Spec RX7 race report from the Milwaukee Regions Susie Bonneau SCCA regional on 5/14/00 at Road America

The good news is that we've doubled our Spec Rx7 entries from last year, up to six. The bad news is that Jim Miceli lost the trans during qualifying and had to put it on the trailer early. He was still pretty happy since he'd fullfilled a lifelong dream of driving a race car at Road America. Like Jim, David Dewhurst completed his school this spring and had his new car out. Jim Simaris also has a new car but he's a veteran driver having run SS and SRF cars for about 9 years. Track record holder James Offutt and Erik Bacon were returning as was your author, Jeff Cashmore. When we last left our little saga, I was having idle problems. They continued dispite changing the cap, rotor, plugs and fuel filter. I missed half the first qualifying session when the car wouldn't start and Andy Epperly had to help me jump start it (thanks Andy!).

After the first session, Jim's in first with a 3:05.4, I'm in 2nd a few tenths back (guess I got one clean lap in) and Erik's back a few more. Erik's new/junkyard motor seems to be just as strong as the old one and he can pull higher revs without the vibration. We've all easily broken James's old mark of 3:06.9. Must be the cold whether. James was blackflagged after only one lap. Seems the rear carpeting was flying around in the rear hatch. A couple of zip ties fix that. I get some video from the other groups. The new camera's working fine and with Lithium batteries I don't have to worry about running out of juice anymore.

The car starts fine for the next qualifying session and I use all that Solo training to really stand on the brakes. I get down to a 3:04.7 before a smoking ITS Oldsmobile finally blows his motor after the kink. They flag the session and do an early lunch during the clean up. Erik's moved ahead of Jim who didn't improve. We wander around the pits talking to everyone, checking out the cars and enjoying the sunshine that's starting to warm things up.

Finally it's time to go to grid. The car starts fine in the paddock but dies just as I roll up to grid. "Oh great, perfect timing." Andy's there and we borrow some jumper cables (Thanks Mike!). Jeez, the darn battery is less than a year old. We let it charge up a little and it starts right before they close grid. I keep it rev'd past 2 grand throughout the 5 minute warning and make sure I don't kill it on the uphill exit out of grid. I make it out onto the track for the warmup lap but my mind is already racing, wondering if the car will keep going.

Erik falls back at the start but Jim is right behind me by turn 3. He's on my right going into T5 and manages to stay there up the hill thru T6. He's on the inside for T7 so I give it to him, however, I use the draft after the kink and out brake him going into Canada corner. Lead swap number one. On the next lap a red 160 hp SSC Civic flys by heading towards T5. Behind me, Jim gets out braked by Jerry Zimmerman's ITC Civic and Jerry proceeds to bump draft me around to T3 where he out brakes me, (and I thought I had good brakes). At the exit he motions for me to bump him, the only problem is I can't catch him. The white AS Camaro flys by us into T5 but Jerry out brakes him. This leaves the V8 almost in the sand trap and I put him between Jim and I as we go up the hill. Up ahead, Jerry and Dave Knaack catch the red Civic at the kink and get slowed up. I'm at full song (as much as you can be in a Spec 7) and pass both of them before Canada corner. The more cars I can put between Jim and I, the better.

The AS Camaro flys by on the front straight and brake checks me into T1. Jerry's on my tail and out brakes me into T3 again. On the next lap Jim gets by Dave Knaack into T5. I get slowed up by the red Civic at the kink and Jim gets a run on me into Canada. I protect the inside and hold him off. Gosh, I almost feel like a real race car driver. Wouldn't have done that last year. However, going up the front straight Jim drafts, I protect the inside but he out brakes me on the outside for the pass. I'm not happy about it so I out brake him into T3 for the pass. Lead swap number two. When did I learn to be so aggressive? I give him the outside in T5 but he can't make it stick. All this side by side stuff has allowed Knaack to catch us and he passes us both into T6. I get him into Canada but his little Fiesta accelerates well and he gets me back before T13. I catch him again on the main straight but now Jims right next to me and I'm boxed in. Jim goes by but I get Knaack in T1. I don't want him in between Jim and I.

I spend the next lap trying to reel Jim back in. We get the L3 sign at the S/F line. I catch Jim just as he catches the red Civic coming out of the Carousel. Jim goes right just as the Civic decides to get out of our way and he goes right too. Now Jim's boxed in. I stay left, keep my foot in it and pass them both right before the kink. Eventual overall winner Nathan Bonneau's ITS Prelude laps me into T1. Jim's caught me by T5 and I give him the outside but he can't out brake me. He gives me a look in T6 and T8 but I know he's not close enough. This is where I put a plug in for Bob Clark at Pegasus who sold me my convex mirror. Jim's looking hard between 12 and 14 but there's no room. I move over at the top of the hill on the main straight to protect the inside for T1 for the last lap. Then I notice the flagmans waiving the checkered. I look over to the left but I don't see Jim's nose and I take the win by a car length. Yes, I'm happy about the win but not happy with my math. I see the AS Camaro is off in the sand trap in T1 and I wonder if they flagged it a lap early because of him. I'm still confused until after I get weighed at impound. Then I remembered that Nathan lapped us and we only did nine laps. I guess I only think about that when Judge Machi comes around and squeezes me off the road. Next time I need to bribe someone to do a pit board for me. My wife Denise would probably do it if there's no Solo going on that day. At least she got to drive on Mothers Day. Wow, what a race. I did a 3:02.2 and Jim a 3:01.8. I guess drafting really helps on those long straights. I talk with Jim afterwards and we're both looking forward to the next clean but hard fought battle. Unfortunately, that won't be until July 30th. At least I have video tape til then.

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