Archive for May, 2009

  It was early morning and the temperatures were cool in Utah for race #2 of the Imsa GT3 cup.  The Velox Motorsport entry had opted for fresh rubber again for today's race, as did 99% of the field.  Looking ready for action, Vento submerges himself into the Porsche 997.  With the national anthem concluding the field rolled out onto the sandy tarmac. Vento was positioned on the outside of turn one but quickly made it know he was serious about getting through the pack.  Upon entry into the first corner Vento splits 2 competitors and blasts up the middle towards turn 2.  Setting his sights on Ainsworth, Vento late brakes into turn 5 and makes it all stick.

 Upon completion of lap 1 Vento has a pack of 5 cars closely on his tail.  Over the course of 5 laps Vento is able to stretch his lead to 3 seconds. The 2 entries of Nick Parker and Mike Ainsworth then began to work together within the draft in an attempt to reel in the Patron sponsored machine.  At the mid way point Vento has not one but 2 beautiful Starbuck sponsored entries pushing on his back bumper.

 Mistake free Vento is able to hold position, causing his competition to become impatient.  Ainsworth and Parker begin a battle amongst themselves allowing Vento to creep away as the laps count down.

 With only 2 laps to go Vento is forced to deal with the spinning car and dust cloud from John Baker. Completely blind Vento listens to radio communication from coach Shane Lewis telling him the corner and racing line is clear.  Vento reacts accordingly with his never lift approach and brings the Patron XO Cafe entry home in front of his pursuers.

 " It was great! We went into defense mode a little with leading the pack. I knew if we made one little mistake they would all capitalize and we would be faced with the huge task of re-passing them.  I enjoyed running with the Gruppe Orange entries  (Ainsworth/Parker),  everyone raced clean. " commented Vento at the team hauler.

 " What a wonderful outcome. His times were all solid and very consistent. We made some huge gains this weekend in the race craft department, not to mention a huge fan base in turn 1 here at Miller." Shane Lewis driver coach.

 " What can I say? Its storybook. Great passing on lap one. No fear there!  Just an awesome effort from Gerry and the whole team." Team manager.

 Velox Motorsport would like to send a special thanks to everyone at Miller Motorsport Park.  The facility at Miller is second to none as are the staff and fans. We hope to see you all next year !

Velox motorsport was in full attack mode when qualifying began Saturday.  Driver coach Shane Lewis and pilot Gerry Vento had a plan in place.  When the green flag fell Vento remained on pit lane waiting for a clearing in the 32 car field.  When the team saw fit Vento was given  the "all clear".  " The Yokohama spec tire we run on here seems to fall off pace only 3 or 4 laps, so the window of opportunity is very slim" commented Jeff Bye.  

 Vento was able to lay down a time on lap 1 to place him in the field.  Lap 2 was even quicker by a few tenths.  However, lap 3 came to a screeching halt in turn 7 when the car swapped ends and was lost in a huge cloud of Salt Lake dust.  Loosing no time at all the XO Cafe Patron entry emerged from the cloud and headed toward pit lane.  Upon arrival the crew realized that all 4 tires were flat spotted. 

 The Imsa code on this occurrence is that only one tire may be changed out or you forfit your qualifying session.  The crew quickly chose to change out the right front tire as it appeared to be the worst.  Mechanic Tom Allen quickly sprang to action with an air hose and began the ever important process of removing all foreign material from radiators, air ducts and the brake system. Loosing no more than 2 laps the Patron/Westec  entry was back on track.  "We made a quick decision to only change the right front. We are only allowed to change one tire here so we are taking a gamble in hopes Gerry can better his lap time......the car is going to vibrate very badly.....I hope he can hang on." commented Jeff Bye.   As the checkered flag fell Vento was able to place a lap 3 tenths of a second faster than his earlier lap.  " I have been pushing harder and harder there all week.  As soon as I turned in I knew I had my hands full.  I almost caught it but came up a little short." added Vento.

To add salt to their wounds the team realized after returning to the garage that the flat spot on the right rear was quite deep as well.  The team soon decides to start the race on a fresh set of tires giving them the final place on the starting grid according to Imsa code. "We are in good shape really. Starting the race on fresh rubber is a good thing here despite the grid position. I'm confident we will give them a run for their money." Jeff Bye.

TOOELE, Utah May 17 – Martin Snow, Pleasant Grove, Utah, showed the way around Miller Motorsports
Park, winning both rounds of the Patrón GT3 Challenge by Yokohama.

Bob Faieta, Tujunga, Calif., won the BBS Pole Award for both races, but was quickly challenged by
Snow, who led all but one lap.

“Bobby is a tough competitor. He was fun to race with,” Martin said. “The problem was he’s so
persistent. I had to get every single lap perfect for that long. For a white-haired guy that was
pretty tough to do. “

Behind Snow and Faieta was the battle in the Gold Cup, the class for 2005-2007 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
cars. Brian Wong, Newport Beach, Calif., started on pole for both races. He was challenged by point
leader Melanie Snow, but held her off for the win in round three.

“This is a beautiful facility and I had a great race,” Wong said. “It’s good to be back racing and
good to be up on the podium.”

The tables were turned in round four when Melanie got a great start and led the Gold Cup class the
entire race.

“I really wanted to do it yesterday, so I was a little disappointed,” Melanie said after round
four. “Brian is a hard driver and a good racer. Today we had a good battle, but I was able to stay
in front, so I’m really happy. “

Amadeo Quiros, San Jose, Costa Rica, put in two solid races, taking third place on the Platinum Cup
podium in both rounds.

“I didn’t think I would have a podium in the second race,” Quiros said. “My target for when I got
here was to be in the top ten. I have the good luck of being third. The track is beautiful.
Everything is very nice, it is perfect.”

In the Gold Cup Patrick Flanagan, Laguna Niguel, Calif., finished third in round three on Saturday.
Flanagan started round four in 19th and advanced six positions, earning him the Yokohama Hard
Charger Award.

A recap of the weekend’s racing will be aired on SpeedTV June 7 at 2:00 a.m. EDT. The next two
rounds of the Patrón GT3 Challenge by Yokohama will take place July 24-26 at the Autobahn Grand
Prix.

The Patrón GT3 Challenge by Yokohama features semi-professional drivers racing head to head in
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars – one of the world’s most successful race cars - with sealed motors and
transmissions. The latest purpose-built race cars have sealed 420 h.p. engines and six-speed
sequential transmissions, providing for close racing where the driver’s talents are exemplified.

Porsche Motorsport North America provides technical support for the series with personnel, parts
and expertise both away from and at the track.

Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-
based The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global producer and distributor of premium tires since 1917.
Servicing a network of more than 4,500 points of sale in the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation offers
a complete line of tires, including high-performance, light truck, passenger car, commercial truck
and bus, as well as off-the-road mining and construction applications. For more information on
Yokohama’s extensive product line, visit www.yokohamatire.com.

Yokohama is a strong supporter of the tire care and safety guidelines established by the Rubber
Manufacturers Association and the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration.
Details can be found at the “Taking Care of Your Tires” section at www.yokohamatire.com.

In 2009 there are 14 rounds at seven famous tracks in North America including Sebring International
Raceway, Sebring, Fla., Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis. and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey,
Calif.

Utah Test Days April 29/30.

  Velox motorsport made the long trek to Salt Lake City Utah for a two day intensive test at Miller Motorsport Park.  Upon arrival the team found themselves astonished by the facility. " This is formula one material here. The race track, museum, grandstands and garages are second to none in the United States.  We have been welcomed gracefully by all the staff at Miller especially Bill Reinhardt, operations manager. We feel privileged to be invited to test at such a wonderful facility. Not to mention the view is second to none!" commented the team manager.

 The test was a full blown Tequila Patron outing. Velox driver Gerry Vento was accompanied by Ed Brown, Bill Sweedler and driver coach Scott Sharp for the duration of the two day test.  With the weather being questionable this time of the year the team was prepared for any situation.

 Day one began very early. " Gerry has never driven here before so we need to make sure he gets maximum seat time. We need to make sure the car stays consistent and functional all day. " said Tom Allen team mechanic.  " I've driven quite a few laps on the simulator but have never physically been here so we need to put in as many laps as possible to become fully comfortable" replied team pilot Vento.

 As the day continued the team made minor adjustments to tune the car. " Right now we are mostly playing with air pressure and sway bar adjustments. We're trying to keep the car as consistent as possible." said Bye. 

 Nearing the end of the day the team brought their times down respectively.  " Gerry did a great job! We are five seconds faster than when we first rolled off the trailer. The car is in one piece and everyone is pleased. "  commented technician Tom Allen.

 Day two started off with the guidance from Scott Sharp. Scott is the lead driver in the ALMS Tequila Patron sponsored LMP1 entry.  With Vento in the passenger seat Sharp began a series of laps showing Vento what  slight  techniques he uses to fine tune his lap times.  Sharp then pitted and the two drivers swapped seats.  Vento immediately looked comfortable and brought his times down. " It's great being able to spend time with Scott. It's not every day you get a few pointers from someone with 14 Indy 500 starts." said Vento.

By the end of the second day Vento had lessened his times masterfully.  " We are a solid 1.5 seconds faster then I thought we would be. Gerry went out in the last session and laid down 3 ringers.  I really couldn't ask for more of an effort from the whole team. Definitely a huge success." 

The team was very pleased with all aspects of the test from the driver, car prep and facility standpoint. Velox motorsport looks forward to the Grand Prix of Utah and invites you to attend. Watch the countdown !

  The first day of practice was a success with both sessions producing solid results.  Jerry shaved lap time down to his previous week of testing.  the team manager commented “The car is performing well, track temperatures will fluctuate by 25 degrees today.  We need to constantly monitor grip levels in the afternoon session.  It’s my job to see the car remains neutral throughout the temperature changes. So far so Good!” 
          Both practice sessions were successful, however the team cut the last session short by 4 minutes due to a ventilation problem in the cockpit.  Mechanic Tom Allen added “Our cup car is sealed up tight to keep the air flow undisturbed on the outer skin; the downfall is cockpit temps reach 125 degrees within 10 minutes…. We are going to change some vents around tonight and work with Jerry’s new helmet to improve air flow.  Today it was boiling in there.

 Wednesday, March 18th     

Weather conditions were similar to Tuesday.  The Team manager was asked what he hoped to achieve.  “We want another half second today.  We purposely set the car up similar to Tuesday’s session.  Jerry needs to drive the same car set-up several times before we make big changes”  Shane Lewis a seven time Sebring 12 hour driver entrant and winning world class race driver was retained by Vento as a coach.  “Shane has put more race cars on the pole at Sebring than most. He is a great race driver and all around good guy who makes us all feel great about being part of this historical week at Sebring” Vento said.  In the afternoon session, Jerry cut his lap times by a half second.  The car was well prepared. “You have to turn good laps early because once the traffic starts it’s really hard to knock off a clean lap.  We’re getting there bit by bit.” said Bye.  The second session was not as successful.  About 12 minutes in Jerry radios that he was having an intermittent steering assist problem  “The car’s steering got really heavy after turn 13 then in corner 14 the power assist quit all together.  These cars rely heavily on the assist especially on a bumpy surface like Sebring.  You just can’t steer the car properly without it”, Vento Said.  Upon returning to pit road the team checks the obvious causes with no luck.  They concluded the session returning to the paddock for proper diagnosis

Thursday, March 19th       

The day began with an important qualifying session.  It was also race day and given Wednesday’s power steering problem the team was anxious.  When asked about yesterday’s problems the team manager said, “With the help of Porsche engineering we worked the problem to a power steering pump failure.  This is rare in these cars but things do go bad under these extreme conditions.  These cars rely heavily on computer logic which is great when it all works, however it can be very frustrating when you can’t isolate a problem”.  The qualifying session began successfully when Jerry was able to lay down a fast time equal to his best lap however it was sort lived as 5 laps in the steering problem surfaces again.  “It was going well, we were able to match our best time right out of the box with no real strain.  I think we could have topped our best time.” Vento Said.  By coincidence about the same time the power steering failed again. The Tequila Patron Car #08 driven by Ed Brown, Patron’s CEO, lost all breaking heading into turn 7.  Fortunately Ed was not hurt.  “My biggest concern was for Ed, not our steering problem.  At the time he lost his brakes he was doing about 140 miles per hour. “Said Vento.  As mechanical repairs continued, Shane Lewis and Jerry review data output from earlier laps. “We are able to compare any of Jerry’s laps on top of each other or other drivers.  Brake durations, intensity, back to throttle, steering inputs, G-Force loads under breaking, all critical information to improve speed through the course.” Lewis said.  Team manager Bye declares #8 ready for the grid and the first race of the IMSA 2009 Season. 

RACE #1      

The green flag drops and the first lap is incident free. The leaders in single file formation knock off quick times.  The number 8 Velox Racing Patron Porsche is holding its own.  Jerry had a solid start and began hunting down the 3 cars in front.  Jerry improved his previous best time by 3 tenths of a second early on.  About 10 minutes into the 30 minute race Jerry moved up 5 positions.  At the half way point going into turn 7 Jerry brakes a split second later than normal and slightly overshoots the hairpin and loses 2 spots.  With 15 minutes remaining there was time to recoup some. Jerry drove consistent lap times and capitalizes on mistakes made by fellow racers.  Upon completion of the race Jerry moved up 3 more positions.  This was the team’s first race ever as Velox Motorsport.  The Team Manager was first to comment “it was great, we couldn’t ask for anything more for round 1. Jerry did a great job, there’s not a mark on the car and we moved up 6 positions. Fantastic!”  “The team overcame some mechanical problems that plagued us for two days and the car performed perfectly, I could not have asked for a better team effort.” Vento said.
          “This is my first real race and the drivers are very competitive in the IMSA Cup Series.  I have a lot of work to do but I’m confident we will progress.” Vento concluded.  “He overshot the hairpin turn 7 but got back into it and he‘s going faster than when we first started on Tuesday.” Tom Allen, the team mechanic said with a grin.

Friday, March 20th

        RACE #2
       As the team geared up for race #2 everyone was excited.  The cars grid according to fastest race lap not position from yesterday’s race.  Bye said. “We want a clean start; often guys become very aggressive in race 2 since it’s their last race for the weekend.  It will get rough.  “The first lap will get crazy.” Said Shane Lewis.  Emotions were high and everyone hoped for the best. As the green falls Jerry kept the car tight to the inside wall of turn 1 ready for the possibility of a pile up.  Upon approaching turn 3 and the large cloud of dust, flying bumper panels and debris, Jerry quickly steers to avoid a 3 car pileup.  With debris and dirt all over the track the race went full course caution.  Almost half the allotted race time was spent under full course caution. With 14 Minutes remaining the race course went green again. Jerry immediately matched his best time again and consistently ran there while avoiding a spinning competitor almost every lap.  Jerry then reels in the car in front at a strong rate while bettering his best lap time by a full second.  On the second to last lap Jerry was held up by a spinning car coming out of turn 13 and had to lift to avoid the out of control driver.  Jerry quickly recovered and chased the Starbucks entry in front.  With one lap remaining Jerry added a lot of ground to recoup to catch the next position.  The Velox Patron entry was about 2 car lengths short of the car in front at the checkered flag, making up 7 lengths on the final lap which is quite a feat in itself.  The team was ecstatic at the checkered flag. 
          “We are all very happy and proud.  Jerry produced some great laps and made it through all the havoc on track.” Jeff Bye.  “Pulling those 3 laps off a full second faster than previous under those tough circumstances is not easy.  There is more where that came from I can feel it!” Shane Lewis  “I had a rat in the stomach for most of the race. The car was prepared perfectly and our team did a great job.  I’m happy to get through this race with more experience; most guys out here have been doing this for many years so it’s a privilege to run with them.  While I’m not satisfied with my times, I improved my speed by 4 seconds from the time we hit the track on Wednesday through today’s race.  Another 3 seconds and will be battling with the pack.  One more thing, the fans at Sebring were fantastic, cheering us on and coming by the Paddock.  We really appreciate their continued support.  Now it’s on to Utah.” Vento said as he looked pretty happy to be in #8  After a successful first outing in the Patron GT3 IMSA Cup Series, the team will ready themselves for serious testing. We never stop learning both from an engineering standpoint as well as a driving standpoint.  We are going to continue to test heavily and look forward to rounds 3 and 4 in Utah.  Velox Motorsport thanks all those involved who made this happen.  “For those who gave 110% toward our effort we thank you greatly.” Velox Team Manager.