The Momentum Continues

A Slippery Start

With only three practice sessions, I knew I had to get up to speed quickly. It was also the first time I had raced my car since Hallett, so there was plenty to sort out. The biggest issue immediately became apparent when the clutch began slipping. The weekend quickly turned into a scramble for parts after we discovered gearbox oil was leaking onto the clutch.

Looking for Grip

Between Hallett and Road America, I had completed several test days in the car while evaluating new components and searching for speed. As a result, the tires I started practice on were extremely worn. Once we switched to another set, the car immediately came alive and the pace improved dramatically. Suddenly, things were looking much more encouraging heading into qualifying.

A Drying Q1

Qualifying 1 began in very wet conditions, but the track was steadily drying. Together with the team, we decided to run slick tires. I was the only driver on slicks, but I still believe it was the right call. Unfortunately, without a working radio and struggling initially in the wet conditions, I wasn’t able to stay with the pack and get a tow, which ultimately cost me lap time.

Radios Fixed and a Chaotic Q2

With the radios reprogrammed and a new antenna installed, we finally had reliable communication in the car. Qualifying 2 was chaotic, featuring multiple yellow flags and two separate contact incidents. I received a penalty for the contact and finished P8 in the session. However, after several competitors were penalized for yellow flag violations, I was promoted to P5 for Race 1 because I had properly followed the yellow flag procedures.

A Rough Race

Race 1 unraveled quickly. I mistimed the start and dropped from P5 to P8. Then, three laps into the race, while attempting an overtake into Canada Corner, the brake pedal suddenly dropped and I lost significant brake pressure. With little ability to slow the car, I went off track and into the tire wall head-on.

The result was a DNF. It took quite a bit of troubleshooting and process of elimination before we determined the brake master cylinder was failing. We analyzed the data, compared it to my Road America data from last year, and even replicated the soft brake pedal during a hardship lap to confirm the issue wasn’t related to braking technique. Once we identified the problem, we replaced the master cylinder.

Back In The Game

After the repairs, I completed another hardship lap to confirm the fix. With the brake issue finally behind us, we were ready for Race

A Battle to The End

I started Race 2 from P7 after another car broke down on the formation lap. I moved up to P5 before a safety car period brought the field back together. At the restart, I dropped to P8 but fought my way back through the pack. In the closing laps, I gave up a position to work with another car in the draft and try to catch the group ahead, but we ran out of time. After a last-lap battle and a photo finish, I held on to P5.

Building Strong Momentum

Following the P5 finish, this is the best I have felt with my car in a long time. It’s hard to believe it has taken a year and a half to get here, but we are finally competitive. More importantly, we finally have the confidence that the speed is there. Now it’s time to carry that momentum into Watkins Glen.

📸 Kbow Photography, cweis photo