|
| Factory
Five Challenge Series Nor Cal Region Race 5 and 6,
Thunder Hill Raceway,
May 11-12, 2002 |
 |
|
| The race
weekend started out with Friday's test and tune at Thunder Hill
Raceway. Bob Evans arrived first and secured a great pit spot for
the group. Then Mike Easton, Steve Sparklin, and David and Mary
Borden arrived and set up camp. |
|
|
|
 |
Testing was successful for Mike, Bob and
David. Steve started really feeling comfortable in his car and
putting down some respectable lap times. About mid-afternoon, his
lower radiator hose let go, dumping all the coolant. At the end of
the session, the car was towed in and checked out. Unfortunately,
both head gaskets let go. Steve started tearing down the motor
while David and Mary ran to Chico (town) for head gaskets and other
needed pieces. Steve finished up the job in the morning, but was
unable to keep the car from getting hot. Even though he was unable
to run, Steve decided to hang with the group until Sunday morning. |
|
|
| Bob's friend, Paul, brought his 28 ft.
travel trailer full of very tasty food. He fed the group a steak
dinner Saturday night, and breakfast and lunch Sunday. We all
voted Paul the official FFR Challenge Series Chef and a great guy to
have around. |
|
| Saturday's practice went well with no
incidents. Qualifying showed David with the fastest time in the
FFR's and 4th out of an approximate 40 car field of Spec Racer Fords,
Baby Grand's, Legends, Super Unlimited, Pro-7, and GTI cup cars.
Mary Borden and Glenn signed up and ran in HPDE
group 1-2. Glenn was testing out his new sway bars and getting
more track experience. Mary did an awesome job muscling the #66
FFR Spec racer around the track, learning the line and building speed.
|
 |
|
|
| The FFR's Spec Racers started with a 2nd rolling
start after the field of Super Unlimited, Pro-7, and GTI cup cars.
David took the lead of the FFR's, with Bob and Mike close behind.
Bob and Mike ran a close race with a few lead changes. After
working his way through the majority of the field, David started getting
water spatter on his windscreen and helmet. The temperature on FFR
#66 started to go over 230 degrees. Trying to nurse the car around
and finish the race, the car started to ping, and run rough, so it was
time to bring her in. #66 took a rock in the radiator from another
car's off track excursion and put a large fountain sized hole in the
radiator. The rock ended David's race day. |
|
|
|
 |
Both Mike and David were struck in the rear by
Pro-7 cars. In David's case, he was pointed by between turn 7 and
8 and, after he made the pass, was struck, damaging the rear quick jacks
of his car. Mike wasn't so lucky. He pointed a Pro-7 by and
was struck hard in the rear doing a fair amount of damage to the rear of
the body and quick jacks. Mike was able to save the car from
hitting the back wall and made a pass on Bob to take the win! |
|
|
| After the race ended, David and Mike filed
reports with the race director and filled out body contact forms to
protest the damage caused by the other racers.
Hoping the heat and lack of coolant didn't
cause the kiss of death to his motor, David started to pull the
radiator. Steve had never been to the exciting town of Chico, so
he decided to tag along with Mary to check out the sites and pick up a
radiator. Thanks to Steve for suggesting a stop at True-Value
Hardware to pick up some screen to prevent radiator rock damage in the
future. |
 |
|
|
| Good thing these cars use stock mustang
parts!! Try finding a radiator at 5pm on a Saturday evening in
a little cow town :-). The radiator went in, and luckily the motor
was still good and ready for Sunday's race. |
|
| That evening Paul fixed a most delicious Steak
dinner for the racers...Mmmm good, thanks Paul!
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Sunday's practice and qualifying went well with
no contact. David qualified 1st with Bob and Mike in 2nd and
3rd. Sunday's race started the same as Saturday's, with the FFR's
doing a rolling start together after the other field started their
standing start. David and his new radiator took the lead in turn
one and started working his way to the other pack. Bob and Mike
ran close together for the entire race. David worked his way
through the field Super Unlimited, Pro-7, and GTI cup cars and found
himself behind the two leaders of the Pro-7 and the field. |
| Watching the two Pro-7 cars fight it out was great fun while waiting for
an opportunity to pass and not upset the race in front of him.
Coming off of turn 15 onto the straight, David passed the two lead cars
to take the overall field win, and the FFR Challenge series 1st place
points. Bob took the checker with a 2nd place and Mike with
3rd. This race was without incident and great fun! Everyone
on the track showed good sportsmanship. |
|
|
| Unfortunately, Spec Racers Soumen Sanyal, Tommie
Thompson, Ed Gavin, and Gary Summerset did not make it out to the event
as hoped, but we anticipate all to be at the next event.
|
|
| On the plus side, we had a number of
prospective customers come out to check out the FFR racers and street
cars. A big thanks to Glenn, Len and Matt for bringing out their
beautiful FFR street cars and answering questions for prospective FFR
customers. We all had a great time talking cars and spending time
with good friends. |
 |
|
|
| We hope to have 8-9 Spec Racers and a number of
Street Cars at the next event scheduled for June 29-30, at Thunder Hill
Raceway. Come out and visit with us in the pits and run your
Roadster in the HPDE events...or just hang out and talk cars with the
other owners!
-David Borden |
|
|
|
|
