Pocono PCA club race, June 5-6 1999

Mike Piera '73 911RS Class E

My 2nd race of 1999 was the Porsche Club of America's race at Pocono
in Pennsylvania, where the NASCAR guys race. The track's facilities were
under a major rebuild for NASCAR, so we were forced to use a small area of the
pits not very close to the part of the track that we were racing on.
We had SUPERB weather again (rare for Pocono), which
made for 2 races in the Northeast in a row where I didn't even pack my rain tires.

Friday night after unloading and teching the car, I and John Manifold who came
down to help me, walked the North Course at Pocono. The North course
uses the left side of the tri-oval (as viewed from the grandstands)
and an infield course. You can get an idea of the track by visualizing the
leftmost loop of the picture at :

http://www.na-motorsports.com/Tracks/images/pocono/pocono1.gif

The portion of the track on the tri-oval seemed very long and fast, but
since we entered it at low speed it was not really faster at the end than the
straight at Lime Rock (about 120). The infield portion was pretty tight and
smooth except for some terrible ridges in the turns in 2 places, just like
someone had carved rumble strips in the track! We also noted that there
was pretty bad drop-off if you left the track so I decided to stay on course
all weekend.

Saturday morning I ran my ancient BFGs to learn the course. I followed
some cars so I could learn the course better, but was having problems
carrying speed from the infield onto the oval, and off the oval onto the
infield. Coming onto the oval there is a tight right-hander with a dip/bump
right at the apex, and the WALL casting a glare on you through the corner.
I was taking the corner with a very late and safe apex but not very fast, and the
car was bogging in 3rd gear there under 4K RPM. Other cars were pulling away from
me on the banking. The car was also plowing on the infield on the BFGs.

After 2 practice sessions, I decided to put the Hoosiers on and went over a second
faster. I was now able to stay with the cars that were pulling away from me, but they
were still faster on the banking. I was about one second slower than the consistently
fast F class 911s that I usually run with, so I was pretty happy for my 1st time on the
track. After one practice session with the Hoosiers, we had 3 practice starts followed by a
short race. I learned NOT to be on the outside coming into the infield, as several 
cars passed me there as I slowed to keep away from the apex on turn in.
Also several cars passed coming up to the lefthander which had a waving yellow...

Sunday morning we had one practice, then qualifying, and then the race. 
In the practice
I was able to use some advice given by Mark Forrester and others to improve my
time to a 1:00.5 which was a little faster than the F guys ran in that session, so I 
was VERY happy! It was also 2nd fastest of the E class cars, with Dr. John's 944 Turbo-S
on G-forces way out ahead, and a few cars close behind. So I thought I could qualify
well which is VERY important at Pocono where there are not many passing opportunities.

In qualifying we were told it was a full green, with no yellow lap, so quickly I passed a 944T-S that
was ahead of me due to not using the morning's times for gridding but the previous days.
Then half way down the straight he came up out of nowhere to pass me back!!!
I let him get ahead so I could warm my tires and feel out the car, then went for some
fast laps but kept catching up to him without being able to pass. Then a car died on the
course and we were black flagged, losing valuable time. Once we went out again, I had to
slow to let some fast GT4 cars by, then decided it was time for a fast lap. Getting up to speed
to take the banking I saw the checkered flag come out... DRATS!!!!
 
Somehow I managed to get in a decent lap only a few tenths from my morning run and qualify
in 3rd, just ahead of the 944T-S who held me up in the session (heh heh). But I was behind a 911
Carrera 2. Even with 3rd in E, I was gridded pretty far back in our group of cars lead by fast
GT4S cars like Chris Musante, a GT5R 914, and a FAST 993 cup car in class B. There were
a few fast D and E cars up towards the front too, Rock Rookie in his D 911RS and a few 944TS
and cup cars. Rock was about a second faster than me, though I was a tick faster than he was
at Lime Rock. Must have been coming onto and off of the oval.

My car was running and handling fine so I just added gas, and to be safe in impound put one
of my rear BGFs in the spare tire compartment instead of the front BFG. I had to deflate it
and push HARD to make it fit!! I didn't even bleed my brakes the whole weekend.
I did check my tire temps and discovered that my front could use more camber than the 2 degrees that I had. The rear was fine at about 2.75. 

For the race I was glad to be in the inside lane, with the C2 in the lane ahead on the left (outside)
and the 944TS on my left. I tried hard not to be killed at the start like I have in all previous
races, and it must have worked as I hit my gas as soon as I saw the green and only one
car got past, the same red 944TS that cheated us at Lime Rock I think. But I stayed hard
on the inside heading into the infield and got ahead of the two E cars on my left!!!

I soon found myself at the tail end of a group of cars lead by the red 944TS flag jumper,
with a C class 930 Turbo, and a D class 911 RS America. This group was holding me up
in the infield, especially the lefthander, though they were pretty fast on the banking.
The C2 who I had passed was right on me in the lefthander because I had to slow
so much for the group ahead. Once he got almost alongside me going into the
following right hander but I was able to hold him off, and always pulled away from him
by 10-20 car lengths on the banking somehow, which he mostly made up getting back into the
infield.

I was hoping the 930 could get by all of them on the banking but somehow he could not
for several laps. Finally, in the lefthander the red 944TS spun right in front
of our group, and I kept on the gas and got around him on the right. Everyone else got by
also but the C2 had to go off course but soon caught up to us. Soon I was able to
pass the RS America in the lefthander by getting inside him and staying ahead
to the right-hander, but by the middle of the straight he rocketed past me as if he turned
on the nitrous! Later he told me that he used my idea of dropping it to 2nd gear to get a
good run onto the banking... I should keep my mouth shut!

I was close to him several more times in the lefthander, and when he got loose getting
on the banking, but was unable to pass though I think my lap times must have been faster
since I was a lot faster in the left hander. The C2 never got too close towards the end of the race.
The lead B and GT4 cars were in my mirrors on the straight, I guessed they would catch me
by the lefthander. The B class Cup car passed at the end of the banking, but I did not slow
much so the others did not all get by, just 1 or 2 in the first infield turn. Then I let Chris
Musante's GT4S 911 by in the lefthander but tried not to slow TOO much as the C2 was
back there... I got back up to speed then the checkered flag came out. I guess I would not have
been lapped if I hadn't lost time running in that group so long. But I could not have caught
Dr. John who ran a strong race so I was very happy with my 2nd place finish!

There were a few incidents in other groups.
At Pocono, after the green flag you are on the fastest part of the course -
the tri-oval, and have to slow down a bit to make it through the kink onto 
the infield course. In class F, after the green, a 911 dove into the turn on
the inside way too fast, hitting Henk's 911's RR wheel squarely with
his door, then spinning off the course along with Henk (about 100MPH??).
This driver was already on probation so is out for 13 months now. Mark 
Forrester has two (!) racecams in his car, one pointed back, which caught the
action which occurred just behind him. Mark finished second and
Jeff Burger 3rd (Bob Scotto had tranny problems Saturday so did not race).
 
It also appeared that 2 GT2 cars came together on Saturday, but at least
one was back on Sunday with a broken exhaust replaced.
 
In the big bore group, Mike Bavaro's Tiger car took the win again,
and most of the post-race prizes.
 
If Pocono would fix the ridges in the lefthander, and widen the entry and 
exit to the oval, this would be a decent track (but still not a good track
for passing opportunities). Also the bump getting onto the oval caused
quite a few spins and near spins.

I met a lot of people who recognized me from the Internet, thanks
for saying hi!

Regards, mike piera  AnalogMike@aol.com  '72 911S Targa, '73 911RS Replica

 ~^v^~ aNaLoG.MaN ~^v^~  vintage guitars   www.analogman.com