Paul’s 9-5: Office Equipment Sales, Service Supplies
Run Group: Race Group
Car: Acura Integra Type-R, #51

Favorite Food(s): Italian, Rib Eye Steaks, and Chinese
Favorite Track: California Speedway
Favorite Music: Too broad to list here, but noted alternative rock (i.e., Rush), guitar jazz (Al Di Meola), blues (Gary Moore, and Eric Johnson)

Obligatory hot actress question, who is it?
Diane Lane

Bloomberg Factoid: Did you know that Paul was a serious guitar player in his youth? Yes, it’s true. He played and opened for headliners throughout the country.

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Who’s Who: Paul Bloomberg

It takes a certain level of commitment and enthusiasm to stay in the racing game; as there are always ups and downs, starts and finishes, losses and wins. In NASA-AZ we have decades of combined racing experience among us. Taking a closer look at participants in race group we can easily find some great people with greater stories. For this edition of Who’s Who, I had the pleasure of interviewing fellow Racer and Time Trailer, Paul Bloomberg–who has a story to share with us all.

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Racing Starts

Paul began his track time as a young child, not in the seat of a car but over the handles of a motorcycle. He was an avid motocrosser from the early age of 7, and continued to run two wheels on track into his 20’s. Along the way, his family always supported his efforts in racing competition. It wasn’t until 1998 where Paul found himself at a PCA autocross event, soon blending a mix of SCCA Solo events when he found the time. It took the careful persuasion of his fellow drivers to begin running a 944 at a road course.

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Autocross to the Road Course

Instead of dodging cones and slaloms, Paul was regularly aiming for apexes and top speeds. As with most drivers who started out with Autocross, he quickly adapted to a road course environment. At this time, Paul decided to try his hand at the 944-Spec series that just started. Back in 2001, Paul finished runner up to Joe Paluch. A year later, Paul won the highly competitive 944-Spec Championship in 2003. Much of his core racing experience came from learning to cleanly race these extremely well balanced cars.

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944 to FWD

Back in the Day: Paul and his Acura Integra Type-R

After the 944-Spec car Paul decided to try something completely different … a FWD race car. The next time you walk around the pits, take a closer look at the easily spotted Acura Integra Type-R (ITR) with a spirited “get outta my way” yellow-black-and-white painted theme, complete with racing trim. When you find it, you will be looking at the car driven by Paul Bloomberg.

The first time I took a gander at this Integra, I knew there was likely a good story behind its presence at our events. As it turns out, I wasn’t far off – what we’ve come to know as our PTB ITR was once under the care of King Motorsports. This car had some well known drivers in its seat at the prime of its use, including Will Nonnamaker in Grand-Am. In 2002, it was also driven by Bob Endicott who won the Grand Am ST Championship, along with many other wins to follow in 2003. The Nonnamakers decided on an all-Porsche GS Grand-Am effort, so naturally the Acura’s had to go. Paul found the right connections at the right time, becoming the proud owner of this car.

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Racing the ITR

The most memorable racing event for Paul in the ITR was the San Jose Gran Prix in San Jose opening for Champ Car. “It was an amazing event!” Paul said. “…Racing through downtown surrounded by k-wall not being able to see around any corners is an experience! I finished 13th out of 30+ but was disqualified due to missing a yellow along with five others who didn’t pick up a yellow flag sticking through a catch fence surrounded by canary-yellow banners–oh well excuses are like… eh, everyone knows what excuses are like, no explanation needed!”

Paul was able to reconnect with Bob Endicott at a local Phoenix Modified Tuner Shootout event were Endicott was driving for Hasport. In their reminiscent discussion, Endicott noted the ITR’s superb handling compared to new KMS World Challenge TSX’s – naturally, they both agreed that ITR was and still is, a great race car.

Current Photo: Paul's Acura Integra Type-R

Most of us have had some “sketchy” moments on track (or going off-track for that matter). When you’ve had as much seat time as Paul you are bound to witness and experience all sorts of interesting scenarios, some that may require you to change your shorts. The first time you see a real shiny surface on the track and you don’t realize what it is till you’re spinning around like a tornado “…experience pays drivers dividends when someone blows a motor in front of you at full speed.” Paul explained. No doubt that this statement has much truth to it when you are carrying enough velocity to send your internal organs to the base of your spine, and then quickly realizing you are going in all sorts of random directions regardless of your inputs.

“I think my biggest challenges recently have been staying on top of the car along with personally staying motivated to push as hard as I can in a consistent manner which has been lacking all this year.” Paul said. “Another racing buddy recently reminded me “…remember this is supposed to be fun!”

If any one thing can be said about NASA – it’s the people. Our fellow drivers keep us in the game, help us stay motivated and solve problems. Simply put, NASA has a very special circle of support and camaraderie that is rarely found elsewhere. Paul has received a lot of support over the years, notably from Mike Browning – one of our local drivers with pro racing and team coaching experience. “Mike has been such an important part of my auto racing, he was a great mentor when I first started, and is good at teaching the culture of clean race driving.” Says Paul. With the assistance of Browning, Paul’s times became increasingly consistent, which is key. Being able to hit your marks lap after lap is one of the more difficult challenges in this sport.

Here are some of Paul’s key involvements and achievements over the years…

Positions in NASA:
Driving Instructor
Honda Challenge Leader
PT Director
Small Bore Race Director
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Racing Accomplishments:
944-Spec Runner UP (partial year season)
NASA 03 944-Spec Champion
NASA 03 AZ Region HC *H1 Champion
NASA 04 AZ Region HC H2 Champion
NASA 05 AZ Region Pro Sedan 1 Champion
NASA 06 AZ Region PTB Champion
NASA 07 AZ Region PTB Champion
NASA 08 AZ Region PTB Champion
NASA 09 AZ Region PTB Champion.

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Changing it Up?

Given the fact that Paul has had much seat time in his ITR, there must have been a point where he was considering changing it up and driving something else. Most of us have heard the occasional rumor going around NASA-AZ that Paul was selling is car, just purchased a BMW E36 M3, or switched gears to a MazdaSpeed Miata for Time Trial … all of which were true. Yet, the motivation to separate himself from his ITR simply wasn’t strong enough to go through with it.

Racing around Phoenix International Raceway

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Racing Support and Camaraderie

Like a lot of us, we wouldn’t be able to participate if it weren’t for others in the industry willing to help. Paul has received great support from local shops in the Valley, including Tri-Tech and German Auto for various maintenance and tuning, keeping the ITR in top track-driving condition. “Without Tri-Tech or German Auto, the past year or so would have been very tough to even make an event!” Explains Paul. Moving forward, I expect to see the ITR join us in PTB and the occasional Time Trial session with Bloomberg behind the wheel.

Paul shared an interesting story with me—which notably signifies how awesome people in the racing community can be. A few years ago, John Dowling (driver of our PTA Porsche 911 – also known as The Purple Dinosaur) and Valerie (his significant other) were traveling to Willow Springs for a NASA event in the Southern California Region. John and Valerie arrived at the track early on Friday to get use of the open track for practice. However, Paul was (fashionably) late and didn’t arrive until that afternoon.

Since John had been on the track all day, Paul thought it might be good idea if he followed John around to get familiar with the course and the condition of the track. While driving, Paul had many moments contemplating where he could likely pass, and attempted to do so accelerating down a decline. As he made his move, it wasn’t long before he noticed John’s muffler had dropped to the ground.

Paul zoomed by…

Paul came back around and noticed that what had dropped wasn’t John’s muffler after all — it was his entire engine! Yes, the whole engine fell out of the 911, grinding off one of the distributors and braking all the oil lines. The engine mounts had failed, making for a complete mess. Once the engine and chassis was back on the trailer, the session was closed for the day. John, obviously dejected after the long tow and now expecting to miss the race, was justifiably overcome with feelings of defeat.

Out of nowhere, a gentleman who had pitted a couple of spaces over that neither of them knew or seen before, approached the broken-down “Purple Dinosaur”. He inquired as to what happened, and noted that he had a race shop only three hours away. “I can fix it” the man said. “I’ve got parts for 911’s, or can make whatever I need.”

Paul and John looked at each other in silence.

“What the heck!” John said, after a few curious glances. “Okay, take it.”

John’s Purple 911 was loaded onto a trailer and went off into the sunset in the hands of a total stranger.

That evening over a couple beers and laughs, Paul began to inquire about the man who took the 911 – joking about the horrible possibilities that might transpire.

John quietly replies, “… how come he had Oklahoma plates?”

Well?

Paul and John both arrive at the track early in the next morning with GREAT anticipation, along with a swarm of butterflies in each of their stomachs. Would the car be on its way to some mysterious destination never to be seen again? Could it have been dismantled in that stranger’s garage and parted out to Frito Bandito in Middle-of-Nowhere California? As it turns out, it was neither of those.

There it was, the Purple Dinosaur—John’s beloved 911—sitting on a trailer with the motor back in its proper place!

The moral of this story? First, check your engine mounts. Second, if it’s one thing you can count on … it’s the people in NASA. Without a doubt, this story shows us why Paul loves racing and continues to dedicate his time with NASA-AZ.

Just like most of the drivers I’ve met in NASA, Paul Bloomberg is genuinely likeable and enthusiastic, with a great sense of humor. Whether you are just starting out or have been running with NASA for awhile… the next time you are at the track, give a shout to Paul!

Written by Geri A. Amani

Gathering around for the early morning drivers meeting.

Drivers and officials regroup at dawn, likely plotting "Operation-Coffee".

Firebird East is one of those tracks that rewards driver skill and handling; often closing the competition through various classes, keeping drivers and spectators on their toes. It is also one of my favorite tracks, and likewise for other momentum car drivers it is a popular pick. This would be the first of two summer events this year maintaining a condensed and (very) early schedule, avoiding the hottest temperatures of the day, which often reach over 100*F!

Before the sun came up, David Leyvas' #997 PTA Porsche was ready to roll.

Long before any Starbucks opened in the whole of Phoenix, our drivers began entering the gates at 4am. Thanks to the organizers of NASA-AZ, this special event accommodated Big Bore and Small Bore races, Time Trial groups, HPDE, and Time Attack. Now let’s take a closer look at some of the highlights from this event.

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Race group heats up!

I was looking forward to seeing how many of our drivers in Race Group would make this event since NASA-AZ normally doesn’t offer races in the summer, let alone at this track. Since we were running a condensed schedule, Race Group followed a slightly different format; practice and qualifying took place on Saturday, followed by practice and race sessions on Sunday.

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Big Bore, Small Track.

If anyone was going to get a sub-minute lap time it was going to be in this group along with Big Bore Time Trial. The race began with a cluster of cars tight through the corners, gradually thinning out lap after lap. Mark Alger driving the fast red blur… I mean… #4 SU Dodge Viper, qualified first overall running a 59.748, followed by Victor Pfluger, Darrell Rayburn and Tage Evanson.

Big Bore apex take-over!

Sunday’s race began with a 15-car field, noting most cars in their expected order with the exception of Brian Turner who missed qualifying due to mechanical issues. Starting in the back he worked his way through the pack ultimately taking fourth, just behind Matthew Seech in third. In the front of the pack was Mark Alger yet again who found a few extra tenths, beating his own qualifying lap time — also notably the fastest lap in Race Group for the weekend – a 58.932. When the checkers fell Alger took pole winning the SU class for the weekend, followed by Darrell Rayburn placing first in ST-2, David Leyvas took PT-A, and Rick Johnson won PT-B.

Nose-to-tail chase: Ricky "Boo Boo" Johnson and John Dowling.

... a few laps later ... the chase continues...

Here are the class winners from the Big Bore race on Sunday:
Mark Alger #4, SU
Darrell Rayburn #421, ST-2
David Leyvas #997, PT-A
Rick Johnson #00, PT-B

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Small Bore Race goes 944… and a Miata.

The Small Bore race was comprised of 99.99% 944 Spec, and .01% Spec Miata. Events like these make it obvious to me that the 944 Spec racers (and the Spec Miata) are committed to our racing schedule, even when weather conditions reach ‘wow-my-race-suit-really-does-smell-that-bad’ highs. An early start and 20 laps later, Austin Newmark in #47x took first overall with Rich Geisler in #03 not far behind, followed by Darren Griffith in #7. Our esteemed #8 Spec Miata driven by Charles Jackson, who also got the new Spec Miata track record, is an example to everyone who has been watching the races and contemplating to build a Spec car, that a) they should do it, and that b) all of them can be competitive together!

Top 944 racers from Sunday:
Austin Newmark #47x, 944 Spec
Rich Geisler #03, 944 Spec
Darren Griffith #7, 944 Spec

… and in Spec Miata:
Charles Jackson #8, Spec Miata

New track records:
Rich Geisler #03, 944 Spec – 1:06.452
Charles Jackson #8, Spec Miata – 1:10.416

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Time Trial Groups

Big Bore

Big Bore Time Trial was hot, and I’m not referencing the Arizona summer, or anybody’s car overheating… But in terms of speed they were all smoke’n! Throughout the weekend Wayne McKeen brought good stuff to the track in his TTR Corvette, running consistent sub-minute laps and setting the TTR track record on Saturday, then breaking his own record on Sunday with a fast 57.93.

Darrell Rayburn set the TTS record on Saturday with a 59.78, however Tage Evanson in his well-known Honda Civic (Casper) raised the bar on Sunday running 59.14. Brian Turner set a new record for this track with 1:03.39 in TTA, and Mark Alger took the lead in TTU turning 59.76

#44 TTA Audi S4 driven by Dan Maloney

Here are the top racers on Saturday:
TTR Wayne McKeen - #7 Corvette – 58.26
TTU Mark Alger - #4 Dodge Viper – 1:00.01
TTS Darrell Rayburn - #421 Corvette – 59.78
TTA Dan Maloney - #44 Audi S4 – 1:03.97

Here are the top racers on Sunday:
TTR Wayne McKeen - #7 Corvette – 57.93
TTU Mark Alger - #4 Dodge Viper – 59.76
TTS Tage Evanson - #17 Honda Civic – 59.14
TTA Brian Turner - #524 Porsche 911 – 1:03.39

New track records:
TTR Wayne Mckeen - #7 Corvette
TTS Tage Evanson - # 17 Honda Civic
TTA Brian Turner - #524 Porsche 911

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Small Bore

The Small Bore group also enjoyed fast laps around East with a couple new track records. First up is Matt McIntyre, who obtained the TTB track record twice in one weekend; Saturday running 1:03.02, then shaving off a few tenths on Sunday running 1:02.72. Gabe Ortega and Eric Dayton battled it out in hopes to shave off those few extra tenths between each other, with Dayton ultimately taking the lead with the fastest lap in TTC on Sunday. Tage Evanson joined Small Bore yet again with his Honda Accord in TTF, also finding a new track record running 1:08.87.

Pace Car and TTC Integra driven by Eric Dayton.

Here are the top racers on Saturday:
TTB Matt McIntyre - #31 BMW M3 – 1:03.02
TTC Drew Maloney - #52 Mini Cooper S – 1:06.02
TTD Robert Rose - #16 Mazda Miata – 1:05.89
TTE Geri Amani - #34 Mazda Miata – 1:10.46
TTF Tage Evanson - #17 Honda Accord – 1:08.89

Here are the top racers on Sunday:
TTB Matt McIntyre - #31 BMW M3 – 1:02.72
TTC Eric Dayton- #21 Acura Integra – 1:07.16
TTD Robert Rose - #16 Mazda Miata – 1:06.01
TTE Geri Amani - #34 Mazda Miata – 1:08.92
TTF Tage Evanson - #17 Honda Accord – 1:08.87

New track records:
TTB Matt McIntyre - #31 BMW M3 – 1:02.72
TTF Tage Evanson - #17 Honda Accord – 1:08.87

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HPDE

Both mornings I started my day walking about the tech inspection lines snapping a few pictures a long the way. It is always great to see so many familiar faces in HPDE, and all of them eager to get on track despite how early it was or how little sleep they had the night before. Each event I like to take note which HPDE cars appear to be on the fast track towards competition in the not too distant future. With each event those cars slowly become more serious: better brakes, less interior, race seats, safety gear, tires, stickers, and more – the tell-tale signs of the “racing bug”.

Unmistakeable *neon* wheels... One of our "Subie" drivers, Taylor Wilson.

NASA’s HPDE program guides new drivers further up the HPDE ladder, and our spirited group leaders are here to help. Whether you are just starting out or have been driving for awhile – NASA has a great support structure for those eager to learn.

I managed to connect with a few drivers to see how the event was coming along for them. A few of them were quite possibly some of the most enthusiastic I’ve seen in a long while. New to NASA was Ahmed Sulfab, driving his garage-built Integra Type-R. After months of reviving his car he joined us in DE1, graduating to DE2 by Sunday.

Noz Wijaya didn’t return to DE3 with his red Corolla, this time we found him with a Miata! Could this be a budding Spec Miata racer in the near future? Or a soon-to-be Time Trialer? Aside from weight reduction and safety gear, he ran the Miata almost completely stock. Noz ran both DE3 and Time Attack in a completely new platform, receiving some helpful coaching from fellow Miata driver and DE2 group leader Robert Rose.

Robert Rose getting ready to head out with Noz in DE3 for some 1:1 coaching.

Bright ... and early!

One of our trusted corner workers Melanie joined us ON track; not holding a yellow flag, but driving her yellow supercharged Integra Type-R. Great to have her out there with us!

Fellow corner worker Melanie joins us in DE3 in her supercharged Acura Integra Type-R.

Because we can never be too prepared as drivers, NASA wants everyone to be safe when they drive with us. Make sure to be familiar with the latest safety rules and regulations. You can check out the official NASA website for the latest Club Codes and Regulations (often referred to as the CCR’s) here: http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/index.html.

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UMS Time Attack

I was pleased to see that the UMS Time Attack was scheduled in the NASA menu of run groups for this summer event, and even more pleased to see the number of participants waiting on grid hoping to turn the fastest lap. The UMS Time Attack provides drivers from run groups DE3 and up with some open track in a competition format. Other than the hot temperatures, after talking with other drivers it became obvious that TA had been a great success.

Gabe Ortega's Honda Civic, TA-A winner.

With TA-A and TA-B as the largest of the TA run groups, with a few TA-C cars in the mix — a total of 22 cars in participation gave everyone a good dose of competition. Gabe Ortega in his Honda Civic drove away as our TA-A winner running a 1:08.061, Brian McCormick’s #727 took TA-B with his swift 1:04.376, and in TA-C Robert Smithson achieved 1:04.700.

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August Event Preview

With our brief break in July our next event takes place at Firebird West in August. Most HPDE groups were sold out in June, and despite warmer temperatures NASA-AZ expects the same turnout. An early 6AM start will kick-off the event, with HPDE1 on Saturday, also HPDE2, 3 and 4 both days. This will also be one of the last opportunities Time Trialers and Racers can accumulate the minimum points required for Nationals in September. For those of you not planning on joining us at Miller Motorsports Park, we wont have any more events in Arizona until October… Be sure to register for FIR West –the last of our summer events, and we’ll see you at the track!

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Written and photographed by Geri A. Amani.

NASA-AZ Returns to PIR

The May 1-2 event was a much awaited return to PIR, and just in time to catch the last bit of great weather before the Arizona heat begins to take over the valley. I think it would be fair to assume everyone was looking forward to coming back to PIR as we say goodbye to spring and hello to the summer events at Firebird. This time of year we usually enjoy fresh and mild mornings, however we probably saw some of the coolest May temperatures in the past four years. Now, let’s take a closer look at this event along with the some new developments that make NASA-Arizona such a unique region.

Game on! Spec and Performance / Super Touring Races

NASA-Arizona has spent much effort to grow our racing field by introducing separate races; Performance and Super Touring, and a Spec Race featuring all-spec line up of 944’s, Miata’s and RX-7’s. This division proved to be a success as Spec cars from other organizations in the region were in attendance, thus expanding and diversifying the playing field.

In the words of Brady Dorhmann, “it was a ‘Spec-tacle’…” Get it? Uh, okay it’s not funny when I say it either. Moving on.

Saturday May 1^st was a great day for the Spec races. Jim Patrick in Spec Boxster and Austin Newmark in 944 Spec, battled it out at the start, both going nose to tail until the stream of cars played it out in a fight for position. Jim Patrick placed first overall, then Rich Geisler in 944 Spec. Bob Sahorey won Spec RX-7, along with Steven Powers leading Spec Miata. The race demonstrated some great racing and sportsmanship. Sunday May 2^nd offered Spec racers another chance for the win, with Austin Newmark swapping places with Saturday’s winner Rich Geisler. A third Spec Miata entered the mix driven by Charles Jackson, but Steven Powers kept his position in first place.

Here is the roster of the top 5 Spec racers from Saturday:

1 Jim Patrickn - #171, Spec Boxster
2 Rich Geisler - #03, 944 Spec
3 Austin Newmark - #47x, 944 Spec
4 Joe Paluch - #94, 944 Spec
5 Steven Powers - #81, Spec Miata

Also, the top 5 Spec racers from Sunday:

1 Jim Patrick - #171, Spec Boxster
2 Austin Newmark - #47x, 944 Spec
3 Darren Griffith - #7, 944 Spec
4 Joe Paluch - #94, 944 Spec
5 Steven Powers - #81, Spec Miata

Spec race is on! Photo by Michael Zieg.

Steven Powers Leading Spec Miata.

PT / ST Face-off

The Performance / Super Touring Race was no less exciting; with everyone gunning from the start and diving into the corners wheel-to-wheel, it looked like it was anybody’s game. The 4 way battle between John Dowling, Dave Leyvas, Brian Turner, and Terry Denton exhibited some great racing as they fought for first position in PT-A . In the SU Class, Kyle Foster ultimately took the checker as first overall, fighting to keep his position from Mark Alger. Darrell Rayburn won ST-2, John Dowling won PT-A, and Jeremy Renshaw took first in PT-B.

Here are the top 5 racers from Saturday:

1 Kyle Foster - #23, SU
2 Brent Crosser - #206, ST-1
3 Mark Alger - #4, SU
4 Victor Pfluger - #60, SU
5 Ed Ocholyski - #5, SU

Also, the top 5 racers from Sunday:

1 Kyle Foster - #23, SU
2 Mark Alger - #4, SU
3 Ed Ocholyski - #5, SU
4 Brent Crosser - #206, ST-1
5 CV Wells - #240, ST-2

Time Trial Groups

Small Bore

Matt McIntyre (TTB 1997 BMW M3) set the pace, running a 1:08.81, achieving the fastest time of the day in small bore, followed by Jeremy Renshaw (1997 BMW M3) for a 1:10.23. Eric Dayton, one of our very dedicated NASA workers, pulled a personal best in his TTC Acura Integra. Joel Mondragon of Team SRD moved up into Time Trials as our newest TTB driver in his silver Nissan 350Z. For those of you who are already familiar with his car, he’s been mostly a drift participant and has plans to continue drift competition alongside his grip-seeking efforts with NASA-AZ. So if you see Joel at the next event be sure to give a shout!

New TT Driver Joel Mondragon

Wait, was that a Sentra?! Yes it was. Brady Dorhman in his #72 TTF 2006 Sentra Spec-V blasted through his previous TTF record, pulling an impressive 1:14.46 and raising the bar for the epic TTF battle with Tage Evanson in his infamous white Honda Accord. Perhaps in the coming events we should keep a look out for more TTF front-wheel-drive interior-removing swashbuckling face-offs!

Here are the fastest lap times for Saturday:

TTB Matt McIntyre - 1:08.81
TTC Peter Barbey - 1:12.44
TTD Robert Rose - 1:12.14
TTE Geri Amani - 1:16.01
TTF Brady Dohrmann - 1:14.46

The fastest lap times for Sunday:

TTB Matt McIntyre - 1:09.63
TTC Dave Schotz - 1:10.56
TTD Robert Rose - 1:11.48
TTE Marc McCombs - 1:15.63
TTF Brady Dohrmann - 1:14.91

NEW Track Records: TTF Brady Dohrmann - 1:14.46

Phil Robles heading back to the paddock to "kit up!"

TTD Driver Mimi Kelly

Big (BIG) Bore

Wayne McKeen brought good stuff to the track with his 2006 Z06 Corvette, pulling a 1:02.12 — the fastest lap of the weekend in the whole of Time Trial, also setting a new TTR track record.

Here are the fastest lap times for Saturday:
TTA Brian Turner - 1:10.08
TTS Tage Evanson - 1:05.54
TTU Mark Alger - 1:03.47
TTR Wayne McKeen - 1:02.12

Also, the fastest lap times for Sunday:

TTA Brian Turner - 1:10.24
TTS Tage Evanson - 1:06.45
TTU Mark Alger - 1:03.96
TTR Wayne McKeen - 1:02.89

NEW Track Records: TTR Wayne McKeen - 1:02.12

HPDE

As usual, the HPDE groups had a great turnout. A few “interesting” cars were spotted out on the track, including a 65 Corvair in DE3 showing all of us that you don’t need a trillion-dollar race car to come out and turn laps on a race track. A few HPDE regulars passed their check rides moving them up the HPDE ranks. Since HPDE is where it all starts, and ultimately where our future racers and Time Trialers are born, NASA-AZ thanks all of you for your participation and helping our region grow every year.

Noz rock'n the 'rolla!

Gabe Ortega shaking down his del Sol.

65 Corvair in DE3

UMS Tuning - Time Attack Series

The UMS Tuning Time Attack Series was in full force, braving the dust storm that swept through the valley. Time Attack is becoming more popular every event, which makes for some blazing times and an exciting competitive spirit for all those who enter. Tony Szirka took center stage winning TA-C with a 1:08.93, Phil Robles dominated TA-B with his 1:11.91, and Gabe Ortega won TA-A running a 1:13.16.

Tony Szirka running TA-C UMS Tuning Evo. Photo by Chris Minshall.

Dust Took Storm on Sunday

The skies on Sunday went from warm and sunny to warm and dusty. For a few hours, PIR was embraced by a rowdy dust storm that lasted several hours. I’m sure most of you are still cleaning sand out of your cars, seats, ears, noses, shoes, toolboxes, etc. The warmer track conditions moved lap times a few notches slower, but this didn’t stop racers from going out and having a good time. For some, wind was a bigger culprit, killing speed on the straightaways and the infield. For anyone with a smaller underpowered car like myself, you’ll know first hand how heavy headwinds cheat your momentum.

What Sunoco sign?

Markos Mylonas' Subaru appears to match the dusty skies.

BBQ Event Celebrations with a Cinco de Mayo Theme

The NASA-AZ BBQ was a great success with nothing short of good food, a great beer selection, and a piñata for the kids. Now, if you think racing is competitive, equip young children with a large stick and a sealed box of candy on a string and see what happens!

Kids plan their attack on Bob the Builder.

NASA BBQ is a huge hit once again.

Regional Director Tage Evanson assists with the festivities.

... and they dive in! Yikes!

In addition to the food we had was a significant amount of birthday cake, which to this day I regret eating that much frosting. We had a number of May birthdays this month including our eye-in-the-sky Ramin Shute-Mahini, the man we never see much durring the events as he watches everything we do in the control tower, but is responsible for on and off track safety of everyone involved. Happy Birthday!

Once the track goes cold and the BBQ festivities begin, participants are permitted to walk, jog, ride a golf cart / bike, or simply explore the track at your leisure, giving all of us a chance to check out the racing surface up-close and in detail. Also an opportunity for us to burn off the excess calories eaten at the BBQ. NASA-AZ aims to have each event BBQ be a family-friendly affair; ensuring a truly fun opportunity to mingle with your fellow drivers; a great way to end a day of racing.

June Event Preview

NASA Arizona used to run almost exclusively at PIR but have made great efforts to add variety where we drive…which now brings us to Firebird East for the next event. Historically, running in June meant hot temperatures, but that’s somewhat relieved by giving everyone an early start. With the gates opening at 4am (yes I said 4am, get your Starbucks!) drivers meeting around 5:30am, there will be a condensed HPDE schedule, at least a few chances for Time Trialers to get that “fast lap” in, and Racers an opportunity to go for the win before the Arizona Summer kicks in.

We look forward to seeing everyone in June… Be there!

Photography and article written by Geri Amani. Special thanks to Michael Zieg (www.ziegphotography.com), and Chris Minshall (www.CMpixels.com) for additional photography coverage.

2010 so far has been an interesting year for NASA Arizona due to many new “items” being implemented—people, procedures, classes, activities and of course, the schedule.  I’ve ranted on quite a bit in the past about the 2010 schedule and how it’s a first for Arizona:  no back to back events at the same track, more frequent use of Firebird, and what seems like a more compact, efficient and busy schedule.  March 20th was the first daytime event NASA Arizona has had at Firebird West…. Probably ever!  And that’s thinking back to 2003 or so.  Of course there have always been the usual August summer events with the small schedule ending before the baseball games start, but March 20th was a nice twist in the program for everyone:  a full-day at the track, but not the large commitment of a 2-day event at Firebird Main or PIR.  Not to mention, Tucson, Chandler & east-valley residents got to sleep a little later Saturday morning.

Racers & Time Trialers Unite!

Darrell Rayburn splits his time between TT and Race, or just runs both sometimes!

With all respect due to all groups within NASA Arizona, the most interesting for many was the combined sessions of Time Trial and Race Group.  Crediting TT competitor Eric Jacobsen for his track record analysis on the NASA Arizona forum, it’s always interesting to see how the track records stack up against each other:  Race Group vs. TT.  Which group is faster?  Which group has more established drivers capable of pounding old records?  And of course, which group has more excuses as to why they’re slower?  (I can see blood boiling from a few race group members already).  For the record (excuse the pun), TT drivers have all day, everyday to set a fast lap and track record during a NASA event.  Racers on the other hand, can only solidify and beat track records during the race—not qualifying or practice—making it tough because there’s a lot going on during a race beyond trying to set a track record.  That’s a reasonable explanation for why sometimes the track records are sometimes “different” (see how nice I’m being?!) than the TT group’s.

However, all bets were off on March 20th!  TT and Racers were combined into the same group with all fast lap times counting towards the overall (and only) track record list for Firebird West.  The setting was perfect—a clear winter day, clean track, split groups for big bore (TTS-TTR, ST1-SU) and small bore (TTF-TTA, PTF-PTA) and no excuses otherwise.  For the sake of this comparison, any racer that typically supersizes and runs TT, will be considered a racer.  Let’s see which group set more records!  Racers in red, TT drivers in blue.  Everyone run for cover!

•    TTR – Pete Creek – 59:81
•    TTU – Darrell Rayburn – 1:01.56 (2008)
•    TTS – Tage Evanson – 59:72
•    TTA – Brian Turner – 1:05.34 (2009)
•    TTB – Rick Johnson – 1:03.95
•    TTC – Brady Dohrmann – 1:05.30 (2009)
•    TTD – Robert Rose – 1:06.53
•    TTE – Simon Pavlick – 1:07.65
•    TTF – Brady Dohrmann – 1:09.15

Six of the nine records were broken at FIR West on March 20th, which shouldn’t be a big surprise considering the lack of time NASA Arizona has had on that track over the years, not to mention the improvement all drivers have made since our last visit in August 2009.  But, looking at this comparison, Time Trial drivers left the track holding six track records with racers sitting at three.  Knowing that, the debate will continue–onto the next event, the next year or the next time NASA Arizona drives at Firebird West in August.

The BMW camp fought hard against the racers all day in the combined group

Most importantly was the sportsmanship between the two groups working together:  racers adapting quickly to the TT routine, TT drivers and racers pushing each other to turn faster laps, efficient downloads and so on.  A big thanks go out to everyone who participated in the combined sessions and helped making it a successful day.

Full results from the Time Trial/Race Group combined sessions are located here.

TT Group Business

It’s worth noting that for the TT group, all of the official results are located on the NASA Time Trial page, not MyLaps.com.  Whether it’s for contingency, bragging rights or a personal reference, the NASA TT site is The Bible of Results.  All TT drivers are encouraged to bookmark NASA-TT.com and reference it frequently.  Inside NASA-TT.com are:

• Official rules, classing sheets, license forms
• TT results from across the country
• TT points standings
• Track records from across the country

TT driver Geri Amani reviews her lap times and track data from an earlier session

Many have inquired about changes to the online results as well.  Here are the details:

• Protests cannot be made to another competitor past the day of the event.  Therefore, once the results are online, a competitor cannot file a protest that would have an effect on the already-published results
• Simple changes must be made before the start of the next event.  For example, once April 10th takes the green flag, the March 20th results are set in stone.
• Those eligible changes would be:  Spelling errors, vehicle info, classing and even lap times that are not inputted properly.
• All changes must be requested to one of the two Arizona TT officials directly via email:  either Jeremy Renshaw or Brady Dohrmann.  Email info is on the contact page of NASAAZ.com.

HPDE Groups

All of the HPDE groups had a strong showing of regular and new drivers, with HPDE1 selling out as always.  Determining which event will have a bigger crowd is tough; are people more inclined to sign  up and drag all their equipment out for a single day, or is the one-day format more appealing because that leaves people with some sort of weekend after the track?  Being stuck between the big BMWCCA weekend at PIR and the massive night event at Firebird Main on April 10th put this event in an awkward location, but the numbers in each group told all.

HPDE drivers circle around onto the front straight at Firebird West

That being said, many of the above speculations were the reason the race group didn’t have a stand-alone program and were instead combined with the time trial group.  For many of the racers with large trailers, crews and an extensive amount of pit equipment, it can be a lot of work for a single day of driving.  But all in all, there are so many benefits to driving at Firebird by itself, the paddock was full and everyone had fun.  NASA Arizona responded to this demand with an increase of Firebird track time for 2010 over previous years (more on that below).

UMS Time Attack Series

The UMS Time Attack series has fluctuated in attendance somewhat over the years, as does nearly series in motorsports.  Right now, however, thanks to promotion from series leader Jeremy Ward, as well as stronger national series such as Redline and the Super Lap Battle, the UMS TA series is stronger and more competitive than ever.  New drivers from HPDE3-4, TT and Race Group are always welcomed to join.  With the increasing attendance comes a few complications, with the most important being the timing system and availability of the AMB transponders.

Team Tein Arizona getting ready for the UMS Time Attack

NASA Arizona always has a healthy stock of AMB transponders available for rental.  While it hasn’t become a problem yet, with the upward swing in attendance of the UMS Time Attack series, things might get complicated in the future since this series, TT and Race group all share from the same rental transponder pool.

So, this is more or less a heads up message saying that if you are planning on being a regular in the UMS Time Attack series, TT or Race Group, you might want to consider purchasing an AMB transponder for yourself.  The AMB transponders cost around $400 new and can often be found for much less with light use on racer classifieds (NASA Forums, etc) or Ebay.  Just some food for thought.  Speak with Jeremy Ward to get info on the proper transponder model you will need to purchase.

Business aside, the TA-B class saw a first time winner in Dave McCombs, taking the victory in his Honda S2000 with a time of 1:06.841.  Dave comes from a long background of autocrossing, which suited him well for Firebird West’s tight roadcourse.  In addition to the TA-B win, that lap time stood all day and was strong enough for the overall win in the UMS Time Attack Series.  Congratulations Dave!  Familiar to Time Attack, Gabe Ortega took the win in TA-A, edging out Simon Pavlick by three-tenths of a second.  Bryan McCormick was the winner in TA-C.

Full results from the UMS Time Attack series are located here.

Time Attack headmaster Jeremy Ward prepares for a photo session of the TA group.

Next time at Firebird West

If you couldn’t get enough of Firebird West, NASA Arizona will return for a two-day event on August 14-15.  I know what you’re thinking–NASA is crazy for having a two-day event in the middle of the summer, right?  Well most people from NASA Arizona have attended the early morning summer events.  If not, the concept is simple:  Start early.. really early, and get out of there before it gets too hot.  While the final schedule hasn’t been released yet, expect a 6am start time for first session, with the last session ending just after 10am, and at around 90degrees.  Sessions are shorter, entry fees are less as a result, everyone is home by noon and drivers still get their fix during the summer.

New for 2010 is the two-day summer event format.  This will use the compact schedule as roughly described above, on both Saturday and Sunday.  And unlike years past, Race Group will be more involved in the summer events.  Saturday will serve as practice and qualifying, with Sunday having a warmup session and the actual points race.  This will give racers a chance to race on FIR West (same concept applies for FIR East in June as well) for the first time, as well as get a final tuning session before NASA Nationals at Miller in September.

That about wraps up the details from March 20th at Firebird Raceway!  Thanks go out to everyone–drivers and workers alike–for making March 20th a successful event despite the fact that it sees less use by NASA Arizona than other locations.   See  you at the track!

Have any trouble finding the place?  Last time NASA Arizona was at Firebird International Raceway during the daytime on the Main course was November, 2006–a time when there were 2-3 less casinos, Wild Horse Pass Rd was called Maricopa Rd., you couldn’t cross the freeway to Love’s to get race fuel and the closest lunch spot was deep into Ahwatukee.  With all the amenities at our finger tips, the stage was set for a great weekend of racing and HPDE out at Firebird.. but with a twist.  That being, the rain which dumped bucket loads and surely spiced things up a bit for all.

Saturday showed slightly bigger attendance than Sunday for most groups, which is typical for most NASA Arizona weekends.  Due to the  rain, a slew of mechanical failures across the board and the fact that many people that didn’t have rain-worthy rubber, some opted to sit out rather than take their chances between the concrete barriers at Firebird on Sunday.  Those who did brave the storm (quite literally), aside from the extremely slick dragstrip, found the infield section at Firebird to be rather amusing and challenging in the wet conditions.  It’s a rare case when drivers get to practice driving in the rain in Arizona, so many took the opportunity to learn car setup, patience, and driving methods on various surfaces in the wet.

Matt MacIntyre held the TTB track record for 24 hours, only to get robbed late on Sunday

The NASA Saturday evening social was a hit as always.  Restrictions on the Firebird property meant specificlimitations on certain types of beverages, which some theorize were responsible for a lower turnout than NASA typically sees at Phoenix International Raceway, but rest assured the BBQ was still a hit as always.  Terry Denton and his band came out to Firebird once again to provide excellent entertainment throughout the night.  Thanks again to Terry and his crew for making the evening more entertaining and welcoming for all!

Now, it’s time for business!

Track Records

Rather than divide this up between Time Trial (TT) and Race Group, it’s worth noting that due to the long-weekend at FIR Main, finally, drivers had time to settle in, setup their cars, and reset all those track records which often are touch to reach under the lights at the yearly April event.  The thought of having two days to reset the records, however, was short-lived as the clouds rolled in Saturday afternoon and kept the track damp nearly all day Sunday.  This condition mostly affected the racers, leaving them with  three new track records (ST2, PTB, 944 Spec).

The tape sums up Rick's weekend, setting new track records in TT and Race Group

Time trial drivers on the other hand, have an advantage due to the competition format and only needing one clean, fast session to beat a track record.  All said, six of the nine records were trumped, giving the track records page at NASA-TT.com a faster, and more consistent look.  In total, TTR, TTB, TTC, TTD, TTE and TTF records were broken, giving drivers a new benchmark for the April 10 night event and for future events at Firebird Main.

UMS Time Attack Series

The UMS Time Attack series often goes unnoticed by many at the events, so I thought it’s worth focusing on here for a minute!  If you haven’t noticed the UMS Time Attack series, it’s probably because the series organizer–Jeremy Ward–works quickly to get cars on track to turn their hot laps, then off and out of the way so NASA can continue with the daily schedule.  In addition to that, the driving exhibited by the drivers in the UMS Time Attack Series has been first class–very few (if any) incidents or spins, excellent car prep to prevent mechanical failures and delays (except someone running out of gas once.. not sure who that would be!) which in turn has created a smooth and stealth machine of a program.  Working in such a manner opens the door for UMS Time Attack events on a more regular basis, along with bigger fields.  A few important links for familiarizing yourself with the UMS Time Attack series:

The Rules - There are only a few, which is what makes the series appealing.  And the results are amazingly close everytime, despite popular logic.

Time Trial vs. Time Attack - Not a battle, but to clarify what the difference is, since it can be confusing.

The Players - People who are fast, leading and consistent in the UMS Time Attack series.  I guess you could say, these are the Top Dawgs!

The Results - In the end, this is what counts!

Round #2 of the UMS Time Attack series was held on Sunday at Firebird Main, with an entry list of twelve drivers including all of the season regulars.  Gabe Ortega–a longtime participant in the UMS Time Attack series, changed setups drastically between the TT and TA events in the same day, which apparently worked as he went on to take his second consecutive TA-A class win with a 1:13.286 lap.  TA-B was led by a familiar face; 2009 season champion and current 2010 season leader Phil Robles showed up, and cleaned  up, with a 1:10.444 lap.  The quickest class of the weekend, TA-C, was won by Travis Barnes in his Snail Performance Subaru WRX, with a 1:09.705 lap.

Doug Chernis from Race Technik helps Sarah Cattaneo prepare for the PT race on Saturday

EVO Motorsports from Tempe, AZ brought several cars out to participate in HPDE over the weekend

Race Groups

Since NASA Arizona last came to Firebird Main, the race group has grown significantly and many of the regulars have switched classes and/or cars.  Throw in a few million gallons of rain on Sunday, and  you have one interesting weekend in race group!  A race group icon, Jeremy Renshaw, finally retired his 1992 Nissan 240SX after about 4,000 miles of track use and debuted his new PTB-class BMW M3 on Saturday.  Rick Johnson’s Mini Cooper, appeared drastically different as he removed 2009’s sponsor wrap and decals, making it look virtually stock.  With the extremely slick conditions of the dragstrip at Firebird on Sunday due to the rain, racers took the green flag almost single-file, as it was deemed by most to be rather unsafe to drive two-wide for a section of the front straight.

27 drivers took the green flag on Saturday and 20 did so on Sunday.   Click on those previous links for race results from each day.  Strangely enough, Chad Nelson took the overall win on both days, with Steve Lisa finishing second twice and Mark Alger in third on both days.  The respective class winners for both days were:

Saturday

• SU - Mark Alger
• ST1 - Chad Nelson
• ST2 - Ron Ballard
• PTA - John Dowling
• PTB - Rick Johnson
• PTD - Marty Saltzman
• 944 Spec - Austin Newmark

Sunday

• SU - Mark Alger
• ST1 - Chad Nelson
• ST2 - Johnathan Greenfeld
• PTA - John Dowling
• PTB - Rick Johnson
• PTC - Michael Papworth
• PTD - Marty Saltzman
• 944 Spec - Rich Geisler

Big Spec News for May!

You guys and girls have been asking about this for years, so now is your chance.  Last year, a large group of 944 Spec drivers came out to PIR and their presence was so huge, NASA Arizona gave them their own separate run group;  NASA would love to do this again in 2010, but it’s up to the drivers to show there is sufficient interest.

944 Spec spoke, and was heard. NASA Arizona looks to have a feature spec race with 944s and Miatas this May

Now, this idea is not limited to 944 Spec cars!  Spec Miata is another program that has shown big numbers in the past and the interest still lingers, but it’s tough for NASA Arizona to put Spec Miata first unless the drivers appear and show NASA they’re genuinely interested.  The same can be said for Spec RX7.   The May 1-2,  2010 NASA event is the ideal month for the Spec series (Miata, 944, RX7) to join up into a collective force and get the attention deserved from not only NASA Arizona, but the spectators, other racers, HPDE drivers who are most likely interested in moving into one of the two series, and more.

Due to similar speeds, it would be entirely possible to have a run group catering to the various spec series:  Spec Miata, Spec RX7 and 944 Spec.  Possibilities are endless as well–a combined start, split starts, separate qualifying, etc.  The benefit of course is having a separate group for the Spec cars, apart from the faster GT cars and the nine other NASA Arizona classes.  Rather than worrying about faster traffic working through the Spec fields, drivers could concentrate 100% on their Spec race and have a lot better racing, not to mention more fun.  So, the May event with NASA Arizona is open to having a separate run group for 944 Spec, Spec Miata, Spc RX7 or all three (combined with each other).  It’s up to you, the drivers, to make it happen.  Here’s how:

• Log onto the NASA Arizona forums–more specifically, in the race group forum.
• Start a thread or join an existing one if someone beats you to it.
• Make your voice heard!
• Accurate headcounts and voices from drivers in the Spec series are what counts.
• With schedules in the early stages weeks and often months in advance, the earlier, the better!
• Invite your friends from other states and organizations as well.  In most cases, competition licenses from other organizations are accepted at NASA events, which makes the process virtually effortless.

NASA Arizona would like nothing more than a massive Spec race at the May 1-2, 2010 event at Phoenix International Raceway.  Nothing beats a good Spec race, followed by an evening BBQ with entertainment at a nice time of year.  We hope to see you out there Spec drivers!

NASA Arizona is one of the biggest regions in the country for 944 Spec racing

March 6-7 Preview

Carrying the theme of no back-to-back events at the same venue in 2010, NASA Arizona returns to Phoenix International Raceway for the second time this year.  Carrying on the tradition of many years past, NASA Arizona will be sharing the weekend with BMW Car Club of America (BMWCCA).  Note:  This is BMWCCA’s event–NASA Arizona is just piggybacking off of them per say, so let’s make sure all of the BMWCCA participants have a great time and ask us back for the fall 2010 event and forward!

Between the NASA racers, BMWCCA and the Saturday evening BBQ, it'll be a mini-Oktoberfest at PIR in March

Depending on the final schedule–and I mean, up until the last minute–NASA Arizona should be carrying just about all of the regular programs for this event:  Time Trial (with split groups!), NASA Race Groups, HPDE2-4, the HPDE1 school, NASA Saturday evening BBQ, and the UMS Time Attack series event #3, thanks to excellent planning on the part of Tage and Adina Evanson, the BMWCCA organizers and Ramin Shute in race control.

Details of the event and preliminary schedule are located here.

Registration for the March event is located here.

It’s Never too Early!

That’s right–it’s almost that time.  If you’re on Ramin Shute’s Facebook page, you’ll know that the NASA Arizona team has been planning the April 10th night event since midway through 2009.  Not kidding!

Last year we were plagued with rain for most of the day, only to clear up on a few brief occasions, conveniently around the NASA Time Trial sessions for some reason!  We’d all like to think with the recent weather here in Arizona, this year will be much better now that the rain quota for the year has already been exceeded.

What is April 10th?  It’s the biggest amateur motorsports event in the state of Arizona, year after year!  In it’s 5th year this time around, NASA Arizona is doing it all:  Time Attack, Modified Magazine Tuner Shootout, Car Shows, HyperDrive on Firebird West, NASA-X, Trial By Fire drifting, HPDE 1-4, NASA Race Groups, Time Trial, a Kid’s play area, onsite Dyno testing, GoGo dance contest (always a favorite), Super Lap Battle Qualifying, a Beer Garden and more.

For those on Facebook, the official event page is located here.

Details coming soon on the NASA Arizona forum–almost guaranteed to be up as soon as the March event is over.   Until then, here are some flyers for the April 10th event.  Hold on–this one is gonna be huge!

A special thanks goes out to Geri Amani from Redlign Autosports for the event photos seen in the Wrap Up!

Thank you for reading the NASA Arizona Wrap Up.  See you at the track on March 6-7!

NASA Profiles: Stenos Wijaya

Vital Stats

Hometown: Glendale, AZ

9-5: Haskell Auto

Run Group: HPDE3

Projectile: 1994 Toyota Corolla

1st Event: May, 2009

Define… “admirable”.  When we’re all sitting around at the NASA events, is an admirable person one that drives the fastest car?  Or, perhaps it’s the driver who breaks his engine in the morning, changes cylinder heads and makes the last session of the day?  Or is it more admirable to have a vision,  and without undermining the complexity, simply follow through with that dream, in the end making it happen?  Because let’s face it, regardless of what we do, which car we pilot around the track or the lap time that comes as a result, recognizing the fact that we are able to attend NASA Arizona events at all is the first step into having true perspective and appreciation for what we do.  Stenos Wijaya is no exception to this idea, and his story is one that is definitely most admirable.

Taking some hot laps at PIR in January

If you were to take a globe and spin it almost exactly 180-degrees, then put a finger directly in the center near the equator, you’d be in pretty close proximity to the small city of Jember, Indonesia.  Growing up there since birth until just a few years ago, Stenos knew from an early age that he wanted to race cars.  Figuring out to what extent exactly would be a challenge, especially with his parents keeping a close eye, just as many parents do when their children become obsessed with dangerous hobbies!  Combine the goals in the automotive arena with the desire to get a college education in the United States, Stenos had his work cut out for him–moving, schooling, adapting and of course, racing, albeit halfway around the world.

Random Facts

Also Known As: Noz Wiyaya

Favorite Food: Sushi

Music: Linkin Park, Paramore, etc

Obligatory hot actress question: Emma Stone

Fast forward to February 2010–it’s a cloudy day at Firebird Raceway.  Stenos and his friends are hanging out in the paddock, downloading in-car footage from the last track session onto a laptop.  They stand around, talking about the Corvette that blew by them on the straight, which fast food place has the best burger, and of course amongst the group, whom is the fastest.  To the untrained eye, it appears similar to any group of friends spending an afternoon together–immersed in hobbies, culture, trash talking and enjoying life in general.  With only a few years logged on U.S. shores, Stenos has already completed an AA degree from Gateway Community College and is working full-time at a family-owned business in Glendale called Haskell Auto.  “I was at work one day when a person came in and dropped off some flyers for the April NASA night event.  I went and checked it out, then decided that’s what I wanted to do with my free time.. all of my free time!”  Stenos attended his first NASA event in May, 2009 and the rest is history–beginning in the HPDE1 program with a daily-driven street car, progressing and moving into HPDE3 for the February event, actually.  Through the steps, Stenos clearly remembers his instructors that helped him get started–John Bianchi, Robert Rose, Kent Buckley–and thanks them for giving a solid foundation in driving and car control.

Stenos's loyal companion for the 2010 season

Currently Stenos is driving his 1994 Toyota Corolla on the track, but plans to switch starting in 2011.  “Finding parts for the Corolla is tough, you have to search all over the world.  I got my sway bars from Australia, for instance”, he remarked.  Currently his Corolla is modified with different shocks, springs, bushings and he converted it from an automatic to a manual transmission.  Already in possession of an early Mazda Miata, Stenos hope to match his progress into TT and even race group, with the final buildup stages of that vehicle.

When he’s not driving at the track, Stenos spends his time working, studying and making his battle plans for the next track event.  He still communicates regularly with his family in Indonesia; more importantly, keeps them updated on his safe driving adventures at the track which he pined for starting at an early age.  “Ideally, people in Indonesia will have their own maids, drivers, assistants, etc.  Not the case here, for most people at least”, says Stenos when talking about the main differences between his lives here and in Indonesia.  “Variety” is the other–in people, food, culture, cars, accessibility (racing) and so on.  As if his Toyota Corolla isn’t symbolic enough of the variety of cars seen at NASA Arizona events, Stenos himself will be glad to toss out some of his stories from the past and his adventures both inside, and outside of NASA.  Be sure to say hi to Noz next time you see him at the track!

Summarizing his thoughts about NASA, in his own language, Stenos says:  NASA keren bo!

Stenos Wijaya and his racer after a long day at the track

]]> http://www.nasaaz.com/uncategorized/whos-who-in-nasa-february-2010/feed/ http://www.nasaaz.com/uncategorized/2010-hoosier-tire-contingency/ http://www.nasaaz.com/uncategorized/2010-hoosier-tire-contingency/#comments Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:03:58 +0000 Brady http://www.nasaaz.com/?p=1391 1/29/10

Details for the 2010 Hoosier Tire contingency program have been released.  This program applies to all NASA drivers participating in the following classes/programs, and are registered for the Hoosier Tire contingency program:

• Performance Touring (PT)
• Super Touring (ST)
• Time Trial (TT)
• German Touring Series (GTS)
• American Iron (AIX)

All participants must register for the Hoosier Tire contingency program through Hoosier directly by following the instructions on Hoosier’s website.

Details of the program can be found here:

https://www.hoosiertire.com/NASAawdg.htm

The contingency program works similar to the 2009 season, only with slight modifications.  Payout is as follows:

• 1st Place w/3-6 cars in class: 1 free tire

• 1st Place w/7+ cars in class: 2 free tires

• 2nd Place w/5+ cars in class: 1 free tire

• 3rd Place w/7+ cars in class: 1 free tire

NASA Arizona thanks Hoosier Tire for their help and support in our local and national racing programs !

So, how was that off season?  You know, that 40 or so day break between the Thanksgiving event and the season-opener in January.  Yeah, that topic came up several times in the previous wrap up (ie. how motorsports dominates all other sports when it comes to lack of downtime), but I think it’s safe to say one thing:  Holidays?  Yeah, they’re fun, but it’s great to be back at the track!

You can see by the headlining picture on this month’s issue of the NASA Wrap Up that there was as much fun and competition off the track, as there was on.  Now, if the NASA organizers can only find a way to fill the 23-minute void with something exciting between track opening and tech inspection each morning, NASA Arizona will perhaps have the most fulfilling 48-hour adventure of any organized activity in the world!  Ok, enough rambling and onto the weekend’s activities…

Trial by Fire Drift Returns!

Superior Racing Development dominated in drift and race groups over the weekend

What’s more mind-boggling is that January marks the 4th event weekend in a row at Phoenix Intl. Raceway, yet the feeling was much different due to new groups, activities and people.  Starting off was the return of the Trial By Fire drift sessions led by George Marstanovic and Joe DiNunzio.  Trial By Fire is Arizona’s oldest and most well-established group for organized drifting in Arizona and has a long relationship with NASA Arizona dating back to TBF’s beginning.  Typically speaking, Trial By Fire’s events are held in parking lots and cater to everyone from beginning drifters, all the way up to professional, licensed drivers that compete in the Formula D and D1 drift series events.  Several times a year, Trial By Fire ramps it up and invites the best drivers out for a weekend of fun with NASA Arizona.

Two drivers drift around T3, nearly side by side at times

It’s easy to tell when the drifters are on track since the entire facility at Phoenix Intl. Raceway gets covered in tire smoke.  When you see heads turning and people looking for car spinning, it’s not a HPDE1 session gone bad, it’s the sound of hundreds of dollars of Dunlop tire rubber being burned off on the asphalt.  [The debate as to whether the drifters help or hurt grip by leaving rubber everywhere is up for debate on the forums--join in!].  What’s not easy to tell is what exactly is going on.  Here are some simple drifter facts in effort to give credit where due!

• The top drifters at PIR enter Turn 1 between 85-95mph, then immediately initiate a 4-wheel slide, holding it all the way to turn 8!
• Popular cars are typically light, RWD platforms:  Nissan 240SX, Mazda RX7, Nissan Z, Toyota Cressida (!), Toyota Corolla
• Myth:  Grippy tires in the front, all-season, pumped up tires in the rear.  Reality:  Maintaining a slide at 90mph requires grip, and lots of it.
• Keeping those tires spinning requires one thing:  Horsepower.  Most of the drift cars use turbocharged 4-cylinders making 280-400hp, or swap in Chevy LS-series V8s making 400-490hp!  All in a 2400lb chassis.

A big thanks goes out to Joe and George for bringing the drifters, as well as the friends and spectators out for a weekend of clean and safe driving at PIR.  NASA Arizona looks forward hosting Trial by Fire again in the near future.

This Nissan 240SX is powered by a Pontiac GTO engine, making close to 500hp

Epic Battles in Race Group

Through the 40 or so drivers and ten classes in the NASA race group, it’s hard to cover in detail what exactly happened during the two days of racing.  Watching, is far different than driving, and having that feeling of being on the ragged edge during a pass or trying to hold someone off is something that’s difficult to convey outside the cockpit of a race car.  What we see as spectators, doesn’t even come close to what a driver sees or feels.   However, on occasion there are some battles that can be seen on paper;  we had a few in January.

Ryan and Terry Denton swept PTA for the weekend in this BMW M3

The Performance Touring Class A (PTA) bunch had a weekend of thrills, thanks to two new drivers entering the class. Terry Denton and his son Ryan Denton (BMW M3 #66), the 2009 ST2 championship winner, bumped down a class to join the fun with John Dowling (Porsche 911 #46).  To throw the odds off just that much more, Brian Turner (Porsche 911 #524) moved from the time trial group over the winter break in order to get in on the racing action in PTA.

After qualifying results rolled in on Saturday, I think everyone watching the race group just stood there, amazed and thankful that we have 11 more months to watch and see how this class is going to unfold in 2010!  To give you an idea, here are the qualifying results for PTA over the weekend:

Saturday

1. Terry Denton - 1:09.801
2. John Dowling - 1:09.808
3. Brian Turner - 1:09.916

Sunday

1. Ryan Denton - 1:09.551
2. Brian Turner - 1:09.909
3. John Dowling - 1:10.821

Really–does it get any better than that??  The results unfolded in a similar fashion with The Dentons taking the wins in PTA on both days.  John Dowling took second twice and Brian Turner, in his inaugural weekend in the NASA race group, took home a pair of third place podium spots.  Congratulations to all the PTA guys for keeping it close, clean and keeping the spectators entertained all weekend.

How does that saying go... A picture is worth a thousand words?

ST1 had a similar experience on Sunday, with Clay Koevary dusting off his Porsche 911 and taking the overall pole for the race group, with a 1:05.053 lap.  Mark Alger qualified second overall and in ST1 with a 1:05. 663, while Chad Nelson (and eventual ST1 winner) qualified at a 1:05.893.  Clay, Chad and Mark battled it out for the first ten minutes of the race with Chad eventually pulling away.  Clay finished second and Mark rounded off the podium ending up 3rd overall and in ST1.

Complete race group results are listed here:

Saturday Race Group Results

Sunday Race Group Results

Race group awards near impound

HPDE Groups

HPDE driver Stenos Wijiya rounds turn 3 during the January 9-10 weekend

Without quantitative “results” from a group, it’s hard to report on any specific action that went on over the weekend while on-track with the HPDE groups.  However, a couple interesting things happened in the HPDE groups over the weekend that are worth noting.

First off, Robert Rose, a long-time member of NASA (since the beginning in Arizona) has been working with the time trial program since 2005. Starting in 2010, Robert has been assigned responsibility of the HPDE2 group leader, giving guidance throughout the day and during the downloads.  Given the perfectly clean run sessions of HPDE2 during the weekend, I think it’s safe to say Robert settled into his new role nicely.

A nice 350Z doing what it was designed for--weekend track driving!

Drills are back!  No, not fire drills, I’m talking about the HPDE driving exercises!  You’re probably thinking, “Say what?”, but with the combining of groups HPDE3 & 4, group leaders saw it as a perfect opportunity to challenge the HPDE3 drivers, while giving some of the HPDE4 drivers some refreshers and perhaps preparation for moving into either the race or time trial groups.  During the designated drill sessions, which were scheduled longer in length to provide ample time for training and regular driving, participants practiced passing, side-by-side driving through corners and other critical maneuvers on track.

Passing drills in HPDE3/4

Lastly, January saw a record number of HPDE4 drivers move into the Time Trial group to drive against the clock, the competition and up the stakes just a little.  (More on that below)

Time Attack and Time Trial

The UMS Time Attack series saw its first event of the year and had a strong field of 18 drivers.  With nine events on the schedule for 2010, drivers were anxious to see who would be occupying which class and what the tone would be like for the rest of the year.  Not surprisingly however, some familiar faces topped the leaderboard at the end of the day on Sunday.  Full time attack results are located here:

UMS Time Attack Series Event #1 Results

For anyone interested in the UMS Time Attack series, the full 2010 rules are located on the NASA AZ Website and by clicking on the link.

Drivers get their cars ready and talk a little trash before the UMS Time Attack

The NASA Time Trial Series had 36 drivers on Saturday and 39 drivers on Sunday, making it one of the biggest TT events ever.  Perhaps most notable this weekend was Rick Johnson’s sub-1:08 lap (1:07.926 to be exact), setting a new record for the TTC class!  This means that in the past twelve months, the TTC record at Phoenix Intl. Raceway has been broken five times!  In addition, records were broken in TTR–Wayne McKeen @ 1:02.37, and in TTF–Tage Evanson @ 1:17.21.

As mentioned above, the following drivers moved up from HPDE4, completed a weekend in time trial and received their TT Licenses:

• David Barbey
• Dave Tellez
• Jim Williams
• Terry Lee

And for you TT insiders, the Curse of January has finally been broken!

Full Time Trial results from January, as well as track records:

January 2010 TT Results

NASA-AZ Time Trial Track Records

Saturday Evening Banquet Updates

Yes, you knew it was coming eventually.  For those of you who have stuck around on Saturday nights after the driving has settled down, you may have noticed the line is getting increasingly longer for the BBQ, drinks and even a turn at RockBand.  NASA Arizona is politely asking donations for those who can afford it, and are willing to help support the increasing costs it requires to put on a social event like this.  As mentioned, it’s strictly optional, but if most people can pitch in $10 every few months to offset the cost of the food, drinks, BBQ grills (NASA Arizona now owns several!) and so forth, it will only help to make these events even better.  The easiest way to donate to the cause–and it’s a worthy one–is by selecting a donation option on the registration page.

NASA Arizona thanks you in advance for your support!

February 6-7 Preview - Firebird Intl. Raceway - Main Course

Several NASA drivers tested cars for the 24 Hours of Lemons race in January

First off, does everyone remember where Firebird Raceway is?  Yes, it’s been a long time since NASA Arizona has been to Firebird Raceway in general, but even longer since there has been a two-day event, and even longer since there has been a winter daytime event on Firebird’s Main Course!  If you can think back long enough, last time was November, 2006–over three years ago!  Needless to say, it’s great to be back to FIR.

How to make your dog happy: Bring him/her to the Saturday evening NASA social!

Secondly, yes, that game everyone refers to as the Super Bowl is on Sunday.  Not that it’s of any concern to us racers who make driving our first priority, but just in case, Sunday will be using an abbreviated schedule to make sure everyone is home, on the couch, by kickoff time.  Here are some essential facts for the February event:

• If you need to register for February 6-7, Click Here.
• A rough draft of the schedule, as well as other important information can be found on the NASA Forum by Clicking Here.
• HPDE2 will be offered on Sunday, but HPDE1 will not due to the condensed schedule.
• Race group will use Saturday’s race results as the qualifying for Sunday’s race.  Accordingly, there will be no qualifying session on Sunday.
• TT & HPDE groups will have three sessions on Sunday instead of four.
• Lastly, prices for groups which have shortened track time on Sunday have been adjusted as a result.

That about finishes this month’s edition of the NASA Wrap Up.  As with the previous installment, a HUGE thanks goes out to Geri Amani with Redlign Photography fortaking event photos.  More NASA Arizona photos are available on Redlign Photograhy’s website.

Thanks again for a great January event and we look forward to seeing everyone at Firebird Raceway in February!

(now let’s see some more pictures from the RockBand shootout on Saturday!)

The Dentons looked to clean up the race group, and RockBand on Saturday

Gabe Ortega, doing his best Neil Peart impression

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFLCnxXRmwU

How to get started with NASA (Part 1)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYihZApdicM

How to get started with NASA (Part 2 - Time Trial)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl7uQyFBT_0

How to get started with NASA (Part 3)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VxYVoOppq0

Exceptions to CCRs:

• Section 9 & 10 (Instructors): These sections do not apply. Please contact John Dowling directly for additional details for becoming an Instructor for NASA Arizona
• Section 11 (Tech Inspection): NASA Arizona does not currently utilize offsite tech inspections. All tech inspections are done at the track and are free of charge. We do ask that all participants print off and fill out a tech sheet prior to arriving to the event. Tech sheets can be downloaded here –> http://www.nasaproracing.com/images/…_hpde_tech.pdf
• Section 11.3.3 (HPDE Driver apparel): Events that are deemed to experience extreme heat conditions may be approved to allow for HPDE participants to wear “shorts”
• Section 11.4.15 (Car Numbers): This rule must be followed for “Time Trial” vehicles. HPDE vehicles are highly encouraged to follow suit as this will be mandatory in 2011. For 2010, numbers on the windows are still acceptable.
• Section 15.1 and/or 15.2 (Fire Extinguisher/System): Time Trial competitors must follow one of these rules
• Section 15.17.4 (Gloves): Time Trial competitors must follow this rule
• Section 15.17.5 (Eye & Face protection): Time Trial competitors must follow this rule
• Section 16.1 (Competition Vehicle Logbook): Time Trial vehicles may be issued a “Vehicle Logbook”
• Section 17.1 (Impound): ALL vehicles will report to impound after each race
• Section 21.5 (Official Results): Competitors have until the “following event” to dispute the accuracy of any results
• Section 22.1 (Season Points Eligibility): There must be at least two competitors in the same class both of which must earn points in at least 51% or more of the events to be eligible for any season end awards. The “Default Season Points System” will be used.
• Section 22.2 (& 22.2.1): NASA Arizona will allow “5″ drops for Time Trial and all Race Groups
• Section 27.12.1 (Point Limit - Annual): Instead of accumulating points during the “season” (i.e. Jan-Dec) as the CCR rule currently states, points shall be accumulated over the last 13 months or last 13 races, whichever is greater.

NASA Arizona Specific Rules:

• Using the oval at T1 (@ PIR only): In the event a competitor is forced into the oval at T1 to avoid contact, the competitor may rejoin the race field at T9 under the following conditions: A) Must be at a full and complete stop AND B) May not start moving until the vehicle in front of them at the time of going “off track” is past the green/yellow/red lights past T9.
• Staying “on track”: The intended “racing surface” shall be defined as the painted “white line”. In the event there is no “white line” or it is too faded to see, the racing surface shall be defined as the “apex curbs”. Failure to maintain at least 1 wheel on the intended “racing surface” may result in penalites.
• Race Group Body Contact: Body Contact form MUST be turned in by all parties for any damage caused during any NASA Arizona event. Failure to do so will result in an automatic disqualification from the race results.
• Dyno Testing: For classes that require a “dynojet” test. The rules indicated that a Dynojet Model # 248 or 224 may be used for official classing. However, 2WD compliance testing for all Arizona based events will be performed at “AZ Dyno Chip” (http://www.arizonadynochip.com/) or “Xtreme Motorsports” (http://www.xmsengineering.com/). Competitors are highly encouraged to have their vehicles tested at one of these locations to ensure classing compliance.

Exceptions to Enduro Rules

• Section 2.4 (Min # of drivers): Teams may have no more than 3 drivers. No minimum required.
• Section 2.7 (Entry fees): See registration page for entry fee. The car that will be driven must pay for “Race” registration fee. Co-drivers sharing a car will need to pay the “Enduro” entry fee.
• Section 3.3.1, 4.1, 4.2 & 4.3 (Car classification): ES, ESR and E0-E3 will not be used. NASA Arizona will continue to use PT classing or “944 Spec” for all cars. Contact Paul Bloomberg (pjbloom1@gmail.com) if there are any issues regarding classification. Any other class specific references will map as follows - “ES & ESR” = “ST2, ST1, SU” / “E0-E3″ = “PTF-PTA”
• Section 5.7 (Repairs on course): Repairs are not permitted on course.
• Section 8.2.1 (Refueling): Please note that “8.2.1” this rule does not apply, please read
• Section 8.2.3 (Refueling for “less than 6 hours) NOTE: “ES & ESR” = “ST2, ST1 & SU”
• Section 8.3 (Pit Speed Limit): The start of the “pit” will be defined by the painted line and/or cones at the entrance of the hot pit. NOTE (@PIR): There will not be a defined speed limit for the entrance of track exit (apron) but any speeds deemed excessive will result in penalties up to and including complete disqualification from the season. Also note that the 25MPH speed limit will be strictly enforced and penalties for exceeding the speed limit could result in harsh penalties.