MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

Everyone at Kryderacing extends seasons greetings to all our friends.  2007 has been a very busy year for us and we are looking forward to the coming year.
 

Viper for sale

David Pintaric is selling his T-1 Viper.  The car was originally built by Phoenix and maintained by Kryderacing.  This was the fastest Viper at the 2007 SCCA Run-Offs where David qualified sixth overall and ran in fourth in the early parts of the race.  We all feel a podium would have been the final result if not for one small metal-to-metal during the race which lead to a bent rim.  The car is probably the fastest one around and can be very competitive wherever it is raced.  Kryderacing could continue maintaining the car if the new owner desired.  Why is David selling it?  Probably the biggest reason is he can’t sit still.  There is always something new out there which grabs his interest and/or offers a new challenge.  He will probably continue to race the Viper until it is sold.  All the info on the Viper can be found on the SCCA Forums.  Contact David or Kryderacing for additional details.
 

Performance Racing Industry Show

Reed, Sandi, Matt Miller, and Gary Martz all traveled to Orlando for this year’s PRI Show.  It was the 20th anniversary of the event.  Sandi and Reed attended the original when it was held in Louisville.  Reed has missed a few due to other obligations, but Sandi has a perfect attendance record.  We see a lot of old friends, make some new ones, and learn a lot about new products.   This year was no exception.  Some of the highlights were:

* We learned about the two new items available from HANS.  The new, less costly HANS device should be well received by club racers.  It is slightly heavier than the normal units, but offers the same safety advantages at a lower cost.  We have heard the NASA organization will start requiring HANS (or alternative head and neck restraint systems) mid-2008.  There may be a shortage of units available when this rule goes into effect so place your order early.  HANS also had a new tether available which allows increased rotation of the head while not reducing the effectiveness of the HANS device.  These pieces will be available soon and can be retrofitted to previous devices.  Kryderacing is an official HANS dealer.
* SCCA and Mazda appear to have come to some type of agreement to continue working together in the future.  I don’t know what exactly led to the dispute, but the rumor mill was filled with various “stories“, most of them suggesting a split between SCCA and Mazda was imminent.  We talked with a large number of SCCA racers during the show since a large percentage of our business is in that arena.  Even non-Mazda people were concerned about the rumors they had heard.  Both the SCCA and Mazda officials we talked with expressed a desire to continue working together.  By the end of the show they had reached an agreement to do just that.
* Bill Mitchell had been a name Reed became familiar with back in the days when he was a race tire engineer for Goodyear.  Bill has been one the leading thinkers and computer simulation programmers in suspension geometry for a long time.  His programs are used by many of the top team engineers in the sport.  Reed finally got to meet him at the show.  They talked briefly about Carroll Smith, whom they had both known.  And of course, Reed had a few questions regarding suspensions.
* Matt was studying data acquisition systems, cameras, steering pieces, and several other items for our customers.  Gary was searching for new pieces and tools to be used for his EP Mazda.  Reed and Sandi managed to visit maybe a third of the places on their “to-do” list.
* A lot of time at the show is spent visiting past acquaintances.  We bumped into long-time friends Don Knowles and Steve Potter at the iracing.com motorsport simulations display.  They were both helping introduce this new racing experience.  We were told that early in 2008 it may be available.  Participants will be able to log on, practice, and race (against other people from around the world) on a variety of road courses and ovals.  The detail of the tracks was unbelievable and driving the cars was very realistic.  This is not a cheap video game. Steve managed to get Reed into one of the simulators for a few laps of Lime Rock Park.
* Brett Mars joined the group on Thursday for both show activities and dinner that evening.  Brett ran a Kryderacing assisted SSC class Mazda a couple of years ago.  This past year he had a SSC class Ford Focus, but for 2008 he will be in a T2 class Nissan 350Z.  As soon as the painting is finished the car will visit our shop for some suspension work.
* Another Kryderacing client, Rob Piekarcyzk, joined us Friday evening.  Rob will continue racing his T3 class Mazda RX8 in 2008 and we are working with him on plans to run a Mazda MX5 in the 24-Hour race at Nelson Ledges.  The MX5 may do a few races in another series as well.
* One of the highlights of the trip was Friday’s dinner.  Reed and Sandi had discovered a great steak house last year.  They were joined by Matt, Gary, and Rob this year.  The food and service at Vito’s Chop House was once again outstanding.
 

Christmas Party

Several years ago we started having a Christmas party at our house for our clients and employees.  This year we lost a few attendees due to a major snow storm that evening, but the rest of us had a great time reliving some of the stories from the past year and watching videos from the most recent SCCA Run-Offs.  One problem we faced this year was the growth of the business leading to a problem with the guest list.  While Sandi loves to entertain, our house simply isn’t that big.  We’ll figure something out for 2008.
 

Dual National at Nelson Ledges

It’s finally going to happen.  For several years there have been attempts by the track and local SCCA Regions to run a “Dual National” at Nelson Ledges.  For one reason or another the idea was never approved.  Most of the approval problems centered around confusion between the “Double National” and “Dual National” concepts.  Everyone was familiar with a “Double” and many people thought this would be more of the same.  There have always been attempts to minimize the number of “Double” events.

A “Dual” is similar but differs in a couple of significant ways.  The "Double” is sanctioned by one or more SCCA Regions from the same division and combines a lot of the activities (registration, practice & qualifying, etc) while creating two points-race opportunities.  The “Dual” concept features two totally separate events sanctioned by two different Regions from two different divisions.  The key phrase is “separate events”.  While the events occur on the same track on the same weekend, everything else is separate.  It creates the opportunity for cars from two divisions to compete in two point-races with a minimum of travel.  This four-day event is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend.
 

MARRS Returns To Nelson Ledges

The MARRS Regional races at Nelson Ledges this past year saw the biggest field of cars in many years.  Everyone thought the event was a giant success in many different ways, not just the high entry.  As a result it will return on the weekend of July 12-13 in 2008.  We will include a full Nelson Ledges Road Course schedule in a future newsletter.
 

FAST START FOR 2008

First off, Reed and Sandi will be going to the Rose Bowl.  Reed has a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Illinois.  Longtime friends (and California residents), Russ Wilson and Paul Arevalo, are making the trip even more enjoyable by including us in their New Year’s festivities, including a party and Rose Bowl Parade seats.  Then it’s off to Daytona for the Koni and Rolex races.  After a successful 2007 season helping Team Phoenix, Kryderacing has been asked to return.  Our responsibilities include handling all aspects of the Mazda RX8 in the Koni race and assisting with the team Corvettes in the Rolex 24-Hour event.  Shortly after Daytona, Sandi and Reed will be off to San Antonio to represent the Mahoning Valley Region at the SCCA National Convention.

Meanwhile, back at the shop, there’s a 2006 Z06 Corvette getting roll bar and suspension work, a Viper receiving some minor body work, new shocks and steering being fitted to a GTL Nissan, a Nissan 240SX being converted to E-Production rules, two Honda Civics receiving new suspension pieces, and a Q45 engine swap in progress.  We also have several clients waiting for word on possible rule changes before they make 2008 plans.

Check www.kryderacing.com for weekly updates.