If you follow NASCAR you are aware of the constant talk about “burn-out” because of the number of races and minimum of time in between.  Lately the crew at Kryderacing could have complained about “burn-out”.  Instead, everyone has been doing a great job and we hope it continues.  What are we talking about?  Read on.
 

RACE RESULTS: SCCA GATEWAY NATIONAL (May 7-8)

Mike Olivier was running his second MidWest Division National with his SSC class Honda.  He finished a respectable third.  This completed part of his requirements to qualify for the SCCA National Championships in September.  To qualify, a driver must finish in the top ten in division class points, start at least four Nationals, finish at least three Nationals, and run at least two Nationals within their division of record.  Mike has his Division requirements finished.  Now its just a matter of running at least two more races and obtaining sufficient points.

Last year David Pintaric scored a second place finish at a Gateway National.  This year he was definitely faster, maybe too fast.  During the second qualifying session, immediately after turning a new best lap, the car spun exiting the first turn area.  The inside cement barrier stopped his progress but the body damage wasn’t pretty.  The good news was the car was repairable (thanks to a Herculean effort by Kryderacing’s Matt Miller) and could start the race.  The bad news was there was still sufficient damage to limit lap speeds and David had to settle for a fourth place finish in the T-1 class.
 

RACE TEST: GTL at NELSON LEDGES (May 13th)

Bill Pintaric tested transmission linkages in his Nissan GTL class car at Nelson Ledges Road Course.  The linkage has been the source of numerous problems in the past and we had three different versions to try.  One of the variations was found to be a solution to the linkage problems, but was difficult to actually operate due to it’s length and position.  It was deemed a good, but undesirable, solution.  Another system always worked great for 8-10 laps but then problems would start.  When all was said and done, we were back to the original set-up.  We have replaced all the rod-ends in the original set-up, but do not believe that is the ultimate solution.
 

RACE RESULTS: SCCA DRIVERS SCHOOL AT NELSON LEDGES (May 14-15)

This was the second SCCA Driver’s School at Nelson Ledges this year.  Both Matt Miller and Reed Kryder were instructing as well as working on various Kryderacing vehicles.  Sandi was crewing and selling gas from the Kryderacing gas facilities at the track.  The continuing improvements at Nelson Ledges were again in evidence and a larger than normal school attendance shows increased interest in local road racing.

Dale Kennedy was in the Kryderacing Nissan NX2000 ITA class rental car.  This was Dale’s second school and he successfully completed all the requirements.  Nelson Ledges Track Manager Scott Lane was once again in our Nissan 240SX ITS car and he also completed his requirements.  Kryderacing employee Matt Carson was in Matt Miller’s ITE class Merkur XR4Ti and completed his requirements.  Mr. Carson says he will have his ITS class Datsun 240Z ready in the near future.

One sad note from the weekend was the death of Glenn Miller.  Glenn, a long-time SCCA corner worker, was flagging at station #11 on Sunday when a car lost control and hit him.  We won’t go into the details of the accident other then to comment it just seemed to be a case of several things happening quickly and Glenn had little, if any, time to get out of the way.  Glenn had crewed for Kryderacing at last year’s Run-Offs.  He also had Reed flagging for about two minutes on Saturday (until then, Reed had never worked a corner station in his thirty plus years of racing).  RIP, Glenn.
 

RACE: MID-OHIO ALMS (May 20-22)

A rare weekend off.  So what do we do?  Reed and Sandi headed for the race track.  It was a great way to visit a lot of our old friends from our pro racing days.
 

RACE RESULTS: SCCA NELSON LEDGES NATIONAL (May 27-29)

Before we get to individual results, it should be mentioned this was the largest SCCA National entry at Nelson Ledges in as much as twenty years.  It is evident the improvements at the facility are having a positive impact.  It also helped that Sandi was both Race Chairman and Chief Registrar for the event.  She has a lot of experience with what works and what doesn’t.

Kryderacing shop manager Matt Miller finally found time to drive Bill Pintaric’s GP class Datsun 510.  Matt had taken the car to the Run-Offs last year and was hoping to do it again in 2005.  He started the year off with a 5th Place finish.

Bill Pintaric managed a 2nd Place in GTL.  This wasn‘t easy because the transmission was slowly self destructing during the entire race.

David Pintaric qualified well with his Corvette in the T-1 class, but was “punted” on the first lap.  He managed to come back to a 6th Place finish.  With this finish, David completed all his requirements for an invitation to the 2005 Run-Offs.  He and his family also hosted a Saturday evening party at his house for all the visiting T1 and T2 competitors.  Sandi and Reed were stuck at the track (as Race Chairman, Sandi has responsibilities), but we heard the party was a great success.

Gary Martz won the EP class with his Mazda RX-7.  It is becoming evident that Gary is able to lead or challenge for the lead in just about every race he runs this year.
 

RACE RESULTS: SCCA MID-OHIO NATIONALS (June 4-5)

Mike Olivier moved a step closer to his Run-Offs invitation with a finish in the SSC class.  The competition was tough in terms of both quantity and quality and Mike failed to add to his point total, but he was credited with a finish.  One more start and his invite to September’s National Championships at Mid-Ohio will become just a matter of points (and he should make the top ten).

Bill Pintaric was leading the GTL class when his transmission again became a problem.  This time it was a total failure and a dnf.  But along the way he ran a lap time only 0.1 seconds off the lap record.  We obviously have work to do on the transmission.  Matt Miller also dnf’d with the GP class Datsun 510.  Gary Martz finished third in EP.  It wasn’t Kryderacing’s best outing of the year, but we learned a lot and will be better prepared the next time.
 

RACE RESULTS: SCCA LIME ROCK NATIONALS (June 10-11)

David Pintaric skipped the Mid-Ohio National so he could concentrate on the NeDiv points chase.  This was David’s first trip to Lime Rock and he finished a respectable third in the T1 class.  Matt Miller handled the crewing for David.
 

RACE RESULTS: SCCA NELSON LEDGES DOUBLE REGIONAL (June 11-12)

Bill Schauer was running for the first time in 2005.  Bill has been a regular renter of our Nissan 240SX from the days of SSB class competition though its current ITS class configuration.  He has more wins in the car than anyone else.  The field was very competitive on this particular weekend and Bill managed sixth place finishes on both days.  Our tire selection also contributed to poorer finishes than Bill is accustomed.  Usually he runs the Goodyear GS-CS tires, but we had some very healthy tires from another company and were curious as to their competitiveness.  Bill would be the best choice to determine this since he has the most competitive laps in the car.  He felt the Goodyear’s were about a second a lap faster.  Now we knew for sure.
 

RACE RESULTS: SCCA BEAVERUN NATIONAL (June 17-19)

Bill Pintaric had a difficult race with some very tough competition and finished third in GTL driving his Nissan.  But the transmission didn’t fail.  David Pintaric looked to be doing very well and finished fourth in T-1 with his Corvette.  After the race we discovered something which made the finish very impressive.  On the third or fourth lap something happened with the right front ABS and he locked up the brakes.  The tire was severely flat-spotted and the resulting vibration was severe enough to loosen bolts in the hub assembly.  Enough of the tire carcass cords were worn away to create a scary looking bulge in the tire (we quickly relieved the air pressure).  The car probably would have blown the tire and/or had a hub failure within another lap or two.  The fourth place looked pretty good.

Matt Miller kept the Datsun 510 running the entire race and recorded a sixth place finish in G-Production. Mike Olivier finished tenth in SSC and Gary Martz posted another win in E-Production.
 

RACE RESULTS: SCCA MID-OHIO DOUBLE REGIONAL (July 2-3)

It wasn‘t a National weekend, but the Kryderacing vehicles were busy.  Reed was running for the first time in 2005 and recorded a fifth and an eleventh place finish driving the Kryderacing ITS class Nissan 240SX.  The fifth on Saturday was on some older tires and he was hoping for better results on Sunday when a new set of tires would be on the car.  Qualifying looked promising and he lowered the best lap time ever recorded by this car by over a second.  But a spin ended his hopes of a high finish.

Matt Miller was one of the twenty plus ITS competitors with his Mazda RX-7.  He is always near the front of the group and finished seventh on Saturday and fifth on Sunday.

Matt Carson was running his first race.  Matt2, as we call him at the shop, had completed his two school requirements driving Matt Miller’s Merkur.  He had bought a used ITS class Datsun 240Z, but the car needed some serious updating.  Matt2 put a lot of work into the car and was determined to make this race weekend.  He didn’t get much sleep prior to the weekend while chasing wiring and suspension problems he had discovered late in the rebuild process.  The wiring was resolved but a bent left rear suspension arm could not be corrected and he drove the car with about 3/4ths inch toe-in (1/32nd per corner is closer to correct).  Needless to say, the car’s handling was a problem.  But he finished both his races and now has met the requirements for a Regional license.

Mike Olivier was back running his first Regional level race since starting National level competition with his SSC class Honda Civic.  It was obvious his skill level has improved due to running at the higher levels.  He didn’t win either race, but he always had the leader in sight while finishing third on Saturday and second on Sunday.
 
Bruce Keillor was driving the Kryderacing ITA class Nissan NX2000.  The ITA class was combined with the ITS class and the resulting field was large with well over forty cars.  Bruce finished a very respectable 15th and 17th in his two races.

Also in the same race was Kraig Hopkins in a Kryderacing built ITA class Honda Civic.  This car was originally built for someone else several years ago.  Mark Hopkins (Kraig’s dad) bought it two years ago and has been doing additional modifications.  The car still flies the Kryderacing logo on the hood.  We were impressed with Kraig‘s ninth and eighth place finishes, especially since he is just getting started.
 

RACE RESULTS: SCCA NELSON LEDGES DOUBLE REGIONAL (July 9-10)

Bruce Keillor was once again in the Nissan NX2000 and posted a seventh and sixth place finish in the ITA class.  Another significant first for this weekend was Matt2’s initial assignment as the solo representative for Kryderacing.  In what had become a busier and busier summer, we had found it necessary to split our manpower in order to handle client demands.  Matt2 did a terrific job.
 

RACE RESULTS: SCCA WATKINS GLEN NATIONAL (July 9-10)

While Matt2 was at Nelson Ledges, the rest of the crew was at the Watkins Glen National.  This event always draws a large, competitive field and it is a great place compare yourself to other front runners in preparation for the National Championships in September.  Due to a technicality, Bill Pintaric was forced to start last with his GTL class Nissan 200SX.  He had a great race and turned some very quick times, but the starting position relegated him to a sixth place finish.

Something happened to David Pintaric during the first lap fights for position and he found himself backing into the guardrail as he went into the “boot” area.  Like his brother he had to battle from the back of the field to a sixth place finish.

Gary Martz was also off his normal pace this weekend, but still salvaged a fifth in EP.
 

RACE RESULTS: MID-OHIO SCCA DOUBLE REGIONAL (July 30-31)

Once again it was an off weekend as far as National racing was concerned.  Both Matts were running their ITS class cars.  Matt Miller recorded fourth place finishes both days with his Mazda RX7.  Matt Carson had the rear suspension alignment problem corrected on his Datsun 240Z and was turning respectable lap times for a beginner.  He’s serious about this and we expect to see him joining Miller in the front of the field before too many more races are run.  Also, we don’t know the finishing position, but Matt Miller reported the Hopkins Honda as being extremely competitive in ITA during the weekend.
 

RACE RESULTS: GATEWAY SCCA NATIONAL (August 6-7)

Mike Olivier had earned enough points to assure himself of a Third Place finish in the MidWest Division SSC Championship.  But he wanted another “in division” race for some additional recognition.  While the rest of the Kryderacing crew traveled east to Pocono, Sandi and Mike headed west to Gateway (St. Louis area).  They skipped all the Saturday on-track activities and ran only the Sunday qualifying session.  Mike placed his Honda Civic second in the field and went on to finish in the same position.  It was well worth the trip.  He probably would have had a win if he hadn’t invited his good friend, Rob Piekarczyk, to join him in the trip.  Rob also runs in SSC.  He won the pole and the race.
 

RACE RESULTS: POCONO SCCA DOUBLE NATIONAL (August 5-7)

This was the busiest weekend in Kryderacing history, at least from the standpoint of races being run.  In addition to the above Gateway activity there were five vehicles with Kryderacing logos on their hoods at Pocono.  Bill Pintaric finished second on Saturday and was leading the GTL field on Sunday until his carb linkage broke.  Bill has all but clinched the GTL Championship in NeDiv for the second year in a row.

David Pintaric had similar results.  He finished third on Saturday, only to develop overheating problems on Sunday with his T1 class Corvette.  Matt Miller was running the G-Production Datsun 510 again and recorded third and fourth place finishes.  He has now qualified for his second National Championship entry.  Gary Martz finished second on Saturday and was leading the EP class on Sunday when his transmission developed a race-ending problem.

Brett Mars has been running Regionals this year in a SSC class Mazda3 he acquired late last year.  Kryderacing has been doing some maintenance on the car between events.  Brett’s game plan was to run Regionals this year and move up to Nationals in 2006  At one time we considered renting this car for Mike Olivier to use at the Run-Offs (Brett’s Mazda3 appears faster than Mike’s Honda Civic).  But Matt Miller has come up with a scheme to get Brett to the Run-Offs this year.  In a plan similar to what Reed did with David Pintaric’s Corvette two years ago, Matt found just enough race dates (four) to meet the minimum eligibility requirements.  All Brett had to do was get three finishes, a start in the fourth race, and enough points to place him in the top ten in points.  The competitiveness of Brett and the car was the biggest question mark.  That was answered on Saturday when Brett finished second in his first National race.  He improved that on Sunday with a win.  Looks like the Kryderacing paddock area at the Run-Offs may need additional space.
 

RACE RESULTS: GRATTAN SCCA NATIONAL (August 13-14)

Bill Pintaric clinched his second NeDiv season Championship with a second place finish at Grattan.  It was Bill’s first trip to this Michigan track and he had qualified third.  There were roughly half a dozen GTL entries and something we have never seen in a field of this size occurred  -  No one was running at the finish.  Bill had a clutch problem on the twentieth lap.  At that point everyone but the leader had already broken.  The leader lasted only one more lap before he also had problems.

Brett Mars was continuing his quest to qualify for the Run-Offs.  After second and first place finishes at Pocono he found the going a little rougher at Grattan.  But his ninth place finish puts him only a start away from reaching his Run-Offs goal.  The only National race left is the coming weekend at Mid-Ohio.
 

RACE RESULTS: MID-OHIO SCCA NATIONAL (August 20-21)

David Pintaric (Corvette Z06) finished his National race season with a seventh place in a very competitive (it seemed as if all the Run-Offs qualifiers were in attendance) T-1 field.  Brett Mars (Mazda3), Rob Piekarczyk ((Mazda Protege), and Mike Olivier (Honda Civic) finished third, eighth, and eleventh in SSC.  Gary Martz (Mazda RX7) recorded a third in E-Production whilst complaining his gearing wasn’t correct for the new engine.  All are qualified for the Run-Offs scheduled September 19-25 at Mid-Ohio.
 

RACE RESULTS: BEAVERUN SCCA DOUBLE REGIONAL (August 20-21)

While the rest of the crew was at Mid-Ohio, Reed and Sandi had originally planned on being at BeaveRun with another client in one of our rental cars.  When the client had to cancel Reed decided it would be a good time to enjoy some racing himself.  Saturday’s race was a disaster when Reed decided to run rain tires.  Rain did come, but it was too late in the race.  Reed finished fifth in the Kryderacing ITS class Nissan 240SX.  Sunday‘s race was dry and while he ran hard all race, he couldn‘t catch the three class leading BMW‘s.
 

The Run-Offs are next.  It is going to be a crowded and busy Kryderacing area in the paddock.  Full report to follow