Race Videos from Auto Club Speedway SCCA Races

[Oli Thordarson]

OK, here is my Sunday race, I think it is better than Saturday's:
This is a great race. Steve Schmidt, Ryan Cashin and I trade places several times during the race. The video quality is pretty good, but the file is fairly large so be patient on the download. It is worth it.
http://www.trackhq.com/forums/photopost ... /ppuser/49" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ryan did not race Saturday so he had to start from the back of the pack. I had the pole position, but the three of us decided to start from the back of the pack so we could race together as this was regional race. We agreed to not pass each other for the first two full laps so we could safely pass through the other classes without undue risk of harm.

Once we got going it was some fun racing. We stayed pretty close together the whole race.

Congrats to Steve Schmidt for the win. Autocrossers can rejoice as Steve, an AX guy from San Diego, vindicated himself from my Saturday victory, but I finished only 0.138 of a second behind him in this race. I just needed more race!

BTW - Sorry about that stupid loose strap end hanging in front of the camera on the high G-force left handers. It was not doing that Saturday....

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While you guys were practicing last weekend on the autocross course I was getting harangued by San Diego autocrosser Steve Schmidt.

Here is the Regional 8 in-car race video from my T1 Corvette.
http://www.trackhq.com/forums/photopost ... hoto/16195" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is a pretty good race for the first 11 laps until Steve Schmidt slides into the Turn 6 tire wall. If you watch my rearview mirror at minute 21:15 you can just make it out. After that my race is pretty much over. It is just lapping until the end. You won't see the video minute marks unless you download the video.

Other notable moments:
Steve gets the jump at the start of the race, but I pass back for the lead in the first lap. Rob Burgoon shows up at minute 12:25 in his ITA Miata as we are lapping the field and I narrowly miss punting him by about 12".

Steve dive bombs me for a pass at minute 13:30, but he cannot make it stick and I pass him back at minute 14:30.

Steve and I are driving Corvette Z06 T1 cars. Rob and RichardEVO are racing ITA Miatas. There are about 25 cars total in this race field.

The really great race video from Sunday will appear soon. Several position changes and close racing. The win is decided by 0.138 of a second... that is a car length. Call it revenge of the road racing autocrosser....

I will post it when I have it ready. It is much better than this race.

[Michael Palero]

This you Oli?

[Oli Thordarson]

That would be me, alledgedly....

[Aaron Goldsmith]

That would be me, alledgedly....

Making the awesome face in the background?

[Bob Pl]

Nice video. Do they always put slow/fast cars in the same group?

[Jason Isley BS RX8]

WOW. You would have thought Oli was past the rookie year phase of "its cool to wear the driving suit everywhere."

This you Oli?

[Oli Thordarson]

Thanks Bob, the next video is going to kick but all over this one. Faster lap times, more traffic, more T1 cars involved in the hunt for first place, closer running and several position changes.

Yes, they separate open wheel and closed wheel. And then they try and separate cars rationally by speed difference, but there were laps time differences as high as 20-30 seconds in one race group. It can get you attention when three T1 Corvettes are running their own battle and not wanting to back down and we come up on three or four other cars running their own battle and they don't want to give up anything on the track either.

[Oli Thordarson]

WOW. You would have thought Oli was past the rookie year phase of "its cool to wear the driving suit everywhere."

When I saw that picture I knew I would get some crap. I knew I could count on you Isley. So are you still making those unsafe passes on freeway on-ramps?

[Jason Isley BS RX8]

When I saw that picture I knew I would get some crap. I knew I could count on you Isley. So are you still making those unsafe passes on freeway on-ramps?

Its only unsafe when the slower driver does not check his mirrors or hold his line. But don't worry... I did my school a couple of weeks ago, and the cage is most of the way done, we will be able to practice more of those passes shortly. Say March, at Buttonwillow.

[Oli Thordarson]

Its only unsafe when the slower driver does not check his mirrors or hold his line. But don't worry... I did my school a couple of weeks ago, and the cage is most of the way done, we will be able to practice more of those passes shortly. Say March, at Buttonwillow.

...or when the overtaken driver is asleep at the wheel....

[Grant Heathman]

WOW. You would have thought Oli was past the rookie year phase of "its cool to wear the driving suit everywhere."

Too bad Oli has his hands in pockets, because then we could see how many wrist bands he still has on from all the past track days...

[Oli Thordarson]

Will you guys quit teasing my about the "driving suit!"

Those are my Dale Earnhardt pajamas!!!

[Michael Palero]

Too bad Oli has his hands in pockets, because then we could see how many wrist bands he still has on from all the past track days...

Oli's smart.
If you don't mind showering with the same wrist band on for months at a time, you can save a lot of money on Willow Springs track fees.
Just make sure you aren't the first person in line when you do it and make sure you thoroughly dry the band after every shower to limit growth.

[Grant Heathman]

I really like the color I wish I had one that was orange like that so it would match my "clown car", all in good fun oli thanks for being a good sport.

[Steve Abbott]

Great video. Thanks for sharing.
Steve

[Renee Angel]

That's okay Oli - all those guys in the background are WANNA BE RACERS! Are you listening Hartendorp? Oli, you can wear that driving suit wherever you want as far as I'm concerned. However, you might want to think about getting ready a little earlier on Grid.

Renee

[Oli Thordarson]

That's okay Oli - all those guys in the background are WANNA BE RACERS! Are you listening Hartendorp? Oli, you can wear that driving suit wherever you want as far as I'm concerned. However, you might want to think about getting ready a little earlier on Grid.

Renee

Yes, you are right about being ready.

I blew out a brake line going into the turn after the foot bridge in qualifying and did not have a spare. When I figured out what happened in the paddock I made a couple of calls on Saturday and then took off to get the part. It did not rain at the track, but it rained to and from my trip to Coast Corvette for the part. Coming back I grabbed some food real quick, gobbled it up, threw the part on the car and went to grid. I did not have too much time to spare as you now know....

Thanks for your consideration as I belted up in pre-grid.

As that guy says on the radio, "Now, you know the REST of the Story...."


Oli

[Oli Thordarson]

OK, here is my Sunday race, I think it is better than Saturday's:
This is a great race. Steve Schmidt, Ryan Cashin and I trade places several times during the race. The video quality is pretty good, but the file is fairly large so be patient on the download. It is worth it.
http://www.trackhq.com/forums/photopost ... /ppuser/49" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ryan did not race Saturday so he had to start from the back of the pack. I had the pole position, but the three of us decided to start from the back of the pack so we could race together as this was regional race. We agreed to not pass each other for the first two full laps so we could safely pass through the other classes without undue risk of harm.

Once we got going it was some fun racing. We stayed pretty close together the whole race.

Congrats to Steve Schmidt for the win. Autocrossers can rejoice as Steve, an AX guy from San Diego, vindicated himself from my Saturday victory, but I finished only 0.138 of a second behind him in this race. I just needed more race!

BTW - Sorry about that stupid loose strap end hanging in front of the camera on the high G-force left handers. It was not doing that Saturday....

[Mako Koiwai]

"Our" San Diego ESP maestro Henry Botkin has also been road racing ... and I believe he won his race with his RX-7 that weekend.

http://www.sdsolo.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1882" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Steve Coe]

"Our" San Diego ESP maestro Henry Botkin has also been road racing ... and I believe he won his race with his RX-7 that weekend.

http://www.sdsolo.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1882" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and set a new lap record for SRX7