Happy March, Race Fans!
This month is another busy one for Morgan and the Burkhard race team. This week, we are at Road Atlanta for the SCCA Hoosier Super Tour. This event is broadcast on YouTube and Morgan is driving the Spec Racer Ford 3 (SRF3) in Group 6. Thursday, March 7 is a practice day. Friday, March 8 qualifying is about 10:30 am. Saturday, March 9 has another qualifying at 8:05 am and a race at 2:05 PM. Sunday, March 10, he races at 2:20 pm. All times are approximate.
THURSDAY NOTES:
Arrival: So we know we are going to a race track. And we know race tracks are big places, right? So why does it seem that it just pops up suddenly out of no where at the side of the road and Pow! there it is with all its undulating glory spread out in front of us!
That’s the way Road Atlanta is. We come in the front gate at the crest of a hill and we are immediately faced with the racetrack as it plunges steeply downhill from the bridge into the final turn. That drop seems like about 4 stories all at once. Don’t let the games or TV fool you. There is no place that’s flat anywhere on the course.
Today is a test day and it’s beautiful, sunny and warm. Morgan is coming to grips with the track quickly - a skill developed in his autocrossing days years ago. The times suggest he will be competitive with the veteran drivers. But a change in the weather is coming. That will put a heavy emphasis on the Qual session tomorrow. For now, he’s happy with the car, the course and himself. One test session left in the day.
FRIDAY NOTES:
Wake Up: Only one session today folks. The data says there is a rain cloud above us, but so far nothing is making it all the way to the ground. Thankfully. It’s one of those days where the heavy low clouds are screaming at speed across the sky as if they are having a race up there too. We are using the pit lane on driver’s left. Our paddock is on the opposite side of the track but adjacent to the walkover bridge so we have easy access. The cars are coming to the grid and the drivers are greeting each other, there is a happy vibe going on.
While the second qual sessions will be broadcast today if you want to check them out, there isn't one for first qual, unfortunately, but it is on Race Hero and Race Monitor if you want to watch the times jump around. Let’s go Morgan!!
Qualifying Session: Twenty five minutes does fly by fast, but standing on the pit wall waiting for our guy to come around each lap we feel each second tick by so slowly.
With the overcast and cool air, the cars were very happy today. Morgan had an excellent partner in Denny Stripling and for a while, they were top of the stack. On their very best run, there were barely six inches between them as they came down the hill and through the final turn. I had to step back a take a breath, but they were beautifully in control and it was glorious! Morgan is really enjoying the challenges that the elevation brings at Road Atlanta. At the end of the session, Morgan sits in P3 with some good company around him. The top 10 (of 42 registered) are within a second of each other, so it’s going to be a great race tomorrow afternoon. Yes - there is another qualifier tomorrow morning, but the weather doesn’t look so good. Stay tuned!
End of Day: Despite what it seems, it’s not all race cars all the time at racetracks. Sometimes you get a moment to sit down, relax and have a meal around the campfire. Naturally, we talk about racing and tell stories, and this is the best time with friends.
Sometimes you have to get silly too though. So, the racers gather at the best hill in the paddock - one with good incline, adequate lighting, and easily controlled traffic. Each person antes up $5 and a tennis ball with a number on it is assigned to them. The crowd gathers at the bottom of the hill and the bucket of balls is taken to top. The whistle sounds and the cascade is released! We all cheer like giddy children for our tennis ball to be the fastest and go the furthest. The three with the best distance split the pot and the shortest one gets his entry returned. When you have people and supporters cheering for 100 balls bouncing down the hill it gets pretty loud and exciting. Apparently, it is not possible to get too much racing around here, so maybe it really is all racing all the time!
Last note of the day - we are on track first thing tomorrow morning, 8:00 am, for the second qualifying session. Morgan will go out rain or shine for the experience and practice.
SATURDAY NOTES:
Qualifying: Ahhh… First session of the day. When we wake up, it’s foggy misty and very quiet. It’s not really raining but it seems like it wants to start. Even though the first green flag is coming soon, there are hardly any engines warming up. Knowing that qualifying times faster than yesterday are simply not possible this morning, many drivers decide not to go out.
Of course, we do! Used rain tires go on the car and Morgan gets dressed. By the time we get to the grid, that foggy mist has congealed and it’s now settling gently making things that much wetter. No matter - it’s track time. Morgan has always liked to play in puddles and today is no different. One day he will need to race here in the rain, so he might as well learn the rain line when the results don’t really matter.
Morgan and about ten other friends go out to play. Being the analytical person he is, Morgan takes his time figuring out where to find the grip. He gradually gets comfortable and finds his rhythm. Mid-way he makes one quick visit to the pits to confer with Mike Amy (the best!) and then heads back out.
By the end of the session, these old rain tires have given their all. Morgan seems comfortable with the conditions and the performance of the car. We are happy with the results. Now, we just wait for the race this afternoon at 2:05 and compulsively refresh the weather forecast!
Waiting: There’s a great movie quote I have to share. It’s from the movie “Le Mans” starring Steve McQueen. He is explaining why we race. “When you’re racing, it’s life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting.”
What to we do while we wait? Stand on Spectator Hill overlooking Turn 5 in the chilly rain, talk about cars, and wait for the next group to come out to play.
Gridding for the Race: Well, it’s time at last. The temp has come up away from the dew point and the breeze is nice. The clouds have left off the leaking - enough. The pavement is drying - enough. It’s always a bit of a gamble with conditions like this. Our best guess is dry tires and a wet set up. That means adjustments to the sway bars and shocks to make it a bit softer as if it was raining. Fingers crossed that it’s the right ticket for this afternoon. No matter what, it will be sketchy in some places for a few laps at least. The fast hands, situational awareness, and the ability to see the future will be immensely valuable assets today. Pull up your chair and get ready to watch!
Race 1 Result: Race 1 is in the books! It was elbows out from the drop of the green. Everybody wanted to be up front early in case there was a full course yellow. Given the weather conditions, it was a good bet. This is the kind of day that rewards precision. When it is damp or wet, the painted surfaces can be treacherous. Going off course is game over. Even if you don’t meet an unmoving obstacle, getting back on course is nearly impossible in the wet muddy grass or from the gravel trap. There were some who tried anyway and we had yellows.
Morgan kept himself cleaner than pretty much everyone else in the group. He raced hard and clean and came home 2nd! We are thrilled with the result.
Come back tomorrow for more great racing and some sunshine! The SRF3 race is scheduled for 2:20 pm.
SUNDAY NOTES:
Feature Race Day Morning: The quiet hours between 10 and noon provide an opportunity to get stuff done and for quiet reflection. Everything that can be packed was put away some time ago. We did a little shopping - gotta have a T-shirt and shot glass, right? Did a little visiting - Timing and Scoring peeps and a couple stewards. Now, with still lots of time to go before racing resumes, we sit in the sun and look back on the event so far.
This is Morgan’s first appearance here. He is quite keen to return later in the year because it’s a real driver’s track with all the challenges and nuances that make it exciting and hard to drive fast. And yet - as is his custom, he’s quick out of the box!
I enjoyed taking him to Spectator Hill overlooking Turn 5 and seeing the awed look on his face when he registered the magnitude of the elevation and the flow of the road through that section. It is rather impressive.
And we also look forward to today’s race. It is still chilly and breezy, but the sun is out, the sky is a brilliant blue and without a cloud to be seen. Truly a lovely day at the races. SRF3 is scheduled to go out at 2:20. Tune in to watch!
Race 2 Result: Sometimes the day doesn’t go the way you hope it will.
The group sat on the grid for a very long time while the crews cleaned up oil from a blown motor that ended the prior session. There was a lot of oil dry on the driving line from exit of Turn12 on driver’s left to exit of Turn 1 driver’s right. That never soaks up all the oil and the leftover dust is almost as slippery. It also creates a huge cloud that makes it very hard to see through. It can be like trying to drive in a sandstorm.
Morgan got a pretty good start and was on the cleaner side of the track until the apex at Turn 1. That’s where the mess crossed over to the right side of the track where he was. It looks like the car slipped out to the left there and there was contact with the car outside. They both went off. Morgan gave the tire wall a bit of a whack and broke the car enough to end his race but the other car continued on to the finish.
Morgan came back in on a tow truck. The damage isn’t too bad. First inspection looks like it’s only a few parts of the left rear corner and a little bodywork. And Morgan’s pride. His pride will heal.
WHAT’S NEXT?
We are all packed up now and will head out to the next stop on the tour shortly. More from Sebring and the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race in a few days. Thanks for all the support!