You’d think we’d get bored going back to the same track over and over again but you’d be dead wrong. We again were coming with improvements to the car, having fixed our radio system to allow us to have much more reliable communications with the driver, and we also fixed the steering lock issue by removing the locking pin from the steering column. Would recommend doing this only if it’s required and you will need to search for good instructions for your specific car because it’s not a fun job. We also had some new drivers joining us for this race. One driver with loads of experience, who immediately went out and set the fastest lap for the Mini around Pacific, and another with none at all. When endurance racing you can’t just individually run the whole 7-8 hours on track by yourself so it is important to have a full team of drivers that can swap out for each other and keep the car going at a consistent pace. Both helped out a ton with paddock setup and game planning.
We passed tech with no issues and bribed the judges appropriately with a jar of talent. By that I mean a jar from Weed, Oregon full of dirt from Talent, Oregon. We also gave them personalized medallions that we had 3D printed. With our obstacle course set up and the car ready to run we started strong on Saturday. We had the fastest driver in and he was setting great times. After a majority of his stint was completed, he reported some concerning vibrations in the car. Instead of risking it we brought him in and did a quick inspection of the vehicle before I refilled it at the pump and took it back on track. Everything seemed tight on the Mini and I had no problem getting up to speed. When I came in we, again, checked the car over before handing the reigns to the new-to-racing driver. He also put in solid times and was having the time of his life doing it. It’s always fun to hear someone’s joy over the radio.
Lauren was also putting in some great times, setting her personal best times on track. Outside of the initial checkups on the car we were running like a well oiled machine. Sunday we were determined to put down the most laps we could in a day but a couple of black flag all incidents sidelined that goal. We also had our own incident spinning in front of another driver and having some pretty heavy contact. Thankfully the spare parts car was only 30 minutes away at the house but it still took a couple hours to repair and get re-teched to return to the track. Whenever you have an accident you always want to ensure the car is fixed appropriately before returning to racing. You wouldn’t want to rush it and have another issue.
I’m happy that we were again able to make repairs needed mid-race and get the car back out to take the checkered flag. It was also great seeing everyone putting in their personal best times again and knowing that we wouldn’t need to swap out drivetrain pieces again before the next race. We ended up 14th (out of 20) in class and 29th (out of 51) overall with 239 laps. About the same as our previous Pacific race but we know we have a lot of opportunity to improve for the fall race. Hope to see you at the next one!
