RACE RESULTS: MEMPHIS

Two Kryderacing prepped cars were entered in the March 19-20 SCCA Nationals at Memphis Motorsports Park. David Pintaric was starting his second year of National level competition with his T-1 class Corvette. The weekend featured some rain but the track was almost dry for Sunday’s race. Note the word “almost”. Nearing the start of the last lap, David slipped on a small river running across the track as you enter the longest straight on the circuit. It cost him only a couple of miles per hour, but the couple of seconds lead over the third place car slowly evaporated as they sped down the half-mile straight. He was passed for second as they entered turn one. Unfortunately, he never had a chance to retake the position that lap. But third place points is a great start to the season.

The second car flying Kryderacing colors at Memphis was Mike Olivier’s SSC class Honda Civic. This was Mike’s first National event and he performed well. His fourth place finish is a good start towards earning an invitation to the SCCA Run-Offs in September. His next race will be May 7-8 at Gateway.
 

RACE RESULTS: SUMMIT POINT

Last year’s Summit Point SCCA National featured terrible weather with rain, cold, wind, and a few snow flakes. This year’s event was scheduled for April 2-3 and featured more of the same. Three cars were showing the big Kryderacing hood decals. The event actually started with a test session on Thursday, March 31. This was to be the first 2005 outing for Bill Pintaric’s Nissan 200SX in the new-for-2005 GT-Lite class. SCCA had combined the GT4 and GT5 classes for 2005. The GT4 cars were restricted (a lot) in horsepower when compared to 2004. We were guessing at gearing effects and lap times. We had also made what we believed to be significant improvements in the shocks over the Winter. So many things were unknown and untested that Bill asked Reed to test the car on Thursday (Bill could not be at the track). It turned out to be a good thing because two problems were discovered. Reed didn‘t get a lot of seat time, but Bill didn‘t have problems when he tested on Friday. Saturday’s two qualifying sessions were wet (morning) and damp (afternoon). Bill qualified second, but in the dry conditions of Sunday’s race he quickly moved to the lead and never looked back. Win #1 for 2005. His car was slower than last year so the engine restrictions are hurting, but the shock improvements offset some of the loss of time.

Gary Martz was making his first 2005 appearance in his Kryderacing assisted E-Production class Mazda RX-7. Gary struggled in the damp qualifying conditions and found himself sixth in class. He was also buried in the middle of a large group of cars in the multi-class field. When the race started Gary started finding his rhythm and was working his way through the field. As the race entered it’s last few laps he was into second (overall and class) and closing on the leader by over a second a lap. Both cars were also lapping slower cars and from time-to-time being balked. Gary was on the rear bumper of the winner as they took the checkered flag. Not a bad way to start Kryderacing’s day: a win and an almost win.

Our third car was David Pintaric’s Corvette. In the wet qualifying session David not only qualified faster than the ten other T-1 competitors, he beat the four 4-wheel drive T-2 cars. This caused quite a stir because everyone had assumed these T-2 cars would easily take the top four spots if it was raining. They had to settle for second through fifth. While this is David’s second season and he still makes a few (but fewer) mistakes, it has become very evident he is not only fast, but smooth behind the wheel. In the dry qualifying session he dropped to third behind two T-1 cars. On the first lap of the race he moved into second. For two-thirds of the race he stayed in second while three other cars fought over who got to ride his rear bumper. The cars were so evenly matched that position changes occurred only when someone made a mistake. Unfortunately bad luck reared its head when a defective clutch bleeder decided to start leaking. Eventually there was no fluid to work the clutch and David’s race was done.
 

RACE RESULTS: NELSON LEDGES

The weekend of April 23-24 should have featured normal springtime weather. Being a SCCA Driver’s School a little rain would also have been welcome. It’s always educational (and fun for the instructors) to watch the students cope with wet conditions. But the Mahoning Valley Region school at Nelson Ledges was not normal, at least from the weather standpoint. Sandi was Race Chairman and Bill Pintaric was Chief Instructor. Kryderacing had two cars rented for the event. Matt Carson was also going to school in Matt Miller’s Merkur. The instruction portions of the school went exceptionally well and most of the 37 students completed all the minimum requirements. No thanks to Mother Nature.

The forecast leading up to the school worsened with each day. First came a wet forecast, then wet and cold, then wet and colder, then (you guessed it) wet and possibility of snow. A couple of students cancelled but most braved the conditions. Saturday was supposed to be the better day and the school ran late into the day. The object was to minimize what needed done on the second day. Sunday featured the forecasted snow on the ground, but the track was clear. It was cold and windy (i.e. miserable) and everyone opted to start on time and try to get done as soon as possible. A hot lunch was served at 12:30 while the student logbooks were being filled out and everyone was loading for trips home and a warm shower.

As far as the two Kryderacing rentals were concerned, Dale Kennedy was driving the ITA class Nissan NX2000 and Scott Lane was in the ITS class Nissan 240SX. Both did exceptionally well and plan on being back May 14-15 to complete their second school. Scott Lane is the Nelson Ledges Track Manager. One of his observations after the school was a belief he will have a better understanding when drivers make comments regarding track surface and conditions.

Brett Mars was also at the driver’s school in a SSC Mazda3 on which Kryderacing had preformed some recent work. Brett didn’t need the school requirement but was after some track time in what was a new car for him.
 

MATT CARSON

Matt was also attending the school. He has returned from a year in Iraq and is back working in our shop. Last year he acquired a Datsun Z car for ITS. The car had previously raced but needed some updates and repairs. When it looked like it would not be done in time for the school, Kryderacing Shop Manager Matt Miller offered his ITE class Merkur. Matt Carson did very well at the school and is trying to complete the Z in time for the May school.
 

RACE REPORT: NELSON LEDGES

The weekend of April 30-May 1 saw SCCA Regional Racing’s racing first 2005 event at Nelson Ledges. Kryderacing again had two cars rented. Matt Leskovec was driving the NX2000 and Walt Morris was behind the wheel of the 240SX. The event was a Double Regional sanctioned by the Steel Cities Region of the SCCA. Saturday’s activities started wet and cold. Both drivers were very cautious during their two qualifying sessions. Matt is a veteran Formula Vee driver and is not used to things like a roof over his head and front wheel drive. Walt was driving in only his second race. It was also his first in this car and his first at Nelson Ledges. It was cold, but dry by race time and both drivers completed the event. Sunday’s events were all cold and with a threat of rain increasing as the day went along. Both drivers lowered their best lap times in qualifying. They proceeded to lower them dramatically during the afternoon races. Matt ended up fifth in ITA but turned the third quickest time during the race. Walt lowered his best lap time by four seconds and would have been mid-pack in ITS except for a shifter problem with two laps to go.
 

ONE LAP OF AMERICA

Followers of our activities will remember last year’s One Lap report. Reed and car owner John Bender finished second in a slightly modified Cadillac CTS-V. Since last year’s event the car has been modified further. It won the “Car & Driver” sedan portion of the Fast Car Shootout between some of the best tuners in the country. Chuck Mallett’s shop had actually prepped the car. Both John and Reed were looking forward to this year’s event. A couple of top competitors (including the winner of the past several years) had actually changed classes because of the level of competitiveness we would be bringing. Unfortunately the CTS-V was involved in an accident and repairs could not be done properly prior to the start of One Lap on April 29.
 

OPEN TRACK CHALLENGE

The Open Track Challenge has a new time-frame for 2005. The event starts August 10th at Reno-Fernley Raceway (a new location for the event), then moves 250 miles the next day to Thunderhill. A long 450 mile drive to Willow Springs follows. The next nights drive is only 100 miles and concludes at Buttonwillow. Buttonwillow features two days of competition on different track configurations. Reed will once again team with car-owner Russ Wilson in the Corvette ZR-1. Their previous three competitions have resulted in two Seconds and a Third in the Touring One class. There is a possibility they will move up to the Unlimited One class this year.
 

2005 KRYDERACING REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

This Nelson Ledges Regional series is back again in 2005. How many years has this series been around? Let’s just say if you were a young single adult when the series started, today you could very easily be watching you kid race while you baby-sitted your grandkids. The 2005 schedule is:

April 30-May 1 Steel Cities Region Double Regional
June 11-12 Finger Lakes Region Double Regional
July 9-10 NEOhio Region Double Regional
October 15-16 Mahoning Valley Region Double Regional
October 29-30 Western New York Region Regional (Double Points)
November 19 Awards Banquet
 

#57 Restoration

Years ago we referred to our IMSA GTU Nissan 240SX as “the GTU car”. When we had two cars in 1997 we started calling them #57 and #52. #52 was one of the factory built cars and we had sold it to a collector near the end of 1997. #57 returned in 1998 and 1999 for two final runs at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. This car was designed and built in 1990 following the total destruction of our GTU Nissan 300ZX at the Sebring 12 Hour. Construction was rushed (ten and a half weeks from decision to build to first track test) and some of the early outings brought weaknesses to our attention. #57 ran its first Daytona in 1991. Over the next nine years it competed eight times, finishing six events. It also took Reed to several top ten finishes in the IMSA season standings. We are in the process of compiling a complete record.

Meanwhile the car has sat in our garage. Several times we have made attempts at starting a restoration, only to find time is an issue. But this past Winter has seen some actual progress. We have no timetable but hope to have the car at a vintage event in the next year or two. It should be a rarity. Most of the tube-frame cars from its era ended up in Central or South America.
 

www.kryderacing.com

We mentioned the website at the start of this newsletter. It is interesting to us the number of people who look at it regularly. Sandi has been posting Kryderacing Series race results and point standings, the racing activities of our many clients are frequently detailed, entry forms (or methods of contact) for most of the Nelson Ledges races can be found, and the “:Garage” area is obviously viewed because we get requests from all over the world for parts, magazines, and assorted items.
 

UPCOMING EVENTS

May 7-8 SCCA National races at Gateway (St Louis). Mike Olivier (SSC Honda) and David Pintaric (T-1 Corvette) are scheduled to race.

May 14-15 SCCA Drivers School at Nelson Ledges. Dale Kennedy (ITA Nissan NX2000), Scott Lane (ITS Nissan 240SX), and Matt Carson (???) are all planning
                           their second schools.  Reed is scheduled to instruct.

May 14-15 SCCA National races at Grattan. Mike Olivier (SSC Honda) wants to attend.

May 21-22 SCCA National races at Blackhawk. Possibility if Mike doesn’t go to Grattan.

May 28-29 SCCA National races at Nelson Ledges. All five of our national level drivers and cars should be running. Sandi is Race Chairman. It will be a busy weekend.