The People Behind the Racing

As I sit and write this article Calabogie's inaugural race weekend is just over a week away.  An event I am very much looking forward to. An event that almost didn't happen. As it is, we will only be running the East track and not the full track.  At 2.81 km Calabogie's East track is still longer then the Shannonville Pro track (2.47km) and has as more corners 13 versus 10.  The event was both reduced to the East track and saved at the eleventh hour by the people behind the racing.

For every event we attend or participate in there are a host of volunteers that make it happen.  Whether it be the people that organize an event, regulate it, run it or marshal at it, it is the volunteers that allow us to enjoy an event as spectators and drivers. The full track at Calabogie has 23 corners and requires 60 marshals to safely run a sanctioned race.  After several high profile events such as F1 at Montreal, CART race at Toronto, SCCA at Watkins Glen, several Ontario and Quebec regional events, in addition to lapping days have the resources Marshalling community has been exhausted.  The marshals are all volunteers.  Just like us they have houses to maintain, families to spend time with, jobs to pay the bills, hobbies of their own and time commitments outside of racing.  Less than one week before the Calabogie race weekend a flare went up.  There were only 14 qualified marshals confirmed to attend an event that needed a minimum of 60 and the event was in jeopardy of being cancelled.  In the end 16 additional marshals signed up and the organizers shortened the course to the East track which required 30 marshals.  These Marshals have volunteered their time and altered their plans to save the event.  The organizers have gone through many stressful days to save the event.

At the CRDA event at Shannonville in June they had significant problems with timing.  There were a number of contributors to this.  In the end the officials had to grid cars based on partial information from the timing system and their best guess.  One of our crew members quietly mentioned to the officials two of the cars that should be in front of us and let the official use the information as they saw fit.  While doing this I was watching from my car to see another driver berating a grid jockey about the organization and where they were telling him to grid.  The volume level was such that I could here most of what they were shouting with my helmet on, ear plugs in, sitting in my car at least 30 feet away.  Maybe the timing problems were somebody’s fault, maybe they weren't, but surely this is no way to treat someone who has volunteered their time to allow us to enjoy racing.  

Every car event we attend, whether it is a high profile international race, regional race weekend, Solo I, Solo II or even an impromptu lapping event, it takes volunteers to make it happen.  Next time you are at an event think about all those volunteers that have made the event you are at a reality.  Take time to thank them.  Without them there would be no events.

I keep feeling guilty because after time spent fixing or preparing the car, enjoying my race weekends, doing home chores and family commitments I have trouble finding time to volunteer to help support racing and other automotive activities.  This makes me appreciate those that do find the time even more.  

There are some good philosophies to remember when you are being critical of a job a volunteer is doing.
•	Someone had to have done the job in the first place to give you something to criticize and it wasn't you.
•	It is ok to offer calm, quiet, constructive criticism or discussion but if you are complaining you just volunteered to do the job next time.  I'll bet you don't do it any better under similar circumstances.

Thank you to all of you People Behind the Racing that make the events possible.

Myers Motorsport 2007 Season Start

Our season has not gone quite as planned.  Last year we shook the car down at Mosport on a Porsche driver development weekend and all looked good.  The only fault we found was a suspect rear wheel bearing.  The rear wheel bearing was replaced.  This spring we shook the car down again at Shannonville and heat cycled a new set of tires.  Everything was looking good.

The first morning practice was to be used to get comfortable with Mosport again after a year and a half away from racing while building a new engine.  We put in a couple of easy laps while keeping an eye on engine parameters.  Once again everything looked good so we started to turn up the wick.  10 minutes into the practice coming up the back straight, over the hump onto the brakes and the warning lights go off.  Staying to the left, on the brakes, clutch in to let a car just passed go through on the inside. A glance at the oil pressure gauge shows 5 psig. Shut off the engine and coast into the pits.  This is not the start to the season we were hoping for.  After much diagnosis we come to the conclusion that the fault is internal and one of three possible causes. Failure of an internal oil gallery plug, oil plug in the end of one of the balance shafts or the oil pickup tube has fractured (again).  Given the engine has less than 3 hours on it and the oil pickup and return tubes were magnetic particle inspected this is very unlikely.  Our first weekend is over before it started.

After getting the car home we removed the engine and find a plug missing from the main oil gallery that the oil pump discharges into to send oil to the filter housing.  The plug is found in the bottom of the oil pan. The person who built our engine seems to have used a plug of a substandard quality and made of thinner material then other plugs.  We opened up the rod bearings and found that their clearance was still good but the babbitt was highly polished showing there was very marginal lubrication for a short period of time.  We elected to change the rod bearings for peace of mind.  A new plug of better quality was purchased.  The plug was press fit in with loctite and then the shoulder backed up with JB weld.  The plug will not come out again.  The engine was re-installed and alignment checked.  We were ready to race again. After a mere 30 odd hours of labour.

The second race weekend of the Season was at Shannonville (June 2/3) on the long track configuration.  We like this configuration as it promotes handling and driving skill over horsepower.  We qualified second in class. The first start got waived off which was too bad because we nailed it.  On the second start our side of the field seemed to get bogged down at the start allowing the third place car, a SAAB, in our class to nose ahead. Just before corner 1 he came across to get inside of a BMW ahead which put us both inside.  As we entered the corner he squeezed me up onto the curb.  Wanting to save the car more than the position I backed out of the spot but even then there was light contact between his rear quarter and my left fender.  Initially I thought it was an unsportsman like move but after reviewing the video the BMW we had gone inside of did not leave him any room.  It was in fact just a racing incident and both of us continued without incident.
After much work I got past the SAAB braking into corner 11 at the end of the back straight to take the class lead.  On the third last lap I made my first driving error and out braked myself into corner 2 going off the outside.  This lost me 3 positions.  On the last lap I had re-caught 3rd position, Barbie BMW, and looked down the inside at corner 11 under braking.  Not having raced against this driver before I did not dive in under braking as it would have been a very tight move.

My second race was over almost before it started.  The Barbie BMW and I went through corner 1 side by side off the start and drag raced down the straight to corner 2 still side by side.  By this time I had talked to the driver, Brock Gilboe, and was comfortable running side by side.  In corner 2 we turned in and he was pushing me into the apex leaving just enough room for me.  As I reached the turn in point I looked over to the apex at which point I can see my right mirror.  In it there is a white BMW 3 series from the flying down the inside.  He was from the GT A group and starting at the back.  All I could think was I hope he is not trying to go inside the two of us but he was coming up so fast I could not see how he was going to slow down.  I tried to stay off the apex as much as possible but Brock was squeezing me over to it to allow himself as much room as possible.  The next thing I know is there is a big thump and I can see a white BMW in my side window.  I had tried to keep Brock out and we were so close than I assumed we had had contact as the BMW hit me, later found not to be the case.  The white BMW disappeared behind and I kept going.  As I entered corner 4 gingerly the car went squirrelly.  Either there was oil on the track, suspension and/or tire damage. I entered corner 5 and the cars back end was loose again. I pulled off onto the end of the drag strip at the back straight and became a spectator.  Surprisingly the bodywork sustained very little damage.  Mainly tire rubber, minor scratches and some cracked bondo from a previous repair.  The right rear wheel was missing its valve stem.  Later I found out that the rims had been bent.  Otherwise the car was ok.  People in the stands had said the white BMW had come up to corner 2 and then in a cloud of tire smoke locked everything up when he realized there was not room for 3 abreast.  The driver later came over and apologized.  I just mentioned that while I can understand him wanting to get up to his class he did not have to win the race on the first lap.  I also noted that I appreciated that he came over to talk about the incident and apologize.  It is after all just for fun (and points).

The third race I started from the back.  I turned on the lights just to ensure the cars in classes behind mine saw me.  There were three of us starting from the back; a Triumph TR 8 (GT 1), Porsche 944 Turbo (GT A) and myself, Porsche 968 (GT B).  My plan was to get behind them and let them make a hole through traffic as I followed.  I also made sure I only went down the inside of slower cars if I knew they saw me or could get overlap by the turn in point.  There was no point in repeating my second race experience but as the offending party.  In the end I finished 4th in GT B.

Our third race weekend was the BARC event at Mosport (June 30/July 1).  We qualified third in class, which was not bad, since we only had about one hour of seat time at Mosport in the last two years.  The first two races were fairly uneventful.  We finished the first race 1st in class after getting by the second and first place cars.  It looked like we may be in for a battle with the second place car.  After passing him we opened up a bit of a lead but he started to close the gap again before breaking down.  This breathing room allowed me to chase down the first place car, a TRD Toyata Supra with significant straight-line speed.  He is rumoured to have between 400 and 500 HP on tap.  We'd like to borrow a cup or two.  In the second race we had opened up a lead off the start but then the GT 1 cars started to lap us.  Maybe we were too courteous giving them room or maybe it was just the luck of the draw but the Toyota Supra used the opportunity to close the gap.  He subsequently passed us on the back straight. We finished second. 

In the third race we were simply glad to finish in one piece.  There was only one full lap run under green and two partial laps.  We were starting from 2nd in class and 14th overall so we were about 5 cars back from the leaders at the start.  We got a really good start and had passed the class leading Toyota as well as a couple of GT A cars by mid corner 1.  Then all hell broke loose or at least a viper.  I was following a Z06 Corvette on the inside of the corner.  He was a GT 1 car and I knew he would make a hole for me to follow and at least pull away giving me clear track.  As we cleared the apex of corner 1 there was a dust cloud at the exit.  Someone had gone off.  No problem we are on the right side of the track but we both lift slightly in case traffic scatters.  Then the Z06 is on the brakes and moving further right.  I get on the brakes so I don't go into the back of him hoping there is no one going into the back of me.  Then I see it.  A black Viper coming diagonally back across the track with a tube frame corvette in his side door.  I'm now hard on the brakes just shy of a full lockup and moving right but there is not much right left and I am too late to move left.  Two wheels in the grass at the between the exit of one and top of two, up against the wall and the corvette is still coming.  I can see his nose through the windshield.  I'm just waiting for the right mirror to scrape the wall and my left fender to tag the corvette and then I'm through.  Mark Durant saw this all from behind.  His only comment was I must have had a big horseshoe, two more coats of paint and there would have been contact.  I was slow to gather myself up and came out behind the damaged viper that had managed to get straight with the track.  By the time I got going again I was almost at the back of the pack but I was in one piece. After the race I checked the right mirror thinking it must have touched the wall.  We finished the race 4th in class after getting by GT C and D cars with the few periods of green we had.

Last weekend we were at Calabogie instructing with the Porsche Club and getting some laps in familiarize ourselves with the track.  The track is awesome and promotes handling.  The grip is phenomenal.  We ran Hoosiers, on a track wet enough to kick up spray from the tires, at about 85% of dry pace and there was still more grip to be had.  By the time you read this article we will have participated in the inaugural Calabogie race.  It will be on the East track and not full track but it is still a very formidable circuit.  Read "The People Behind the Racing" to see why we are running the East track.

Thank you to Blaszak Precision for coming through with parts and advice to fix the failed oil gallery plug installed by others.  Brian Madeley of Madeley Automotive for help diagnosing a fault that developed in my tow vehicle the day before having to go to Mosport.  My Sponsors Kingston Volkswagen for support and encouragement as we are thinking "not again".  Most of all, thanks to my Crew Chief Bruce Robertson, who always comes through to help when needed.  Oh and not to forget my wife Morag that puts up with my addiction and the ever growing list of jobs around the house.