup Car and we all came into the weekend with specific expectations: learn the car, get quality laps, and have fun! With a new car to the team and no testing beforehand, we had really no gauge for how the car and Simon could perform. However, we were all extremely pleased to get the car running by mid-morning of the test day. Seth Thomas drove it on it’s maiden track session under the Racer on Rails umbrella, to provide a baseline for how the car simply ran and once confidence built up, a gauge for the pace of the car.
The verdict? It’s a great GT3 Cup Car! While it wasn’t fully compliant to GT2 rules at the time (hadn’t added the full ballast required), the lap times Seth put down were well within the front of GT2 class range that we saw throughout the weekend and it gave Simon a rabbit to chase throughout the weekend. You might be asking – how can you figure that after a single person driving the car in one session/5 laps? First, the team has worked on factory built Porsche’s throughout the years so we had a solid foundation of what to expect re the machinery itself and setups. Second, Seth has driven a wide variety of race cars and including several Porsche GT3 Cup Cars (along with being somewhat of a Porsche nut himself) and he’s driven/raced at Sebring dozens of times, with likely thousands of laps at Sebring. So after he had 3-4 laps underneath him and the tires were finally in a working range, he was able to start really leaning into the car.
The results? Simon finished P5 in race 1 after a hard fought battle with another 991 GT3 Cup car and P6 in race 2 where his tires started to show signs of aging after taking a couple of qualifying sessions and a full race 1. All in all, Simon ended up ~2 seconds off the race winner but only ~1 second off the leading Porsche GT3 Cup car in the field. Awesome first outing and race weekend for Simon in the Porsche GT3 Cup Car.
Check out the in-car and live broadcast from Simon’s first race below!
Catch the next race report that recaps our stop at Circuit of the Americas!
And we’re back from the winter 2022 trip with four race weekends under our belt, at new tracks for most of us and ready to come back to familiar ground where nothing would be easier but instead the challenges would be different.
This is post will cover two race weekends as we were at Portland International Raceways April 29 – May 1 for the ICSCC season opening race (Rose City Opener, hosted by Cascade Sports Car Club) and then back again two weeks later, for the SCCA Hoosier Super Tour stop, a part of the US Majors Tour.
Home track advantage
Wait, aren’t most of the people who race at these events, also from the region? For the ICSCC race – absolutely. A little less for the Hoosier Super Tour but that’s not exactly what we mean here. One of the many challenges of each of the stops on the winter trip was that even though we spent countless hours on the simulator training for each track, and it made a massive impact – we were still driving the tracks either for the first time or the first time in the specific race car each of us were driving.
That’s not a BMW or Porsche?!?!? Gama taking the EK Honda Civic with a K24 swap out for it’s maiden race weekend at a known and comfortable space – Portland International Raceways. Photo credit: Doug Berger
That means that at minimum, some material amount of our mental capacity was still being allocated for learning the track. That also means less mental capacity to think about improving on a specific corner or to focus on race craft.
So what happens when you get to a track that you’ve driven hundreds, if not thousands of laps on in real life, simulator and in a variety of conditions and cars? All that occupied mental capacity (and some), comes back and becomes available to be used on another area of improvement. That could be anything from fine tuning a specific setup component for given conditions, exploring different lines/entry speeds into a corner or working on race craft.
It could be anything but the bottom line is that the ability to learn and improve is simply easier because there is one big important thing to think about much less.
So what happened? New Personal Bests All Around!
The ICSCC weekend was held using the non-chicane configuration which further simplifies the course and results in really only ~7 corners total.
Ann in the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport – Finally!!!
Ann in the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport had never driven PIR without a chicane but we had a sense of what her pace would have been from her lap times at Portland last August (2021) with a chicane.
This would also be Ann’s first time driving on Hoosier A7 tires. Results? Ann immediately jumped into the 1:13’s early in the weekend and while she was able to sustain that pace, it looked like there was more low hanging fruit.
One of these is not like the others. Ann Doherty in her Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport crashing the GT1 class party.
In the Group 4 race, where she was in the middle of GT1 class cars — You read that correctly, while she was competing in the GT2 class (there were only 2 cars in class that weekend), she was in the front half of the GT1 cars! She put her head down to defend and get as far up the grid as possible and she dropped into the 1:12’s with a scorching 1:12.842. In that race, she would have finished in P3 overall and P3 amongst the GT1 class cars.
And the prior days Group 1 race, when the race started in wet conditions and transitioned to somewhat dry conditions, she was P1 overall and lapped almost every single car except the EK Honda Civic (driven by Gama and more on that below)… twice!
Mega, mega, mega drive by Ann.
Cascade Sports Car Club – Rose City Opener XXX at Portland International Raceway | Ann (#4) and Gama (#309) lapping every single car in the field one time and lapped almost every car a second time before finishing P1 and P2 overall and in SPM class. Photo credit: Doug Berger
When we returned two weeks later for the Hoosier Super Tour event May 13 – 15, the goal was to build on the gains from the first PIR weekend to put it all to work against a stacked GT2 field featuring a Dodge Viper, TA2 Chevy Camaro, a few additional stock cars, nearly tube-frame chassis E46 M3 and even a Porsche 997 Carrera Cup car!
Results? Even more gains and finally, finally – Ann’s 1st SCCA Hoosier Super Tour podium (P2) came on Sunday afternoon’s final race in complete downpour conditions. In dry conditions? Ann improved her personal best lap time by 4.5 seconds from the prior August – incredible progress! In clear air, Ann was competitive for podium contention but in the race, the straight line advantage for the more powerful cars was simply too much for her to keep them behind her for the entire race distance.
So many close podiums in the first 4 races of the year but it finally all came together for Ann in Portland and in the rain.
Simon in the BMW 330ci Spec E46 running in SE46, Touring 3 and SPM
For Simon, we had done 8 Hour Enduro in his car last October and he had done mid-1:19’s here and there and average fast pace was in the high 1:19’s/1:20’s.
Similar to Ann, Simon was immediately on the pace, consistently in the 1:19’s, along with a few other Spec E46 cars but by the end of the weekend, Simon was one of only two Spec E46’s to drop into the 1:18’s and separating himself from the pack of Spec E46’s and closing the gap to Chris Hart, who is an incredibly fast, consistent and national caliber driver. Chris placed P3 in the 2021 SCCA Runoffs in Touring 3 class, past PRO3 champion and spent many years driving stock cars professionally – this guy can wheel!
Simon in the hunt, looking for a way around a turbocharged Subaru WRX STI in the Group 1, SPM race. Photo credit: Doug Berger
During the SCCA Hoosier Super Tour stop, Simon similarly built on his gains from the first weekend and was immediately doing 1:26 lap times – improving his past personal best but on Hoosier Tires versus Toyo Proxes prior. About mid-day on the test day, we did a lead follow session with Simon and I (Gama) with first Simon leading and Gama following – doing mid to low 1:26 lap times and then we switched. Simon was able to follow closely and we both consistently did mid to high 1:25’s – BOOM! New personal bests and now having done lap times that are at the very pointy edge of the Touring 3 and Spec E46 field.
Saturday, Simon qualified on pole for his first Hoosier Super Tour pole position and in wet conditions! During the race, we had dry conditions so at the start Gama got in front of Simon and Chris Hart. About 4-5 laps into the race, Chris had an overheating issue and DNF’ed while Chris, Gama and Simon were running almost nose to tail.
After Chris pulled off track, Simon stuck to the rear of Gama’s bumper and finished P2 for another Hoosier Super Tour podium finish!
Simon’s 4th podium of the year and currently leading the Hoosier Super Tour points standing in Touring 3 (with Dave in 2nd place)
Unfortunately a failing lower ball joint was found in Simon’s car post-race and due to not having press tools at the track, that ended his weekend.
Simon leading a pack of ground pounders through Turn 12 at Portland International Raceways. Photo credit: Doug Berger
Dave skipped the first ICSCC Portland race and drove at Pacific Raceways during our second stop at PIR.
But wait – there were a lot more cars in the Racer on Rails Paddock(s)!
Now that we’re in the thick of the PNW racing season, the SCCA US Majors and Hoosier Super Tour races start to die down (races are still held but mostly out of our region) and we start to dial up the races from our local sanctioning body, the International Conference of Sports Car Clubs (ICSCC).
For the Rose City Opener, we had our group of PRO3 drivers out for their first race of the year and I (Gama) brought out a personal passion project for it’s second race weekend but it’s first with the current power plant – a JDM K24A swap with a JDM Honda Integra Type R transmission and a pretty heavy duty Limited Slip Differential from MFactory.
At a familiar place, the goal with the Honda was to simply get some race mileage on the new chassis, make sure it was running properly, figure out what likes to shake loose and see if we could put down some consistent competitive laps at 80-90% effort. And boy did the Honda deliver!
That little K24A Honda Civic, leading the pack (aside from Ann who had checked out in her Porsche Cayman) to Turn 1 at the start of the SPM Sunday afternoon race. Photo credit: Doug Berger
We worked through some gremlins but with absolutely zero focus on speed, the Honda was consistently doing extremely fast Spec E46 lap times and on Yokohama A052 tires (a really sticky street tire but nothing like a Hoosier tire). There is some serious potential in this car and we’re excited to further develop it over the season. It will be mid June before we see the Honda out again and it should have some new upgrades that will help with reliability and maybe a bit more speed.
Across the rest of the team, every driver improved their personal best lap times with no Chicane at Portland in a 20+ car field and pushing towards the front in PRO3 and a 10+ car field in Spec E46.
Dirk in the #136 Jägermeister, Jack Curtis in the #166 Spec E46, Mat Hennessy in the #58 Spec E46, Tim Wisner in the #109 RoR Spec E46, Scott Thompson in the #86 PRO3, Gama Aguilar in the #309 Honda Civic and Will Kellogg in the #78 PRO3 | Photo credit: Doug Berger
What better way to end this race report than with some in-car video of what a very angry Honda 4 cylinder engine based Civic sounds like, bombing around Portland International Raceways at the same speeds that a front running Spec E46 does?
Turn those headphones down a tiny bit and enjoy!
Gama in the #309 K24A Honda Civic Hatchback doing a low 1:18 lap time during Sunday AM qualifying.
