Witchdoctor Motorsports
Chapter 116
Rami Goes to School!!
by Rami Cerone
Jealousy. That was the feeling that came across me. I was hanging a picture of a tube-framed Camaro owned and raced by a friend Paul Costas. He was nice enough to put my restaurant website and Anna's bikiniracer stickers on the front of his car during the Grassroot's Motorsports Ultimate Street Car challenge. The picture was going up in my restaurant and I had visions of people asking me if that was my car. My standard answer would be, as usual, no..I just do local autocrosses and my wife drag races. I was ready to change that answer....I just didn't know how. One call and email to Paul was all that it took. There was a 2-day SCCA school coming up in a few weeks and he knew of an RX7 from Chris Taylor at Taylor Rotorsports that was available for rent.
Paul told me all the things I wanted to hear but didn't know. Open-track days, which I have participated in were fun, but they were a different experience than actual racing. Track-days have limited passing zones, have point-to-pass rules, stay-on-your-racing line rules, etc. Actual road racing takes all of that and throws it out the window. Competition makes the 'racing line' change constantly depending on who and where you are trying to pass. Autocross, which I have participated in for years, is a blast, teaches great car control and dynamics but with only 4 minutes or so of actual seat time for an entire day, I wanted more. Road racing could be the ultimate rush..thrill..and experience. There was only one way to find out if it was for me or not.
I first signed up to join the SCCA. Quick and easy from the SCCA website and only $60 with a year's magazine subscription. Then what? I wrote to an email address from the website and asked what to do next. A novice permit was what I needed. $110 and a physical from my doctor friend Chris Robertson and that was in the mail. It was time to register for the event using the familiar DLBracing website that I used for registering for various autocross events. Easy enough...until the questions about car weight, transponder number, etc came up...I just entered 0 in almost every blank except for my name as Chris would take care of all those numbers on school weekend. My random email from the SCCA turned out to be Chris Taylor's mother...she was very helpful with tips and advice during this few weeks before the event.
Paul was generous enough to send me a spare race suit he had to wear during the school in addition to his HANS device. My old motorcycle helmet wasn't allowed, so helmet shopping time it was. I had an old issue of Grassroots Motorsports where they did reviews on various helmets. My main requirements were that the helmet have pre-installed HANS clips and not be made in China. Nothing against the Chinese, but lately I've been on a buy-American tangent. A few visits to advertiser websites and I found a deal on a Sparco helmet for only $399 (made in Italy, but for some reason, I don't mind supporting the Italians). UPR.com promised to put it in the mail so I'd have ample time to order another if the fit wasn't good. Racing shoes and gloves I already had. Paul reminded me that I needed nomex socks so I ordered those too.
The school weekend started on Friday night where we had to arrive, register and sit in a 2 hour classroom session. Registration was relatively painless since I only had to "tech" myself - my rental car for the weekend already had passed an annual tech inspection. After giving the SCCA $550, they checked my equipment for rules compliance...helmet, my cool-borrowed Alpine Stars GP2 driving suit, Nomex socks, shoes and gloves, Hans device and proper medical documentation affixed to my helmet. The tech crew began scaring me a bit at this time speaking of a: how nomex is good to prevent burns to the skin, but then it "sticks" to your skin which would then be removed in the hospital and b: the medical information form was important in case one needed to be "cut" out of a car. Yikes...I was excited...now they were making me nervous.
The classroom session was mainly directed to the safety of us and the workers. We learned all the flags that could be waved and stressed that was the only means of communication we had while on track. Rules were gone over lightly, but other than the stresses of keeping well-hydrated, that was all we learned in class.
The next morning started early at 7AM. I arrived to test fit into the racing seat and adjust the harness in my ITA-classed rental RX7. Chris owns a vinyl plotter so he made my day by putting my name on both sides of the car - a very cool touch. We met our instructor and did a "ride-along" in a street car for 20 minutes teaching us the lines, apexes and pointing out the corner stations that would be manned this weekend.
It was time to drive the RX7. Chris and his dad helped teach me how to get in the car, attach my 5-point harness, clip on my HANS, install the suede Sparco steering wheel and how to start the car. I was then able to get on the track playing "follow-the-leader" for 20 minutes. No passing, just time to get a feel for the track and our car. That was exciting but reminded me to look for earplugs for my next session as the unmuffled rotary with exhaust right under my seat was painfully loud at acceleration.
Again, we were stressed to keep drinking heavily throughout the day as Texas heat in mid-July on an open track is hot and humid. I must have used the restroom 6 times before 9AM. After that, I probably only used the restroom twice the entire day as I sweated all my fluids out.
Our next session was one lap of follow the leader and then we were "green-flagged" which meant go as we wish...passing....getting passed....just drive as we pleased as long as we were safe and in control of the car.
My first few sessions in the morning felt good and comfortable..random flags would appear at various times to make sure we were paying attention to the corner stations. The only flag I disliked was the "red flag" which meant stop where we were and wait for the safety car to come and get us. With the car running and no wind blowing it was scorching HOT in our suits and helmet while sitting on track waiting. Chris was nice enough to inform me towards the end of the SECOND day that I had a fan swich on the car that would blow semi-hot air towards my face. The switch was just far-enough away that I wouldn't have been able to reach while I was strapped into my harness ...but nice to know for next time.
My instructor was happy with my times and my progress. Said I looked smooth and was very consistent. Nice praise as my nervousness began to diminish a bit. The track became more comfortable and it was fun. Remember how go-kart racing feels? This was the same..except bigger, faster and much more fun.
My RX7 handled INCREDIBLY. It had a 3 link G-sport rear suspension that was amazing. The car was neutral as it never pushed, pulled, rolled or stepped out of line unless I messed up. I was actually very fast in the corners as compared to many of the cars out there. The car didn't have much straightline speed as it was still running the original 1985 motor with no modifications other than a Racing Beat carb. The brakes were a bit difficult to modulate, but after a few sessions, they felt good and fade-free as well.
Other cars out there that I was competing against (not competing in the literal sense, but one can't put a group of car guys on track and tell them not to compete) were 3 Spec Rx7s (same generation, not as many suspension mods, but more power), a Showroom Stock classed Mazda 3, a Protege, a BMW 325is, 3 spec Miatas, an old Saab and a Neon.
Towards the end of the day, they had us practice "rolling" starts and race that way. Amazing how scary it is going 3 or 4 deep in the corners...someone has to back-off. A passenger mirror I didn't have, but it was probably better that way as I would get nervous every time I saw a car close to my side. There were a few "bumps" throughout the weekend, thankfully none involving me. My confidence grew as a few passes were mine (as were a few that I smartly-backed away from). The RX7 ran flawlessly throughout the weekend. The battery-mount came loose during one session and I ran out of gas during another session and had to get towed back into the pits. Other than those small snafus, the car was perfect.
During our rolling starts, I happened to be on the front row all three times. All the cars would follow the pace car, then after the pace car exited, we would "bunch up" and wait for the green flag to fall. Well, the car next to me would slow down after the pace car went off...I thought (mistakenly) that he should catch up to me so I would keep my speed meaning that I would be up front and the bunch of all the other cars were behind me while waiting for the flag. Our race instructor John Phillips enjoyed nicknaming me "Mario" for the rest of the weekend for my "head-starts" during the simulated starts.
The next day was more of the same with more simulated starts and an actual "race" at the end of the day. On our race session, I passed a few cars and was having fun playing with a Mazda3. I felt faster than him in cornering, but couldn't get past him safely. I did have a blast "racing" him regardless as I would pace him and watch what he was doing and where I may have been able to pass. I ended up 6th of 14 with only the much faster cars beating me (Turbo Supra, a seriously fast 240sx, S2000, another 325i and the aforementioned Mazda 3).
I was beat, drenched and spent from 7 hours of track time..but couldn't get the grin off of my face. The weekend was an amazing experience as I was on the track with other "car guys" all with the same goal in mind. At the end of August is an actual SCCA sanctioned race and I will be renting a Spec Miata and entering the ITA class with it. ITA is a smaller field and less-fierce than the Spec Miata class so it won't be as intimidating for my first real event.
Now, I have a novice permit in hand and the right to race in any SCCA sanctioned regional race. The experience was amazing and why I didn't start sooner, I don't know, but the important thing is that I finally did it. One phone call to Paul Costas and his recommendations, help and generosity got me from being a long-time spectator to an actual racer. For that, I can't say thank you enough.
http://www.pbase.com/
Rami