Sprint Win at Willow and Endurance Win at Thunderhill
06-06-2009, 03:49 AM
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Sprint Win at Willow and Endurance Win at Thunderhill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 5, 2009
Sprint Win at Willow Springs and Endurance Win at Thunderhill Prove Scion Staying Power
Team Nabs Decisive Victories in Both Northern and Southern California Just Days Apart
TORRANCE, Calif. — Back-to-back wins are always special. And in racing, perhaps more than any other sport, it’s a rarity. But that’s exactly what the Scion Racing team, led by team manager and driver, Dan Gardner, did. Making it even more special was the fact that the wins came exactly seven days apart, giving the team a scant two to three day window to have the car prepped and ready to go after the Willow Springs sprint race win.
The team had to scramble to have the car ready before making the 500-mile trip north of Sacramento. Of key importance was ensuring the car could go the distance for the second Western Endurance Racing Championship (WERC) race of the season at Thunderhill Raceway Park.
"What a grind,” said Gardner. "There are precious few teams in this sport that only have two or three days to prepare a car for the next race. Most teams either run a sprint or an endurance series. Running both is a big strain on the car and the crew, but we’re up to the challenge. And when you grab wins in both series back-to-back, it makes all the strain worth it.”
For the Willow Springs Performance Touring (PT) sprint race, Gardner qualified the car 3rd on grid, but would start 4th due to an out-of-class car intermingled in the grid. When the green flew, Gardner got a great start and began pulling to the front of the pack. One Mazda RX-8 tried to pinch the Scion as Gardner attempted the outside pass. The tC barely squeezed through, but made its way to the front of the pack, and was in the lead going into Turn 1.
Gardner turned in and promptly got hit in the left rear by one of the Mazdas, sending the Scion into a slide. Gardner caught the car and began to continue on but got hit again by the Mazda. As he struggled to keep the car from spinning, the Scion ran out of track, and Gardner was forced to leave the racing surface as the car slid into the gravel on the outside. Gardner stayed in the gas, got the car composed, and came back onto the track…but not before every car in the PT group passed him by. The Scion had gone from first to last in a matter of seconds.
Gardner put his head down and just started driving. The tail of the pack was at least in sight, and the Scion wasn’t going down without a fight. Within the first two laps, he had picked off two positions, and was moving quite quickly up on the next car.
Two laps later, another car…a lap after that, another. Gardner and the Scion were raging up through the field. The question now seemed only to be whether there was enough time to catch the leader, as the Scion clearly had the speed.
About two-thirds of the way into the race, Gardner caught and passed the leading RX-8 before the entry to Turn 8, but the Mazda repassed the Scion on the outside of Turn 9. Gardner tucked in, and glued himself again to the Mazda. The Scion pressured the Mazda going into Turn 3, but the RX-8 took a defensive line up the inside. Gardner took the position briefly, and then surrendered it back to the Mazda.
Going into Turn 5, Gardner was determined to get a run on the exit of the turn, and that’s exactly what happened, as the Scion carried more speed out of 5, went up over 6, and got the pass done on the back straight. Gardner would be able to hold the Mazda off this time in 9, and as the Scion came onto the straight the TRD supercharged power helped Gardner begin to walk away.
And the gap continued to widen, as Gardner made sure to not leave the door open for the Mazda to strike. In the end, after 17 laps, the Scion would finish a decisive 10 seconds ahead of the second place Mazda.
“First to last and back to first again…now that’s a race,” said crewman, Sean Morris. “You never know what racing is going to bring, but to win this way is super satisfying. Going back up through the field that way I think really surprised a lot of people. Our Scion is the real deal.”
But there just wasn’t a lot of time to celebrate the big victory. The team had to remain focused on the next task…get ready for the three-hour WERC endurance race up at Thunderhill. Gardner tapped the experts at Toyota Motorsports to help the team hustle to get the car ready. Marty Schwerter was up to the challenge, wrenching on the car while Gardner nailed down final logistics and preparations.
The team travels lean for the sprint races, but the added dynamic of pit stops in endurance racing means a larger crew. Fortunately, pit crew members Brad Allen, Sean Morris, John McNulty, Ryan Walton, and Mark Miller were ready. And co-driver Scott Webb was again prepared to bring a powerful one-two punch to the driving duties.
On Friday before the race, the team had a test day just to get acquainted with the track. Gardner had never been to the facility, and neither he, nor Webb, had run Thunderhill backwards. The race was to be run clockwise, which is reverse from the standard configuration, bringing with it entirely new challenges.
Gardner and Webb both began to get up to speed. Luckily the car’s baseline setup proved to be a good compromise, and the crew made very few setup changes, though they carefully monitored tire temps and pressures. At the end of the day, the team did take some precautionary measures, replacing the left front wheel bearing and hub along with the outer tie rod end. Going clockwise meant that this corner of the car would see the mode side loads and stress.
On Saturday, Webb qualified the car on pole with a very fast 2:05 lap time. Even more impressive was accomplishing it in the midst of nearly 100 cars, all trying to find space. The team decided Gardner would take the first stint, and Webb would bring up the tail. But nothing would happen until the team solved what would become known as “the curse of the radios.”
With just 30 minutes left before the race began, the team was still chasing down gremlins in not one or two, but four different radios, all different kinds. None had the same problem, but each had an issue that would potentially leave the team with no contact between crew and drivers.
Veteran road racer, Tom Lepper, was kind enough to loan the team two more radios, but a harness problem plagued those radios as well. The curse continued. With a lot of diligence, the team found the area of the harness that was faulty, and began to see if there was a way they could temporarily fix it. Two tie wraps cinched down very tightly seemed to fix the problem, at least for the time being.
With less than 10 minutes before the start of the race, Gardner pulled the Scion onto the grid. During the start, Gardner waited and waited before a late green was finally thrown. Another good start put the Scion right on the bumper of an unlimited class Pro Truck. Gardner fended off a couple challengers, one in the Scion’s E1 class and one out of class.
A couple laps in, World Challenge and Grand-Am driver, Jim Daniels, would be hounding Gardner in the new E1 Mazda RX-8. Gardner fended the Mazda off, and eventually let the car go, heading up and over The Bypass, where the Scion would catch air, with three or four tires routinely off the ground.
About halfway through his stint, Gardner became heat exhausted, finding it difficult to breathe. He would later learn that at least one other driver would be taken away in an ambulance due to the same condition. Temps that moved into the mid-90s were making it hard on everyone.
Gardner took a lap to focus on breathing, regained his head, and then began to get into a rhythm. The Mazda had a 12-second lead at that point, but shortly would begin to have issues. Gardner passed the car a few laps later, but he also had another challenge. Although he could hear his spotter on the radio, the crew was unable to hear him. With one-way communications only, the team devised a method to communicate with Gardner. Flashes of the headlights down the front straight would prove effective, as Gardner flashed “yes” or “no.”
At just over the hour mark, the car’s main pump bobbled, and Gardner hit the two supplemental pumps. The team counted out five more laps, and then brought the car in just under halfway into the race. Gardner released the harnesses and managed to unplug the radio connection as well. John McNulty helped Gardner out and began to get Webb into the car, as Morris and Allen started fueling the car. Miller had the fire extinguisher at the ready while Walton spotted, making sure no one made a mistake. The stop wasn’t perfect, but the car was off and motoring down pitlane, spending less time in the pits than most of the other teams.
Webb began rattling off consistent laps. The team knew they’d have to perform at least one more fuel stop, but it was uncertain whether they’d have to change a left front tire. The car bobbled, Webb hit the other pumps, and then came in four laps later.
The team quickly checked the front tires, ready to swap one or the other once the fueling was completed. Fortunately, the long-lasting Nitto NT-01 tires were up to the task and had plenty left to go. The team dumped 10-gallons into the car at lightning speed, and the car was off again. The stop was perfect.
During the last part of the race, Webb really stepped up the pace, hammering out a blistering-fast 2:04.9. The question now was whether the team could make it without another fuel stop. It was going to be close, very close. With 15-20 minutes still left, the main pump starved. Webb hit the supplemental pumps, and then was advised to back it off a notch, as the team didn’t want to risk having to make another stop for fuel.
After 79 laps, the Scion would cross the finish line with less than a gallon of fuel left in the tank. It would spell back-to-back WERC endurance wins for the Scion team in the E1 class. The team also managed to finish an impressive sixth overall, having zero mechanical issues to speak of.
“Talk about bulletproof,” commented Webb. “The radio problem was really frustrating, but the Scion was fantastic. Dan gave me a great car when I got in, and I just drove it hard, but consistent. The car had good balance and great power at Thunderhill, leaving some of the more expensive European cars scratching their heads. It’s another super win for Scion Racing.”
With their second WERC win in as many races, the Scion Racing team now has a perfect 200 points in the series in the competitive E1 class. The team looks to make it three in a row as they prepare for the next race, which will end under cover of darkness at Buttonwillow on June 27. The team will also compete in Performance Touring for two sprint races that same weekend.
A short exterior compilation video of Gardner’s impressive come-from-behind win at Willow Springs can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pNuTClHifY
And in-car video of Webb securing pole position at Thunderhill can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90OxoPLgX3Q
The JD Scion tC team uses
• Scion-supplied OE parts
• TRD-supplied supercharger and intercooler, front big brake kit
• Pilot Automotive HID driving lamps
• Nitto 235/40R17 NT-01 tires
• Enkei RPF1 17x8 wheels
• OS Giken Super Lock Limited Slip Differential (LSD)
• Dezod-supplied AEM standalone engine management, plug-and-play harness, injectors, end links, and stainless clutch line
• Church Automotive Testing dyno tuning
• Moton Suspension remote reservoir coilover shocks
• Vogtland springs
• Progress Technology rear swaybar and camber kits
• Motul brake fluid, engine oil, transmission fluid, and super coolant
• Racepak IQ3 logger dash
• AEM sensors and EMS
• Kaminari carbon-fiber roof and composite headlights
• Royalty Auto Body body work
• America’s Tire Co. tire mounting and balancing
• Racetech Viper head-restraint race seat and 6-point harnesses
• Centerforce clutch and low-inertia steel flywheel
• AIT carbon-fiber hood and hatch
• Wild Pony Motorsports-supplied camber/caster plates
• Goodridge stainless brake lines and oil cooler and fuel system fittings and lines
• Carbotech XP10 and XP8 brake pads
• G-Force racing suit, gloves, and helmet
• DC Sports header
• Energy Suspension bushings and motor mounts
• HoseTechniques silicone hoses
• Tri-Mountain Racewear team gear
• NST 65-mm supercharger pulley and shifter bushings
Jackson-Dawson Communications (JD) is a 28-year-old privately held company that provides creative and strategic services to a range of national clients. Core competencies include retail training, event marketing, marketing services, business theater, video and media production services, meeting planning, print graphic and design services, staging service and vehicle management.
With corporate offices in Detroit, MI, Jackson-Dawson also maintains offices in Torrance, CA, Nashville, TN and Manhattan, NY. Jackson-Dawson owns and operates several divisions: Peloton Creative Group, BenMar Communications, Drivers Talk Radio and Drivers Talk Testing.
-###-
June 5, 2009
Sprint Win at Willow Springs and Endurance Win at Thunderhill Prove Scion Staying Power
Team Nabs Decisive Victories in Both Northern and Southern California Just Days Apart
TORRANCE, Calif. — Back-to-back wins are always special. And in racing, perhaps more than any other sport, it’s a rarity. But that’s exactly what the Scion Racing team, led by team manager and driver, Dan Gardner, did. Making it even more special was the fact that the wins came exactly seven days apart, giving the team a scant two to three day window to have the car prepped and ready to go after the Willow Springs sprint race win.
The team had to scramble to have the car ready before making the 500-mile trip north of Sacramento. Of key importance was ensuring the car could go the distance for the second Western Endurance Racing Championship (WERC) race of the season at Thunderhill Raceway Park.
"What a grind,” said Gardner. "There are precious few teams in this sport that only have two or three days to prepare a car for the next race. Most teams either run a sprint or an endurance series. Running both is a big strain on the car and the crew, but we’re up to the challenge. And when you grab wins in both series back-to-back, it makes all the strain worth it.”
For the Willow Springs Performance Touring (PT) sprint race, Gardner qualified the car 3rd on grid, but would start 4th due to an out-of-class car intermingled in the grid. When the green flew, Gardner got a great start and began pulling to the front of the pack. One Mazda RX-8 tried to pinch the Scion as Gardner attempted the outside pass. The tC barely squeezed through, but made its way to the front of the pack, and was in the lead going into Turn 1.
Gardner turned in and promptly got hit in the left rear by one of the Mazdas, sending the Scion into a slide. Gardner caught the car and began to continue on but got hit again by the Mazda. As he struggled to keep the car from spinning, the Scion ran out of track, and Gardner was forced to leave the racing surface as the car slid into the gravel on the outside. Gardner stayed in the gas, got the car composed, and came back onto the track…but not before every car in the PT group passed him by. The Scion had gone from first to last in a matter of seconds.
Gardner put his head down and just started driving. The tail of the pack was at least in sight, and the Scion wasn’t going down without a fight. Within the first two laps, he had picked off two positions, and was moving quite quickly up on the next car.
Two laps later, another car…a lap after that, another. Gardner and the Scion were raging up through the field. The question now seemed only to be whether there was enough time to catch the leader, as the Scion clearly had the speed.
About two-thirds of the way into the race, Gardner caught and passed the leading RX-8 before the entry to Turn 8, but the Mazda repassed the Scion on the outside of Turn 9. Gardner tucked in, and glued himself again to the Mazda. The Scion pressured the Mazda going into Turn 3, but the RX-8 took a defensive line up the inside. Gardner took the position briefly, and then surrendered it back to the Mazda.
Going into Turn 5, Gardner was determined to get a run on the exit of the turn, and that’s exactly what happened, as the Scion carried more speed out of 5, went up over 6, and got the pass done on the back straight. Gardner would be able to hold the Mazda off this time in 9, and as the Scion came onto the straight the TRD supercharged power helped Gardner begin to walk away.
And the gap continued to widen, as Gardner made sure to not leave the door open for the Mazda to strike. In the end, after 17 laps, the Scion would finish a decisive 10 seconds ahead of the second place Mazda.
“First to last and back to first again…now that’s a race,” said crewman, Sean Morris. “You never know what racing is going to bring, but to win this way is super satisfying. Going back up through the field that way I think really surprised a lot of people. Our Scion is the real deal.”
But there just wasn’t a lot of time to celebrate the big victory. The team had to remain focused on the next task…get ready for the three-hour WERC endurance race up at Thunderhill. Gardner tapped the experts at Toyota Motorsports to help the team hustle to get the car ready. Marty Schwerter was up to the challenge, wrenching on the car while Gardner nailed down final logistics and preparations.
The team travels lean for the sprint races, but the added dynamic of pit stops in endurance racing means a larger crew. Fortunately, pit crew members Brad Allen, Sean Morris, John McNulty, Ryan Walton, and Mark Miller were ready. And co-driver Scott Webb was again prepared to bring a powerful one-two punch to the driving duties.
On Friday before the race, the team had a test day just to get acquainted with the track. Gardner had never been to the facility, and neither he, nor Webb, had run Thunderhill backwards. The race was to be run clockwise, which is reverse from the standard configuration, bringing with it entirely new challenges.
Gardner and Webb both began to get up to speed. Luckily the car’s baseline setup proved to be a good compromise, and the crew made very few setup changes, though they carefully monitored tire temps and pressures. At the end of the day, the team did take some precautionary measures, replacing the left front wheel bearing and hub along with the outer tie rod end. Going clockwise meant that this corner of the car would see the mode side loads and stress.
On Saturday, Webb qualified the car on pole with a very fast 2:05 lap time. Even more impressive was accomplishing it in the midst of nearly 100 cars, all trying to find space. The team decided Gardner would take the first stint, and Webb would bring up the tail. But nothing would happen until the team solved what would become known as “the curse of the radios.”
With just 30 minutes left before the race began, the team was still chasing down gremlins in not one or two, but four different radios, all different kinds. None had the same problem, but each had an issue that would potentially leave the team with no contact between crew and drivers.
Veteran road racer, Tom Lepper, was kind enough to loan the team two more radios, but a harness problem plagued those radios as well. The curse continued. With a lot of diligence, the team found the area of the harness that was faulty, and began to see if there was a way they could temporarily fix it. Two tie wraps cinched down very tightly seemed to fix the problem, at least for the time being.
With less than 10 minutes before the start of the race, Gardner pulled the Scion onto the grid. During the start, Gardner waited and waited before a late green was finally thrown. Another good start put the Scion right on the bumper of an unlimited class Pro Truck. Gardner fended off a couple challengers, one in the Scion’s E1 class and one out of class.
A couple laps in, World Challenge and Grand-Am driver, Jim Daniels, would be hounding Gardner in the new E1 Mazda RX-8. Gardner fended the Mazda off, and eventually let the car go, heading up and over The Bypass, where the Scion would catch air, with three or four tires routinely off the ground.
About halfway through his stint, Gardner became heat exhausted, finding it difficult to breathe. He would later learn that at least one other driver would be taken away in an ambulance due to the same condition. Temps that moved into the mid-90s were making it hard on everyone.
Gardner took a lap to focus on breathing, regained his head, and then began to get into a rhythm. The Mazda had a 12-second lead at that point, but shortly would begin to have issues. Gardner passed the car a few laps later, but he also had another challenge. Although he could hear his spotter on the radio, the crew was unable to hear him. With one-way communications only, the team devised a method to communicate with Gardner. Flashes of the headlights down the front straight would prove effective, as Gardner flashed “yes” or “no.”
At just over the hour mark, the car’s main pump bobbled, and Gardner hit the two supplemental pumps. The team counted out five more laps, and then brought the car in just under halfway into the race. Gardner released the harnesses and managed to unplug the radio connection as well. John McNulty helped Gardner out and began to get Webb into the car, as Morris and Allen started fueling the car. Miller had the fire extinguisher at the ready while Walton spotted, making sure no one made a mistake. The stop wasn’t perfect, but the car was off and motoring down pitlane, spending less time in the pits than most of the other teams.
Webb began rattling off consistent laps. The team knew they’d have to perform at least one more fuel stop, but it was uncertain whether they’d have to change a left front tire. The car bobbled, Webb hit the other pumps, and then came in four laps later.
The team quickly checked the front tires, ready to swap one or the other once the fueling was completed. Fortunately, the long-lasting Nitto NT-01 tires were up to the task and had plenty left to go. The team dumped 10-gallons into the car at lightning speed, and the car was off again. The stop was perfect.
During the last part of the race, Webb really stepped up the pace, hammering out a blistering-fast 2:04.9. The question now was whether the team could make it without another fuel stop. It was going to be close, very close. With 15-20 minutes still left, the main pump starved. Webb hit the supplemental pumps, and then was advised to back it off a notch, as the team didn’t want to risk having to make another stop for fuel.
After 79 laps, the Scion would cross the finish line with less than a gallon of fuel left in the tank. It would spell back-to-back WERC endurance wins for the Scion team in the E1 class. The team also managed to finish an impressive sixth overall, having zero mechanical issues to speak of.
“Talk about bulletproof,” commented Webb. “The radio problem was really frustrating, but the Scion was fantastic. Dan gave me a great car when I got in, and I just drove it hard, but consistent. The car had good balance and great power at Thunderhill, leaving some of the more expensive European cars scratching their heads. It’s another super win for Scion Racing.”
With their second WERC win in as many races, the Scion Racing team now has a perfect 200 points in the series in the competitive E1 class. The team looks to make it three in a row as they prepare for the next race, which will end under cover of darkness at Buttonwillow on June 27. The team will also compete in Performance Touring for two sprint races that same weekend.
A short exterior compilation video of Gardner’s impressive come-from-behind win at Willow Springs can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pNuTClHifY
And in-car video of Webb securing pole position at Thunderhill can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90OxoPLgX3Q
The JD Scion tC team uses
• Scion-supplied OE parts
• TRD-supplied supercharger and intercooler, front big brake kit
• Pilot Automotive HID driving lamps
• Nitto 235/40R17 NT-01 tires
• Enkei RPF1 17x8 wheels
• OS Giken Super Lock Limited Slip Differential (LSD)
• Dezod-supplied AEM standalone engine management, plug-and-play harness, injectors, end links, and stainless clutch line
• Church Automotive Testing dyno tuning
• Moton Suspension remote reservoir coilover shocks
• Vogtland springs
• Progress Technology rear swaybar and camber kits
• Motul brake fluid, engine oil, transmission fluid, and super coolant
• Racepak IQ3 logger dash
• AEM sensors and EMS
• Kaminari carbon-fiber roof and composite headlights
• Royalty Auto Body body work
• America’s Tire Co. tire mounting and balancing
• Racetech Viper head-restraint race seat and 6-point harnesses
• Centerforce clutch and low-inertia steel flywheel
• AIT carbon-fiber hood and hatch
• Wild Pony Motorsports-supplied camber/caster plates
• Goodridge stainless brake lines and oil cooler and fuel system fittings and lines
• Carbotech XP10 and XP8 brake pads
• G-Force racing suit, gloves, and helmet
• DC Sports header
• Energy Suspension bushings and motor mounts
• HoseTechniques silicone hoses
• Tri-Mountain Racewear team gear
• NST 65-mm supercharger pulley and shifter bushings
Jackson-Dawson Communications (JD) is a 28-year-old privately held company that provides creative and strategic services to a range of national clients. Core competencies include retail training, event marketing, marketing services, business theater, video and media production services, meeting planning, print graphic and design services, staging service and vehicle management.
With corporate offices in Detroit, MI, Jackson-Dawson also maintains offices in Torrance, CA, Nashville, TN and Manhattan, NY. Jackson-Dawson owns and operates several divisions: Peloton Creative Group, BenMar Communications, Drivers Talk Radio and Drivers Talk Testing.
-###-
06-06-2009, 05:23 PM
#3
Senior Member
SL Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SoCal
Posts: 628
Originally Posted by ack154
Would have liked to see you guys at the Koni race yesterday at Watkins Glen, but I guess I can forgive you if you're out kicking some butt in CA.
Keep it up!
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