07-27-2009, 04:25 PM
The race organizers asked me to write something on the event so I'll use it to update the 968 bretheren.
I recently got back into racing Improved Touring after running GT1 in a lightweight stock car. While the car was fun and extremely fast, there just wasn’t that high level of competition at the regional level – not enough cars to race. When I heard about the TeamDI Pro IT Series it immediately got my interest. Top drivers in a great variety of cars throughout the North East and at tracks held in conjunction with regional, national and professional events. That got me hooked. I wanted to race in ITR, the fastest of the classes, and set about buying and building a Porsche 968.
The events are just outstanding and a testament to the hard work in planning and organization. Bob Zecca and Darrell Anthony both put in long hours coordinating activities with SCCA, ARCA and other organizations to put on top shelf races. This last weekend Team DI Pro IT Series put on a tremendous race at Watkins Glen International in conjunction with the Glen Region of the SCCA.
The skies were clear on Saturday for qualifying with 50 cars taking the grid making this one of the largest turnouts for Pro IT. Now I’m pretty good at stalking the grid to line up early and get a good spot at the front to help the qualifying effort, but low and behold – everybody else had the same idea and I was gridded way back in the pack. That’s a challenge because at WGI you want to be with the front runners to benefit from the draft and to be sure you can keep pace. I had to rely on my lap timer to tell me how I was doing. Some clean track and I laid down a 2:15.3 and called it good. Following qualifying there was a Pro IT drivers meeting that was attended by all. The camaraderie and professionalism of that meeting clearly demonstrates this series draws the best cars and drivers around.
Sunday is race day and the skies again were clear, breezy cool conditions and a warm track made for some very fast lap times. I was qualified second alongside pole sitter Rob Driscoll in his ITS 323 BMW. Rob had crushed the field with a 2:13.9 qualifying effort – incredibly stout time and humbling to the ITR cars in the faster class.
Rob got a fantastic jump and smoked the field, pulling away by at least 10 car lengths. I proceeded to drop like a rock and by lap 3 I was down to fifth position but I knew that a 45 minute race left plenty of time and I conserved my tires and brakes. After the field strung out a bit I began to put the hammer down and do my best to run aggressive, clean laps. The Porsche has great top end and by keeping the pedal floored from turn 1 all the way to the bus stop I was able to run down competitors – especially when I caught the draft, particularly when cars were side by side. That provided some huge opportunities to pick up track position. Despite my cars weight at 3055 lbs. the Porsche brakes did a fine job of slowing the car without fade or vibration and I was able to pass under braking as well.
The whole race was filled with side by side action – inches apart and no contact. When the checkers waived I was elated – my first Pro IT win! Now I need to back that up at Lime Rock Park next weekend. A much different track and more of a momentum course that rewards driving smoothly at the edge – no brakes and watch the contact and offs. Recovering lost track position at Lime Rock Park is tough. Looking forward to putting the best effort out there again in the TeamDI Pro IT Series.
Video!
Part I
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5625022/14758641
Part II
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5625220/14758775
I recently got back into racing Improved Touring after running GT1 in a lightweight stock car. While the car was fun and extremely fast, there just wasn’t that high level of competition at the regional level – not enough cars to race. When I heard about the TeamDI Pro IT Series it immediately got my interest. Top drivers in a great variety of cars throughout the North East and at tracks held in conjunction with regional, national and professional events. That got me hooked. I wanted to race in ITR, the fastest of the classes, and set about buying and building a Porsche 968.
The events are just outstanding and a testament to the hard work in planning and organization. Bob Zecca and Darrell Anthony both put in long hours coordinating activities with SCCA, ARCA and other organizations to put on top shelf races. This last weekend Team DI Pro IT Series put on a tremendous race at Watkins Glen International in conjunction with the Glen Region of the SCCA.
The skies were clear on Saturday for qualifying with 50 cars taking the grid making this one of the largest turnouts for Pro IT. Now I’m pretty good at stalking the grid to line up early and get a good spot at the front to help the qualifying effort, but low and behold – everybody else had the same idea and I was gridded way back in the pack. That’s a challenge because at WGI you want to be with the front runners to benefit from the draft and to be sure you can keep pace. I had to rely on my lap timer to tell me how I was doing. Some clean track and I laid down a 2:15.3 and called it good. Following qualifying there was a Pro IT drivers meeting that was attended by all. The camaraderie and professionalism of that meeting clearly demonstrates this series draws the best cars and drivers around.
Sunday is race day and the skies again were clear, breezy cool conditions and a warm track made for some very fast lap times. I was qualified second alongside pole sitter Rob Driscoll in his ITS 323 BMW. Rob had crushed the field with a 2:13.9 qualifying effort – incredibly stout time and humbling to the ITR cars in the faster class.
Rob got a fantastic jump and smoked the field, pulling away by at least 10 car lengths. I proceeded to drop like a rock and by lap 3 I was down to fifth position but I knew that a 45 minute race left plenty of time and I conserved my tires and brakes. After the field strung out a bit I began to put the hammer down and do my best to run aggressive, clean laps. The Porsche has great top end and by keeping the pedal floored from turn 1 all the way to the bus stop I was able to run down competitors – especially when I caught the draft, particularly when cars were side by side. That provided some huge opportunities to pick up track position. Despite my cars weight at 3055 lbs. the Porsche brakes did a fine job of slowing the car without fade or vibration and I was able to pass under braking as well.
The whole race was filled with side by side action – inches apart and no contact. When the checkers waived I was elated – my first Pro IT win! Now I need to back that up at Lime Rock Park next weekend. A much different track and more of a momentum course that rewards driving smoothly at the edge – no brakes and watch the contact and offs. Recovering lost track position at Lime Rock Park is tough. Looking forward to putting the best effort out there again in the TeamDI Pro IT Series.
Video!
Part I
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5625022/14758641
Part II
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5625220/14758775
Benspeeder
BigSpeed Racing
1992 ITR Porsche 968
1998 Boxster
2003 F350 V10 XLT Super Duty - hauler
1995 Georgie Boy Cruise Air - 37 ft Coach race car hauler
(This post was last modified: 07-27-2009, 04:26 PM by benspeeder.)
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