Lining up a few 2013 Rentals!

Nearing the end of 2012 I started inquiring about rental for the 2013 season.  I've gotten a lot of information from a lot of different individuals, teams, etc with a range of price structures and cars.  Matching up the offers, inquiries, prices, cars, sanctioning bodies, travel plans and a host of other variables with my available schedule and what I would actually want to drive takes some time! 

In a nutshell, a car that is going to be more competitive (ie; with a proven race history or team prep history) is going to cost a bit more.  And of course the old adage; you gotta pay to go faster - meaning renting a 400hp Mustang is usually going to cost more than a 120hp Miata.  And higher sanctioned series like NASA or SCCA with stricter prep levels cost more than say a Lemon's or a Chumpcar seat.  In addition, splitting an Enduro seat with any group is more economical as you can split the costs multiple ways; sometimes up to 5 drivers. 

One thing I wanted to do was start early!  Winter sucks.  And I've only been on the track once since July 1st!  So I looked hard at Feb/March alternatives including return trips to VIR (once in 2009) and Road Atlanta (once in 2012).  Then a much closer opportunity opened up at Gateway that I pounced on involving a NASA prepped car by a friend of mine.  After that another early opportunity for a 2-day Lemon's race was offered.  I have never drove in Lemon's, but a friend of mine has a car that usually does very well - meaning they finish!  So there's 2 early race weekends already in the plans.  More details about each to come as things solidify.

March 23-24 - NASA Central Region - Gateway Motorsports Park in STL - PTE Miata rental
April 20-21 - 24hrs of Lemons - Gingerman Raceway in Michigan - 1986 Volvo 245

2012 Press --> #929Evo - (UK) Evolution Magazine

My apologies as I step back to 2012 to share some wicked-ass information!  I had some pretty rare overseas press on the #929Evo that recently went to print and eventually I was able to get my hands on a copy.  I'm just now getting around to scanning it in.

The story goes... a columnist from the Arizona area found me somehow and wanted to do a spread on me and the car for a new upstart British magazine. His job/goal was to share some stories about racing in the US to demonstrate that even though we're 1000's of miles apart we're not all that different. And to compare/contrast the availability of tracks, cars, competition, the racing ladder system, etc. We didn't have a lot of time (or any funds) to put together a photoshoot so I merely submitted pics that I had already. Enjoy.

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2013 Schedule Outlook

Looking into 2013, it's really wide open!  Having obtained my NASA race license in 2012 and then selling my personal car last fall really opens up a lot of possibilities.  I think the goal would be to do some arrive-n-drive rentals at a few tracks throughout the year while keeping my eyes/ears open for other possibilities that might present themselves.

I have already had some inquiries to race with a few Chumpcar Teams, a Lemons Team as well as some NASA rentals.  Additionally I have inquired about a few NASA rentals across various regions including Enduro's and Sprint races.  I have considered larger ideas like One Lap or building towards the 25-hrs of Thunderhill endurance race as well as where my current DD would fit into the current NASA TT (Time Trial) classification system (answer; it's not currently classed).

Most of the 2013 schedules are out and pretty firmed up, with the exception of my local NASA Enduro events.  So it's really time to sit down and figure out what I would like to do, match up some dates and events and find a car that'll work for me!  That process is well underway....

And in case anyone is wondering, I still have no plans to purchase/own a racecar in the near future.  Having sold my trailer and my tow truck last year along with the #929Evo; I am not setup for it anymore either.  I am very open to offers for 24-hr races, Enduro's, filling in for teams, etc.  Hit me up:  pitchn at gmail (dot) com

2012 year in review!

2012 started with a 1000 mile roundtrip to Buschur Racing in Ohio in lots of snow and ice.  Out of that trip we yeilded up updated setup, tune and a new primary sponsor.  Shortly thereafter we headed on a near 1400 mile round-trip for my first ever trip to Road Atlanta with help from my Dad as a co-pilot.  Then the car was further gutted and turned over to Izzy's in STL for a proper 6pt cage.  After some teething issues which forced me to rent a car to complete COMP school in April I had my w2w license! 

The next few events were spent feeling out the dynamics of the #929Evo over the course of a 25-35min sprint race; in a single word:  HEAT!  Several upgrades over the rest of the year were made to handle the heat both inside and outside of the car. 

2012 yielded my first podiums & trophies from both Sprint races and Endurance Racing.  The latter courtesy of a GP Racing Products rented E3 Miata where I turned nearly 70 laps at Putnam.  We also set our first PTA track record. 

Some major changes on the personal side of life kicked off in April and really changed the scope of the year.  These somewhat played into my decision to officially put up the #929Evo for sale.  With the fall approaching and some aggressive pricing I was able to find a new home for the car in early September.  After that I wrapped up the year with 1 additional rental in a Chumpcar.

2012 yielded a total of 13 days on track.  10 days in the #929Evo and 3 days in rentals.  In all I competed in 6 different classes (TTA, TTS, ST2, PTA, E0, Chumpcar) in 3 different cars.